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Posts: 400
Location: Metro | I am still young and cant see why you would want to fish for anything else. But I was just wondering what makes someone quit musky fishing? I have seen over the years people say they are quitting and selling everything they own. I myself could never imagine doing this.
Just seeing what peoples thoughts are on this. |
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Posts: 1516
| age could slow a person down
health issues
not having someone to fish with lots of guys fish alone I would prefer to have someone else along
It can be an expensive hobby so lack of $$ could have something to do with also |
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Location: Contrarian Island | we were having this discussion on a recent trip to MN... we know some guys that were crazy nuts about musky fishing say 5 to 10 yrs ago, fishing ALL the time, doing trips all over to chase them, and now don't even own a boat and don't fish... priorities change... kids, jobs, wives etc all thrown into the mix... I've often said to buds that I could sell 95% of my stuff, keep a couple rods and handfull of baits and be happy jumping in the boat with others from time to time...and not miss it all that much...but then I go catch some 50s and I change my mind! 
Edited by BNelson 10/7/2015 10:49 AM
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Posts: 230
Location: St Paul, Minnesota | I've known a few good men lost to Fly Fishing... but it got me a Calcutta 400TE for $200 four years ago. |
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| The mndnr makes me quit December 1st. The itch starts the day after the boat is stored. The scratch, the wonderful, satisfying scratch is the 1st Saturday in June.
If one quits beyond that, must be for health reasons. ..or they have gone insane. |
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Posts: 24
| Just like everything else in life. People just get burnt out of doing things. |
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Posts: 1828
| At times my drive to catch muskies has screwed up my priorities and made me and my family unhappy. Those are the times I've thought long and hard about giving it up.
If I can keep the obsession in check such that my life stays balanced, I'll never have to give it up.
If I can keep the obsession with CATCHING them under control, it will stay fun, and I won't quit. I could see myself quitting if I totally stopped having fun on the bad days. |
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Posts: 8825
| I think we've all had those days! It's 38 degrees, it's raining, the wind is blowing, you just busted a reel, you haven't seen a fish in 6 hours... Then you think about all the money you have into the boat, truck, gear, rain gear, gas, food, lodging, guide trips, lures and such. If the day is really bad you start wondering what the average cost per muskie has been, and thinking about all the stuff you could do if you had that money back, and the fact that you'd be at home where it's warm watching the football game right now...
Then that stupid green fish comes flying out of nowhere and eats your lure right in front of you and you think "oh yah.. THAT'S why I do this!"
Most of the guys I know who have hung it up have been guys that got married and had kids, bought a house, etc. and just don't have the time or money anymore.
Then there are the ones who went off the deep end over it, put themselves in debt, got a divorce, lost their job, and basically screwed up their lives over a fish. They usually quit when they finally grow up.
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Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | kids... My hours are <50% of normal. It's only going to get worse. |
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Posts: 1220
| I think the better word is "recovery!" Like the fallen down drunkard who lost his job, wife, family, everything. Then he finds himself in a meeting saying, "My name is (insert your name here) and I'm a compulsive musky fisherman." First he must say, "We admitted we were powerless and our life had become unmanageable." Then he comes to believe a power greater than himself can restore us to sanity. It is only then, after he turns his life over to the care of this higher power can he truly begin to see that $30.00 for a bucktail is a stupid way to spend his rent money. Only after a complete reading of the "Doctor's Opinion" do we see that this is really a disease. So we don't quit really....we recover! |
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Location: Sawyer County, WI |
Other musky fishermen have made me consider quitting, but there are plenty of other outdoor activities one can pursue to avoid running into the more toxic zealots of our sport. Crappie, smallmouth and walleye fishing along with grouse hunting in the northwoods are all very enjoyable, and when the crazies aren't on the water there's still plenty of time left to chase musky. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | for me it was what i was missing out on by being singularly focused. kids, a motorcycle, a golf game, work, relationship and all that stuff for sure take time responsibilities vs. when i was younger. musky fishing in Canada changed my attitude toward fishing them at home. sure there are big fish here but it's just not the same experience and i prefer the Canadian experience.
i'm 51 now and figured i made a good call ... i quit golf, sold my motorcycle and focus on having a more balanced outdoor life making sure i take advantage of some of the things that are right in front of me (smallies, salmon, bird hunting). my week in Canada was replaced by a family week in Algoma spent learning to run Salmon spreads on Lake Michigan with 3 of my immediate family members participating and loving it.
here at home catching a musky that's not big is just no big deal to me anymore but getting a handful of smallies >18 inches in a short trip after work is something that i really enjoy. i rarely hook up the boat on the weekend anymore.
