What's agood day fishing?

Similar thread to one on the hunting side. What do you consider to a "good" day fishing? Is it dead fish in the boat, sixteen sixpacks drained, seeing sunrise over Buoy Zooey?

Seeing less than 3 people, 0 birdsnest, and at least one bite.

No swimming, no rowing out to the takeout in the dark, no fresh sweepers, shuttled vehicle waiting at take out with all windows intact.

Avoiding the herd, getting a few cracks at some fish... yep that's about it.

Ill add: enjoying some solitude, having a few chances at your quarry, spending time with friends or by yourself, whatever you were looking for there. getting some great exercise doing what you love.

1. Fishing is a competition
2. Score is kept by how much fun you are having
3. Fish to win
4. Not only can there be multiple winners, there should be.
5. If your fun depends on someone else having less fun, then you lose automatically.

Fish on...

Todd

Good question Carcassman.

Interesting you post this thread as this has been on my mind a lot lately……one of those mid-life contemplation things. Years ago, it was pretty important to land fish, fill a fish box, etc….Now, not so much, if at all. I still catch my share, more than I need actually so that's not the driver at this point.

Solitude.

I don't need solitude, I require it. When I find it, whether by bank or boat, my day is made. The fish are a bonus. The profession I'm in seems to get more stressful by the year and finding that solitude on a favorite little piece of water keeps me sane.

What's been troubling me lately, and others I'm sure, is I am suddenly locked out of a bunch of water I've held near and dear because of timber companies going to a permit/pay-to-play concept. Many, but not all, of my most treasured solitude spots are now off limits which hits hard, especially during the winter season. It's these places that help me have "a good day of fishing" and I worry some how I am going to still find the fun in more crowded scenarios. I've already quit fishing some water since the masses have migrated to the coast. It's going to take an attitude adjustment I suppose. Some guys roll with the crowds easily. Me, not so much. Nothing worse than being boat #35 in a fleet of 60.

These are good ones ^^^

Get the basics covered first, then everything else is gravy.

At my age just getting home alive is the good of the day.

fp

My favorite fishing is stream fishing for trout. Some people around are ok, if they share well. I want to encounter fish; rises to the fly, maybe a swipe at the hardware. I "need" to have some interaction with the fish so a day simply flogging the water isn't it.

I like to fish for feeding fish. Find their lie and tempt them. So, random casting, drowning a worm under a bobber is not my fun.

An interesting observation from back in the early 80s when PS was closed to Chinook for allocation. Hardly anybody fished because it was "closed". All that was closed was killing Chinook. Chinook C&R was open, coho retention was open. The mindset was interesting.

Sometimes, the most fun is simply catching something. Fished a small creek in Queensland. Had no idea what was there. I had seen some rainbow fish and Archerfish, but really didn't know what was there. And there (apparently) were crocs. I managed to land a 4.5" jungle perch, on an elk-hair caddis. Great day. And the snake I flushed into the creek didn't bite me.

Agreeable water and weather conditions and that sense that the day offers a chance for fish, whether I actually hook up or not. Having no broken windows when I get back to my car does help top off the day.

Sg

Taking my lil buddy

Any day that I'm on the water and not working.

Just being able to get out is a good day. It is also nice to find some solitude as well

So than making WA entirely C&R for all fish would be acceptable?

Certainly not preferable. I fish for trout and steelhead for fun, and it doesn't matter if I never eat another one. I fish for salmon partly for fun and partly because I really, really like to eat salmon. And snob that I am, I only fish for salmon that I'm partial to eating. If salmon fishing went CNR, I probably wouldn't do much salmon fishing.

Sg

My standard differs from my wife's standard.

This thread is proof positive that when it comes to a GOOD day of fishing, everything is relative. It depends on your situation and managing expectations.

For the guy swamped in the workplace where he/she is imprisoned for most of the day, just getting out... fish or no fish... is good enough.

Those who have the luxury to prioritize more time on the water probably have higher expectations.

Seeking solitude is a great goal, and for some, very therapeutic. It lends itself more to discovering relatively remote smaller intimate settings that take a little more effort to find/access. The solitude is the reward for that extra effort. As the population grows and landowners limit/prohibit access here in the PNW, that kind of solitude will become more difficult to find/maintain.

The problem with "solitude" is the almost irrepressible human urge to share something good with someone else. When you find that great fishing spot, you are almost immediately presented with a deep internal conflict. Do you selfishly horde it to yourself, or do you take a buddy along the next time? Before long, it's not just your buddy, but his buddy, and his buddy's buddy, and so on. Not saying it's good or bad... just that it happens.

I think we've all been at both ends of this scenario... either the generous guy taking the risk in sharing his 'solitude', or the lucky guy who gets the coveted invite to tag along to discover "new" water.

As the owner of a large boat, I ain't goin' nowhere that ain't already been discovered. Even if mine is only one of a handful of boats (or even the only one) in a certain location, fishing from a big sled loaded with a crew of 5-8 can hardly be construed as solitude. At this particular stage in my fishing career, solitude usually takes a back seat. I've caught enough fish over the decades that it's way more important to me to pass the torch and share with others. I get as much if not more satisfaction putting my guests on the fish as I do catching them myself, esp young people. Budding fisher folks are very impressionable, and this is the best way to imprint my personal brand/style of angling technique and conservation ethic to the next generation.

