Ok, this is my list of goals for 2006:

Kill a big black bear with my .270 Ti

Go alpine hunting in August and shoot a 4x4 Sitka Blacktail

Catch a 15lb+ Steelhead

Have a 60lb+ King Salmon caught on one of my charters

Have a 250lb+ Halibut caught on one of my charters

Hunt or fish with 2 campfire members I haven't hunted or fished with yet (Running list: DaveAk311, Bertram, Big Stick, greg,Paul Walk, Jamie,tflw, and BW.)

What are yours?

Make more money...
Drink more vodka...
Pay less child support...

With enough Crown Royal you might be able to land a 200 pound Steelhead................

On a side note, I have some walk in goat mountains at my fingertips, or will have in another couple of weeks...

150.000 lbs of sockeyes in Bristol Bay
finish my house addition
fish as much as possible on the Copper

Hunt, shoot, kill, and gut my first animal.

Catch my first BIG trout with my rod.....call M and have her walk me through cooking it, lol!

Win some money tonight....enough to put a dent in my first deer rifle purchase!

Run the dogs more....and find them a nice flat out in the country where they can be dogs...

Spend less time worrying about [bleep] I can't change. Spend more time being thankful for the blessings I have...

Keep working on my shot.....thump on my guitar more....hit the oils and canvas harder....get this tooth fixed, ugh....

Survive meeting up with S'head in Jan <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> !

Too many to list.....but I have a GREAT feeling about 2006 <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> !

Happy New Year, guys and gals!!!

HoundGirl

150k of sockeye? I hear you have a strong market right now. Are you a permit holder/boat owner?

I've crewed on some power-trollers in SE, but that bristol bay gillnetting looks crazy!

I've always wanted to do a goat hunt on Baranof, out of Sitka. BW, you ready for a goat hunt? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Master Bonzi Yes on the permit, boat is Waterrat
market is good but .60?? so far for 2005

I thought i read in the Alaska Fisherman that Bristol bay was making a comeback.

My captain and I are waiting for SPC to sell the kings and coho's we co-op'd this summer. We should be getting paid at the end of January. I'm hoping it's a banner year. :-)

well I guess 60 is better than the 40 we got 4yrs ago The good thing is I bought in 5 yrs ago for 35k.

A Governor other than Tony Knowles....

Well, I ain't going to Rosenburg Lake any more! I would ask the pilots a Harris Air for more info, but I don't plan on working there for a long time. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Did you guys get the mail from Alaska Fisherman Journal? They're selling out, due to lack of 'local fishery news' and will get sucked up by National Fisherman magazine. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I want to kill a bunch of big game animals this year. A Kodiak brown bear is target/victim #1, followed by spring black bear baiting. And I'm hoping I get my sheep permit this year.

Go to Paradise and whack a 4x4
Lose some weight
Drink less than brother Dave.
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Purchase new boat
Sight in new T3 .300 WSM (got it for Christmas!)
Whack first Black Bear
Whack 4x4 (4x3 will do) in Paradise
Fish more!

Bend all my fingers <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Take better photos <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Visit M and Sitka in Ak <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I'm thinking that'll be tough...for you. <grin>

Actually, my first resolution is to finish building my Loomis 7wt 9' GL3 fly rod that I started over a year ago...

Hopefully it'll be operational by the time you get to town.

Good...when you get sick of swatting the water, you can run the vidcam while I haul in the steelies on my float rod...<grin>

Bobber fishing don't float my boat like it does yours. I'm ready to go find a king salmon with my fly rod this year out in the salt......

You'd likely sing a different tune,if your bobber had been seeing the action mine has been.

I like being Bobber Boy,with the screaming Float Rod in his mitts......................(grin)

Stick's results-oriented approach has worn off on me...I'm game to try whatever tactic is proposed, if it works. If not, I happily drag out the known producer...in this case, the float rod and First Cast jigs....

Happy to observe and offer snide remarks at your expense though...<grin>

Tough crowd.(grin)

However...results do tend to interest me........................

Any spooners? I have a fondness for spoons on steelies.....

Was telling Ramhumper just yesterday,that every self-respectin' Steelhead Fisherman had best have a hammered brass SteeLee in his vest.

Hammered nickle,too.

Few things as versatile as a spoon,barring tiny systems and clarity issues on spooky fish.................

For a history lesson in firstcast jigs, read this post
I caught a few fish on those jigs and a bobber before anybody was tossing them in paradise.
Still think those owner hooks suck? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I was driving various float styles,with various Manufactured jigs,prior to that. Did pretty good on micro-grubs too,along with other techniques.

What impresses me most about FirstCast,is the way they wood on the maribou and it's relative quality. They are simple without comparison,IMHO,regarding a Factory rolled Jig and it's presentation.

The Owner hooks are better than I thought they'd be,but Gammie is my preference still,given the option. In fairness,I've never busted an Owner wearin' FirstCast's hook,on a fish.

But when it's time to fill a Pip's,or Drift Fish the ubiquitous Oakie/Corkie/Yarn combo,it's Gammie all the way.

Further,if bait were a daily option,there wouldn't be a single Jig in my vest,nor Owner hook...........................

