The 2023 season How was yours?

[John Bales]

So today I start about two weeks of depression. Old man weather is taking away the thing I love to do for a couple of months. It happens every year. Time is spent taking reels apart and oiling , greasing and put them into being ready for the next season. I have jigs to pour and tie so when the ice does come off, I have the tackle ready for the whole season ready to tear up or lose. It's all part of the game. My game this past season was the best learning and catching ever. I will not talk about how many or how big because I keep records for myself and my success only matters to me. I understand that these days and the way life is doesn't allow many to be on the water as much as they would like. I am blessed to have a good woman that allows me to be out there a lot. Sometimes she joins me and that's the most pressure I have to deal with is to make sure she catches them. Its obvious that the spoonplugging world is getting smaller all the time but it will always exist, just may never be what it once was.
My only goal is to keep learning, keep catching as many as possible and be on the water as much as I can handle. I'll be 70 in May and as long as I have my health, I'll be doing what I love. I still give Buck Perry credit for every fish that is caught. My train of thought is always from his teachings and without his guidelines, my fish catching and knowledge would not be nearly as rewarding as it is. He got it all right!!!!!!! The things I see and question are the things we were supposed to learn on our own. He said himself that he is only giving us the basics of what we need to find success. And that there is a lot more to learn. A lot of what has been learned this past season are filling in the blanks of what else there is to learn. I often wonder if some of the things I have seen this year are really important for success, that if a person would just go fishing now and then and just follow his guidelines that he would stumble on to some of these things. And then I realize that it's important to me and that's all that matters. John

[CHAMP]

Like you John I will turn 70 next June, the years have gone quickly. As for fishing this 2023 was not as good as 2022. For some reason that is beyond my knowledge, Buckhorn has been going down steadily for the last 10 years. I have not been on the water since coming back from Florida and do not plan to until February. I cannot be on the water as much as I need to be, plus its just me. That alone, keeps me from learning as much as I would if I had help. I did ok last year but surely will try to make 2024 much better.
As for thinking that spoonplugging will always be around , myself I don't think so.
Pic of the biggest bass I've landed 10 lb.4 oz ,hope to break that record this year.

[MuskyAddict]

As a newbie, a seasonal report won’t have the level of impact or intrigue as one that is provided by the pros on this forum. I have the numbers of my catches because I log every trip; but for me it is more satisfying to focus on what was learned. Below are a few comments and observations after what I call my first true year of spoonplugging. I don’t have enough experience to know if some of these are absolute truths (unless Buck told us it was) but they are ingrained in my mind after this first year.

1. The number and variety of fish caught this year far outnumbered any previous year results, by a large margin.
2. Personal best SM at 5.05 lbs.
3. Personal best LM at 5.30 lbs.
4. 31 days on the water (I’m limited to weekends).
5. Hard bottoms were key to locating and catching fish.
6. While trolling contours, a sudden burst of speed helps get the boat back in position when lost; and keep lures in the right place.
7. While trolling it is best to look up often. Dock’s cause sudden stops and ruin speed control .
8. Use of markers and shoreline sights are easier than waypoints.
9. When a coach agrees to help you it is best to bring them a chair .
10. On a pike lake, the pike seem to take the hard bottom points and the bass seem to be in the inside turns.
11. High sun and blue skies usually mean stragglers are the catch of the day.
12. Coaches were right to tell me to spend my time contour trolling using the 1st three spoonplugs (500, 400 and 250).
13. If a coach is in your boat and teaching you something, it is best to tell them a wave is about to go over the front of the boat and hit them .
14. Helping a 6 year old grandson catch and land a 35” pike is about as good as life can get.
15. Migrations can be as swift as 20 mins or as long as 50 minutes; maybe longer if I was better at this.
16. Straight line trolling passes are best if in 10’+ FOW.
17. Catching fish without stopping to find out why they were there and how to interpret the structure is a complete waste of time.
18. Migrations based on water and weather conditions were not as far as I expected. Fish I caught in 6-8’ might be found in 12-14’ after a cold front.
19. It is best to imitate your coaches in how they fish until you completely understand the why behind their presentation and location.
20. Depth and speed are the key to success in any given day. And that depth and speed most often changes each day. You have to work your structure.

I could go on but those are some of my observations for this past season. I can’t do justice in thanking Mr. Perry with all that he gave us. I can’t wait for this ice in MN to thaw and I can get back on the water.

Thank you Buck!
Ken

[John Bales]

Well done Ken. Good effort. Doing the right things provides a lot of personal satisfaction and the motivation to learn more. You will never get to the point where you can't get better. That goes for all of us. Good job. Say hello to Sarah for me. I miss her. John