How do you make it work?

Perdido · #1 (**permalink**) 10-15-2011, 02:00 PM

This question is one that I think everyone has to answer for themselves, but I'm curious how many of y'all have enabled yourselves to fish a satisfying amount.

I am 29 and have access, anytime I want it, to a boat, which is four hours away. The billfishing grounds are another 2 to 5 hours past that. Between keeping the new wife happy, trying to be successful at work and balancing other commitments, finding the time to get to the coast, prepare the gear, get out there, fish and get back sometimes seems next to impossible. Chartered flights and a faster boat are out of the question for now. Mind you, I'm not whining. I get to fish five to seven times a year so I realize I'm fortunate, but it just doesn't feel like enough. I'd fish two to three times a week if I could but that hasn't been possible.

So what tricks or paths have y'all found that at least have you satisfied at the end of the season that you were able to fish enough? All theories or practical advice is welcome. Hope everyone has had/is having a great season!

--Steve

Mikey Mike · #2 (**permalink**) 10-16-2011, 10:07 PM

Ya gotta move closer to the coast. I don't know what line of work yer in. But just about any job that is inland is allso available on the coast.

The younger you are when you move the better your life will be.

Do it for your kids! A coastal life is the best!

When you apply to a job on the coast the employer will understand and value when you tell them that is where you want to raise yer family.

The big secret that nobody will tell you is that once you move to the coast within a week or two you will grow a third nut. This is perfectly normall. Don't run to the er screaming and scaring the lil kids, yer doc will just charge you $500 and send ya home.

dustin · #3 (**permalink**) 10-17-2011, 02:40 AM

If you're working a full time job on land you will never really be able to fish enough. Given the travelling time required to get to your vessel and get to the grounds, trying to fish effectively over weekends may be too difficult. It might be a better idea to get to the coast for a week at a time - do your preparation Saturday and Sunday, fish the week and do your cleanup and travel back home the next weekend. A lot depends on whether you fish with anyone other than your wife, and how experienced they are at fishing and boating.

It's hard to charter a boat if you have your own vessel, but that may be a more practical way to fish weekends. You'll only need to worry about showing up, you'll be able to catch up on your sleep on the run out and you'll probably be able to learn a few things from your crew that will help when you're on your own vessel and one of those big Gulf blues climbs on.

tunacious · #4 (**permalink**) 10-17-2011, 07:01 AM

It is not always easy to break away and fish enough to be happy. I have owned my boat for 11 years and the first 6, I put 200 to 300 hours on the engine. There were coastal trips, but mostly off shore for tuna and marlin. My son is 10 and he has fished with me on many trips. As he got older, the trips were longer and he caught a lot od nice fish. But, baseball has taken over his life. This season the engine ran 45 hours, and the previous was 35 hours. My advise is too keep that new wife happy, fish as much as you can and when the little ones arrive, do the best you can and enjoy life. It only gets better. Unless you are a professional, there is never enough time on the water, especially if you live in a temperate zone with good fishing.
Bob

Peter Pakula · #5 (**permalink**) 10-18-2011, 02:37 PM

Life is a matter of choosing your priorities and having the balls to chase your dreams.

Gamefishing has been my priority for many many years. I quit very well paid jobs to fish tournaments. Moved to where there were more fish. Worked my ring out to buy a waterfront house and boat that lives on a pier outside my bedroom to live my dream. I've often gone out marlin fishing and caught 3 or 4 and been back home in time to start work at 9am.

I picked the right wife who has never told me what I can and can't do and has supported me in everything I have done. That works both ways.

I think if you have had near death experiences, parents who lived through wars you have a very different outlook.

There is no replacing today with tommorrow. Treat this life like you died and are in heaven.

It's certainly not easy, but in the wonderfull times we are fortunate to live in nothing's impossible.

No-one has shot at me for years.

bmoody · #6 (**permalink**) 10-18-2011, 04:23 PM

We each must find our own path. Mine is eased by having the boat in my driveway, living 10 minutes from the ramp, and with 1000' feet of water with in eye sight of the beach. Still I can't say I billfish (at least seriously for marlin) 5 times a year.

I think you need to figure out just how "hard" you want to fish. I don't fish many rough days. In part because I don't have the "crew" for it, but in part that is my choice -- I like spending time on the water with my wife, but she won't do the rough stuff. Because of my location, I have that freedom to pick and choose, and still have my boat in the water 20+ days a year. Still, I too would like to fish more. Are you ready to make fishing a chore, even though you love it too? I haven't been ready to do that, or pass on some other activities.

For you, I'd say try to find a way to adapt your "other commitments" to let you fish more like 10 times a year. I'll piggyback on Dustin's comment, and suggest a "staycation", where you spend several days of your annual leave making a point of going fishing.

mangre · #7 (**permalink**) 10-19-2011, 03:17 AM

Sounds like me,
And I live on the coast....

rustler · #8 (**permalink**) 11-14-2011, 11:10 PM

no one thanks you when you get past 60 their problems always seem to become yours, keep a big wallet, enjoy what you can while you can, if you wife really loves you she will want you to enjoy your sports at least for the beginning years, go fishing.

Mozz · #9 (**permalink**) 11-16-2011, 09:30 AM

I was in a 9-5 office job staring at a wall day in day out leading a comfortable life with a boat and fishing alot but I decided one day to throw it in and I moved from NZ to Mexico. Best move ever, I started on Sportfishing boats and over the last few years have made the move to the big motor yachts purely for the benefit of my schooling. I have weeks when guests just want to sunbathe and cruise but more often than not I can talk them into at least 2-3 days fishing a week plus I fish on Passages and on crew days. I met my girl over here and finally managed to get her a nice blue earlier this year and she now has the bug and our holidays off the boat are 5 days fishing out of PV, Mex and 3 days in Cape Verde.

Life is what you make of it.

p.s I am currently @ 19 25.870N 69 08.384W and there is soo much bait around the boat that I hope something larger isn't too far away