How Do You Prepare

[Big C]

I grab my ML Carrot Stix, whatever is tied on, and a back-up lure in my pocket.

[RandyCompass]

I can relate...  For me, I try to keep my equipment list on the short side, so it is easy to pack-up, leaving as much of it in the truck and boat as possible, and then have a cup off coffee or get a few minutes of exercise to wake-up :-).  That usually will make it easy enough, and I'll be awake enough to take the next step and go.  One other thing that works for me - look at some photos of big fish!

[Deleted account]

KISS

Grab a rod or two, and the knapsack with two 3600s and a couple of bags of plastics...

[stepchild]

Reading all your responses, it makes me feel blessed about the situation I'm in. My family actually owns a cottage on a lake and the boat is parked at the dock. The second I get an itch to head out, I drive a half-hour to the cottage, grab my gear from the storage room, remove the tarp (and leftover water) and off I go!!

 

The only problem is that, with the boat already in the water, I'm restricted to a fairly small natural lake....which in the end, isn't that big a deal since I'm still out on the water fishing, which is the objective to begin with!

[einscodek]

I always find myself debating on fishing or not, mainly because the work thats involved in getting ready. I usually get home from work around 3pm, and find that some days are just right to hit the water. I haven't had much luck from the banks lately and really want to get on my kayak. But what happens is, I get home and start thinking about throwing the kayak up on my car, strapping it down, pack up the fishin buddy, choose what rods to bring, how much tackle to bring etc.. and it turns me off.. so I stay home.

How do you guys prepare for an "on the fly" trip? The lake I'd like to go to is about 5 miles from my house, so not too far. What do you guys do?

I think its your experience telling ya to sit tight.. mine does that at times too and I usually listen unless I'm just going there to experience nature and soak up the scenary.

If its sunny out (been lotsa sun in NJ lately) hot and humid and 3pm hottest part of the day

lugging around a heavy kayak for some potentially slow fishin.. errr

[SudburyBasser]

I always find myself debating on fishing or not, mainly because the work thats involved in getting ready. I usually get home from work around 3pm, and find that some days are just right to hit the water. I haven't had much luck from the banks lately and really want to get on my kayak. But what happens is, I get home and start thinking about throwing the kayak up on my car, strapping it down, pack up the fishin buddy, choose what rods to bring, how much tackle to bring etc.. and it turns me off.. so I stay home.

How do you guys prepare for an "on the fly" trip? The lake I'd like to go to is about 5 miles from my house, so not too far. What do you guys do?

 

I don't overthink stuff. I always keep two rods and a backpack of trays in the Jeep and I go fishing. What you're describing sounds like the run-up to the Normandy invasion.

[Bass newb]

I take two rods minimum and a cooler, paddle, Ahab sup, tackle rack, water, and a small tackle box. If I want more hassle I can always take my fish finder and battery. I usually go if I feel like I can get 2 or more hours of fishing in.

[Further North]

For the boat: When I back the boat into the garage at the end of each trip i make sure i am prepped to go before I head into the house:

1. Plug in battery charger
2. Re-rig any rods that I broke line off.
3. Re-stock any plastics I used a lot of (I keep an "inventory" of the stuff I use often).
4. Re-stock water bottles.
5. Write down anything else I need to pick up when I run into town the next day.
6. Put what I bought in boat when I get home.

For wading:

1. If I'm wading, I'm fly fishing...so it's a simpler version of the above - my bass, pike and trout sling packs are ready to go before I leave the garge when I get home
2. Hang waders to dry.
3. Put boots on drying rack.
4. Re-rig rod if a break off was the last thing before I left
5. Re-stock anything I used a bunch of (doesn't happen very often)
6. Make a list of anything else I need to tie, buy or grab from the house.
7. Put what I tied, bought or grabbed from the house in the bag next day.

If I want to take the boat, I back up to the garage, slide the hitch in, drop the trailer on and I'm out the door in 5 minutes.

If I'm wading, grab the right bag, waders, boots and rod (they are set up and pre-rigged in a rack on the side of the garage) and I'm gone even faster.

 

I've got fishable water all over the place close to the house - dozens of lakes, two major rivers and miles of trout streams - all within a half hour or less of the house...everything from brookies to muskies.

[ned_riggins]

If im fishing from my boat its always ready to go, plugged in, gassed up, got all my rods with my favorite lures already tied up. It takes me 15 min from getting home to my boat being started in the water. If in shore fishing I just grab my spinning rod, my plastics box and a zara spook and thats all I take with me.

 

When I used to fish from a kayak it was way more difficult to have everything ready and I fished from shore alot more because I didnt want to deal with it. 

[Sam]

Boca, forget the guilt and hit the water.

 

You will be glad you did.

 

Fishing after a hard day at work or with your relatives can relieve stress and give you some time to unwind and look back on the day and say "#$@! it."

 

It really makes you feel good, even if you don't catch anything but a few dinks.

 

Life is too short to miss fishing time.

 

 

[Bluebasser86]

If I have an hour, I'll go fishing, even hook up to the boat and take it too. It doesn't take that long. 

