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Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | Just wondering how many of you are dealing with very busy schedules.
My fishing time has gone down this year due to coaching soccer from May until the end of July, school events, sicknesses, and attending weddings and graduations. Now work is getting really busy, (many customers), and now I'm going to be coaching two soccer teams through mid to late October. Yeah, two soccer teams at one time and I'm head coach on both.
On the bright side, I have a blast coaching the soccer teams and its better to be busy at work than looking for a job. 
I know that I'm very blessed. But at the same time, its going to be tough to just get on the water. 
Anyone else dealing with busy schedules? |
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Posts: 238
Location: Rhinelander | I hear yeah.......took a weeks vacation 2 weeks ago and worked 3 days out of the 5 days off. Wife wasn't real happy.
Does not count the constant phone calls on the other two days "off", much less the work load waiting for me when I returned.
As you stated better to be busy working than busy looking for a job. |
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Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | Life and fishing are funny though. I got really busy a couple of years ago in the fall with work and many other things. I fished on October 20th and caught three nice Muskies that day. I didn't get on the water again until November 18th, had to bust ice just to get out on the lake, and then only had a few hours of daylight to fish. I ended up catching the fish by my login name which turned out to be my personal best.
Sometimes one can fish a lot and catch nothing and then fish a little and catch a lot.
Fishing can be strange sometimes. |
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Posts: 32884
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I've never been busier in my career. Almost no time on the water this summer, but that will change this fall for sure. |
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| Time is one thing..........the $$$ to travel/lodge/trailor boat etc. is another. Being not as busy also has its set-backs of not getting the OT to afford to do the things you love. Double edged sword. Cities are 3 hrs away, DL 5-6, cass/bemidji/leech 6-7. I just need to move! One local lake but temps waaayyyyy too high (86ish). |
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Posts: 717
Location: Grand Rapids, MI | I'm in this boat. I've been out a little over a dozen times this year total. And our season opened in April. In the last 6 weeks, I've gotten a total of about 5 hrs on the water. That's 2 times, both times after work. Some of it was due to hot water, but man... Michigan's economy must be turning around! We've got the most work lined up than we've had in 5 years. |
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Posts: 133
Location: Duluth, MN | Busy........ I'm just about wiped out
One of my sons had baseball on Mondays and Wednesday and the other had it on Tuesday and Thursday. That doesn't include practice.
That's just the start of it. Both kids play hockey so throw in hockey camps and summer leagues. Plus one plays on an AAA team that has me going all the time. Another tournament this weekend.
I work full time, trying to side my house, and try to find time to get time to go to the cabin.
I'm also fishing the PMTT this year. My partner asked me how do you have time to fish. I told him that's why I fish tournaments so I have a way to get on the water.
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Posts: 1080
| I'm in this boat as well.
Extremely busy at work...which...is a great problem to have right now with the dire straits this country is in with it's numbers of unemployed and tanking economy overall.
