Well, its New Years Eve. 2011 is in the rear view mirror and 2012 is barreling toward us. Soon we’ll be fishing the spawn, chasing the summer topwater fish, and targeting fish around schools of bait in the fall. So, what is going to make 2012 different than 2011? What are YOU going to do to improve your odds of a successful fishing season? One of the keys to my success each year is consistant goal setting. Once the goals are laid out I know exactly what I am striving for and can eliminate a lot of “busy” fishing that isn’t goal oriented. Without goals I tend to get side tracked and waste a great deal of my time.
Let’s review last year’s goals and see how I did:
1) Catch a new personal best spotted bass. Its currently 5.0 so I should be able to top that no problem. The trouble is, I want a 6.5 lber. Wish me luck!
2) I’d love another personal best smallmouth. I’m currently in the 6 lb range and I would love a 7 lber, but I will honestly put this one on the back burner if I haven’t caught the spotted bass.
3) I’d like another largemouth over 15 lbs. Its been a very long time, I’ve hooked a few and completely butchered those battles. Its time I get one to the boat and fill some of the “weight range gap” between my biggest and 2nd biggest.
4) Catch a double-digit bass from at least one lake where I have not caught one before. (I’ll have to drive farther but I’ve got a few options in mind.)
5) Help at least one friend catch their first double-digit bass.
Now that you know exactly what my goals were its time for me to face the music. I didn’t have as successful a year as I would have liked. Yes, I caught some double-digit bass ( I got number 50 as a matter of fact) but not from a new lake. 
I did hook another 15+ lber but I waved goodbye after she buried herself in a weed bed. As I mentioned I might I let the smallmouth goal slip in order to continue pursuing the spotted bass goal. Now, that is the one place that I shined. This was the year of the spotted bass. I started the year with a personal best of 5.0 lbs and I broke it 7 times. I ended the year with a personal best 6.1 (and caught a 6.0 earlier in the same day.) Lastly, I helped two people catch double-digit bass and that was probably my favorite part of the whole year.
Now that you know how I stacked up against my goals you should feel more comfortable discussing yours. I’d love for all the members of the Tactical Bassin community to list your goals for 2012 in a comment at the bottom of this post.
Here is what I am shooting for in 2012:
1) After 3 years its time to stop putting it off and pull my guides license. Email me… we’ll go fishing.
2) Assist 5 anglers in catching their personal best, and have at least one of those be a 10+ lber.
3) Catch a 6.5 lb Spotted bass or larger (7 lbs would be good too)
4) Catch a 10 lber from a new body of water.
What are your goals and why? Whatever they may be, if you apply yourself and keep your eye on the prize you can accomplish them. It doesn’t matter if its a 20 lb largemouth in San Diego or a 3 lb largemouth in Wisconsin. Set your sites and do what it takes to meet your goals. Good luck in 2012!!!!
3. February 2012 at 8:11 AM
Goals for 2012:
1. Keep really good notes CONSISTENTLY on fish patterns, time of day, moon, wind direction, temp, water depth and clarity. ( I did this last year but would go weeks without logging the proper info)
2. Catch 5 fish over 10lbs. Last year I almost had it, but came up just a hair shy. My best five were 9.79, 10.0, 11.0, 9.6 and 8.0. (That goal was in my grasp several times, but lack of preparation got the best of me so I lost a couple of good fish at the boat.)
3. Get one over 13.0 on swimbait.
4. Get one over 8.0 on a frog
5. (optional) Two double digits one day. It happened last year, so learning from the past, I need to eliminate unhealthy water and only target those fisheries that produce quality fish. I cant get caught up in whats the easiest place to fish at, I need to keep thinking whats the best place to fish at in order to make my goals a reality.
23. January 2012 at 11:38 AM
These are all great goals! You guys are going to have a phenomenal year. Whether its a 600 lb tuna, expanding your arsenal to include a new technique, or fishing your first tournament you are all on the right track. Stick to your plan and success will come.
20. January 2012 at 12:50 AM
My goals for 2012 are (1) Go fishing more! (2) Catch a 5+ pound bass from the float tube. (3) Gain more confidence with the swimbait. (4) Fish a tournament.
If you are looking for big DD fish. Try the Castaic lagoon! the biggest fish from here is 19lbs! i know you are in norcal and castaic is Socal,but hey, BIG FISH!
11. January 2012 at 5:36 PM
I hadn’t broken 6 in several years since a 7-5 in 2007 (in Pa.) So the goal was breaking six on the scale (many between 5-6 but just couldn’t break that 6 lb mark in Pa. on the scale. Well, I did it twice this fall, a 6 even and a 6.67. Here is a funny video I made of the day:
http://www.youtube.com/user/heaphunters?feature=guide#p/u/2/wAUK8qjrWAE
(i talk about stating goals in the video at the end!)
here’s the 6.67, and my buddy took lunker in his first tourney in Va on the same day, by stating “i want that biggest fish”
http://www.youtube.com/user/heaphunters?feature=guide#p/u/1/LJcMEr7hMDs
My buddy and I took a week in the spring in Va, project up personal best, in 2009. We both did it. 7-11 and 8-1 respectfully. It did take about a week straight to wait them out and figure out areas. You are so right Matt, state your goals! The power of positive thinking is ridiculous, coupled with patience.
