|
|
Posts: 25
| I hope a lot of you chime in on this topic! My question is, how many days are you gone when you do your musky trip? This could be a once a year annual thing or multiple time thing per year. If you have to travel say 550 miles or more to Canada or somewhere else, how long do you stay? My dilemma is I am having a hard time getting people to commit to do a musky trip for 7 days (including travel time). Dad is getting older (can not throw for a week), kids are getting busier every year with sports (making it tough for other dads to go for an entire week), other guys not having enough vacation, etc. Do I need to reconsider doing a couple 4 or 5 day trips instead of one big long one? My philosophy used to be "if you are driving that far, you better stay awhile in case the weather plays games or fishing is horrible". (Remember you are driving 550 miles +)
Thoughts?  |
|
| |
|
Posts: 270
Location: brooklyn park mn | I agree. 550 miles for 4 days and cold front hits when u show up. I wouldnt like it. 5 days min for me but prefer 7 to 8 days to take bad weather/bad luck out of it. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 275
| All depends on you and your group.......My best friend and I will drive 6-12 hours for 3 days fishing. Noone else I fish with will do that but the two of us "go when we can go", lifes too short to miss out on a long weekend on the water.
Jaimy |
|
| |
|
Posts: 422
| I used to go to Canada every year with my dad and his group of friends, but since I now have two kids and other family obligations it is now an every other year trip for me. We go for 7 fishing days, leave on Friday come back the next Saturday. I am the only hard core musky guy, but I love walleye and smallie fishing too. Maybe if you do a multi-species trip you will have better luck getting people to commit. After all, my trip is more about the experience and time spent with my dad and others. I always find time to hit a few spots during the day and at night if they don't want to go back out. If you are willing to compromise a little for a multi-species trip I don't think you'll be disappointed. It truly is about the experience and time spent with family and friends. My dad and most of his buddies are all Vietnam vets and the stories they tell around the table and out on the deck are stories I'll never forget and have helped shape who I am today. Those guys are getting older and I want to spend as much time as I can fishing with my dad. If that means more walleye fishing during the day than so be it. I wouldn't give it up for anything.
Craig R. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2754
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | I usually only get a trip every other year - 7 days...I can't justify the dollars for anything less. If you can, you're wasting lots of road time and hoping it hits a prime period. I have never been skunked on a 7 day trip, some have started fast, and some have been mid-week or end of week. Weather trumps everything!
Al |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1901
Location: MN | Living south of the cities we drive 200-250 miles every weekend to fish. And right now we're on the third day of an 8 day trip to LOTW, which is the second of three back to back trips for us here. We were up for 3.5 days a week ago, 8 now, and 3.5 the weekend after this upcoming weekend. Driving never has bothered us. On the short trips we leave Friday night after work, get up here around 2 in the morning, sleep in the truck (and sleep fast I might add), on the water early. Take a quick break midday to come back and set up the tent. Back out till dark. Then the next 2 days usually out by 6 and never come in till that night. Tuesday fish from 5 am till noon, come back to camp and pack up and hit the road for a 9 hr drive. Do it all again the next weekend!
Edited by Propster 7/21/2014 10:33 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 173
| At 64 I do a yearly trip of 1200 miles [one way] for three or four days fishing. Good area and worth it to me. Disabilities make the casting more of a challenge as is getting in and out of a boat. Judging by others posts on MuskieFirst we land as many quality fish as the week long or every weekend guys. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | It all depends on cost/drive time/reward to you. The last several years I've taken a long weekend trip of 3-5 days, and traveled about 3 hours. Fairly close to home but different waters and towns so felt like a "trip." This year I'm headed to Canada, about a 6 hour drive, and we are staying for 7 days. I would consider taking a shorter trip sometime, but this is the first time I've gone to Canada, and I don't forsee going every year, so I wanted a whole week to hopefully have at least a couple days of good fishing if the weather messes with us.
Then again, I've also thought that for only 6 hours, it would be possible to find a cheap place to stay and take a long weekend trip of only a few days. What's a few more hours of driving, really? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1275
Location: Walker, MN | Yep, do what you can. I would drive 500 miles for one day of fishing if it were my only option. You can cram a lot of time on the water into four days of fishing. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1283
| I do one trip a year for 9-10 days with the fam and one trip for about 3 days in Northern Wi over labor day weekend and spend the rest of my days off fishing locally. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 200
Location: Twin Cities | Where do you go is a better question and do you get a guide? Never taken a fishing trip but wanting to now that I am into muskie fishing and can afford a trip. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 335
Location: Minnesota | I only have a 3 - 6 hour drive to go to some of my favorite places in Ontario to fish. I have never gone for a whole 7 days.
My longest trip ever is 5 days counting travel. I have done day trips before to the close spots and will continue to do as many short trips as possible.
I prefer 4 days of fishing for my trips. I don't think my body can handle more than 4 days of casting from 5:30 Am until 10:00 PM. I have to go back to work to relax and rest my body for the next trip. Short trips over the weekend allow us to maximize our vacation days so we can go on more trips. The trips aren't expensive ($350 per person is a rough estimate for a 4 day trip) and usually time is the limiting factor.
If I went longer than 4 days I would slow down and not fish as hard so I could make it the whole week.
I would like to try a longer trip sometime so I could just relax during the day and fish the mornings and evenings and not fish as hard during the day but I start to feel like I am wasting time if I am there and not fishing hard.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | I did a 13 day trip last year up on LOTW....it was hard on the wrists, the hands, the sleep, and I would hit a wall daily around 5 PM ( generally fishing from about 8am -1030 daily)....
it was also absolutely amazing, glad I got to do it once before I have any major family obligations |
|
| |
|
Posts: 18
| My buddy drives 700 miles to Chicago and I then drive 639 to our fishing spot. Once a year. We go for a minimum 7 days. We are trying to figure out a middle spot for a short trip, but will always to go up for a minimum 7 days. |
|
| |
|
Location: Oswego, IL | Every year I ago (7 days) isn't enough unless you get lucky as nails with the weather. After this year my minimum stay will be 10 days, considering the first day is travel 6 days of fishing isn't enough for me anymore, and if you get any bad weather two days before or one day before, or during. There simply inst enough time for the fish to settle down. Just my opinion but after this year on LOTW its not worth the travel and cash to end up with 3 days of decent fishing. Lastly, without a guide a day or two may also be just finding the fish and patterns.. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 572
| Started by going 7 days, then 10 days, now 14 days. Travel over 900 miles one way. Found out the cost isn't that more to go 14 days rather than 10 days. Usually the cost of 3 extra days was close to what the cost was for an entire week. The daily rate for the 3 days seemed a lot higher than the average for a weekly rate.
7 days didn't seem to be enough for traveling the long distance.
It is easy to justify what you really want to do. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 309
| We drive 750-850 miles one way and fish 6.5 days, once a year. And in those 6.5 days, we always have at least 2-3 days of poor musky weather (bright skies and glass calm water). I'd do more days, but not less. |
|
| |
|
Location: Oswego, IL | Muskie Bob - 7/24/2014 10:55 PM
Started by going 7 days, then 10 days, now 14 days. Travel over 900 miles one way. Found out the cost isn't that more to go 14 days rather than 10 days. Usually the cost of 3 extra days was close to what the cost was for an entire week. The daily rate for the 3 days seemed a lot higher than the average for a weekly rate.
7 days didn't seem to be enough for traveling the long distance.
It is easy to justify what you really want to do.
Now thats something to consider...... Thanks |
|
| |
