How often do you fish?

[beginningfisherman]

On average, how many times a month does everyone here go fishing? Do you do it all on the same lake or mix it up a lot? 

 

Just curious to see how much everyone gets out.

[LadiMopar]

On average,once the ice is out here in Frozen Yankee land, I can usually get out between 6-10 times in a month.  If all the stars are aligned perfectly then that might jump to 12-15, but that is rare.

 

Have a few steady waters I like to hit, especially if time is limited, but every season I try to get out on at least 2-3 new ones. Winter is my time to do reconnaissance for new water, study the bathymetry maps (if available) and read any info available, then as we get closer to ice out to do the visual recon.

[Hawkeye21]

Being in Iowa I take a big break during the winter but will still get out about once a month to go trout fishing.  The trout streams do not freeze over so I can get my fix in by doing that.  Just yesterday I fished below a dam because there was open water.  I didn't get a bite but it was nice to get out.

 

During the warm season I try to get out once a week and fish multiple locations.  I fish online kayak tourneys so I try to find places where there are big bass.

[the reel ess]

I try to make it about 4X a month, but it turns into about 2 due to volleyball tourney's and whatever else life throws at me. I've been in a funk since my dad died last spring and it seems a little less important than it used to. Besides that I was really on a roll catching quality size fish for a few years, but I didn't catch any big ones last year. My last really good fish was 2 Novembers ago and it was a new PB. At least I got to show my dad that pic. Got skunked yesterday after a week of 60-70 degree days. My first skunk in more than a year, even in COLD water. Not a single bite in a pond.

[Troy85]

I go just about every Saturday.  In the summer when the days get longer I go about twice a week ,  I'll go Saturday and usually go out about once during the week after work.

[beginningfisherman]

28 minutes ago, Hawkeye21 said:

Being in Iowa I take a big break during the winter but will still get out about once a month to go trout fishing.  The trout streams do not freeze over so I can get my fix in by doing that.  Just yesterday I fished below a dam because there was open water.  I didn't get a bite but it was nice to get out.

 

During the warm season I try to get out once a week and fish multiple locations.  I fish online kayak tourneys so I try to find places where there are big bass.

I’m also from Iowa and I took up trout fishing a couple years ago as well. I live a few hours from the trout streams, but it’s a good time when I can make it up there!

What are your favorite Iowa lakes? I live by lake macbride so I’m there more than anywhere else but I haven’t had a lot of luck catching big bass. I’m always looking to try someplace new. 

[Hawkeye21]

Just now, beginningfisherman said:

I’m also from Iowa and I took up trout fishing a couple years ago as well. I live a few hours from the trout streams, but it’s a good time when I can make it up there!

What are your favorite Iowa lakes? I live by lake macbride so I’m there more than anywhere else but I haven’t had a lot of luck catching big bass. I’m always looking to try someplace new. 

I'm a little over an hour north of MacBride.  Most of the big lakes are well over an hour away from me so I don't get to them.  I fish Lake Delhi, a local sportsman's pond and the Mississippi River by Dubuque and Guttenberg mostly.

 

I did make a trip to Lost Grove last year and plan to again this year.  I also want to make a trip to Belva Deer and Brushy Creek at some point but they're both over 2 hours away from me.  I'm thinking about fishing the KBF Open tourney in LaCrosse this summer.  I may also fish the IKA tourney at MacBride in August too.

 

I have multiple trout streams all within 20 miles of me so it's easy for me to go anytime.

[geo g]

I fish at least 25 days a month.  I am surrounded by man made lakes that are loaded with bass and peas.  I fish 5 days a week from the bank and one or two days from the boat.  To me it is a form of relaxation.  

[beginningfisherman]

5 minutes ago, Hawkeye21 said:

I'm a little over an hour north of MacBride.  Most of the big lakes are well over an hour away from me so I don't get to them.  I fish Lake Delhi, a local sportsman's pond and the Mississippi River by Dubuque and Guttenberg mostly.

 

I did make a trip to Lost Grove last year and plan to again this year.  I also want to make a trip to Belva Deer and Brushy Creek at some point but they're both over 2 hours away from me.  I'm thinking about fishing the KBF Open tourney in LaCrosse this summer.  I may also fish the IKA tourney at MacBride in August too.

 

I have multiple trout streams all within 20 miles of me so it's easy for me to go anytime.

