Time On The Water

[Alan]

On average, how much time do you spend out on the water fishing? And do you get grief from anyone for spending that much time fishing?

[Duffman]

I average about 85 days a year going fishing, this includes both ice and open water. The usual trip lasts around 4 hours, enough time to get my fixx in without burning out. On trips out of town, I will spend more time on the water. I got lucky, most of my fishing excursions are grief free.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I would say I average about 30 hours a week in the summer.. maybe a touch more... I have a very understanding wife... I do get a tad bit of ribbing from my friends, but its all in fun.

[Eric Wettschreck]

I'm on the lake much more in the winter than I am in the summer. My boat motor has been broken for a while so my summer hours are way down this year.

Mrs. boilerguy often joins me on the lake. This seriously reduces the stress when I go with the fellas.

[Rost]

It depends on the time of the year. April, May and June are my three biggest months for fishing. I will typically hit the water atleast 4 times per week during this time period. June was my busiest month this year. Out of 30 days in June, I was on the water 19 of them (8 full and 11 partial days). I also fished 7 out of the first 10 days in July. But since then, I have taken a little break to cure my slight burn out.

I usually just bop out to the lake for 3 hours after work on most occasions. For the most part, the only person I ever get grief from is my 6 year old daughter when I don't take her along.

It's about the same with hunting for me. September- November, I am either scouting or hunting 4 times a week with some occasional night fishing in the mix.

[Daze Off]

I can vary a lot from week to week but whenever I go I typically stay on the water for at least 5-6 hours if not closer to 7-8 hours. I try to do this both days of the weekend and also try to sneak a couple either early AM or after work trips in during the week.

When we go on vacation up north I usually spent 7-10 hrs/day on the water both alone or with family members. Mostly get up way before everyone else and come back around late breakfast time and then go out again around 4-5 pm or so.

I start with a spring trip south where we fish 12-13 hours/day for a week and then in April/May I fish a bit up here. With Bass Opener that's when I really get after it and I usually put the boat away sometime in early-mid November.

From November to the end of March there is a HUGE void where there is no fishing whatsoever.

Daze Off

[harvey lee]

In the winter I spend approx 20 hours and in the summer I spend on average probably 25-30. As far as the wife goes, mine is like Dietz's, very understanding. I always ask her if its ok if I go and she almost always says fine.

[papabear]

I average at least one day a week. Some times in sept oct it is five. July and aug if it is 95 degrees and sunny Im swimming in the lake with the family instead of fishing. Winter time I am in the house (fishing house that is) as often as I can.

Now if I spent as much time on the lake or in the woods as my wife spends in Target I'd be a fish or a deer.

[palisade1kid]

4-6 days a week.

[sparcebag]

For me normally every weekday 3-4 hours in the morn 3-4 hours in the evening,winter time I'm not going as much as a few yrs ago but I still get out,I just got a free portable from my neighbor for this year! THANKS JUNEAU4 Hope to use it often!

[fishinJohn]

My full time job takes only three 12 hour days during the week so I fish for one of my days off. The other I work on school which I am taking half time to finally get a B.S. degree so I can hopefully make enough money for a boat and a family. This is always ok with my wife but when I try to push for fishing on the weekend she gets [PoorWordUsage]ed and calls me selfish. The only way is if we go with other family members. Her parents are a bad influence; work-a-holics, always improving their house. That is fine for them but I feel like if I spend $1500 a month on a mortgage the little I have left over after other expenses should not right back to the house, seeing as I hope to move before too long.

[Wayne Ek]

From ice-out to walleye opener I'm on the water 2-3 days per week. After opener I'm on the water almost everyday. Then in Mid-October is starts to slow down and I only get 2-3 days on the water per week until ice-up. After safe ice I will be on the water a couple times per week.

It's a life style... not a job.

[rosspj59]

I get out about once a week for around 6 hours avg. Of course the wife thinks I'm gone 8 hours due to driving somewhere to fish, launching the boat and stopping for gas/bait whatever. Fishing time is only 6 hours or less though. I get complaints almost every time i go. I need to work less hours and closer to home. The longer i am married the worse it gets and now having a child cuts my time even more. I am still happy to get out when i can. I suppose it could be worse, i could not get out at all. At least i have a boat and stuff to fish with so I shouldn't complain. Get out when you can even if the weather isn't the best.

