How did you do this years so far? 2024
Chris reply :
Time to brag how well have you done this year in tournaments or just fun fishing? Did you hang a lunker on the wall? Did you have a new personal record fish this year? 
Fishnfishmore reply :
I dont fish tournaments, but this year has been GREAT! And the good thing is, its not over yet! 
roadwarrior reply :
2005
PB Smallmouth 8 lbs 1/15/05 Tennessee River
PB Brown Trout 9 7/8 lbs 6/11/05 White River
PB Largemouth 12+ lbs 9/04/05 Public Pond
fishinfool reply :
shatty, don't have anything to brag about but a 6lb 2oz 24in, hasn't been my season, hoping that fall will bring them back up my way(shallow)
Raul reply :
I bought a bunch of new tackle, does that count ? ;D
The BaitMonkey made me do it !
Shad_Master reply :
My goal for this year was to finish in the top 10 for my club tournaments (last year I was 24 of 42 
). Right now I am in 11th place with two tournaments to go. We get to drop off our lowest two finishes, so if I can pull out a good showing in the next two, I should be able to crack the upper tier.
As for personal, I landed a 5.91#er (according to the fish weight calculator on this site) and another one that was an easy 5#er, also several others that were in the 5# range. I also was on a streak from Feb 16th up until Aug 22nd where I caught at least one fish every time I went out. I broke the string when I went out with a couple of guys for a short stint in a new lake that turned out to be just a mud hole >
Overall an excellent year -- hate to see winter comming down the trail.
Matt Fly reply :
This year, the double digit has eluded me, but theres been a steady diet of 7 and 8's this year. The crank and spinner has accounted for 80% of those. My (the majority) deep fish have been suspended most of the post spawn thru summer. Plastics haven't been getting the bites this year. Thought I was in a slump, but the fish haven't set up like years past. The swim bait will put me over the top before this year is over.
digdug reply :
Out of 6 buddy Tournements, we've been in the top 1/3 in all of them, took 1st + big bass in one and 2nd in another. Only one other angler in the circut has done better. We have our year end tournament coming up on 10/2. It looks like it will be a real showdown.....
MichiganBass reply :
This year was just OK for me or my co-angler. The tournaments didn't go as well as in the past but the recreational fishing was fun and I learned a lot. I did a lot more experimenting and I think it will pay dividends in the future but it hurt me a bit in the mean time.
Notable from 2005;
-2005 I had the most fun day of fishing I ever had. It came on a 4 hour river trip one day. My brother-in-law and I nailed atleast 30 Smallies each ranging from 13 to 17 1/2"
-2005 Really developed our smallmouth fishing
-2005 Produced more small keeper Bass than ever
-2005 Lacked the midrange and large fish we needed to win tournaments
-2005 Big Largemouth-4lbs. 13 Oz.
-2005 Big Smallmouth-3lbs. 11 Oz.
-2005 Large off species-Carp 16 lbs. 8 Oz.
-2005 No top 5 finishes in tournaments ranging from 35-60 boats
I do have a classic this weekend. My co-angler and I are 2 of 38 anglers that qualified from 250 plus. I hope the honey holes we have been ignoring for weeks produce for us like they have in the past. I sure would like to get a top 1-5 finish to end the tournament season.
Nick reply :
Started strong in FLW with a top ten and fizzled at Beaver Lake. Did not qualify for Championship.
Weighed biggest tournament bass at 9-6 in FLW.
Qualified for Heartland Pro-Am Championship and Buddy Championhip coming in Oct.
An average year so far, but lots to come.
ifishflorida reply :
One first and one third place finish this year on water I had never fished before. Will finish in the top eight for the year and qualify to fish our "Classic" tournament for better money. It is a Megabucks style tournament that is our last of the year. At my home lake my numbers are down. I keep records because my memory ain't too good so that keeps me honest. I have not put in quite as many hours at that lake but I am down almost 350 fish from this same date last year. So, it has been a mixed blessing for me this year.
Madhouse27 reply :
This was a decent year in both numbers and size of fish with quite a few 5 pound plus smallmouths. More importantly it was a breakthrough year for me in terms of learnining new techniques. I brought my baitcasting game up to the point where I am almost as confident with it as I am my spinning gear. I experimented more with different presentation styles like drop shotting and utilizing the carolina rig. I worked at gaining some confidence fishing crankbaits. Once I had located fish I tried to make myself use to different presentations to round out my arsenal. Years of success primarily fishing an 1/8 ounce leadhead with a grub or tube had made me somewhat one dimensional. Sure I was catching fish most of the time but I was never preparing myself to be able to shift to plan B or C should that approach fail. It's been a great season so far. I'd like to thank the gang here for sharing their expertise and their enthusiasm. Being able to log on at the end of a long work day makes not being able to go fishing a little more tolerable.
Nick_Barr reply :
I had a fun year, 1 tourny left, and broke personal records,
here it goes:
4th place in AOY standings (1 tournament to go)
2nd in rookie of the year so far
Clinched JR AOY
3rd place Duck lake/MARCH
4th place/Big Fish Riffe Lake/ June
5th place Jr. Bassmasters State Championship
$ made so far: $200
Big LM: 6-13 Record
Big SM: 5-8 Record
One more tournament to go and i am having a blast, heading out tomoroww to slam some lunker sized smallmouth.
