Overnight trip - How far would you go??

[Kayak Fishin]

Just curious what the community thinks on this topic!
 

If you were to leave early in the morning, stay the night, and be back the next day around dinner time, what would your cutoff be for drive time? 2, 3, 4 hours one way? Longer? 
 

For the sake of argument let’s say you know the spot usually produces fish and your lodging is not a dump. 
 

What’s the longest you’ve traveled for an overnight trip? What amount of time isn’t worth it for you? Let’s even consider today’s gas prices! 

 

What do we think? 
 

 

[ATA]

Two hours each way, total of four hours for overnight trip.

[Choporoz]

2 hours maybe 

[gim]

I'm with @ATA and @Choporoz.  Two hours one way hauling a boat is about the farthest I'm going.  About three times/year I go about 90 miles one way to fish just for the day and even that is a haul.

[WRB]

Travel 180 miles for 1 day of fishing several times. Leave at 2 AM fish all day and get home around 11 PM same day.

Over night trips about 300 miles or 5 hours one way leaving at 1AM fish all day, sleep eat breakfast fish another half day, have lunch and hit the road home.

Tom

[Bankc]

I regularly travel an hour for a single day trip.  For an overnight trip, I'm more than okay with three.  Four is pushing it, but for the right lake, it could be worth it.  I don't know if I'd go up to five or six for just an overnight trip.  I'd probably need a full day of fishing to make it worth it.

 

Then again, I don't mind long road trips.  Many times in my life I've spent 12 hours driving in a single day, often multiple days in a row.  Of course, I'll pull over every 2-3 hours for about 15 minutes to stretch my legs and back, plus bathroom breaks and meals.  So it might take me 16 hours to get in 12 hours of road time.  

 

A lot of it depends on your age.  At 43, those 16 hour days are rough, but still doable.  At 23, they were nothing.  When I'm 63, I probably won't be able to go that long without being a danger to myself and everyone else.  

[TnRiver46]

Paddle 5-6 miles while fishing, camp on an island and eat fish, then paddle the rest of the way while fishing on day 2. Greatest way to spend a weekend. 0-4 hour drive proximity

[ATA]

13 minutes ago, WRB said:

Travel 180 miles for 1 day of fishing several times. Leave at 2 AM fish all day and get home around 11 PM same day.

Over night trips about 300 miles or 5 hours one way leaving at 1AM fish all day, sleep eat breakfast fish another half day, have lunch and hit the road home.

Tom

Thats what a pro like you do, Not for me ?.

[Bankbeater]

If I have to drive more than 4 hours one way I'm staying the night. 

[Mike L]

The longest I traveled in 1 day was about 4 hrs for a tournament.
Leave about 2:00, at the ramp at 6:30, fish all day, turn around, come home and pass out! ?

It’s not bad if you plan it right. 

The longest overnight was about 8 to Seminole, 10 to Hartwell and 12 to the Tennessee River for others. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

[WRB]

Back in the days of bass fishing before quagga mussels, it was common for bass anglers to travel from my home area to San Diego lakes, the Colorado River lakes, Central California lake Isabella, San Antonio, Nacimento , Lopez, Success, Pine Flat etc.

Today it isn’t possible do to the quagga mussel restrictions.

Tom

[avid]

Really cool question ?‍♂️  

It’s brings back lots of memories 

I’m gonna do some research for details but I remember driving from Riverhead Long Island to somewhere for I think in Pa for the annual shad run   Maybe y’all know where I’m talking about   My buddy And I liked to read the “what’s going on now” articles in the fishing magazines and then go fish there   This article was about a shad run on some river in NJ NY or PA 

that is kinda famous for it   Anyway it was a long ass drive but we did that **** back then 

47 minutes ago, WRB said:

Travel 180 miles for 1 day of fishing several times. Leave at 2 AM fish all day and get home around 11 PM same day.

Over night trips about 300 miles or 5 hours one way leaving at 1AM fish all day, sleep eat breakfast fish another half day, have lunch and hit the road home.

