Fishing Frequency

[Nymph-wristed]

My fishing is tightly correlated to seasons. During May and onward until fall, I might get out 5 days a week. There are many factors that affect one's fishing frequency. Two that really help me out are as follows: 1) I don't have kids. 2) I live near ample angling opportunities, so I don't really have to drive to fish.

Good points. I'd be dangerous or divorced if I lived near you, Josh. My "local" wild cricks, besides Valley, are an hour and change.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Go night fishing after they’re in bed

I used to do that for striped bass on the beaches when my kid was young!

 

[ANF-Hiker]

Since I started trout fishing in 2010, I've had a high of 59 days fishing (2011) and a low of 8 (2016). I didn't do a good job of tracking boat trips with family where we fished on lakes for a few years where hiking was something I did a lot more than fishing (40-130 pack on and in the woods hiking trips per year, trending toward 100 average between 2013 and 2023). Still, I hope to get out 20ish days this year although trips to Wisconsin take a bit of time out of the schedule to get in even one trout trip.

 

[wildtrout2]

I’m a fishing addict, I try to fish everyday. I’ve averaged somewhere between 300 and 340 days a year for about 10 years now. Mostly for brook trout since that’s my favorite fish and the easiest species to target year round. But I will fish for anything. For health reasons, I’ve had to take some days off. My favorite fishing partner is on year 17 of flyfishing everyday without missing a single day other than to deer hunt.

Fishing a lot does take a toll on your body.
View attachment 1641241443
Damage to my right hand, after an 80+ consecutive day in a row binge of brook trout fishing.

~5footfenwick

That looks painful, I hope it clears up for you! I have a buddy who's hands crack similar to that every year.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

I used to chase good conditions. I’ll literally take whatever I can get now.

Like every weekend this winter and spring so far, it seems! I hit grannoms in 30 mph winds yesterday and it felt 40 instead of 55.

Like you, barring extremes, I just fish regardless of the outlook or conditions.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

and a very good wife.

Not a thing to underappreciate, Joe! It takes two to hit 100+ fishing trips a year 😉

 

[5footfenwick]

That looks painful, I hope it clears up for you! I have a buddy who's hands crack similar to that every year.

Thank’s. It’s better now, took about a month to heal. I took that photo the end of the last year I really fished hard for what I call brook trout season. Aug, Sep, till I see fish on reds in Oct. I really buckle down and focus on brook trout that time of year. During those 80 days I was fishing 2-3 native BrookTrout streams per day. I haven’t fished quite that hard or that many days in a row lately due to health problems. I keep getting blood clots. I had over 20 last year alone. I’m already at 5 for this year. I was supposed to die according to the Doctors about ten years ago. I just figured I’d fish as much as I could until that happened. Here we are ten years later. I’m running on fumes and adrenaline but still chugging along. Sucks cause I just turned 40 this year. I retired about 7 years ago. I’ve had double digit blood clots per year for 10 years straight. Multiple pulmonary embolism’s. It sucks. But I keep going to bed dreaming about brook trout, and I keep waking up in the morning. I have no complaints. Life is good.
~5footfenwick
P.s. sorry if I overshared guys. I don’t talk about it much and got carried away.

 

[vealboy]

I avg 65-70 days a year right now it used to be 80 or more days from my early 20's to late 50's.I fish year round which helps.Here's a few pics from the coldest day I ever spent on the water.

 

[wildtrout2]

Thank’s. It’s better now, took about a month to heal. I took that photo the end of the last year I really fished hard for what I call brook trout season. Aug, Sep, till I see fish on reds in Oct. I really buckle down and focus on brook trout that time of year. During those 80 days I was fishing 2-3 native BrookTrout streams per day. I haven’t fished quite that hard or that many days in a row lately due to health problems. I keep getting blood clots. I had over 20 last year alone. I’m already at 5 for this year. I was supposed to die according to the Doctors about ten years ago. I just figured I’d fish as much as I could until that happened. Here we are ten years later. I’m running on fumes and adrenaline but still chugging along. Sucks cause I just turned 40 this year. I retired about 7 years ago. I’ve had double digit blood clots per year for 10 years straight. Multiple pulmonary embolism’s. It sucks. But I keep going to bed dreaming about brook trout, and I keep waking up in the morning. I have no complaints. Life is good.
~5footfenwick
P.s. sorry if I overshared guys. I don’t talk about it much and got carried away.