New Bass Man reply :
Just being able to bass fish is a wonderful accomplishment for me.
This year, I had a few goals in mind. As you all know, bass fishing can be tough to learn. So much to learn! The different baits, riggings, equipment, water conditions, knots, fishing reports, etc. I've read books, surfed the internet, purchased countless vidoes, spent time with seasoned fishmen, you name it. I can remember a time when just reading a fishing report or article about bass fishing would give me a head spin. None of it made sense. But now, I very seldom read anything about bass fishing that throws me off.
My education was really enhanced when I joined this board. You folks (all of you) have contributed to my continued education in the pursuit of the bass. I thank you so much!
So all and all...I've had a great year!
Max-in-Mn reply :
Nothing special this year, got my pb bluegill but noone cares about that. I taught a buddy how to properly skip worms under docks, and watched him catch his first "dock bass". That to me is an accomplishment. Ok yea, this year blew for me 
5bass reply :
Biggest largemouth this year: 7 lb 6 oz (bed fish,jig)
Biggest smallmouth this year: 5 lb 4 oz (crankbait)
Club tournaments this year:(3 more to go)
3rd Gaston
1st Kerr Reservoir
3rd Smith Mtn
5th Smith Mtn
3rd Leesville
Open tournaments this year:
3rd Kerr Reservoir 5 bass 15-7 $
4th Smith Mtn 5 bass 13-6 $
4th Smith Mtn 5 bass 13-9 $
11th Smith Mtn
9th Smith Mtn
....and a few more bad ones,(once you get pushed out of the Top 10 at a weigh-in,you really dont care exactly where you finish.)
So far I have yet to blank in a tournament.(KNOCK ON WOOD) although this past Friday night was a close call.Whew!!
Best producing lures this year:
1. crankbait
2. Power Bait worm
3. senko
The stats should get better with the fall season coming on.I think the fall bite is the best bite of the entire year.
bassackwards reply :
fishing different places, tryin to bank fish. and having started comin to the forum with only the knowledge of tying a clinch knot.
I consistently catch at least 1 bass on each outing, most of the time. I still get skunked, but here and there. no longer everytime I fish.
I at least hook up with a few fish every time I fish, here and there I get skunked, but rarely as much as before.
my biggest, a 7 1/2lber.. unweighed. and easily could have been 8lbs. my biggest to date, but will be overridden in the near-future.
and today, dinks for bass, but first time I have caught nearly 22 bass in one outing, in only a period of 2 hours.
KU_Bassmaster. reply :
It has been my best year of fishing ever. The only problem is that I didn't get to go enough, but I supose all of us have that problem .
Fish I have caught this year:
A new PR on March 25th - 10.5 lbs in the pic (Lake Fork, TX)
On April 4th I caught a new home lake PR of 8.1 lbs off a bed
April was my best month of fishing in my life. I was getting to go just about every other day and I was catching a bunch of bass in the 4-6 lbs. range. I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL SPRING AGAIN!!!!
I have also started to night fish this summer which I really enjoyed. Thanks to LBH. His pics he posted back in June? gave me the itch that I decided to scratch and I am glad I did.
Baits of the year:
Quality - Crankbaits
Quantity - Wacky-rigged YUM Dinger (my new confidence bait)
Fun - Buzzbait
Right now I am slated to start fishing tourneys for the first time on the non-boater side in late October. (School and money permitting > )
cgs2004 reply :
My biggest tournament is coming up the first of October on the Red River in Louisiana. Currently I am 14th in the Nation.
The year in general was great. I didn't catch my personal best but I caught more 4 lb.-6lb. bas than ever before. Hopefully I can cap it all off with a good performance at Nationals.
Low_Budget_Hooker reply :
I've had a great year so far. No PB's or anything very notable but lots of 5's (pretty good for new england) Had a super ice out and a very steady spring and summer with things just slowing down in the last few weeks. Waiting now on that fall feed.
Good luck to all you tourny fisherman, especially shad_master,...way to go setting a goal and not being distracted, I can see you in the top ten.
nick-way to go with that 9-6!!
FALL IS ON IT'S WAY FOLKS!!! I'LL be expecting some nice pics in the next few months from you guys.
CATCH 'EM UP!
bassaddict62 reply :
I caught a 23 inch LMB back in May. Been catching a lot of 14-16 inch bass pretty much all summer. Overall, my fishing is improving steadily.
bass109 reply :
5lb largemouth at New York this year, but moved to kansas and only a 3lb largemouth. I guess thats the best that kansas has to offer. :'(
Kana reply :
I fish for fun, dont compete. after living in japan for a year, i think i havent done too bad. the fish in my pic is my personal second best, caught near kyoto. then i get plenty of small fish at my local river spot. spent a lot of time figuring out patterns and variation between fishing in hte US and japan, what lures work what dosent. ive started to work on my finesse tactics for heavily pressured water, which i havent had to concentrate so carefully on in the US (having alot of secret placesto fish). all in all, not doing to bad, but now that i have some experience under the belt im looking forward to next year.
cedar1 reply :
Had a great year fun fishing but never got in the money in our tournys. Just missed the money in four of them. Lost fish seemed to be a bigger problem this year than any time in my life. I will be working hard to correct this for next year. Good luck to everyone this fall.