That's where the WOB-L-RITE is KING!!! 4 lb. mono on my Fenwick glass UL, casts a mile with precision and salmonoids eat it up.
CC

That's where a size 2 Gammie slathered in ProCured roe,riding 6lb Chameleon leader,pitched weightless via 10'6" Fenwick Noodle Rod and it's 15lb braid,is impossible to beat.


Fish the open bail and don't touch a thang,until you see your braid swim upstream..................(grin)

Resolutions? Nothing is set in stone, but I'm scheming mighty hard...

More backcountry trips for multiple days to places here in AK that I ain't been before

40" + ram (okay, not a resolution, more like a dream)

Book a Marco Polo Sheep or Elephant hunt for 2007 or 2008

Figure out those songs on the guitfiddle that I've given up on in the past

Nuttin in Paradise can say no to that....

Nuttin' ANYWHERE,can resist that....................

How bout them freshwater mussels.......

Ok, I'll bite, what's a Gammie?
On Kodiak I used to use a Pixie with excellent results.
CC

I'd be willing to swap out to Crawdad tails for some smaller presentation applications,DownSouth,but for day in,day out,good roe is most difficult to whoop up on.

The "trouble" with Fishing the smaller hooks and opting to go weightless,is the likelyhood of hooking fish DEEP. That ain't such a much,if you are wishing to put them on the table,but is a concern for release.

I'm a leader snipper and when rolling up my sleeves on a Roe Mission,I usually have 4 Pip's stoked full of "boolits". It don't take long to retie,when high grading outlandish specimens or filling the freezer.

Mussels ain't my gig for Salmonids....................

I resolve to spend the rut in SE AK instead of South Dakota/Wyoming/Montana so I can fill a few of my blacktail tags for once <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />.

I resolve to actually go goat hunting instead of just getting a tag <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />.

I resolve to catch a steelhead <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />.

I resolve to go caribou hunting <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />.

I resolve to have ALL of my rifles sighted in before hunting season <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />.

I resolve to spend more time afield and enjoy it more <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />.

Gamakatsu brand hooks.

I wish I could find the brass Pixie with orange centers.

They HURT Coho..........................

I can lead you to the first 3, all walking distance from work...

Vern
Cannot begin to tell you how I hope your resolution comes true... Tony would horrible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
art

With the way that is shaping up, I'm thinking seriously of considering Palin. Whatever her faults are, the girl has moxie.

I look around down here. Might be able to hook you up w/ a few. I used silver with pink or orange and found them quite satisfactory.
CC

Have been getting a bunch of "poll" calls I believe are fishing trips for Frank's prospects...

Would surprise me none to see him run... Winning might not be the same thing though...
art

I can't vote for Frank again, never voted for Tony and ain't about to start. Who is left? Hoping Sarah runs on the independent ticket...

My fear is the typical Knowles joke of running against multiple betters to win a split ticket... No Frank fan here...

The Independent ticket then becomes the problem...
art

That's true and I've been suckered by that before. I think Frank has alienated enough voters or burned too many bridges to be a real contender this time. I could be wrong and will wait to see what things shape up like closer to ballot time. I just don't think the man is that bright to begin with and has surrounded himself with crooks.

You boys really know how to start a guys new year off with a dousing!

Got a flyer in the mail from Skip Binkley that he's running, he's still really pizzed at Frank from what I hear that he got snubbed in favor of Lisa for the Senate appointment. Hmmm wonder what's thicker than water.

I'm afraid Frank is confused about how much support he actually has from folks, him and Young both have received votes from me in the past, not because I thought they were such great leaders but because the way DC has set up the government where you get rewarded for returning the same clowns and punished for clearing out the cupboard.

Can't imagine that Binkley is well enough known in Anchorage for him to get the governorship, but who knows maybe that works in his favor! (grin)

Give me anyone but Knowless!

I helped elect Hickel and still feel like I got bamboozled on that one. It would be really nice if we could elect someone of character and not just another character.

You got it!

My New Year's resolution is to go hunting, period!

Tony D.

#1 Finish my Tolman skiff

#2 Use said skiff for many fishing, hunting and exporatory soljourns.

#3 (real #1) Get a better paying gig to pay for finishing of Tolman skiff.

In no particular order:

* Less work (use more leave)
* More Huntin' and Fishin'
* Ski all major powder dumps
* Win Golden North Salmon Derby
* Shoot a 4x4 (settle for seeing one)
* Draw party tags for Tok or Delta sheep with my boy
* Draw a Berner's moose tag
* Did I remember to say Hunt & Fish more?
* Watch the boy stick a deer with his handmade longbow
* Eat fresh king crab 'till I can eat no more

MM

#1 Put a pot-puller on my boat
#2 Explore more of PWS
#4 Go sheep hunting , in open areas if no permit
#4 Try for a trophy Sitka deer

I can think of more .but these are obtainable.
Happy New Year

Sound like eveyone has a productive year planned out...
I would have to say my resolutions are
Get a nice buck with my bow
Get my 10 yr old boy a deer with a rifle
help my 6 yr old daughter with her archery so she'll be ready for a deer by 10
have fun doing it and thank god for my blessings

wolfpack,

That reminds me that taking the hunter safety class with my daughter and having her take a blacktail is high in my list for this year.