How long does your average fishing trip usually last? Ideally, I would consider 3 or 4 hours minimum to be the best. I don't generally get a good feel for the fish until I've spent a couple hours. I would love it if I could spend 3-6 hours on the water. 

 

Unfortunately, most of my trips last under 2. Often under 1. I imagine as I get older and as our children grow less dependent on us parents, I'll get more time on the water, and more time on the water with my kids. But that's years in the future. I also find myself torn: when I'm fishing, I'm thinking about being home with my wife and kids. And when I'm home, I'm often thinking about fishing.

 

To take the burden off my wife being home alone with 2 kids under 2 years old, I've taken to getting up at 5 or 6 and fishing for an hour or two in the morning before work. So far, mornings have just been too cold to be really enjoyable. 

 

But with such limited time per trip, I feel like I don't really get an opportunity to properly hone my skills. Everything about fishing it seems, boils down to patience. 😄

 

 

Usually 4-6 hours. If I’m catching them or if it’s a time of year when the lake is empty, I may stretch it out to 8-10 hours.

If I don’t have enough time for at least 2 hours, I will leave the boat at home and maybe fish the bank at the river. 

Depends on the season for me.

Either way, my favorite big fish waters all include 3 hours (give or take) round trip in the truck.

So I need to leave enough gas in my own tank at the end of every trip to get home safely.

Falling asleep at the wheel is not an option. 

April & May on the water trips are usually 5-6 hours.

June & July I'm usually on small water in the canoe

and that's far more casual so they can be a little longer.

August & September is another time for Plus size fish.

First light bites can be epic and if there's wind/cloud cover I'll hang around til noon or so.

October can be similar at times with a bite that lasts all day. 

More important to me than single trip duration,

is my ability to be on the same water as many days in a row as I can.

Or at the very least every other day for a week of so.

Being able to stay on or with the bait & or the fish has proven to be super helpful

and often times make or break deal when it come to putting the kind of bass

I'm always looking for in the net.

Fish Hard

A-Jay

 

 

 

 

-For a shore or wading trip, about an hour or two of actual fishing is most common (not counting the walking if getting to the water is a bit of a hike). Maybe longer if conditions are nice, I'm catching some, and my arthritic knee isn't acting up.

-Kayak lake trips are 2-5 hours on the water, with 3-4 hours the most common. (usually don't have time for more, and less than two is not worth the travel time and effort of gearing up and hauling the yak out there)

-Kayak river float trips can be up to about 8 hours from put-in to take-out if I'm going some distance, but that's about as long as I can tolerate. More commonly 3 to 5 hours.

Just averaging…

 

Bank trips; 1-2 hrs

Boat trips; 3-4 hrs

 

Back when I was more serious (and younger) and tournament fished, almost every trip was an “all day” affair, typically 7-9 hrs on the water, not including travel time.

6-7 hours is about all I can handle on the water these days.  Of course it takes an hour to an hour and a half drive time each way.

39 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

Just averaging…

 

Bank trips; 1-2 hrs

Boat trips; 3-4 hrs

 

Back when I was more serious (and younger) and tournament fished, almost every trip was an “all day” affair, typically 7-9 hrs on the water, not including travel time.

Ditto

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

@IcatchDinks: I marvel that you fish at all with two tykes, but am glad that you do. I shoot for five hours or thereabouts for morning trips, but evening trips can be as short as an hour when I launch at my pond and just hop into the canoe at my dock. My pond being five minutes from my home justifies those short fishing sessions. Five minutes of driving and five minutes of walking through my woods and I'm on the water!

I’m on the water at safe light and back at the ramp

around 1, unless I’m catching a fish every other cast.  Then I’ll stay unti it’s stops or 3pm, whichever comes first. 

I probably average 1.5 hours. Sometimes it's only 30-45 minutes, but often times 2 hours. Rarely will go over 3.

On the boat, 6-8 hours.  On the bank 1-3 hours depending on commitments and time of day and how good they're biting and all that.

Door to door, over the last 35 years, I’d say my average trip was 3 days. For many years nearly all my fishing was done on week long trips up to 5 weeks a year. For the last 8 years since I retired, trips were from 1 day up to 2 weeks. 

2 minutes ago, Scott F said:

Door to door, over the last 35 years, I’d say my average trip was 3 days. For many years nearly all my fishing was done on week long trips up to 5 weeks a year. For the last 8 years since I retired, trips were from 1 day up to 2 weeks. 

 

Scott, where are you fishing for two weeks?

About 3 hour round trip driving for the lakes I want to fish.

 

Then 6 to 8 hours on the lake in the kayak. Probably get out on shore once or twice for a 10 to 15 minute break. November to January is probably more like 4 to 6 hours on the water.

 

It's usually a 12 hour day all together. 

5 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

 

Scott, where are you fishing for two weeks?

I’d stay in rental cabins on the water in Northern Wisconsin 

I'd say 25% of my trips take place during my lunch break. These trips are always less than 1 hour.

 

25% of my trips are on a boat with a friend. Those usually last 6-8 hours. I could usually go longer, but my friends are usually ready to go. It's their boat, their call. I always appreciate any time I'm allowed to fish from someone's boat.

 

50% of my trips are right after work. How long those last depends on how much sunlight is left, what family obligations I have that evening, how tolerable the temperature is, and whether or not I'm catching fish. Those trips usually last 1-3 hours. Mostly in the 1-1.5 hour range.

My times have gone down over the years.  I used to spend 8-10 hours on the water but nowadays 6-7 is all I do unless it is a tournament.  I am almost always fishing from daylight so 1-2 o'clock is about as late as I'll stay.  Part of it is also that I don't want to go to sleep by 8 PM if I put in a 10 hour day so I'll come in a little early and often take a nap.  And if I'm on a fishing trip I don't want to burn out too early.  I've learned the hard way to pace yourself especially if you are prefishing multiple days in a row before a tournament.    

From the bank like 1-2 hours, but on my yak anywhere from 2-8 with some breaks to move my legs on the longer days.

I would guess I average about 3 hours on the water. I am too lazy to get up early, and later it gets real hot. It also depends on driving time and if I am catching them.

Generally 1.5-2 hrs before I go to work. 2-3 days a week. Maybe once a month I get out early on a Saturday morning. Or in the evening. Work and a lil kid and the wife keep me busy lol. I wish I could spend more time on a trip. I wouldn’t feel so pressured in a way. And have more time to try different things and such.  

When I get out I make a day of it. I spend 6-10 hours on the water depending on conditions. I feel like the long days allow me to be relaxed while searching for that first bite and I don't mind experimenting with new techniques since I plenty of time. 

I'm usually unloading at day break and back to the ramp just before dark.

22 minutes ago, WCWV said:

I'm usually unloading at day break and back to the ramp just before dark.

 

Hardcore.

6 hrs of fishing when I launch the boat, pretty consistent.

Wife and I camp a lot on various lakes for up to 2 weeks.

In that case I may fish 2 hours in the morning, 2 hours in the afternoon and 2 hours in the evening so 6 hours of fishing is about right.

3-6 hours depending on location, weather, and the bite. If I cannot go for at least 3 hours, I don’t bother. I only fish from my boat.

 

No one can keep up with @T-Billy here. Guy fishes for like 12 hours straight, goes home for a few hours, and then goes again. No sleep, no rest, no shower, same clothes. Tossing oversized muskie lures. I can’t figure it out and I’m 20 years younger than he is.