[sierra_fishr]

Lucky. The nearest decent lake to me is an hour drive. haha

[BocaGrande]

Packed all my stuff Friday night. Hit the water by 6am on Saturday. I am not a morning person lol. I got too overwhelmed with all the gear. Which bait to throw when and where to go on the lake etc. Hooked 1 decent fish and he jumped the hook right at my kayak. I think I'll stick with bank fishing for a while lol

[ClackerBuzz]

i've pre-rigged 10 rods and packed lures for a specific lake the night before and got skunked.   

i've also grabbed two rods and a fanny pack full of lures for a spur of the moment trip and killed it.

now i don't spend near as much time preparing.  true fishing with all it's adjustments needs to take place on the lake and that's what i look forward to....being on the lake and in the moment

[Bankbeater]

With work and family, I can't get out during the week.  I usually that time to plan my weekend trip.

[bigfruits]

id recommend taking a break from fishing and come back to it when you get the bug.

[BucketMouth15]

I'm a simple man. For just local fishing during the week I have a baitcaster and spinning reel with a tacklebox and plano box for soft plastics. Also I try to have my boat ready to go the day before. Granted my 10 foot aluminum boat doesn't take as much to get ready as a bigger boat.

[Dye99]

Simple.

Kayak in back of truck.

I leave 4 rods ( two spinning, two bait casters) In my ATAK.

yak attack blackPack, go pro and fish finder in back seat of truck.

 

 

Moments notice.

 

 

Try to store it all together, so you are not rounding up gear to go.

[RB 77]

I always find myself debating on fishing or not, mainly because the work thats involved in getting ready. I usually get home from work around 3pm, and find that some days are just right to hit the water. I haven't had much luck from the banks lately and really want to get on my kayak. But what happens is, I get home and start thinking about throwing the kayak up on my car, strapping it down, pack up the fishin buddy, choose what rods to bring, how much tackle to bring etc.. and it turns me off.. so I stay home.

How do you guys prepare for an "on the fly" trip? The lake I'd like to go to is about 5 miles from my house, so not too far. What do you guys do?

 

I find the exact same happen to me when I start debating an after work yak trip. I either limit those to pre planned days or I just grab a rod and a pocket full of baits and go. KISS priciple for after work sessions.

[Rhino68W]

My Kayak trips are planned and I put the kayak on the car the prior night.

I also get my rods and tackle ready the night before, so the day I'm fishing, I don't waste time.

 

I tried a few 'on the fly' kayak trips but ended up forgetting items(pliers or drinks) and it ticked me off.

I'm a planner by nature though, so planning works for me.

 

Even if I don't know when the next kayak trip is, I still take a day to get some things ready just in case, b/c I like to be ready.

 

This^^^

[bkohlman]

I have a "Go Bag" always ready to go with an assortment of my go to tackle. I usually take 4 rods with me, 2 spinning and 2 casting. 1 of the spinning rods is for panfish.

[HeavyFisher]

If I'm going fishing after work I dont really think about what I'm going to bring, I'll grab the basics....1 spinner, 1 bait caster, and a box filled with top water, cranks, worms, and small swimbaits. I always have one plano box with a random assortment of stuff I take when I'm in a rush to just get to the lake.

[Dtree11]

I have a mini trailer that I use for my Kayak. Not only because my Kayak is a 36" wide and 80lbs. But, the loading and unloading is quick. If you would like to be more avaliable to fishing "on the fly", I would suggest getting a small flat trailer. By small I mean 5x8 -250lbs trailer. And this is what I store my kayak on. Every night, when I am done using my kayak, I leave it straped (loose) in with my poles and tackel already on it. This means when I get home at 5:00pm, I can be, on the water, fishing at my local lake with in 30 mins.

[rivafishn]

I have a subaru outback that I keep my fishing gear in almost all the time so all I have to do is throw the kayak on the top and go.  I have a set-up where the rods run along the roof, so they are not in the way for whatever I have going on.  I am also lucky that I have water only minutes from my house, so I can load up and be on the water in short order. 

[Fin Stalker]

I keep my stuff in order and ready to go. I too fish from a kayak so I limit my tackle on purpose. I never carry more than 5 rods and two 4700 Plano boxes and most of the time it's 3 rods and I leave them in my kayak. Years ago I noticed that I tend to use the same stuff almost every time on the water so my basic kit stays the same so there is no thought about what to take with to go "on the fly". If I decided to go fish right after work tomorrow I can be loaded and ready to go in about 10 min. My Planos are in my crate now rods are in the hull and my PFD is stowed in the bow hatch. No jacking around, back my truck to the garage door slide kayak in bed grab crate strap it all down and roll. One of my honey holes is 3 miles from the house. If you keep your stuff organized and ready to go it makes quick trips easier and more painless to pull off. Something that I started to do recently is stowing everything before I get back to the launch that way  once I get there I'm not sorting things out as I try to get loaded up to go home. I will keep one rod out and fish my way back then stow that rod just before I land my kayak.