the big thing that took me away though has been training an upland bird dog to add some more games in the fall ... grouse and pheasant hunting, which to me is more fun than soaking suckers. price of suckers is just ridiculous ... training a retriever to do multiple marks, blinds and casting is as challenging as being good at catching a musky and equally rewarding. a friend i met musky fishing trains pointing dogs, uses his gps in a similar way as he does when targeting muskies ... that flipped a switch for me and is something that is new, fresh and just as fun. hunting is fun, hunting with a dog is more fun but hunting with a well trained dog that knows what he's doing is an absolute blast and a direct correlation to various approaches to musky fishing.
once you play a game you can either keep playing it, or use what you learned to apply to some other games ...
opener - pre-spawn smallies
june - moon muskies
july - smallies, salmon - home/lake michigan/sturgeon bay
august - smallies
september - lake superior coho/grouse and woodcock
october - grouse
november - nd pheasants/gun deer season
december - launch the ice shack for early walleyes
january - big ice pike
february - wish it was april
march - tip down crappies/dog training
april - bird dog field trials
may - bird dog field trials
i cannot imagine a one sport life or where one target dominates and where a show throwing baits in a swimming pool is something to look forward to ... but that's me.
Edited by jonnysled 10/7/2015 11:49 AM
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Posts: 8825
| I think a lot of guys discover muskies and go all-or-nothing for a while, and then slowly realize that they're missing out on a lot of fun fishing. I don't see myself quitting muskies unless I get too old or blow out a shoulder or something. But I've let a lot of other fishing pass me by in favor of muskies, along with shooting, archery, birds, and a lot of other stuff I really used to enjoy.
Balance. Balance is good.
Edited by esoxaddict 10/7/2015 11:55 AM
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Posts: 76
| The ONLY thing that will stop me from musky fishing------ DEATH!!!! Twelve years ago I broke my back on a jobsite---shattered my second lumbar vertebrae into 6 pieces---whereby it was plucking my spinal cord like a guitar string. If it had sliced my cord ---I would have lost feeling to something----PERMANENTLY! After an 11 month recovery--which included fighting off a staph infection for five months and a shiny , new titanium cage on my spine----my doctors politely "ADVISED" me to QUIT MUSKY FISHING. After my anger/laughter subsided---- I asked them WHY?----it was perfectly acceptable for me to return to work---lifting bathtubs and water heaters, but I HAD TO quit musky fishing? Needless to say that was SEVERAL HUNDRED muskies ago---and every fish I catch takes away my back pain----and "reminds me " of when those "PROFESSIONALS" told me I should NEVER musky fish again.-------NEVER QUIT----the sure fire way to catch you're next PB!----Pat |
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Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | I used to be as die hard as it got, and never thought I would ever quit. I used to fish 20 hrs a day, every weekend. Guided part time during the weekends and used vacation days to guide. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my time on the water, and every minute off the water thinking about it.
Well I haven’t quit, but my time has drastically reduced the last several years. What changed? Health and kids. My obsession led to poor eating and sleeping habits. After a while your body has enough of it, and problems crop up. That was factor #1. Factor #2 I had a son and daughter getting old enough to want to start fishing, and get active in other things. I had a choice to continue to keep guiding and ignore my kids (mind you my free time was spent on the water so that when I guided I gave the client a good experience), or quit guiding and be the parent I needed to be. The choice was easy. This has resulted in when I am on the water and they are with we are chasing other fish. I get up to the cabin about 25% of what I used to. This year…I haven’t been on the water since mid Aug. I miss it, and I don’t.
If I had to do it all over again I would make the same decision. My kids are not the huge fisherman I hoped they would be, and I am fine with that. Other “hobbies” have resurfaced or been formed as a result of my health and the need to be around home for my family, and thus have filled the niche of not being on the water. Amazingly I am enjoying those hobbies as much as I enjoyed my obsession with chasing muskies. I still enjoy chasing them from time to time, but it is no longer my life. It’s a good thing!
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Posts: 400
Location: Metro | Thanks for sharing guys. I guess I could see why you wouldn't have enough time to play the game anymore. BUT I still don't think I could ever sell ALL of my stuff. I guess I haven't lost the flame yet and hope that I never do. |
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Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | Musky952 - 10/7/2015 11:51 AM
Thanks for sharing guys. I guess I could see why you wouldn't have enough time to play the game anymore. BUT I still don't think I could ever sell ALL of my stuff. I guess I haven't lost the flame yet and hope that I never do.
When you have less time you end up sticking with your select few baits, and need a lot less in gear. I have a garage full of baits I need to offload that just are collecting dust that I used to throw once in awhile. So now that I fish once in awhile those baits don't get thrown at all.
