What’s wrong with me! No motivation to go fishing?

[GTN-NY]

I’m at a slow time for my business so I have plenty of time. I live close (minutes) to NY Finger Lakes. 
But I just can’t push myself out the door to go. Kayak is on the trailer and ready to go. I even bailed out of a tournament today. 
Sorry just ranting at myself

 

edit to add info:

I was so pumped for this year’s fishing season. Bought 4 reels and 3 rods and a bunch of other stuff. 
So far this year I’ve been out 3 times and caught fish each time. 1 of the days was a tournament that I did pretty well 12th out of 75 anglers. 
I get up with no problem and do things around the house or at a friend’s farm. So it’s not like I’m doing nothing. 
Today is the 3 yr aniv of losing my son and his girlfriend that was like my daughter. In a couple weeks it will be the 1 year aniv of losing my best friend. Maybe that’s all there is to it or maybe I just don’t want to go fishing anymore 

[A-Jay]

Perhaps consider switching 'something up'.

Maybe come up with your own type of 'challenge'.

Like only bring one type of bait with you,

 or fish very light tackle, 

or if you really want a bit of a rush,

go at night.

Might re-light the candle for you.

Good Luck & Fish Hard

A-Jay

 

[Dens228]

For me it varies......sometimes I get bored with my usual waters so I search out new waters to see and try and learn.

Sometimes I'm tired of small to medium bass so I go places I don't catch as many but when I do they're big.

Sometimes I'm tired of fishing for hours for a couple of bass so I go places I know I'll catch a lot.

 

Sometimes, but rarely, I say home and work on the honey do list. 

[GTN-NY]

Yeah I just don’t know what it is. 
When I had a boat 20 years ago I could always find someone to go with me. But with a the kayak you are always alone and after the last year of lockdowns I might just be tired of being alone. Sounds sappy but …..

[A-Jay]

5 minutes ago, GTN-NY said:

Yeah I just don’t know what it is. 
When I had a boat 20 years ago I could always find someone to go with me. But with a the kayak you are always alone and after the last year of lockdowns I might just be tired of being alone. Sounds sappy but …..

Buy another Kayak and some extra tackle 

and start inviting friends.

Sounds extreme but . . . . . 

Life is short.

A-Jay

[galyonj]

If you're not feeling it, it may be wise not to force the issue. It's awful to find yourself resenting a hobby, or finding yourself pursuing that hobby because you feel like you have to.

 

So it may be in your best interest to own the break you're taking: or at least not beat yourself up over it too much.

 

The fish will be there when you're ready.

[Buzzbaiter]

Try something different. When I get burnt out on bass fishing, I go bluelining for little brook trout in little mountain streams. It’s a totally different feel that renews my appreciation for nature. It doesn’t have to be brook trout; any other fish that offers a different challenge can turn on your interest in bass fishing again.

[Deleted account]

Low T...

[GTN-NY]

4 minutes ago, BassWhole! said:

Low T...

I had it checked. I’m good

[TOXIC]

Sometimes it just happens.  I’ve been uninspired for the last 2 weeks since returning from Michigan where we fished for a week straight and had a banner trip of 50-75 fish a day.  I felt kind of “fished out” and unmotivated.  This weekend back here in Virginia we got heavy rains all week so the rivers are totally messed up.  I’m content to go when I feel like going.  No guilt here.  You should feel the same.?

[DitchPanda]

I to get fished out sometimes...especially just targeting the same fish in the same body of water. What I do is go somewhere else and fish for something different then normal. Happened a couple summers back...I bass fished a week straight for 5-6 hours a day. By day 7 I was over it. The next week I didn't even fish or have any desire. The week after I felt the same...so I changed it up. Ran up to my dads and caught a bunch of perch and yellow bass. It was a blast and I got a couple big fish fries. By my next days off I was raring to go as I had rediscovered what I love about fishing.

