Hello 2025!

Here we go again, a brand new year full of brand new opportunities. I have to admit that I’m pretty excited. Let’s take a look.

First up would be the promise of a stronger national economy. Polling data indicated that the economy was the single most important issue with voters during the recent election. Consumers have been on edge for several years and rightfully so. Inflation took a big bite out of discretionary income; and naturally, this caused lots of folks to rein in their spending habits. No surprise, outdoor recreation was one of the hardest hit sectors. Hopefully, with a new administration and the promise of new economic policies, 2025 will be a better year for folks to be able to afford more tackle and associated gear purchases, and more time on the water.

Next would be the fishing itself. Speckled trout are the most popular and most sought-after saltwater species in Texas. Mother Nature dealt this fishery a cruel blow on Valentine’s Day 2021; lots of fish died during that icy blast they named Winter Storm Uri and the fishery is finally showing solid signs of recovery. Without a doubt, restructuring the bag limits helped, both the emergency measures and definitely the current 3-fish daily bag. Thank you, TPWD. I also want to recognize the efforts of the recreational anglers that put the resource ahead of killing all the law allowed every time they went fishing the past three years. I do not believe the recovery could have occurred so quickly without this. 2025 is already off to a good start and looking to be a very good year overall. Many thanks for the CPR effort, you’ve done a wonderful job!

Now for the fun part; plan a party and invite all your family and fishing buddies. Plan it right away, hopefully the day will be cold and too windy to fish, so you won’t miss anything on the water. The plan here is to get everybody in synch with their fishing schedules for the New Year. Don’t be the guy or group that waits till the last minute to book the guides or lodges you want to fish with, and either cannot get a date or end up with one that’s not very fishy. The solunar calendar is a great tool for selecting the best dates. If nothing else it’ll be a heck of a good reason to throw a party.

So there you have it folks. I cannot help but think 2025 is going to be a good year. We should have a few extra bucks in our pockets and the fishing is going to be better. Let’s all make a resolution to fish more in the New Year!