Extremely busy at home too, as I have two, young kids, one at the age of 4 and one at the age of 3. And I know as they get older, things will only continue to get busier as they get involved and active in school sports, clubs, etc. I hardly fish anymore these days. Simply just no time. Fished Indiana's Classic three-day tourney back in May, that was the last time I've fished Indiana water for muskies. Fished for a week in Michigan back in July, but that was mostly for panfish and Salmon on Lake Michigan. Haven't been out sport fishing since July. Pretty sad just seeing the boat sitting in the garage on the trailer. Haven't been Striper fishing in three years now already either. Amazing how time flies right on by nowadays, especially having kids. Wouldn't trade that for the world though. I've been introducing them to the world of fishing by teaching them how to fish bluegills from our pier, which, they love and are taking too it well. It'll be a few more years until they have the attention span to try going out in the boat for long periods of time to fish for muskies. I just hope they continue to have the interest... |
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| Four half days on the water this year: a law office and almost unbelievable things. Last year was just as tough; didn't get out after the first week of July. Yikes. |
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Posts: 196
| I know what you guys are saying....things change and sometimes it gets irritating! Everyone up top was talking about being busy at work being a double edged sword, and they are right! In the last two years, my fishing time has hit an all time low. It went down quite a bit 4 years ago when I finsihed college and started my full time job. I thought I was going to have a cherry job at the place where I had completed an internship. It was a Mon-Fri job 7-3, and I pulled my boat to work almost every day in the summer and had 5 hours to fish after work. Well that place sold out and the new company used their other employees to cover the spots. Therefore, that job didn't happen, I then took on a 4 on 4 off job, but with 12 hour shifts you get nothing done for 4 days ( especially working nighshift ), so everything piles up and takes up some of your 4 days off. I was still fishing every day on the 4 days at some point. Two years ago we had a son, so last year both funds and time were cut, and the boat spend a whole lot more time in the garage than on the water. Then with the economy, our pay was cut by about 40% last fall. Because of this my wife had to go back to work on my days off, so now I have my 2 year old son almost every day that I have off....needless to say he is too young to fish, so I have only been out about 10 times this year. It's really hard because every day you think....all I do is go to work everyday to not have anything to look forward to other than time with my son. It's really tough to go from fishing every day to twice a month, I'm still trying to cope. I have probably bought lures from some of you, and I'm sure you are thinking, why buy all of the lures to fish so few of times.......well, I think it is mostly because that is the closest thing that I can do to fishing everyday, so it brings some happiness, and by buying them used, I can get more. Also, if you only have a few times to go, I want to have a wide variety of things to try so that I have a better chance of catching fish in the limited time. I used to mostly bass fish and me and a friend picked up musky fishing this year. I think it's more fun because it's more of a challenge, and on top of that alot of the times I have to go are crappy raining or windy days ( poor bass fishing times ) and they work out great for musky fishing. Anyway, I will quit taking up the post and just end on.....I know what you guys are talking about.! |
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Posts: 1451
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | As the end approaches nobody looks back on life and says, "I wish I spent more time fishing". Enjoy your kids while they're young---I keep reminding myself of this, too. |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | 70 hours+ work per week with two jobs, two kids, one vacation yada yada yada meant hardly any fishing for me this year. Kids or fishing and I went with kids. They will be prime age soon so I can do both on the weekends  |
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Posts: 642
Location: Richfield, MN | We have been working unbelievable hours at work for the last 3.5 months. Most people when they get the chance to work overtime get excited where we work we get excited when we get to only work a 40 hour work week!!!!!!!
We have been working mandatory 12 hour days for the last 3 weeks and have been working 6 days a week. Uncle Same really loves us.
Softball for my 3 daughters have taken care of any free time we do have as a family. 3 girls 3 different age groups playing travel softball. Every weekend from the end of May through the end of Juky you could find us anywheres from Watertown SD to some where within 50 miles of where we live.
But with the softball it was worth it. My girls really enjoy sports and we encourage them to play a sport through out the year and they do. SOmetimes even 2 sports at a time!!!
Now with working killing me I have had the boat in the water only 2 times since the start of bass fishing here in MN!!!!!!! Totally a bummer. Last year at this time we had been on the water as a family at least 20 times!!!!!!
So hopefully after I get all my musky gear boughten I will be able to use them more than I have my bass gear this year!!!
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | Hmmm.... I find this thread rather comforting.
Nice to know others are learning to deal with crazy schedules too
Put me down for one consumed with work and family to the point of almost forgetting what its like to go fishing.
With two young boys in HOCKEY (summer and winter), baseball, football, tennis, and golf.... there is no open time left for fishing!!!
Toss in that Dad is coaching and playing hockey too.... and that with the economy forcing all companies to "do more with less", work consumes more time than appropriate to finance all the family fun.
Oh yeah... and THANK GOD for my wife.... or I'd never survive all this controlled chaos.