As far as being tired of going alone I get that. My old lady almost never goes and I only have 1 bass fishing buddy. He has a wife, A pile of kids and he coaches so we don't get out much. 90% of my trips are solo so I have a few things I do. 1) keep the trips short ...usually 3 hours max...gives me plenty of time to figure something out without getting bored. 2) focus on something I want to accomplish that day..new technique, 5 bass limit, new areas of the lake or pond. Gives me a goal to work towards..keeps me focused on the fishing and enjoying the process.

[volzfan59]

I'm with you @GTN-NY. I moved to south Arkansas from east TN a couple of years ago. From really clear water, for the most part, to really stained water with a ton of cypress trees. I've been a couple of times, but lack the motivation to go like I used to. I really enjoy finesse fishing and that "dog don't seem to hunt" down here. I've got a couple of friends that like to crappie fish exclusively. I'm retired, they both work and have families. I'll figure it out.

[Fishes in trees]

Fishing is always funner for me when I have the sense that I'm playing hooky from something.   I mean, there are lots of responsible things that I could be doing, but instead I'm CHOOSING to go fishing.  I know that I could "reward" myself by going fishing after all my other myriad responsibilities real & imagined are performed, but why would I do that?   I found out last spring during quarantine that when there was nothing to play hooky from that motivating myself to go fishing was a challenge.

[WRB]

Honey Do list often is a good motivator to go fishing.

New rod reel and different lures then you normally use like finesse fishing, catching is more fun then just fishing.

Fishing with a buddy really helps to get you of bed at O’ dark 30 and planning the outing.

Night fishing alone in a kayak is a bad idea. You may need another boat.

Tom

[JustJames]

I feel you sir. Been there done that myself. Now I turn to another hobby (golf) and use fishing as my unwind, only an hour or just one fish each time is good enough for me.

I fish alone for the most part and that get pretty boredom sometime. I got the urge to take kayak out a few times earlier this year and that’s that. Gave a couple of my setup to friends that just move in here, in hope to get them to like bass fishing but no luck so far.

[GreenPig]

The best way to want or need to use something is to get rid of it.? Not suggesting for you to get rid of your fishing gear. Nothing wrong with taking a break.

[GTN-NY]

I was so pumped for this year’s fishing season. Bought 4 reels and 3 rods and a bunch of other stuff. 
So far this year I’ve been out 3 times and caught fish each time. 1 of the days was a tournament that I did pretty well 12th out of 75 anglers. 
I get up with no problem and do things around the house or at a friend’s farm. So it’s not like I’m doing nothing. 
Today is the 3 yr aniv of losing my son and his girlfriend that was like my daughter. In a couple weeks it will be the aniv of losing my best friend. Maybe that’s all there is to it or maybe I just don’t want to go fishing anymore 

[WRB]

Know grief all too well lost my only son 22 Jan 2020 from cancer. There isn’t anything I can add as I sold my boat and all my tackle except a few things. Didn’t fish for over 2 years, still difficult. I know my son would want me to enjoy the things in life we shared together, that is my only motivation to back seat occasionally. 

It’s Fathers Day this weekend, very very difficult time when you lose your son or daughter. ?

Tom

[Luke Barnes]

Something I do that totally reignited my passion for bass fishing was to stop bass fishing for a while. I love fishing too much not to go but instead I would throw out a few catfish lines and the use my ultralight or fly fishing rod for Panfish. Caught some good cats, pretty sunfish, and decided after a few months I want to bass fish and nothing but. Got on a crappie kick for a while and same thing, back to bass I went with renewed interest and excitement. 

 

I dont get to fish as much as I want, not even half as much, so I go every chance i get. But in the flip side I could also see doing it 3-4 times a week for a long time might get tedious. 

 

Leave the kayak at home, get some rod holders and throw some lines for catfish. Fish for live bait, that was always interesting. When I fished for Panfish for fun I caught a ton, as soon as I said I'm fishing for live or cut bait I never caught any!!