Tom

That’s what I’m talkin about ‼️

[Bird]

I drive 2 hours to fish our big lake and then drive home that evening.

If I plan to fish a lake for several days which I do often, I bring the wife, dog and RV.

[fishwizzard]

2h if I think it will be good fishing, 3h if I "know" it will be good fishing.

 

 

[Bluebasser86]

2 hours is my max for a day trip, 3-4 for an overnight. 

[GoneFishingLTN]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Travel 180 miles for 1 day of fishing several times. Leave at 2 AM fish all day and get home around 11 PM same day.

Over night trips about 300 miles or 5 hours one way leaving at 1AM fish all day, sleep eat breakfast fish another half day, have lunch and hit the road home.

Tom

What time would you try to get to sleep when your waking up at 2Am that's very early 

[GaryH]

52 minutes ago, Ovid said:

  This article was about a shad run on some river in NJ NY or PA 

that is kinda famous for it   Anyway it was a long ass drive but we did that **** back then 

That’s what I’m talkin about ‼️

Delaware river. Boarders Pa. And N.J.

[Kayak Fishin]

8 minutes ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

What time would you try to get to sleep when your waking up at 2Am that's very early 

I was thinking that question too!

 

I’ve done 4-4.5 hours one way to fish a hot spot for an overnight trip, but left at like 5am. Fishing before 10am, exhausted myself the rest of the day wading, went to bed, fished until noon, drove home. An absolute grind, but its doable. Probably the farthest ride i’ll do for an overnighter.

 

 

[GaryH]

Same day normal 2 hrs. Overnight 4-5 hours. Worst trip last year Pa. To Lake Fork non stop 23 hrs. Down for a 2 day tournament. Rained for 18 hrs. Of the drive down. What a joy.

 

[J Francho]

I wouldn't bother with lodging for a single night to fish one day at a really good lake.  I'll travel a max of 4 hours for a same day fishing trip or sleep in the car at the ramp deal.

[WRB]

28 minutes ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

What time would you try to get to sleep when your waking up at 2Am that's very early 

The closest lake is about 1 hour drive normally. I get up early to stretch, eat, make lunch, load boat and hook it up all takes time. If I am picking up a partner that takes time and get in line early for lake to open for early morning bite takes time.

Longer trips just adds a few more hours and early start time to avoid commuter traffic.

It’s SoCal!

Tom

 

 

 

 

[Bassin' Brad]

I've done 3-4 hours for an overnight trip several times. 

[Catt]

From my house to Fin-n-Feather marina on Toledo Bend is a 2 hr 11 min drive, if I launch at 6-Mile public boat launch take the 11 minutes off. 

 

A normal trip for me is to be there 30-45 minutes before daylight, fish until noon, check into the marina, fish the afternoon. Next morning fish until noon, checkout, fish the afternoon, drive home.

 

The farthest would be a 6 hr boat run through marshes to a duck camp. We bass fished in afternoon & duck hunted in the morning.

[GaryH]

8 minutes ago, Catt said:

From my house to Fin-n-Feather marina on Toledo Bend is a 2 hr 11 min drive, if I launch at 6-Mile public boat launch take the 11 minutes off. 

 

A normal trip for me is to be there 30-45 minutes before daylight, fish until noon, check into the marina, fish the afternoon. Next morning fish until noon, checkout, fish the afternoon, drive home.

 

The farthest would be a 6 hr boat run through marshes to a duck camp. We bass fished in afternoon & duck hunted in the morning.

That’s the way to do it. We do similar we turkey hunt in the morning and the trout fish in the afternoon 

 

 

 

[king fisher]

I leave at 3:30 AM drive 3 hours fish all day. Set up tent in the dark. Start fishing at 6:30. Am. Fish all day drive home. Drive home takes 4 hours one hour more than the drive there because of truck traffic on the mountain roads. Get home at 11:00 pm tired but happy.