How much "time on the water" is enough?

[HerbB]

How much "time on the water" is enough?

Years ago, when I was single, I was usually on the water an average of 20 hrs a week during the Muskie season. Then I got married four years ago and it dropped to maybe ten hours a week. Then our little one arrived two years ago and ever since I've been lucky to get in five hours a week. For me, a good ten hours a week would be great. How about the rest of you?

Herb

[MRoberts]

Well considering time to sleep and eat I would say I would probably have enough if I got about 168 hours a week.

But considering I also have a wife and not just one, but two kids under 5 I am extremely happy if I get 10. I feel good if I can get one evening during the week and one morning during the weekend. I don’t thinks if fare to my wife to spend or ask for much more time than that right now. I feel I have the rest of my life to fish and as the kids get older I will get more time on the water. The last three years I have averaged about 275 hours on the water which falls right into an average of 10 a week, considering I fish June through the end of November.

Nail A Pig!

Mike

Let 'em go, Let 'em Grow

[B420]

With no committments last year I was able to get out tues, wed. and sometimes friday night for about 4 hours at a shot. Would usually fish sat. morning till noon, then fight severe hangovers on sunday morning, and would usually make it out from 4-10 on sunday. That still wasn't enough time on the water!
B420

[Phishin]

I didn't get enough time on the water either. But I get what I can and you have to be happy with that...

And B420...what's the deal dude, is that all you do is drink?? I had a blast in Chi Town ya'll. and for those hang-overs, it's nothing a little schwizz can't handle.

Peace out
HRS

[B420]

HRS,
I don't I have ever seen anybody take a bottle of Bacardi, cash half of it out, then fill the Bacardi bottle up with coke and use that as their glass as you did at the Chicago show! Your right, there is nothing a little Schwizz can't cure!
B420

[divani]

I like Mroberts' idea! And I have no wife, I'm just 22, so who's stopping me except people want you to do other things than fishing and I hate them for it! I wish I could fish all day, every day. I promise you I'd never get tired of fishing!

[Phatphish]

I'm in about the same situation as Mike R.(2 kids under 5 yrs old). I pretty much strictly night-fished until the end of September this year. That way alot of my summer and early fall musky fishing was done after my boys were already in bed for the night. Also, I really try to follow the Moon Charts to maximize the time I do get out on the water. Total caught and average size both went up sustantially this year. As for later in the fall, I use most of my vacation time in the late fall and try to be as fare as I can to the wife and still get a decent amount of time on the water during trophy time.

[Mother]

Since I'm basically a weekend warrior , my opportunities are
limited . When I go up to the big V. on a friday,I will get
up at 4:00 am, be on my first spot by 4:30 am - Fish all morn.-
early afternoon till 1 ish ? grab a bite or a lazy walleye fishing
partner and then head out till dark . A late dinner a couple
coldies then sleep and do it all over on sunday.I get off the
water around 2-3 pm on sundays to stow the boat and gear.
Hit the road for home for home between 4-6pm . Done
Avg. time fishin' 22-26hrs. a weekend. I will avg. a
weekender about every other weekend from opener until mid-Sept.
roughly 7-8 weekends = 180 + hrs.
Toss in two 4-5 day fish trips averaging 12hrs a day = 95hrs.
Season total - 275 hrs.
Is that all musky fishing ? No , but 85% is . Gotta fish for
food..ie wally's sometimes

Mother

[Harpua]

I can't believe all the mention of Phish here. With them on Haitus, I manage to log about 200 hours on the water last year fishing for Muskies. About 100 hours for bait fish. Do you have live Phish? Let me know if you don't. I will set you up.

Esox420

[happy hooker]

This is why I buy a lottery ticket every week so I can go full time,,,however living in Minnesota we have about 5 months we cant fish muskies and I guess thats kind of good, you wouldnt appreciate it has much if you could do it all the time

[esoxthinker]

Its never enough.

[Musky Alan]

Being Semi-Retired, last year I tried to average two days a week one during the week and one day during the weekend (Friends like Matt C. dragged me out on the Weekend)and spend my regular four weeks a year vacation going after ski's. Somehow it still didn't seem enough. Al

[Waterwolf]

Last season, I probably averaged around 12 to 16 hours a week on the water. Give or take a few.
But that will drop drastically this coming season.
Don't feel bad for me though, because I wouldn't have it any other way. My son, whom we adopted back in August is now 5 months old, and it has been the most amazing 5 months of my life!
And I am looking forward to spending as much of my free time as possible with him. I'm sure that I will get a few trips in this coming season, but my main focus in life is now on my family.
Plus, as he gets older, we can spend time on the water together.:)
We are planning a week-long family trip to the lake this coming season, so that will be nice.
Have a good one!
The Wolf

[TECK]

when I can no longer move my fingers.

[Capt. Larry D. Jones]

The old saying "Time On The Water",definately more fish will come to your boat with more time on the water.Now I'm off on the extreame end on this subject,I spend every hour or minute that I can possibly get on the water.I average more then 60 hours each week,between Charters each day and my own time inbetween.I also hold down a full time job of 40 hours a week as well.I also don't need a lot of sleep,in the rurt for about 4 to 5 hours max each day.But most of all I have a wife that puts up with it and makes it on the water with me at times as well.The kids are grownup and out of the house as well.If I were down to only a small amount of hours that I could put on the water,I would try to be out under the most productive times and conditions when ever possible.If you can stretch your times for awhile each year before you get the old "Fishing Is More Important Then Me" speech,save that time to stretch to do durring the most productive time of the season.But best is to get the family on the water with you,turn the kids into Musky Nuts and you will definately get more time on the water.

[jlong]

I can see the light..... I think. I have two boys under the age of 3, and I keep telling myself that as they get older I will get more time on the water since they can come with me. It is inevitable that they will be inflicted with a bad case of musky fever like daddy. BUT, I keep getting told by older daddies that as the boys get bigger you actually get LESS time on the water because of their "other" interests like baseball, hockey, golf, football, glee club (gosh I hope not), girls or whatever.

Bottom line is, I'm a weekend warrior and must learn to accept that. Use my time accordingly.... whether its to get a quick fix or stick a slob. I think I could fish every minute of the season and still not be content..... so the real answer is "There is NEVER enough time".

Enjoy what you get!

jlong

[Murph!]

I can relate to several of the threads, family is important and so is your job I juggled my time between these committments and fishing for several years. I am now retired and fish everyday throughout the muskie season. I live on Leech Lake in the summer and spend as much time as mother nature allows on the big pond. Hey I am living a dream, every day is Saturday.

Good luck, Murph!

[KidRock]

Time on the water cannot be emphasised enough. I remember reading an article by Bucher that stated back when he guided full time, he was much more intune with muskies. Kind of a no-brainer. Our guide service is made up of a bunch of mid-twenty year olds with no families, kind of makes fishing our only method of sanity. Patterns are much more likely to be uncovered and adapted to when one fishes muskies seven days a week. Of course, not all of us enjoy this kind of situation. The time will come, no doubt, when I can't make it out as much due to other responsibilities. God bless...

KidRock
a.k.a. Sandis Cashen

[guideman]

There is no such thing as to much time,
I fish about 60 to 70 hours a week, in the summer time. It all goes by way to fast, the new season, can't come fast enough for me. :)