[geo g]

I get it!  After a year of Covid 19  and no partners to fish with in the boat, everything has to be almost perfect before I get the boat out of the garage.  The thing that saved me is I am surrounded by man made lakes that have good bass populations.  I have seven lakes within a mile of the house all connected by way of culvert pipes.  I will go out for an hour or two from the bank and catch bass and Peas of all size.  A lot easier then loading and unloading the boat in the everglades.  I've gotten lazy in my old age!?

 

[schplurg]

I have to sometimes force myself to fish right now.

 

Since Covid started (I guess) I have been feeling more unmotivated across the board, and it is apparently true for a lot of people. Maybe some kind of depression? Add to that the crazy election and all the fallout from that and, I dunno I need a break from reality.

 

Fishing usually is that break, but man I'm just tired a lot.

 

I have less energy consistently which makes me wonder if I got the bug early and didn't know it. I think I may go night fishing tonight just to get outta the house, even if I don't feel like it. I never have done that around here, could be interesting.

 

Sometimes you do have to force it, other times go with the flow.

[CrankFate]

@GTN-NY it happens. Then something will happen and you’ll be out there just as much as before again. You don’t have to be out there every day. Sometimes you just don’t feel like it. I prefer it when I don’t care so much about fishing, because if I feel the need to be out there, I’m dedicating half of my brainwaves to figuring out how to catch more fish when I’m sleeping.

[throttleplate]

i am not as enthusiastic as i was last year fishing, why? because last year was the first time to fish in the usa since i left for the philippines in 2009.

 

Wife and i had to road trip all over the detroit lakes region all summer using gps and google maps to find good fishable bank and wading locations. That meant long days road tripping all over the countryside jumping lakes to find fish and then moving on to the next.

 

It was fun as she never had been to the usa and now she gets to explore some nice country and see all kinds of wildlife and new things like farms, combines, tractors, horses, cows.....

 

 And it was a new exciting time for myself also. It was all summer, fishing and scouting and researching the lake on websites, it was like a job and we scouted 4 days a week.

 

I had to buy all new gear as i got rid of everything before i moved to the philippines. I spent around $1500.00 that summer for fishing gear and by the fall we had our preferred lakes and to this day we stick to our list so no more long searching trips starting at 9am.

 

Now we leave at 2pm or later and get set up for the early evening bite into the late nite and if we want to move it takes us only minutes to load up our gear and jump over to another lake on our list only 5 to 10 minutes away.

And it doesnt always have to be bass, now at the end of the day i like to sit down, relax and lazy fish with a bobber for panfish.

 

I learned how to fish again and gained knowledge from this website so i feel less is more at this stage. I avoid reading some how to posts on this site now because the more I read the simplicity gets lost and i dont need to overwhelm myself.

 

And yes tomorrow is sunday and we are going fishing and my enthusiam level is at 0 because i have our system down pat and this will be our 16th trip this year since the start of april. Yes i will become more excited mid morning when i start putting the gear in the car and will get all bassed up when i throw the first cast.

 

 

 

 

[Darth-Baiter]

15 hours ago, GTN-NY said:

Yeah I just don’t know what it is. 
When I had a boat 20 years ago I could always find someone to go with me. But with a the kayak you are always alone and after the last year of lockdowns I might just be tired of being alone. Sounds sappy but …..

I’d love to fly out to come fish with you.  Unrealistic as heck, but watching Blanchard out at the finger lakes killing it……

 

maybe watch a few of his recent NY videos?

[Sam]

Keeper, I tell you what is interesting about your post:  it happens to all of us sooner or later.

 

Getting up at 3:00 AM to make it to the ramp for sunrise is no fun.  Fighting the crazies at the ramp at the end of your day also can pour cold water on fishing.

 

But...once you are on the water; once you see how beautiful Mother Nature can be; once you see the water and all of the targets; once you breath in some fresh air; once you catch your first fish; you will understand that pushing yourself out of the door and onto the water is worth every second.

 

So do yourself a favor:  get up and get out. Now! Get out of the house. Get your leash and go for a walk; and then get that kayak ready to rock and roll.

 

You will be rejuviated once you get that first bite.

 

Have fun and post pics of your catches.