Very sorry to hear this. You're much too young to be dealing with all of that. I pray that you have many more years ahead of you to keep chasing those brookies. 🙏

 

[Swattie87]

Very sorry to hear this. You're much too young to be dealing with all of that. I pray that you have many more years ahead of you to keep chasing those brookies. 🙏

Same. Fish as much as you can.

 

[dudemanspecial]

Thank’s. It’s better now, took about a month to heal. I took that photo the end of the last year I really fished hard for what I call brook trout season. Aug, Sep, till I see fish on reds in Oct. I really buckle down and focus on brook trout that time of year. During those 80 days I was fishing 2-3 native BrookTrout streams per day. I haven’t fished quite that hard or that many days in a row lately due to health problems. I keep getting blood clots. I had over 20 last year alone. I’m already at 5 for this year. I was supposed to die according to the Doctors about ten years ago. I just figured I’d fish as much as I could until that happened. Here we are ten years later. I’m running on fumes and adrenaline but still chugging along. Sucks cause I just turned 40 this year. I retired about 7 years ago. I’ve had double digit blood clots per year for 10 years straight. Multiple pulmonary embolism’s. It sucks. But I keep going to bed dreaming about brook trout, and I keep waking up in the morning. I have no complaints. Life is good.
~5footfenwick
P.s. sorry if I overshared guys. I don’t talk about it much and got carried away.

Thank you for sharing that. I'm sure you don't like to talk about it but it's good to let it out. Sounds like you are cherishing every day instead of sitting around sulking in your sorrow. It says a lot about your character and has probably helped keep you alive this long.

 

[Mikey2006]

I don't keep track but it's probably over 200 (although the majority of those are quick 2 hour or less outings on local water in the evening). Once I graduate high school and actually have responsibilities, that number will drop quite a bit.

 

[Forestfishin]

55 times last year. Think that was the highest I’ve done because of son playing baseball forever. He was on most of the outings last year and this year so far. That probably won’t last so trying to get out as much as possible now.

 

[Forestfishin]

Thank’s. It’s better now, took about a month to heal. I took that photo the end of the last year I really fished hard for what I call brook trout season. Aug, Sep, till I see fish on reds in Oct. I really buckle down and focus on brook trout that time of year. During those 80 days I was fishing 2-3 native BrookTrout streams per day. I haven’t fished quite that hard or that many days in a row lately due to health problems. I keep getting blood clots. I had over 20 last year alone. I’m already at 5 for this year. I was supposed to die according to the Doctors about ten years ago. I just figured I’d fish as much as I could until that happened. Here we are ten years later. I’m running on fumes and adrenaline but still chugging along. Sucks cause I just turned 40 this year. I retired about 7 years ago. I’ve had double digit blood clots per year for 10 years straight. Multiple pulmonary embolism’s. It sucks. But I keep going to bed dreaming about brook trout, and I keep waking up in the morning. I have no complaints. Life is good.
~5footfenwick
P.s. sorry if I overshared guys. I don’t talk about it much and got carried away.

Sucks to hear about the health issues but admire your outlook and wish you the best and a lot more years fishing.

 

[5footfenwick]

Thanks for the kind words guys, it means a lot.

I don't keep track but it's probably over 200 (although the majority of those are quick 2 hour or less outings on local water in the evening). Once I graduate high school and actually have responsibilities, that number will drop quite a bit.

Go Mikey! If you decide to go to college join the fly fishing club. If they don’t have one, start it. Helps get you out more, when 5 other guys are begging you to go everyday. Plus you can plan trips for the club.

Also take up a class on video and media. Use that as an excuse to video and photograph your trips 😉.

