Goals For the New Year

2015 came and went in a blur but its a year we'll never forget! At the start of the year we made a post about setting goals. We know that an angler without goals will continue to fish the same places, the same techniques, and rarely sees true success. We challenged each of you to set goals as well. Now that the year has passed we want to look back at those goals and see what we learned.

View fullsize

Did you accomplish your goals? What did you do right? What did you do wrong? And what are you going to do in 2016 to continue moving forward? As an example let's look at Tim and my goals to see how we stacked up. Keep in mind, goals need to be lofty. They need to stretch you and cause you to develop as an angler. If your goals aren't a challenge that takes constant drive, you're shooting too low!

In 2015 both Tim and I set what we considered outrageous goals. We really stretched ourselves and were specific about what we wanted. I'll start by saying, we didn't accomplish all of them. But to my own amazement, we accomplished most of them! There is not a doubt in my mind that if we hadn't publicly committed ourselves to this, our year would have been very different!  Here is what we committed to for 2015...

View fullsize

Tim:

• Help at least 3 friends break their "personal best" while fishing together
• Catch (another) 13+ lb largemouth
• Break a bass fishing world record

Matt:

• Help a minimum of 1 client catch a 10+ lb largemouth
• Catch a world record of any species (but I'd prefer an 11 lb Spotted Bass)
• Catch a 15 lb largemouth in Clearlake

Those goals were crazy right?! World records?! You've got to be kidding me!! On January 12th, 2015 Tim broke the WORLD RECORD for Spotted Bass with a GIANT 10 lb 6 oz beauty! Several weeks later Matt broke not one, but two Channel Cat World Records! Now isn't that interesting? Tim's goal specifically stated that he wanted a BASS world record and Matt's wasn't as specific, settling for a world record of any species. Here we are, a year later looking back, and both of those goals came to fruition exactly as we had set out to accomplish them. 

Additionally, Tim was successful in helping his friends catch new personal bests just as he had planned. He fell short on the 13 lb largemouth but that's what 2016 is for! Matt successfully guided his clients to fish over 10 lbs and as a kicker, guided a client to a bonus world record catfish! He too fell short of his goal for a giant largemouth but will to continue pursuing that 15 lb Clearlake bass in 2016!

This goes to show that no matter how outrageous the goal, once you commit it to paper and have that accountability, you can accomplish virtually anything! We challenge you again to set lofty goals for 2016! What will you do this year? Will you stay the same or will you catch that personal best? Will you catch a new species? Perhaps break a record? This is your year and we look forward to being a part of it!

To see our goals for 2016 join us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tacticalbassin/ and share in the conversation.

Allen Rated #1 in "California Top 40"

View fullsize

Every Fall California anglers wait anxiously for Kramer's "Top 40"; a list of the top 40 fisherman in the state based on their performance that year. Once its released the list is hotly debated amongst fishing circles. What began as Kramer's personal opinion has morphed over the years. The list has moved from one man's view to the most respected West coast angler ranking. As such, a position on the list is now highly sought after by many anglers.

This year I'd like to congratulate both Matt and Tim for their placement on the list! For the first time, Matt headed the list in the #1 position. Tim wasn't far behind in the #11 position. These two anglers worked feverishly this year to pursue their fishing passion while sharing videos and how-to's in an effort to inspire other anglers to do the same.

View fullsize

Matt's passion for fishing has changed over the years. He first gained notoriety as a trophy largemouth fisherman. Matt still pursues trophy largemouth every year (and catches quite a few) but in recent years has expanded in many other directions, aiding his placement on the list. He is beginning to excel as a multi-species angler, targeting trophy smallmouth, spotted bass, even reaching as far as trophy catfish on occasion. Additionally, he became a fishing guide a few years ago and now thrives on teaching other anglers how to catch giant bass.

Tim, as many now know, is a warden for the Department of Fish and Wildlife. His recent exploits captured national media attention during the Valley Fire. Between work and his young family, Tim's time is extremely limited but he still manages to get out on the water. When he does, he's a machine. From trophy largemouth to trophy spots (including the California State Record Spotted Bass back in January) this guy catches them! Since becoming a partner in Tactical Bassin he spends more time behind the camera than in front but don't let that fool you. When he steps out from behind the camera he is a force to be reckoned with!

38 other anglers made the list as well, all of whom have exceptional talent on the water. Congratulations to all the anglers that made Kramer's Top 40 this year! We look forward to seeing what 2016 holds. Good luck out there!

Fire on the Mountain

View fullsize

Well, as much as we'd love to bring you a fresh, new post this week, some more important activities have been taking place around here. As most of you know, Tim lives on the shores of Clearlake and Matt is a guide on the lake. This week, the mountains near Clearlake caught fire.

The "Rocky Fire" has been explosive since it took off a few short days ago, now encompassing 67,000 acres! Let me begin by saying we're safe and not at any risk of direct impact from the fire, so please don't worry about us. We've continued doing our jobs and living life, but fishing is the last thing on either of our minds.

View fullsize

While we've been blessed with safety, others are not so fortunate.  Its burned 24 homes, more than 6900 others are threatened, and it shows no signs of slowing!

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and communities being impacted by the blaze! Whatever you believe and wherever you are, we ask the Tacticalbassin community to pray for those being impacted by this brutal fire! This too shall pass but its leaving destruction in its wake and we can't help but hurt for those that are losing everything.

We'll keep you posted of any drastic changes and will be back to our normal content shortly. For now, the safety of friends and neighbors trumps the need for bass fishing content. Be safe and we'll see you soon! 

View fullsize