I do agree though I wouldn't sell all my stuff. Just most of it in comparison to what I have.  |
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Posts: 1000
| Burn out used to hit me at least once a season. Now I split it up with a couple smallmouth/BWCA trips and grouse hunting in october. |
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Posts: 162
Location: Chicago, IL | Lots of people move away for jobs, family, change of scene, etc. and that can lead to them turning their back on muskie fishing. People keep their Muskie tackle after moving away thinking they'll come back and do trips with buddies. 3 years later, not so many trips are "annual" anymore and people just purge. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | i quit buying baits when i learned they were tools and that was a long time ago. i still have what i need and can load up for a musky outing quickly and effectively, butcan also load up for smallies and lmb's, panfish or set up riggers and rod holders for a salmon trip. i like the ability to be able to go multi-species fishing effectively with both equipment and ability or to drive the boat to a remote place, grab the dog and shotgun and walk a path looking for some ruffed grouse.
on the water long enough you learn there are times when the feeding windows are short and trigger either off the change in weather, the moon or sun. why beat your brains out in-between when you can do something else and target the window? the guys i know who i'd consider the best of the best fish smart and don't fish hard. it's easy to mix things in and still be a good musky stick ... |
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Posts: 19
| I'm selling all but one rod and a handful of baits. I have too many hobbies. I enjoy walleye fishing and duck hunting more than Musky fishing. I can get by with about 10 baits and one heavy action rod for my yearly trip to Canada and the occasional trip around home. |
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Posts: 400
Location: Metro | jonnysled - 10/7/2015 12:49 PM
the guys i know who i'd consider the best of the best fish smart and don't fish hard. it's easy to mix things in and still be a good musky stick ...
I like this comment among the many others. I have been fishing really hard for the past couple of years and it does get to you. I am just starting to notice when fish aren't going to be active and when it is a good time to spend your whole day out there. Fishing smarter not harder is the way to go. But then when I don't catch fish while trying to be "smarter" it makes me think I should have put more time in.
Still love reading the comments so keep them rolling boys. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | fishing smart is key to not burning out...if the fish simply are not moving, don't beat yourself up = Punt... get off the water, grab a beer, burger or fish for other species... when it was bunk on LOTW this year we had a blast catching big pike and jerkin eyes... still caught a ton of ski's in the process but we knew when to 'recharge'. |
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Posts: 255
| Marriage or committed relationships mean you go from self to self sacrifice, then I had kids and that meant more sacrifice. Fishing hours go down, catches go down, but I still have a passion for it.
Like Sled, I don't buy new lures anymore. Like others, I found balance in life. It is still my main hobby. I grew up, got smarter, moved on from the long days and frequent trips. I enjoy things differently now, like fall colors, time with others while fishing, seeing eagles, loons. I enjoy the experience, but am driven by the chance at big fish. I don't see that changing, and I look forward to time on the water with my growing kids and maybe into retirement someday. |
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Posts: 1316
Location: Lebanon,Mo | I have quit a few times over the last 15 years. A couple times to build houses,once to move to Florida,etc.,but find myself coming back to the sport. I pick my times and days a little better now,including more productive water than I did 10 years ago. |
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Posts: 400
Location: Metro | BNelson - 10/7/2015 1:13 PM
fishing smart is key to not burning out...if the fish simply are not moving, don't beat yourself up = Punt... get off the water, grab a beer, burger or fish for other species... when it was bunk on LOTW this year we had a blast catching big pike and jerkin eyes... still caught a ton of ski's in the process but we knew when to 'recharge'.
I feel less guilty about quitting some of the days this year after reading what you guys have to say. Luckily I have friends that live on the lake I fish and was able to cut my days short when nothing was happening. I will say that I have given up a lot of things the past two summers to go after muskies. By the time you are done with work and take a boat to the lake you can pretty much chalk that day up. |
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Posts: 8825
| BNelson - 10/7/2015 1:13 PM
fishing smart is key to not burning out...if the fish simply are not moving, don't beat yourself up = Punt... get off the water, grab a beer, burger or fish for other species... when it was bunk on LOTW this year we had a blast catching big pike and jerkin eyes... still caught a ton of ski's in the process but we knew when to 'recharge'.
Smart advice there. No reason to beat the water and yourself to death when the fish aren't moving. Wait for something to change. In the meantime, why not get out the spinning gear and put dinner in the livewell? |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | In my college days I thought the same as the original poster, then life happens and your priorities change. I moved out west for work, took up duck hunting and enjoyed the heck out of it. Still did a musky trip every year. Never "quit" per se. Didn't sell my stuff, but fishing muskies was way down the list out west. Now I've moved back to the Midwest, brought a wife, step daughter, and son to musky country and have gotten back into it again. I'm not as die hard as I used to be. I like filling the freezer with eater fish. I get out when I can but with a 1.5 year old son, I know he's far more important than a fish.
Lots of good stuff from sled and Nelson, per usual. |
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Posts: 670
Location: Otsego, MN | Sold 95% of my musky gear. A a die hard for years. Then kids came, and 4-5 days a week on the lake was gone. So I'll chase them every so often. Also most of my time now has been bass fishing. I love fishing tournaments and the options for bass tournaments is endless you can fish one any weekend of the summer. Still love the musky hunt when I do it. Nothing more exciting than catching a 50" Muskie. |
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Posts: 794
Location: North Central IL USA | I'll never be selling all my Musky gear!!!
My wife will.....when I'm dead! |
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