Hey Hall of Fame family,
The holidays have come and gone, and I cannot believe its already January 15. A year ago, I made a blog post about New Year's Resolutions for fisherman. It highlights a few goals that I set for myself as an angler last year, as well as some goals Paul and I set for our company. Check it out here, if you haven't already: https://halloffameoutdoorco.com/blogs/the-tackle-room-blog/new-years-resolutions-for-fisherman. Today, I wanted to look back on those goals, see how we did, and set some new goals for 2025.
Last year, Paul and I set some goals for ourselves here at Hall of Fame Outdoor Co. Firstly, to continue providing quality fishing apparel and dedicated customer service. This will always be our first and foremost priority. The second goal was to continue and improve upon providing quality social media content. I think this goal is something we have had some positive success with, as a few of our reels on Instagram now have over 1 million views. However, we are still learning the ins and outs of social media algorithms, and sometimes it feels like we have a lot to learn. And our last company goal was to begin building our platform on Youtube. This was a goal that we failed in 2024, as I still need to build and organize a good space to do so in my basement. We will try again with this one, stay tuned!
The first goal I set for 2024 solely in terms of fishing was to explore new water. I indeed accomplished this goal, having gone fishing in 11 different states in 2024. I found new water and went fishing all over the country in 2024. From Copley, Ohio to Fort Worth, Texas to Pensacola and Tampa, Florida to Rogersville and Guntersville, Alabama to Newport, Rhode Island to Lynchburg, Tennessee to Disney, Oklahoma to Springdale, Arkansas to Columbus, Mississippi to Peoria, Illinois, along with my home of Missouri. All these different locations have much different conditions, and I found myself learning a lot about which bait to use in certain areas as opposed to others. I caught more saltwater fish in 2024 than I have any other year of my life. While exploring new water in Texas, I caught my first ever Guadalupe bass in 2024. Finding new spots is so much fun, and you never know what new water holds. The second goal was to teach someone about fishing. I did this with my cousin, Jordan. It has been so rewarding, and I'll admit a little impressive watching him grow as an angler over the last year. Beginning the year, I'd say he was not a beginner fisherman, but he had no where near the knowledge or experience of a lot of the other guys we fish with. He began using casting gear in 2024, and broke a few PBs (largemouth and smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, and channel catfish). I have taught him a lot about powerfishing a squarebill and fishing a jerkbait in cold weather, as well as the little knowledge I have about wielding a fly rod. He really has grown, and I am glad to have helped guide his angling journey. The last goal I set as a fisherman was to leave fishing spots cleaner than I found them. I do this as best I can, collecting bottles, discarded lures and fishing line, and beer cans to throw away later. There is a stretch of river near my house that I regularly kayak, and I actually think the fishing has gotten better since I started doing this.
For 2025, I have some new goals for myself out on the water. I want to continue picking up trash and junk at fishing spots, as it only helps the environment (and the fish). I want to repeat and win the annual year long bass fishing tournament Paul and I are having with friends. Not to brag, but I won by a hefty margin in 2024. Check out our blog post "Give me 5 Bigguns or Give me Death!" here: https://halloffameoutdoorco.com/blogs/the-tackle-room-blog/give-me-5-bigguns-or-give-me-death to learn about it. A recap blog post will follow next week! A third fishing goal I have for 2025 is to get my tackle and gear organized, and KEEP IT ORGANIZED. Having undiagnosed ADHD, this is something I really struggle with sometimes. I lose stuff from it being in a wrong box out in the kayak, or I forget to bring a certain bait because I inadvertently left it behind. Being and staying organized will help combat these issues I face.
Thank you so much for reading! Stay tuned to our website and social media for HOFO updates, as we are excited to work towards these goals and resolutions the year ahead. We wish you all the best in the new year!
Tight lines,
Erik Hoffman, Hall of Fame Outdoor Company