2019 Review- The Bucket List

Bucket list fishing 2019

After a dismal fishing year in 2018, mainly attributed to starting full time professional employment I needed a focus in order to improve my fishing and catch rate. I decided upon a fishing bucket list. I wrote this list during the drive back from Victor Harbor after loosing an estimated 25kg tuna after 45 minutes of fight, I was devastated.

Although I did not complete the list I did have a successful year of fishing and I learnt a few things.

1) River fishing can be fun

- Having not fished freshwater for nearly 10 years targeting carp and redfin was a challenge and provided great fun on light gear and soft plastics. I managed to land some great freshwater fish including a 40cm redfin and a 15lb carp. ( both from metro waterways).

2) Mulloway will always be the Holy-Grail.

- I would have spent close to 100 hours on the water targeting these fish two things became clear. 1) I needed a new tactic. 2) Mulloway are still the ultimate target species due to the complexities of chasing this elusive species.

3) A Targeted Approach is required

- To be successful in targeting specific species you must apply a targeted approach. I need to consistently refine my approaches and consider the following ingredients for each trip

- Weather

- Time of year

- Location

- Feeding habits

- Tackle/ tactics

- Bite times

All in All 2019 was a successful year, but we must raise the bar in 2020 – with more target species and greater challenges to come.

Highlights and images from the 2019 bucket list attempt