The drive to a fishing spot. Does your mind wander?

[Darth-Baiter]

I was thinking.  The drive to my spot is when I’m the most nervous.  Anxious. 
 

I play scenarios in my head, I run thru lures and presentation that I think will work.  It’s a fun time. I picture success and worry about a skunk.  Haha.  I’m a hot mess. 

 

you?  Willie Nelson blaring and lip sync show?  

[Scott F]

The drive to my fishing spots are 5-7 hours away. No, I don’t think about fishing the entire time. 

[Bluebasser86]

I usually too busy watching for deer, coyotes, dogs, armadillos, cows, ect to let my mind wander. 

[Sphynx]

I let my mind wander most of the day in the direction of my hobbies, at least the parts that do not require a lot of mental focus, but you show me a guy who has ever driven a commercial vehicle across Interstate 80 in Nebraska who claims they haven't zoned out as they cruised through endless corn fields and I'll show you a guy with a curious relationship with honesty, the same cannot be said however for placed like NYC or LA, Chicago or other constantly dangerous to drive in places, since my fishing probably occurs 90% of the time while I am over the road, I'd say that counts for thinking about it while driving to my spots whether I knew I was going there or not. 

[throttleplate]

all my spots are within an 1 1/4 hr away. The whole drive is on 2 lane highways right through farm country.

 

I enjoy looking at the progression of the crops through the summer, looking at the cows, horses, seeing what kind of ducks are sittin in the farm ponds and i dont think about what i am going to do to attack the lake.

 

The night before is when i organized my go to tackle and devised my plan so on drive day i talk to the wife while looking at the world.

 

[TnRiver46]

I live about 1.5 miles from the water so any anxiety is short lived 

[GreenPig]

Leaving in 20 minutes, 40 minute drive to fish from 2am to 10 am. On the way there my attention is focused on avoiding the potholes in our wonderful roads so I can keep the axle under the trailer and the wheels round.

[Spankey]

Everything that seems to be going through your Mind sounds good. EXCEPT the skunking thing. Don’t worry about that or think about it. Go fish hard and have fun while doing it. It happens and sometimes you can learn from it. Later your mind will do a Could-a, should-a or would-a and possibly next time you could try those things that went through your head. 
 

You’ve been fishing a long.  Don’t underestimate yourself. Give them a look at something you have not thrown in awhile but have complete confidence in. During a tuff bite that may pull something off. 

[Captain Phil]

Back in the late seventies, I was in a new industry called the computer business.  This was very early on and things where not like they are today.  I wanted to learn to program, so I found a guy in Omaha that was a programmer.  I called him and we discussed a partnership.   He told me he was a fishing nut like me and I booked a flight to Omaha the next week.   When I arrived, we talked business and went on a fishing trip that afternoon.  As we were driving, I asked him how long until we got to the lake?  He smiled and said 5 hours!  Coming from Florida, this was shocking.   We drove all afternoon and stopped in Pierre South Dakota.  The weather when we got there was beautiful.  That night a cold front came through.  At dawn, it was 40 degrees with 30 mph winds.  We did manage to catch one tiny walleye.  I made a lifelong friend on that trip and learned a new skill that started me on a great career.  We still laugh about that first fishing trip.   You never know what can happen on a fishing trip.

[LrgmouthShad]

7 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I usually too busy watching for deer, coyotes, dogs, armadillos, cows, ect to let my mind wander. 

Dad? Is that you? Never could get him into fishing but he loves hunting and watching for the critters

[Bluebasser86]

15 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Dad? Is that you? Never could get him into fishing but he loves hunting and watching for the critters

I like watching for them, but the problem is they all like to get in the middle of the road while I'm driving in the dark. Nothing like having a big, black angus standing in the middle of a dark country road or a big deer darting our right in front of the truck while pulling a boat down the highway at 75mph. 

[LrgmouthShad]

Just now, Bluebasser86 said:

I like watching for them, but the problem is they all like to get in the middle of the road while I'm driving in the dark. Nothing like having a big, black angus standing in the middle of a dark country road or a big deer darting our right in front of the truck while pulling a boat down the highway at 75mph. 