So this year:
1) Up personal best of 8-1. (in Pa would be ludicrous) I want a real fish of a lifetime in Pa now.
2) Break 7 again in Pa.
Big fan of your site Matt. Thanks for your dedication to heaps, buddy.
10. January 2012 at 12:46 PM
Well I see alot of people here making and awful lot of goals. I thought I would keep it with in reach of inproving on a few, rather than shooting for the stars.
1) I wanna start by pinpointing more areas where big bass should be hiding, areas the I’ve fished before or just over looked.
1-B Start to do more homework before heading out to the lake, So I have a plan when arriving at the lake.
2) To expaned my fishing lure arsenal, Not to use the same old baits. expand to the california swim jig, switchblade and a few others Matt has told me about for the lake conditions I fish.
3) not to go some much for most fishthat I can catch, but more quality fish and still stay at least 60% of last years amount.
Thanks Matt for all your help..
7. January 2012 at 4:03 PM
#1. Learn to fish for larger fish instead of trying to catch limits.
#2.Slow down and be more patient.
#3. Become a better jig fisherman.
#4. Keep better records of my trips.
7. January 2012 at 6:13 AM
no ed i havent so anytime you wanna make another trip out there im game……..this summer??
6. January 2012 at 7:56 PM
Hey Matt, Happy New Year!
Beautiful fish picture in this Sat, Dec 31, 2011 post.
Same as last year, 7lb Smallie & 600lb Tuna
Wish you luck Matt!
Joe Baker you still haven’t broke tha 5.3 yet, lol
Grizz
5. January 2012 at 11:42 PM
These are all great goals! I’m really glad to see so many of you stepping up and putting your goals out there. You’re going to see success this year.
Adam, this is your year. That 10 lber is coming and I hope the camera is rolling.
Everett and Jane, you guys are always inspring! Way to get out there and start the year out right.
Joe and Andrew, you’re both on track for a stellar year. You’ve already seen success and you’ve done it in parts of the country that aren’t always easy. You’ve earned your fish and more big ones are coming.
Tag, thanks for taking the time to check in. That 9 lber was a monster! I get excited catching fish that size down here, its awesome that you did it up there. I’m waiting for the call that says you got a 40 lb limit on local waters.
5. January 2012 at 9:31 PM
Happy New Year, Matt! Great topic and excellent goals, everyone.
I have a few fishing related goals for 2012:
1) Spend more time on the water.
2) Catch a double digit fish on one of my own lure creations. I was close (but no cigar) in 2011 with a 9-3/4 pounder on my hand-tied flipping jig.
3) Top my best five fish day in Washington State (36 lbs.)
I want to get my 6 year old daughter out on the water more this year and introduce a couple new people to the sport of bass fishing.
Good luck to all on your 2012 goals!
4. January 2012 at 2:06 PM
im from mass so the weights arent as big but get a new “new england” largemouth pb(currently 7lbs13oz)
break my 5lb3oz smallmouth pb.
keep fishing the big fish style i’ve been fishing the last few years
3. January 2012 at 5:25 PM
In 2010 we caught 1520 bass with a few 6 ‘s, in 2011 we caught 1485 bass and only one 6.1. Now in 2012, I would like, for us to catch 2000 bass with a few 6+.. We are not too young and running out of time.
One more thing, lets all be safe out there…and I caught a bass on the 2nd.. Mon to start us off.Air was 39 and the water was 39 ?
2. January 2012 at 10:57 AM
1. Beat PB Largemouth (7.5 lbs)
2. Beat PB Smallmouth (4.0 lbs)
3. Catch a six fish limit of 25+ lbs.
4. Become a better finesse fisherman
5. Invest in a trip to a trophy bass fishing lake.
1. January 2012 at 10:30 AM
I have never been one to set yearly goals. Growing up a tournament fisherman, my goal every time on the water was to find a potentially winning bite and on tournament day, make it happen. Now that I’m fishing less tournaments and focusing more on big fish, I think it’s time to set those yearly goals.
1. Because I’ve been working mostly 6 days a week for the last couple years, this goal is to simply get on the water every chance I have. Time on the water is THE most important factor in improving your knowledge and success.
2. Catch a 10+ out of a new lake.
3. Catch a 9+ on a Jig. (8.1 is my pb)
4. Log every single day on the water with specific information. This is something that can help you greatly in patterning fish throughout the year (and something I have really slacked off on doing the last year or two).
1. January 2012 at 8:19 AM
For the past year, my goals were:
1. To catch a bass over 2kg (4.4lb). My personal best is 2.300kg (5lb).
2. To catch at least 2 bass over 1kg (2.2lb) on jigs. I set this goal so I could develop some confidence on jigs.
I didn’t acomplished any of those two goals, but I was close! I caught my first bass over 1kg on a jig. It was 1.720kg, my 3rd biggest bass ever! I also caught a 0.945kg bass on a jig. Now I have confidence in jigs! Thanks Matt, because you helped a lot!
