New Year’s resolutions are an annual ritual that goes back over 4,000 years. The earliest known resolutions come from the ancient Babylonians. During their Akitu New Year festival (held in March), people made promises to the gods – such as returning borrowed tools, paying debts or settling disputes to earn divine favor for the coming year. Failure to keep these vows was believed to invite bad fortune.
In modern times, resolutions are a time to look back and reflect on what matters most, how we feel about our lives and what changes might improve our situation. It’s also a time to consider what positive actions and fresh explorations might be planned for the new year.
Anglers can glean some valuable insight by reviewing their year in fishing, examining what they learned from their days on the water, what their experiences revealed and assess how this knowledge might lead to improved success and enjoyment in 2026.
While many resolutions are made and forgotten rather quickly (think losing weight or exercising more), a look back on the small things that yielded big results can make a significant difference in your enjoyment on the water in the new year.
Tackle and organization are promising places to review, including equipment like your boat and motor, waders, push pole and trolling motor. Experience teaches it’s the little things that we overlook that come back to haunt us.
An example might be remembering to carefully tie knots, inspecting and testing them before fishing. The same applies to sharpening hooks, checking the drag and inspecting line for nicks and abrasions.
Another resolution you might consider is to expand your horizon – the proverbial “stepping outside the box.” That could mean exploring spots you’ve never fished locally, like the Manatee and Braden Rivers, or exploring a little further north and south. Some of my favorite destinations include Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, Homosassa, Crystal River and Waccasassa Bay to the north and Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound to our south.
An even more important resolution that is in every angler’s interest is getting involved in protecting and restoring the resource that sustains our passion and determines the fishing success of future generations. Fishermen have the most to lose by not working to protect and restore local waters and habitat.
This can be as simple as picking up trash on the water or keeping an eye out for and reporting illegal mangrove trimming. Most importantly it’s critical that we vet local, state and national politicians on how they voted on matters that affect the water we drink and swim in and the fish we pursue. If we vote the party line rather than on the issues that affect our fishing future we’re working against our own self-interest.
Take the time to write letters, attend commission meetings and join and support organizations like Suncoast Waterkeeper, Oyster River Ecology, Sarasota Bay Watch, and VoteWater. These organizations work to protect and restore our marine ecosystem. A resolution to act this year will help protect what we value most for today’s and future generations. Failure to act will, as the Babylonians predicted, bring bad fortune.
Happy New Year!