I haven’t had a lot of luck with bass on lost grove but the crappie in the spring have been good. Belva Deer hasn’t been spectacular for me either, but I’m not the worlds greatest angler by any stretch of the imagination. I hope to make it to brushy creek for a weekend this spring or summer because I’ve heard good things about it. 

6 minutes ago, geo g said:

I fish at least 25 days a month.  I am surrounded by man made lakes that are loaded with bass and peas.  I fish 5 days a week from the bank and one or two days from the boat.  To me it is a form of relaxation.  

Wow! It sounds like you’re living the dream! I saw from the member map that you are from the Miami area. Is there a lot of fishing pressure since you live in that heavily populated of an area or do not many people fish?

[ohboyitsrobby]

Don't go a lot in December and January. Maybe 3-4 times a month. For the other 10 months I get out quite a bit, probably 15-20 times a month. I live real close to quite a few lakes and have a small river that runs thru my back yard so if I wanted to go every day for a little bit it'd be real easy.

[crankbait2009]

Once the water temps and outside temps rise, I usually get out every Saturday morning to early afternoon, and sometimes on Sunday.  I'd go out a lot more, but I feel bad for my doggos.  I don't like leaving them in the house all week long while I'm at work.  So I try to hang out with them as much as I can on weekends. 

[Fishin Dad]

I don't work in the summer (teacher), so I do get to fish 15-16 times per month.    I also have two girls who I love to spend time with.   This limits my desire to fish even more.   I started fishing some local tournaments, this motivates me to fish more lakes, pre-fishing for those tourneys.   

[Catt]

Not often enough! ?

[All Day Fishing]

Once it warms up I will go on weekdays multiple times, especially once we gain daylight hours once we reset clocks in March. usually through winter 3-5 times a month.  I have only been fishing for SM/LM bass lately,  I need to do more river fishing for trout in the winter, probably going to catch much more than Bass haha!

[A-Jay]

As soon as there's open water (usually 1st week in April or so) and until the hard water season (usually the last week in November), my mission is to go every day.  However, I can't realistically pull that off.

So between un-fish-able weather and life events, I'm often on the water 2 or 3 days a week.

But when the weathers stable & bites on - it's quite a bit more.  

Mid-summer calls for night ops which is actually a lot easier for me to pull off. 

 

As for waters fished, I'm in an area with a ton; most pretty close.

So I rotate through them depending on the weather & wind direction - seems to make a difference.

A-Jay

[Bankbeater]

After the ice melts I can get out about 3 or 4 times a month.  If I can get away from work I can up that number to 5 or 6.

[senile1]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

Not often enough! ?

Ain't that the truth!  Work and family obligations can really cut into fishing time.  Retirement isn't that far off, however, and the paradigm will shift.

[BCline]

Every day Monday - Friday for an hour during my lunch break and once in a while on the weekends.

[soflabasser]

On average I fish 4-8 times a month, mostly on weekends. I am a multi species fisherman, and fish many types of fish, not just bass.

[th365thli]

I work a 9-5 so im limited to weekends. I try to go at least once a week. My job is close to a lake and in the warmer months where the sun doesn't set until 7 or 8 I'll go after work and fish from the bank.

[CroakHunter]

I'll go from the bank a few times a month, off the boat maybe once a month. 60+ hrs a week on nights plus 2 kids and a wide that think I hung the moon keep me from going too awfully much. In the summer I'll go for an he or so when it's still dark when I get off work to a small retention pond. 

[Catt]

1 hour ago, senile1 said:

Ain't that the truth!  Work and family obligations can really cut into fishing time.  Retirement isn't that far off, however, and the paradigm will shift.

 

LOL!

I am retired & fish less than before I retired ?

 

I do still manage 3-4 times a week but only because 50 steps out my front door is a bayou 

 

That just keeps my trigger finger greased!

 

 

[long island basser]

Spring, summer, fall, 3 to 6 times per month.

Winter, at best once per month.

[Steveo-1969]

I fish the same local river every time I go fishing, though where I fish on the river will change.

 

March - November I fish about once a week, either Saturday or Sunday.  Sometimes I can get out on both days.  December - February it really depends on the weather and the water temp.  Last fish I caught was December 24th and I've only been fishing twice since then.

[Way north bass guy]

I’m fishing 24/7 ( in my head) ?. 

I’d say I’m similar to what A-Jay said for season length but not as many times a week due to that terrible four letter word - work!

I do get out several times a month in winter for an ice fish, but lately I’ve been more lazy when it comes to drilling holes and freezing my butt off. 

If I never saw snow again, that’d be ok with me.