My goals for 2012 are:
1. To catch my new PB! Because in most of the lakes I fish here in Portugal bass eat mostly pumpkinseed sunfish and crawdads I’ll fish mostly pumpkinseed looking swimbaits and jigs! I’ll also fish lakes that are better known for bigger fish, since I’ve never heard of any bass over 5lb in the lakes I’m currently fishing. The biggest bass I heard of from these lakes is my current PB (5lb), caught 10 years ago.
2. To catch a bass over 1kg on the float-and-fly.
3. To catch a bass over 1kg on the stitching technique.
1. January 2012 at 12:47 AM
Those are all great goals! Just putting it out there for others to read increases your odds of success exponentially. You now have some accountability. Its not just in your head, its out there. The next step is to start planning accordingly. Goals don’t acoomplish themselves and they don’t (typically) happen by chance. One of the keys to consistant success is to learn from the past. If you keep records study what the fish were doing in previous years so that you can be a step ahead this coming season.
I look forward to hearing the success stories. I’ll be on the water the next few days working on getting a goal or two of my own out of the way. I wish you all success in 2012!
31. December 2011 at 8:51 PM
- my first goal is to catch a bass that beats my newborn son 7lb 15oz
- second goal is to get out on the water as much as I can and get better fishing crankbaits
- and since Matt is getting his license my third goal is to get out with him on the water and see how you really should do it
Everybody have a great 2012 and tight lines.
31. December 2011 at 6:32 PM
- This year my goal is to not rely on the drop-shot rod as much as I do, especially during practice and fun fishing when I should be gaining confidence in other techniques,
– I want to spend the most time on the water during the spawn period to step up my sight fishing game
– Land a swimbait largie over 8 lbs. (my p.b. so far)
– weigh in a bag over 20 lbs. in a tournament
– fish jerkbaits, cranks, and other reaction baits more
– work on my tackle a little each night all week before a tournament instead of the night before
31. December 2011 at 1:54 PM
My main goal is to ignore the advice given by bass “pros” and targeted at tournament anglers. Tournament angling has had such a huge influence on bass fishing that I often forget that tournament strategies are not the same as trophy or fun fishing. I really don’t want to catch five (and only five) three pound bass.
*I need to focus more on technique and less on tackle. I don’t need to buy a dozen new $300 rods every year.
*A related item is to ignore the “hot bite of the day” tips given by local guides. I want to focus on high-percentage fishing areas and techniques and ignore what worked for someone else last week.
*I would like to spend more time using techniques that are illegal for tournament anglers, like trolling and using bait. I have done little bait fishing but I have caught some huge bass while trolling for trout.
*Oddly, I want to become an expert at catching bass during the worst fishing time of the day. I often have a few hours to fish in the afternoon, so I want to become proficient at catching them then.
*I want to develop more confidence in my ability to select lures and patterns rather than switching baits if I haven’t gotten a bite every 30 minutes.
31. December 2011 at 11:53 AM
My goals for 2012…
1. To catch another double digit bass. There’s nothing better then that rush when you land a giant.
2. To catch a 6lb spotted bass. Ive been very close numerous times but this is the year its gonna happen… not gonna try and swing this one! haha
3. Get out of the rut of hitting my same spots every fishin trip. Take more time studying maps and areas where big fish live then execute accordingly. Just recently I have been looking at topo maps on lakes I have been fishing for years and have been finding new big fish areas just from the map.
Well there they are… time to execute!!
31. December 2011 at 10:48 AM
Setting goals is essential for creating a baseline for which you are to move forward from and to be able to measure your progress or lack there of (then make the appropriate adjustments). I enjoyed this read because it helps give new angler insight in to your thought process and the brainstorming that goes into making goals attainable. Maybe a piece on the background research that you do when trying to achieve your goals would be a good follow up so that newer angler understand the amount of prep work that goes into attaining your goals. Great read. I would like to see others thought on goal setting.
31. December 2011 at 10:30 AM
Similar goals to east coast standards. (1) I wanna catch more 6+ pounder, here I just can’t seem to break out of a 3 to 5 pound bite. (2) Improve my Jig fishing; right now I’m a good jig fisherman, but I’m tired of getting beat by great ones when that bite is on. (3) I wanna catch at least one 25+ pound limit. I had one 26 pound swimbait limit prefishing Smith Mountain with an Osprey once shortly before Skeet Reese came on the elite trail and ran almost the same pattern. Now around here everyone has dropped off that “flash in the pan” swimbait craze, and I’ll be back to virtually the only one throwing them. (4) I’m still young enough to where I can fish BASS youth tournaments, with it probably being my last year of eligibility in that, I want to help several younger anglers who are just cutting their teeth in tournaments and big lakes learn tournament strategies and help them deal with the pressure a tournament puts on a person.