A New Year’s resolution is a tradition in which a person makes a promise to do an act of self-improvement or something slightly nice, such as opening doors for people beginning from New Year’s Day.
This time of year is always the time to reflect on the past and then make promises for the next year in the form of resolutions. The usual stuff like …. Lose weight, quit smoking, save money, help others are always on my list from year to year. This year I have decided to embark on FISHsolutions instead of REsolutions. So after taking some time to reflect on my fishing habits here is the list of my top 5 things for 2017.
- FISH MORE …. I know, I know, this is the obvious given for a fisherman. Well, can we ever get enough? Right now I am lucky if I get out more than 2-3 times a month. I would like to double that. I do not think that is to much to ask of myself.
- LEARN TO THROW A CAST NET …. So this is definitely NOT my strong point. This year I vow to learn how to throw a perfect pancake. If anyone has tips … please, please leave me some below. I see all of you out there throwing successfully and I stink at it. Mine look like bananas. Instead of offering to drive the boat or help unload I want in on the action. This one is a MUST for me this year. I will start at Lee Fisher Nets casting school for some basic advice.
- TRAVEL TO FISH … I see so many places I would love to travel and fish, but for some reason my vacations don’t usually include fishing. This year my vacation must include fishing. What do you think about going to the Florida Keys? Fishing the Keys has a bonus: I will get to try my luck at lobstering for the first time. The other place I have been dying to fish, Alaska. Some giant Halibut are definitely on my bucket list and could even try my luck at Salmon.
- NOODLING … So this a a form of fishing in which a crazy person runs into a lake and searches for holes on the bottom with his foot. Then he inserts his finger into the hole and lets something bite it. Hopefully, it’s a catfish. If so, he wrestles the catfish to the surface and drags it to shore. So I think, YES, lets do it! I hope I don’t run into a snapping turtle, Yikes. Thank you River Monsters for introducing me to this.
- LEARN TO FLY FISH … I cannot believe I am admitting this, but I have never tried to fly fish. It looks so intimidating. I’m not even sure where to start on this one. I guess I will do some reading then practice in my yard before I make a total fool of myself on the water. So yes, 2017 will be the year to fix this.
What are your FISHsolutions this year?
Let me know your top picks or what you think of mine. I would love some feedback, especially if you have any cast net or fly fishing tips.
Every year I make the same New Year’s resolution to fish more than I did the previous year. Sometimes it works out
and sometimes it doesn’t. My father died last year from a stroke and my sister was diagnosed with cancer. And my mother suffers from macular degeneration and can hardly see. Then to top it off, one of my two best fishing buddies fell out of a deer stand in a tree and had to have back surgery. Last year wasn’t a good year to get out fishing for me. Let’s hope this year is different!