2014 Open Water Goals?

[Skunk City]

Figured while the fishing in our state is in a transition period while we await iceout, it'd be fun to see some of your freshwater goals for open water season. Keep as them as reasonable or as wild as you'd like :).

Mine are:
1.) More time spent kayaking and exploring the Raritan River. I will be looking for my first Raritan River Walleye, but would take my 2nd Raritan River Muskie any day.
2.) Set some new personal bests. Would love to top my 38.5" Pike, 29" Walleye, 27.5" Hybrid Striper, or a Bass larger than 6lbs.
3.) Conquer Monksville. My 5+ year struggle for a Walleye out of this place WILL come to an end by the time 2015 comes. Mark my words!!!:eek:

[kcritch]

Those are some serious goals there Skunk....I've got total confidence in you dude...go get'em.

As for me...with the way every friggin weekend is filling up with family stuff friends kids weddings and crap I can't belive I have to go to....at this point my goal is to actually get to fish a couple of times from my boat!

The good thing is that I have a 5 day fishing trip to Alaska planned for the end of June. Can't wait!

[skippy]

Skunk, You ever try Monksville at night for Walleye? They bust the surface all the time and can be caught easier at night. Just my 2cents.

[gnuisance]

My 2014 goals:

30 pound big d flathead

30 pound raritan bay striper

Greenwood lake muskie

passaic river pike

largemouth over 6 pounds

[15FOOTER]

Catch a 7lb smallie
Catch 20lb steelhead
Catch 7lb plus brown trout
Catch 15lb plus laker
And last but not least..hide from Bigfishy's wife and not piss her off too much lol

[bigfishy]

@ 15FOOTER-hahahahah good luck buddy:D:D:D

I will pray for your last goal as it affects me too:(:mad::(:mad:

I can def see you hitting two of ur fish goals, just not tellin ya which two...
The other two, HIGHLY unlikely:eek:
Don't advertise that i'm married....thats gonna turn off all the HOT babes that lurk on this site....

My 1st goal is to only fish for bass on the trout opener...

[basspilot]

One goal really...GET MY FIRST SKI!

[Jigman13]

One goal really...GET MY FIRST SKI!

BP, that's what I'm aiming for, too.

Already checked off the monster pike for the year :D And my toad LMB... The ice was nice to me this year!

I'd like to add my first laker and walleye to my fish bucket list. Seems feasible... 5 lb smallie wouldn't be a bad goal either.

[gwl2oneida]

I wanna take a few species of my bucket list. Walleye is definitely one of them along with a nice carp.

[Mikey topaz]

My goal 1)atlantic salmon over swingin flies on my spey rod,
2) walleye outta the raritan river
3)muskie
4)hybrid on top water-wink wink ROB!!!!!

[ScowardNJ]

I'm looking for that muskie and night time bender on the banks of the Big D hunting one of those monster cats!

I also want the biggest smallie out of all you hooligans! :D

[saxmatt]

I want to catch a carp over 55lbs.

[AVA67]

I recently moved within a half mile of the Raritan River, so most of my goals are involving the river and surrounding canals. I really just want to learn and fish the waters that I can walk to / drive to in just a few minutes.

1. 20" Smallie
2. Raritan River Walleye
3. Raritan River striper (not caught at the ladder)
4. Spend at least 50 mornings on the river this year...

[rjw6375]

One absolute goal is to catch one of those 30+ inch pike from my kayak this summer. Saw quiet a few come through the ice this winter, just not on my line.

[jimmythegreek]

every season holds surprises for me, its all about putting your time in on whatever species or body of water u want to tackle. All my epic/PB catches last year came when I least expected them. One thing I have learned is to be prepared for anything and get all the BS done before you hit the water. When u have a few hours to fish and you waste half an hour in the boat spooling up or tieing rigs and leaders u lower your productivity alot. This year I am looking for 3 things.....

50" plus muskie
10lb plus wiper
10lb plus eyeball

and of course good times on the boat BS'ing and pulling sum fish

[Outofline]

would love to get a muskie, pike, and lake trout this year.
I popped my walleye and wyper cherry last year with FE up on LH. Looking forward to getting larger specimens of each next go 'round. Might to be tough to eclipse the almost 8lb walleye I pulled out of the tidal section of the S.River though :eek:

[Jigman13]

Might to be tough to eclipse the almost 8lb walleye I pulled out of the tidal section of the S.River though :eek:

I heard about that... pretty wild dude.

[BottomBouncer13]

Mine are easy. Fish more days in the fresh this year...Catch more than one walleye in a day and a 5 pound smally...

[Eskimo]

.



I have to think about this. I never really tied goals to my fishing. To quote Joseph Campbell, I usually just "follow my bliss".

Two non-specific things come to mind:

1) I should say "no" to some work and family obligations so I can spend more time out on the water.

2) I really should go fishing with other people. I always fish alone. Maybe I'll invite someone along. Maybe I'll even attend a NJF meet & greet one of these days.



.

[youngdumbandfulloffish]

.



I have to think about this. I never really tied goals to my fishing. To quote Joseph Campbell, I usually just "follow my bliss".