Without recruiting some new blood into the sport, it will surely die.

So back to what constitutes a GOOD day of fishing in my boat. It starts with good people. Life's way too short to surround yourself with a$$ho!es, esp within the limited confines of a boat. Since I do all the inviting, I guess that one's all on me. Suffice it to say that good people generally get invited back.

Since all recreational opportunity starts with a bite, the first prerequisite at our chosen destination is a sufficient pool of willing biters. Preferably enough to make every rod in the boat bend at least once during the fishing day.

Filling the box with a boat limit is nice, but NOT necessary. And while it's nice to responsibly catch enough keepers to send everyone home with a little something for their table, I got no problems catchin' and releasin' all day either. By god it's SPORT fishing after all... with a greater emphasis on catching them, not necessarily killing them. If it's really all about the meat, may as well go to Safeway or QFC.

Add in a bit of sunshine, good tunes, good eats, and good beer ... well that's just the whipped cream with the cherry on top.

Excellent summary there Doc.

After letting the question roll around for a while, I think I boiled the pool of thoughts down to a few essential elements.

1. Saw something beautiful.
2. Didnt lose anything that can't be replaced (life, friends, things with sentimental value, etc.)
3. Spent zero time in the company of a$$holes.

The rest is gravy.

Agreed.... esp #2. My brother recently survived a mishap that drove that message home with a sharp point.

In my long-windedness, I forgot about that all-important "getting everyone home safe" part. We all want to be around to do it again!

Good conversation or none at all. witnessing something beautiful. the fish are just bonuses to me.

I've found a good day of fishing is all in my head. If I approach the day as a good day of fishing, it will be despite the broken prop, a$$holes in other boats, or whatever stupid thing I decide to do. Good people around me helps.

10 to 12 coho w/8 beers to meself and my fishing bud Bob getting upset cause I caught most of the fish. And then he has to swallow his pride and use what I am using.

1. Ability to target a fish that doesn't come easily to hand and takes a skilled presentation to hook.
2. Preferably on a river, salt is fun, lakes are okay, but kinda blah
3. Preferably without lots of traffic on said water body ...solitude is best
4. If im targeting coho, springer, summer run, sockeye then it's an added bonus if I can keep some, but not required. Bottom fish I better get some fillets.
5. Whitewater or at least something technical always adds to a good day
6. Out of cell range is even better (wife can't call) and ask when I'll be home
7. Scenery, weather, location, good company, and tasty beverages also add to a good day
8. Ability to fish home river (closed puget sound rivers) in jan, feb,March regardless of whether I caught a dolly, cutthroat, whitefish, steelhead, or nothing, because it's close to home and I don't have to drive 4 hours to rivers that have become over crowded with anglers like myself just seeking the opportunity to wet a line!

1. Ability to target a fish that doesn't come easily to hand and takes a skilled presentation to hook.
2. Preferably on a river, salt is fun, lakes are okay, but kinda blah
3. Preferably without lots of traffic on said water body ...solitude is best
4. If im targeting coho, springer, summer run, sockeye then it's an added bonus if I can keep some, but not required. Bottom fish I better get some fillets.
5. Whitewater or at least something technical always adds to a good day
6. Out of cell range is even better (wife can't call) and ask when I'll be home
7. Scenery, weather, location, good company, and tasty beverages also add to a good day
8. Ability to fish home river (closed puget sound rivers) in jan, feb,March regardless of whether I caught a dolly, cutthroat, whitefish, steelhead, or nothing, because it's close to home and I don't have to drive 4 hours to rivers that have become over crowded with anglers like myself just seeking the opportunity to wet a line!

The most memorable fishing trips, for me come in two varieties.

1. Fishing with my kids and my dad. The absolute best trips have been getting my girls into fish for the first time. My dad has been with me on all those trips. Unforgettable.

2. When a plan comes together. Whether it be due to experience, or based on a theory, I love it when I can go out and execute exactly what I had visualized in my daydreams about a particular trip. An example is the time I wanted to try swinging spoons for steelhead. I did a bunch of research and decided I knew the perfect stretch of water. For whatever reasons, it was 2 weeks before I had the chance to fish. Launched the drift boat just above the stretch, floated down 50 yards and made 2 casts with a gold Lil Cleo and BAM! Fish on! Nice 10# Nate.

If I get home safe they are all good trips. I do this for fun and relaxation if that doesn't happen then you are doing it wrong.

A great trip usually involves kids. On Veterans day I took out a Veteran and his 10 year old. They had never been river salmon fishing except trolling with guides. The east wind was howling all morning, and I was struggling to keep the boat from blowing into the shore, and there was a ton of crap blowing into the river. We were throwing spinners. It was going to be a hard day, especially for beginners.

I knew we were on lots of fish, but I could not get the boat still enough to really make good casts/presentations. The kid was all over it, casting into trees, into logs, well up onto gravel bars, but he was smiling and jabbering and having an overall good time. It was so much fun to watch a kid who loved to fish like I did when I was his age.

He caught 4 silvers all by himself and was just stoked out of his mind. Especially because his Dad got skunked. When his Dad told him it was time to go, was the only complaint I heard all day. I'm still smiling about it. Seeing kids having a ball fishing, is what makes for a great day.

Staying away from the crowds and searching for new water.

Or any fishing trip with friends/family...