AHBasser reply :
My first year bass fishing, and I have done pretty good. In our club of around 50 member, I am in 3rd place with a 12# lead, and only ounces from second. My biggest bass this year was 8.14#, it's the fish in the photo. I won Big Bass and first place that trip. I have finished 2nd and in the top 10 almost every other trip. The top ten go to a mini classic, so Looks like I will be there ;D
Chris reply :
Well I am at the end of my season here is how it turned out.
5 first place finishes
2 second place finishes
1 third place finish(this was yesterday)
4th place
5th place
10th place (big open tournament)
and one tournament I got a 0 (I hate that lake)
I also won big bass in two tournaments a 5pounder and a 6 pounder
AOY in one club and I will find out my standings in the other club later this month.
This a combo of 2 clubs and open tournaments that I fish.
DDbasser reply :
I've had a real good year, I just got back into bass fishing. The wife and I crappie fish a lot mainly from the bank during the spawn.
This year we were finally able to afford a boat and I'm in the position finacially to fish tournaments next year.
I've spent this year learning as much as I could about lures, presentations, and the biology and habits of the bass species.
I've only been skunked on 2 outings this year, i haven't caught anything huge 5 pounds being the biggest but I'm catching a lot of 16" & 17" fish.
I also caught my first fish on a jig this weekend, I caught 3 fish on a 1/4oz green jig with a zoom watermelon super chunk Jr. all of them were exactly 17". i caught a total of 12 bass this weekend ,7 of them would have been keepers.
I did lose one that would have went around 3 lbs Saturday morning.
squid reply :
Well, I had many goals this year. I wanted to finish in the top 10, if there were 20 or more boats, I wated to do better than we did last year in our weekend division, and just catch some fish in the BFL....lol
In divisions 2 of the NBAA we had an avg of 21 boats and we finished in 10th place over a 12 week weeknight league.
8th place with only 8 events fished out of 12 in Division 7, but an avg. of 14 boats.
20th place, which was an improvement, in our weekend league with an avg of 31 boats over 5 events.
In the BFL, I just had problems. To start I missed the first event and zeroed 2 others. I caught 2 smallies in the second event for 4.4lbs. In the last event, this past weekend, I caught 3 for 6.13lbs with 2 Lrg Mouths and 1 smallie with the smallie being the biggest fish in the livewell. So as you can see I did improve and I also learned a LOT in the BFL as a co-angler. I am now ready for DEER season to begin....lol
tipptruck1 reply :
four smallies ranging form 2lbs to my biggest 5 lbs 20in 14 in round
three large mouths 6in to 11in maybe 13 14in
three pike about the 20in
3 walleyes all under 15 in
and three blue gill
DePoy79 reply :
i learned alot more techniques and i causht two 9lb bass on eagle lake in Michigan!! the state record is 11 lb 15 ounces, so those bass are monsters both are on my wall
roadwarrior reply :
DePoy79,
Great fish, it's too bad you kept them. Plastic mounts these days are perfect for display. You can't expect to catch state records or even big fish consistantly when guys kill some of the best fish in the lake.
The California boys release 19 & 20 lb bass so they might have a chance or somebody might have a shot at the world record. I like to think that the biggest fish I catch will be caught again when they grow up.
On September 4, 2005 I released my PB, 27 1/4". I estimate the fish to weigh around 12 lbs but based on the calculator, it might have weighed more. The Tennessee state record is 14.5 lbs.
squid reply :
Well RW that is impressive, and you are right, now I will never have the chance to go to Eagle Lake and catch one of them when they are bigger. Plastic or Plaster ...lol... is better. That is why we have cameras, and tape measures..... but hey...didn't mean to dog you on those two big Michigan bass...just next time...remember....that to beat the record they must live to grow.
Squid
bassackwards reply :
another reason they throw 'em back is so that they produce spawn with strong survival instincts as they had, meaning better fish with a much better chance to grow big.
taking the smaller fish out of the lake is a better way to go.
however,
congrats on your 9lbers!
utser reply :
so far this year i redone the living room and kitchen. finally got my garage in order. as far as fishin hardly done any serious stuff. just sneak out here and there.
bluezstringr reply :
I took a break for a few years, I got burned out.
This is my first year back and it wasn't to bad but nothing to brag about.
Gatorbassman reply :
I started in Feburary with some goals. A few of them were:
Go fishing at least two days a week.
Practice flipping and pitching every day.
Catch a 10lb limit 80% of the time.
Don't get skunked.
Be competitive in tournaments by July 2006.
Seven months and 75 days of fishing later. I have placed in the top 5, six out of six tournaments. I have caught 10lb limits 65% of the time. I have been skunked only once. My best limit was 29.5lbs. My biggest fish was just short of 8lbs. I missed the Georgia state record for the Redear Sunfish by only 11oz. And I introduced 14 kids to fishing.
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