Two non-specific things come to mind:

1) I should say "no" to some work and family obligations so I can spend more time out on the water.

2) I really should go fishing with other people. I always fish alone. Maybe I'll invite someone along. Maybe I'll even attend a NJF meet & greet one of these days.



.


Couldn't have said it any better.

[briansnat]

I'm not particularly goal oriented with regards to fishing, other than to enjoy being outdoors. Heck, I don't care if I get skunked, just being out there is enough for me. But I'd like to try a few float trips in my canoe on the Passaic to see if I can bag a few of those pike.

My "home" lake is Fayson and though two of the three Fayson Lakes are stocked with walleye, everyone seems to be catching them but me. I did boat one two summers ago when bass fishing, but that's been it. I've seen people catch 5 - 7 lbers on Fayson. I met a guy on the ice this winter who told me he does pretty good with walleye there and mentioned where and how he does it, so I'm going to give his method a shot. I may even keep one just to taste walleye because I've heard so much about how good they are.

I'd also like to get back into fly fishing streams. I got away from it when I bought my boat a few years ago. The home lake is just too darn convenient, so I don't go many other places these days.

[Outofline]

here's that tidal water eyeball (caught in Old Bridge)

[JimmyMas]

My goals for 2014...

1.Striper over 35 lbs from my kayak

2. True strain Musky from the Raritan

3. large mouth over 8 lbs

That should do it.

[HerringKing]

#1. Redfin pickerel
#2. Flathead catfish
#3. Snakehead

[Rybazłapać]

No lofty ones for me.
1 catch pike
2 improve personal bests for largemouth, pickerel, and pike
3 catch trout
4 catch something from the Raritan
5 catch smallmouth

Didn't catch a pike all last year trying several times in places they're stocked. Have never pulled a trout out of a river but have only tried maybe a dozen times. Have yet to catch anything from the Raritan, main stream or either branches.

[GetANet]

I have NO GOALS this way I can't be disappointed! :D:D:D
Some MIGHTY BIG GOALS posted here boys! Hope everyone achieves some of them.
As for myself, I'm just gonna keep refining my techniques and not worry about goals. This year I def need to spend more time on the water!!!
I only fished about 45 out of 52 weekends last year!!!:D:D:D

[Hoop79d]

Some really good stuff on this thread. I've got a few things I want to accomplish this year....


Get my trailer re-done and legal. I've had the darn thing for 7 years now!
Set up the trolling motor, register and re-fit the jon boat.
Install a hitch on the car.
Visit at least 10 new bodies of water.

I've already made some progress on a couple of these, and I figure that if I stick to this the rest will fall in place...more or less. I've already gotten out quite a few times, and I plan on keeping the momentum going. I hope you all have a great year and stay safe!!!

[The Birdman]

1- Smallie over 5lbs
2- Figure out night walleye fishing :confused:
3-Salmon over 15"
4- Musky of any length
5- Find new wild trout streams
6- Pines lake wiper


as for figuring out monksville, i still haven't cracked the code. even with this insightful picture ;)

http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag96/jsels/26423278_zps9819f823.jpg (http://s1300.photobucket.com/user/jsels/media/26423278_zps9819f823.jpg.html)

[Wilson]

I don't have any goals as they remind me of work.
I do have a few desires though....
To catch a Shad in NJ waters.
Andy somehow is cured of snoring.
All the bucket fisherman I see get busted by C.O. Chris or someone like him.
The chance to piss off Bigfishy's wife:D

[Mjh609]

Catch new species. Walleye, snakehead, hybrid.

Learn how to fish rivers and creeks. Deleware, raritan and rancoacas.

But what I need to do that will help me catch a lot more fish is figure out how to fish deeper water. I'm useless in water over 10-12 feet deep.

Lastly I'd like to find a shortcut to Champlain. There's gotta be a way to get there in under an hour. :D

[AndyS]

My goal is to boldly go where no one has gone before !

(and get a 12lb. Brown Trout from Merrill Creek Res :D)

[bigfishy]

http://bigstarcraft.proboards.com/attachment/download/5

You mean kinda like this guy caught last year??

[AndyS]

Yes, just like that. They get that big tail moving and the power is amazing !

[Super]

Conquer Monksville? Good luck. But remember, there are no fish in that lake.

My only goal is to get out more and enjoy my time.

[Moz]

I have NO GOALS this way I can't be disappointed!

That summarizes it for me too. Just rolling out of bed and onto the water before the sun comes up pretty much does it for me. Anything after that is bonus.

I would like to pull something decent out of Merrill Creek. I've only fished there 3 or 4 times and sighted some big trout and bass but I have a lone dink to my name for my efforts.

[DDDman]

My goal is to trailer north of the Raritan River and try out some new lakes. The many pics from the Newark Watershed lakes have me wanting to get a permit and see for myself.

[ericpl92]

Good luck on the goals everyone!
As for me, my goals are:
1. Catch a pike while targeting bass
2. Catch a 5lb. smallie
3. Catch a carp (Surprisingly caught none last year)