[Questor]

For me it varies seasonally. During the open water season, I like about six hours of fishing if I'm in the boat. Sometimes I'll take a day trip somewhere that involves more driving but about the same amout of fishing time. Then I like to go out and wade in a nearby lake fishing for sunnies. That's a few more hours per week.

After September and through February, hunting dominates my time. March and April have special responsibilities, like trout fishing.

It's not a lot of time, but it really makes life enjoyable. Fishing washes away a lot of troubles.

[Grant]

not nearly enough!

realistically, I'm able to get out for a few hours weekly, hopefully soon that will change for the better however.

[channelfats]

I hear ya ROSS... Im in the exact same boat. Except I would add that I am young and have the rest of my life to fish, if I miss a little fishing for family fun time now, with leon being 2 1/2 years old, its well worth it to me. On the other hand I just bought my first boat, 14' with a 30 horse,

and took leon out a few times now...and all I ever hear now when we leave the house is.. Bow(boat), faffish(catfish), rappie(crappie), pie(pike), whyeye(walleye). so at this rate I will have a new fishing partner by atleast next season.

[Kyle Sandberg]

I'd be willing to bet I'm on the water at least (if not more) than 100 days a year. I love it. Vacation is the number one time to get out. 5 day vacation, 5 days on the water.

[ocf1]

5 hours

[jaydog]

over 200 days a year maybe more if i didn't hunt ice and open little bit of bow fishing too wife doesn't lik how many days fish but gets over quick when i tell her could be at bars instead.

[The Grebe]

In summer, maybe 4 hours a week average...in fall, maybe 6 hours a week average, but in winter, I'd have to say at least 10 to 12 hours a week. This is just a guess at the average. I don't know beans about averages, I just know that I go alot.

I do alot of local stuff, short hops, take this morning for instance, I got the truck and the crew going and I hit the river for an hour....nothing doing, so I didn't linger.

My wife has never once that I can remember, since we have been married, ever said anything about my outdoor activities, although she has tried to kill me a couple of times when I stayed gone to long.

Once she made me this really nasty goulash, I think she may have used tainted, ground up Possum meat? She also some semi cooked chicken that she let sit on the counter for a couple of hours.....that coupled with some Lefsa and some beans out of a can that she left open out in the sun for about 4 hours....until the inside of the can turned nice and blackish green...other then the trots, a little ptomaine poisoning and blurred vision it didn't bother me much. The knot that she raised on my head with a skillet didn't count, that was because I complained about the chow.

The second time, she wrapped me up in Seran wrap whilst I was sleeping, after a hard day on the water, and she force fed me some stuff called 'Cloate' some kind of noxious (To me anyways) Norsk dish and a big helping of Lutefisk. She got some of the lye in my eye and when I started to holler, she clipped me a couple of good ones across the head with a big cast iron ladle...a Lutefisk ladle I think it was?

Those are the only two times that she has been upset with me that I know of? But now that I think about it, I do get really sick and bed ridden a day or two after each fishing trip?

[DTro]

I'd rather not say

[Random guy]

In the summer I average five days a week on the water some half days so I would have to say 45 hours a week in the summer.

In the winter I am on the ice every day form 6-7am until 7-8 65 hours a week.

Summer guiding is roughly five months so that works out to 900 hours in a summer and winter ice season goes for 4 months making 1040 hours.

All in all I could spend 2,000 hours on the water/ice per year.

I do get flack for spending so much time on the water/ice, mostly from my banker telling me to get out there and make some money.

[rosspj59]

Grebe, your posts always crack me up. Luckily i cook so my wife can't poison me. I don't clean so she could get me there though somehow.

Channelfats, that is what i look forward to, taking my daughter out fishing. I hope she likes to go when she gets older. Good to hear your son is enjoying his time on the water.

[The Grebe]

[Shack]

I have been avoiding this thread, because of past issues.

I feel the same as DTRO!

The comments might incrimanate my wife! Ah, she's yelled a couple of time, no assalts.

4-10 hours during week during the summer time. When I am using my shack on Mille Lacs, 48-80 hours a week during winter. The last few winters maybe 4-10. This winter the shack will be my second home again.

I provide her a pretty good life in genral. But they forget about that some times