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Posts: 1039
Location: North St. Paul, MN | I teach, therefore having summers off. But, it doesn't mean more time on the water, unfortunately. I've spent the last two summers with my daughter who is 18 months old. I've learned that I can't force fishing time or rush to get to the water but enjoy it when I'm there and enjoy my time with my wife and daughter when I'm home.
I get to fish every Wednesday with my best friend from high school and occasionally on the weekends at my in-laws cabin. I'm blessed to have a wife that understands I love to fish...But, I feel the pull to be with family first and let fishing come when it may.
As stated above, enjoy the family and be thankful for your jobs...Muskies will be there in five, ten, or fifteen years...That's my new attitude. In five or six years I'll take my little munchkin in the boat with me and fish till both our hearts are content. (Actually she likes to fish already...only 18 months old, too!!!!)
Good luck to all (when you get out)...my next "date" is wednesday and hopefully the musky gods will smile down upon me. |
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Posts: 2361
| Cowboyhannah - 8/20/2010 2:59 PM
As the end approaches nobody looks back on life and says, "I wish I spent more time fishing". Enjoy your kids while they're young---I keep reminding myself of this, too.
The kids eat time and you can't get it back for a do-over, and parents of young children need to enjoy the time they have, but....
Actually, most of us will look back on life and say "I wish I spent more time fishing".
I already think I am behind on my fishing quota, and come to think of it, I shoulda used more time bird hunting, too.
And I regret the long hours I spent at work when I was younger, heck, I regret the hours I spend at work NOW!! |
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Posts: 2012
| i see a theme here....time to talk the wife into going back on birth control |
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Posts: 619
Location: Seymour, WI | Same boat for me too. Between work, two young boys, wife, and house work, it is getting harder to musky fish each yr. The one bright spot is that my 5 yr old likes to fish. We fish bluegills as often as we can and he is getting more patient as he gets older.
I still make time for a few hunting and fishing trips for myself each yr that I plan a full yr in advance, but the days of just loading up the boat and going fishing are gone.
Grass
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Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | Whats driving me crazy now is that I nailed down a pattern the last time out. Four fish in the last two outings. So now, between coaching soccer and work, I finally get some "free" time at 9:00 pm. Combine that with starting at 6:00 am every day and the days get long.
And then yesterday yet another multi-billion dollar corporation calls up wanting something and they need it soon. So, now its no free time until 11:00 pm.
I'm hoping for some fishing time post-turnover in late October..... |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | IAJustin-LOL
Don't worry, you will BE the birth control to your wife after a few more years!
James |
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Posts: 880
Location: New Berlin,Wisconsin,53151 | I'll give you the other side of things....."AK" (after kids). I also did the coaching, driving and watching just about everygame the kids were playing in but there is light at the end of the tunnel. When time becomes more yours then thiers and your able to manage a set schedule for fishing. The only trouble with that it's a short window just because you now have a lot of catching up to do on the things you've let slide. I don't know if retirement will change things as I've seen some changes in the body when casting DGG's or Bulldogs for any lenth of time. I think the whole picture still revolves around just having a great time while you out there......because it's still better than being at work!
Bruce |
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Posts: 1462
Location: Davenport, IA | I have a job that requires me to work every other weekend. My boat is 50 miles north and most of the lakes I fish are south of me. I wish I would have stayed in college a few more years...or the rest of my life. |
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Posts: 133
Location: Duluth, MN | Living the Dream |
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Location: MN | Busy here as well and fishing about half as much as I did last year. Hoping to scrap together a descent year this fall but that's looking to be tough as the weekend are filling up with non-fishing activities. Also, last night I was chatting with the owner of my company and he stated, "young guys like you shouldn't spend time doing activities because it's the time you should be working hard (80-100hr work weeks)." His thought being you work your arss off in your twenties and retire early. Kind of thinking this was his hint that I aint spending enough time in the office.... currently doing 60hr weeks with a 20 min lunch breaks, might need to ramp it up to 80hr weeks and just stop fishing so I can retire early. |
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