Maybe pick up some independent research.
I developed a formula for calculating a Bowfin’s weight based on its length. Spent a month each summer fishing for Bowfin and recording data. You know for science haha!! Nothing like fishing and getting credits.

Also look into getting a job over the summer as a creel survey guy for the fish commission. I did this for a summer and it was a great way to learn a new body of water and kept me outdoors all day.

Good luck man, Just gotta find a way to make a couple of those responsibilities fishing or fishing adjacent!

~5footfenwick

 

[Brown71]

130-160 outings a year on average. Have had years over 200. A lot of these are only a few hours each though.

I live reasonably close to a lot of decent water, and I have an extremely flexible job because of working for my dad. So these things help tremendously. During fall/early winter I fish almost daily. In summer not so much. But I do a variety of fishing these days, musky or trout winter/spring, salt water in summer, and trout fall/early winter so this also helps. And I have a cool wife and a 9 year old son that loves going as much as I do. I love every minute of fishing with him.

 

[Prospector]

For the last 10 years I’ve kept good records of my trout/steelhead/salmon fishing days. I retired in the Fall 2022 and had intended to be present for the tear down of my old camp and then start building a better version of it. But delays by many contractors pushed most of the work into 2023. So, 2024 was my first taste of my new reality in terms of days on the water. My son graduated HS in 2014 so that opened up my schedule thereafter.

Here are my fishing days per year
2024 - 74 days
2023 - 39 days
2022 - 46 days
2021 - 46 days
2020 - 30 days
2019 - 49 days
2018 - 45 days
2017 - 21 days
2016 - 32 days
2015 - 30 days

 

[Mikey2006]

Thanks for the kind words guys, it means a lot.

Go Mikey! If you decide to go to college join the fly fishing club. If they don’t have one, start it. Helps get you out more, when 5 other guys are begging you to go everyday. Plus you can plan trips for the club.

Also take up a class on video and media. Use that as an excuse to video and photograph your trips 😉.

Maybe pick up some independent research.
I developed a formula for calculating a Bowfin’s weight based on its length. Spent a month each summer fishing for Bowfin and recording data. You know for science haha!! Nothing like fishing and getting credits.

Also look into getting a job over the summer as a creel survey guy for the fish commission. I did this for a summer and it was a great way to learn a new body of water and kept me outdoors all day.

Good luck man, Just gotta find a way to make a couple of those responsibilities fishing or fishing adjacent!

~5footfenwick

When I visited Juniata college I got to talk with a professor who was involved with the tagging study they did on the brown trout in the little J. I also got to meet a student there who is doing a research project on some brookie streams in the area. It seemed like the type of environment I’d enjoy.

 

[Swattie87]

When I visited Juniata college I got to talk with a professor who was involved with the tagging study they did on the brown trout in the little J. I also got to meet a student there who is doing a research project on some brookie streams in the area. It seemed like the type of environment I’d enjoy.

PA has tons of great small colleges like that. You’ve got a better handle on your fishing ambitions than I did at your age. I went to Susquehanna, had a good time, got a degree, but didn’t really maximize my fishing opportunities given my location, and that I had my parents hand me down 96 Town & Country along with me. As a 40 year old, I wish I did.

Lots of good small colleges out there in PA with good fishing opportunities. Don’t overlook the smaller state schools. Significant savings in cost for a similar experience, and similar, or better, name recognition than your typical small private ones…Susquehanna/Juniata/Grove City/Gettysburg/Allegheny/etc.

I had a good experience at Susquehanna, but Lock Haven would be my pick now, FWIW.

 

[dryflyguy]

I’m a fishing addict, I try to fish everyday. I’ve averaged somewhere between 300 and 340 days a year for about 10 years now. Mostly for brook trout since that’s my favorite fish and the easiest species to target year round. But I will fish for anything. For health reasons, I’ve had to take some days off. My favorite fishing partner is on year 17 of flyfishing everyday without missing a single day other than to deer hunt.

Fishing a lot does take a toll on your body.
View attachment 1641241443
Damage to my right hand, after an 80+ consecutive day in a row binge of brook trout fishing.

~5footfenwick

Now that's hard core!