2026 goals- Fishy edition

skyriver

skyriver

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I know, I know...the word "goals" is probably too much like work. But I would love to see what fishing/outdoor goals people might have for 2026.
Last year's thread was pretty fun. I forget who started it, but thanks!

Here's some of mine-
Catch more carp than I did last year.
Catch a carp from my 17' boat and my Commander.
Catch a musky.
Fish more than once or twice for steelhead.
Float and fish the McKenzie with my buddies. Hopefully more than once!
Get a Deschutes trout trip back in the rotation.
Take my wife out on the boat more than last year. Which should include wading my favorite flats for carp while she reads a book under the bimini, but doesn't have to.
Take my wife down a couple easy floats in the raft.
Learn how to actually use my Garmin Striker Plus 4 and Vivid 7sv.
Learn a new local lake or stream.
Ride my eMTB more!

That should keep me busy!
 
I seee.....1767667571579.png
 
For me as I'm getting older and the last time I was out on the river in an easy access place and the hard time I had keeping from falling down.
I'm going to turn to going after the warm water fishes from my boat.
Now I have to wrap my mind around going out and about in my boat alone.
 
In all seriousness, this year will probably entail mostly CAPR and muskies....once it gets warm enough. Probably a bass float or two thrown in.

Right now it's mostly trout and whitefish plus some steelheading....
 
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2026 Fishy Goals:
1. More days fishing the Sound...dad got a new boat, so we need to get out for SRCs and Rez Coho
2. Fish at least 5 new hike-in alpine lakes
3. Catch a Golden Trout
4. More days fishing in Canada...in addition to July trip, fish June or September (or both)
5. Jon boat improvements...replace oarlock mounts and devise transport method for up to 1/2 mile trail.

Looking back on this thread from 2025 I'm pretty happy with my fishy results:
1. Get out as much as possible. Between a master's degree and deployment I haven't gotten out much the last few years (Check...60 days in 2025)
2. Perfect my indicator game. (Check...caught vast majority of trout under the indicator)
3. Take a backpacking fishing trip with my 13 y/o to catch some alpine trout. (Check...definitely the start of an annual tradition)
4. Take my 9 y/o on the annual family BC trip for his first time. (Check...and caught a wallfish on his first day)
5. Stay out extra late (around 2am) on my favorite lake to see what the fish do after dark. (Check...nothing happened after dark)
 
After a few years of doing a fair amount of traveling to fish, saving for a wedding and getting more serious about doing the same toward retirement will keep me mostly home-bound this year. I guess that makes my goal doing my best to get out as often as possible and make the most of what's around me. Maybe not very exciting, but not too bad either; we live in a beautiful place with lots of options.
 
Just fish more for me.. get back out to Montana, its been a long while since I've be out there.

Fish the Deschutes and little Deschutes.

Some bass fishing and some carp trips.

More sea run cutthroat fishing..

One other cool thing for this year! I became a mentor for the Mayfly Project so will be teaching this year! Looking forward to it!
 
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1. Catch 10 new species on fly including:

carp
chum salmon
tiger musky
golden dorado
yatorana
pacu
and 1 new species in the Oregon saltwater - ling or kelp greenling would be cool

2. Fish new water at least once a month

3. Fish at least 75 days - retirement here I come!
 
In a perfect world a list would go something like...
  • Catch an adult tarpon from shore
  • Catch an Anak permit
  • Catch a Giant African Threadfin
  • Catch a Blue Bastard
  • Catch a Talang Queenfish
  • Catch a nice Barramundi
  • Catch a Tuskfish
  • Catch a huge Golden Trevally
You never know.
 
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