I realized you were talking about it for safety reasons after I posted. Gotcha. Yeah, that’s what you never want to see

[SRQAlex]

Most of the time I’m fishing within 10 minutes of my house so there isn’t much time to think about anything. If I’m on a longer trip to one of the larger lakes near me I usually put on a podcast, usually 2 bears 1 cave and listen to the fattest man on earth talk about nonsense. 

[DaubsNU1]

8 hours ago, Sphynx said:

show me a guy who has ever driven a commercial vehicle across Interstate 80 in Nebraska who claims they haven't zoned out as they cruised through endless corn fields and I'll show you a guy with a curious relationship with honesty...

 

I have spent most of my life in Nebraska... ^^ This. Is. Truth! ^^

 

(I'd rather drive Highway 2 through the Sandhills and zone out...much better scenery...)

 

 

 

My home lake is a 15 minute drive. Some favorite lakes are within an hour drive. Others are 4-6 hours away. I love listening to an audio book, or cranking up the tunes. 

[DitchPanda]

Most of my fishing is done within 10-15 minutes of my house so not alot of thinking time. I'm usually just watching for wild critters or farm machinery(spring and fall) so I don't run up on a planter or combine while I'm rollin 60. I will admit that the first few trips after ice out my mind is filled with scenarios and anticipation. Can't really blame a guy as that's normally the first open water I've seen in 3-5 months.

[the reel ess]

My mind is so tuned into what's going to happen that I forget some things, like a paddle. Yeah, I've had to return home to get one.

[LrgmouthShad]

12 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

My mind is so tuned into what's going to happen that I forget some things, like a paddle. Yeah, I've had to return home to get one.

not as bad as me. I have launched the kayak and sat in it, only to realize that my paddle is on shore. That was a fun one

[HaydenS]

54 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I like watching for them, but the problem is they all like to get in the middle of the road while I'm driving in the dark. Nothing like having a big, black angus standing in the middle of a dark country road or a big deer darting our right in front of the truck while pulling a boat down the highway at 75mph. 

We've got some dumb animals in Kansas.  Especially the squirrels...

[cyclops2]

I daydream in the house. Not on the road............ Or in my case.  Walking down a very steep hill with wet grass each morning.

[BassNJake]

Hate it for the long distance guys 

My normal routine is a left turn out the driveway and less than a half mile I'm putting in

I have 7 ramps less than 10 minutes from me

I think boats are more common than teeth around here

 

[InfantryMP]

On the way to a tournament, I will think about things like the spots I chose. The tough thing is, you just don't know until you get there and see the water for things to start clicking (if you didn't practice the lake). I get on the water early enough that I can see the water clarity and the wind, then I finalize and think about where to go first etc before we actually take off. 

[Bankc]

I am usually not thinking about how I'm going to fish.  I know that whatever plans I make will likely change once I'm on the water.  I try to remain flexible and react to the situation I'm given, rather than stick to a plan.  

 

The night before I'll think through various plans.  I'll come up with ideas I want to try.  But the day of, I'm focused on listening to what the lake is trying to tell me.  I want my mind clear.  Fishing is a form of meditation for me.  It's a way to find balance within my mind.  I might catch more fish if I remained more focused and stuck to plan.  But I think in the long run I'll become a better angler by becoming more in-tuned to what is happening, than what I'm doing.  

[TnRiver46]

27 minutes ago, BassNJake said:

Hate it for the long distance guys 

My normal routine is a left turn out the driveway and less than a half mile I'm putting in

I have 7 ramps less than 10 minutes from me

I think boats are more common than teeth around here

 

Who needs teeth when you drink your corn from a mason jar??

[scaleface]

 My mind roams all over the place .

[MN Fisher]

20 minutes ago, scaleface said:

 My mind roams all over the place .

Long as your vehicle doesn't do the same.

 

Current launch points - within 10 minutes of my place...not enough time to think too much...plus we got crazy drivers around here who think they own the road.

 

Once the Lake Master is up and running...maybe 20-30 minutes would be the furthest...lots of lakes and launch points around here