How Often Do You Fish Your Most Fished Water?

[phiendWMD]

How much time do you you spend on the water you fish most frequently? And is there ever a point where it's too much for any reason?

I was fishing a stream a few miles from home a few weeks ago and wondered if being there for the 2nd or 3rd day in a row would produce negative conditions. I'm not the only one who fishes this stream, but it's not quite as busy as other places. I'd be interested to hear other's thoughts on what's just right.

 

[wildtrout2]

If conditions are right, I'll fish certain streams two or three times in a week. That doesn't happen often though. I don't ever consider it too much, because I'm always CR, and they're lightly fished streams to begin with.

 

[laszlo]

I work 6 days a week so I have limited time to fish, however there is a nice stream 10 minutes away that I fish 1-2 times a week for just a few hours. Even though I fish it often I still haven't figured that stream out.

 

[poopdeck]

In the spring I get out on the river once a week and when the stripers are easy pickings I go out at least twice a week And as many days as I can. I also hit a local creek one a week after dinner for a couple hours. in the summer I’ll only go out a handful of times but come fall I’ll try to get out once a week. Winter I pretty much sit out except for a little ice fishing.

 

[Fishnmusicn]

My local to me wild trout stream I'll get out a few times a week from April through the beginning of June. I am mostly spinning with jerkbaits with the hook barbs mashed down. I want to get out soon to flyfish terrestrials, I did well last year and I just don't have the patience to deal with the traditional methods of flyfishing. I can keep the same fly on all day and get some results especially with a foam ant or beetle. I get out on the smallmouth creek near me a few times during the Summer, but I find it's pretty dead in the heat. September and October are my time for hitting it several times a week - best bass fishing of the year for me, usually better for numbers than the Summer, and always the chance of getting the bigger ones to take. I usually get a few in the upper teen range if I'm fortunate. I have several favored spots that have produced, and I rotate them so as not to pressure the fish too much. I like to take a few Fall trips down to the Upper Chesapeake on the Chester River and it's usually good for stripers, white perch and sometimes yellow perch.

 

[wcosner2]

For me, it really depends on the stream. There is one stream I fish that I will only fish max 2 or 3 times a year because of how delicate it is. Other streams that get hit a good deal and that I fish a good bit as well I feel comfortable fishing. Usually, I only fish these streams when I take a trip up to the Poconos although I did live up there for a summer so I think the most I have hit a stream was probably 3 to 4 times a week. Given that, I was not going to the same location on the stream. Instead, I continuously rotate locations and explore new locations on the same stream.

 

[redietz]

I've fished Gunpowder Falls in Maryland at least once a week for the last 28 years. If I fish a second time in the week, I'll go somewhere else. There's value in getting to know one stream intimately and value in learning to fish different types of water.

 

[Msivel12]

Even the same streams change constantly. Fishing the same place and really learning it every year is a blast, but there is always the hunger for new water in there too.

 

[dryflyguy]

Depends on what size water you're talking.

On big streams like the little j - where you can spend a whole day in one large pool - I'll sometimes spend a week or more if the fish are rising well.
However, I keep trying different pools and sections.
Never fish the same pool 2 days in a row.
And as the season moves along, I will go back again for different hatches

I usually fish small creeks just once a year.
If I do go back again, it would be at least a month or so later.
But that would be rare.
There are just so many nice places to explore!

 

[The_Sasquatch]

I used to fish the same streams 2-3 times a week if I had time. Never the same stretch though.

 

[Bamboozle]

During Sulphurs & Tricos, I often fish the same local streams, same stretches days in a row.

When I spent 4 & 5 day Memorial Day Weekends in Carlisle, I was on the Letort every day, same stretches.

There are other examples but I never worried about it as I am strictly C&R and have many times caught the same fish more than once on the same day or a day or two apart.

I never experienced diminished catch rates either or at least the fish didn't seem to mind.

 

[sarce]

2-3 times per year. Prior to consciously expanding my regular rotation of streams a few years ago, I had one stream in particular I probably fished twice a month. Now that I've branched out I consider that to be a lot of pressure, but it is a small stream, as are most of the others I fish. I wouldn't have the same feeling toward a big trout stream like Penns, Little J, etc.

The other part of this equation for me is that I try to line up my visits with when I think conditions are absolutely perfect...based on rainfall, flows, water temp etc. I like to rotate between favorite streams but I like to see them at their best. It doesn't always go to plan! If I have availability to fish but there's nothing remarkable about the conditions, those are usually the days I check out new streams. I do think on small streams the fishing is better the more you let them rest, so if I don't think conditions are ideal, I rest my favorites.

 

[Tigereye]

I have a similar strategy as Sarce above. I fish 2-3 X per week. Early season it is 2 smaller streams as they are fishable while the others are running a bit high. Towards the middle of May, the 2 midsized streams stream are peaking and I fish them. When they warm, the largest stream is at reasonable levels and I start fishing that.

I don't force it. Fish the stream that is offering the best conditions where you will likely be successful. Have 3 or 4 ( or more)go to sections on each and you really set yourself up for consistent success.

Something else I like to do is fish new waters or marginal waters during peak season (mid may to mid june). A great way to discover potential of different places. I have found many spots that are all but abandoned and great fishing.

 

[pcray1231]

When I was in grad school, I'd fish Spring Creek a lot. Like 150 times in a year lot.

These days I don't fish nearly as much due to kids/time reasons. So when I get a chance it's usually pushing for some variety. My most local, hr or two after work stream is a stocked stream that stays cold most of the year, but I probably fish it 7 or 8 times in a year. That is probably the stream I fish the "most". If I got a day to fish, that's not where I go, I travel somewhere farther for wild fish.

I have fished 16 different streams this calendar year. 8 of them were new to me, never had fished prior, I like exploring new water! 3 of them I hit more than once this year. The aforementioned stocked stream, I have visited 6 times, but most of them rather short 1 or 2 hr deals.

 

[flyguyfishing]

I fish Spring Cteek often; I pick different sections though. The exemption is the paradise, I fish it almost weekly. Quick hour of fishing…no messing with waders. I can leave my house and be fishing in15minutes.

 

[Millsertime]

Good topic. My most fished stream used to be the Brodhead but now I live 25 min away so I don't fish it as often. My closest streams nowadays are Toby/Lehigh/Poho but I don't fish any of them more than 5 times a year.

When I lived next to the Brodhead, I'd fish it easily 50-100 times a year bc it was a 5 block drive/bike ride. I'd mostly fish the last 30 min each evening after helping my wife put the kids to bed.

Nowadays, I can get to the Toby in 3 min but I don't care for it. Insect activity sucks and by the time the Lehigh is wadable, it's 68 from FEW. Some people drive hours for trout. Maybe I will some day but not now as I have a hard time leaving Carbon/Monroe Counties.

The blue liners nearby get 1-2 visits per year from me although my love from brookies over browns is decreasing each year.....

 

[Prospector]

Since I enjoy fishing a variety of streams, I usually fish a stream just 1 time each year. So far this year I’ve fished 24 streams and 18 were fished once.

I spend a lot of time on Kettle. Usually 12 days per year but I move around a lot and usually don’t hit the same area twice.

 

[a23fish]

I have two "most fished waters" and depending on season, conditions, and results, I'll fish those 3 or 4 times per week finding success. And then try other creeks, ponds, or lakes for a week or two before going back. I have about 7 or 8 bodies of water I normally fish - almost always for trout - and I rotate among those. I also fish different sections of the water if I'm fishing it every day or two.