Are Your Travel Plans Being Quelled?

[Danoinark]

I read a lot of fishing related articles and especially forums and it appears this year many fishermen are not planning the exotic trips as normal. One gent who lives in Ohio had planned to motor to Idaho for a planned event and now says he intends to buy himself a pontoon to fish lakes closer to home instead of paying the thousand dollars in gas it would take to get him there and back. I think this will be the general rule this Spring and Summer, folks will be cutting down on travel for vacations opting to maybe stay closer to home or at least plan day trips to local destinations. I recently read a news report that the price of a barrel of oil could reach 200 dollars before beginning a decline, mainly because the demand will go down as we decide to travel less. Should that happen expect the price at the pump to be well over 4 dollars. Yes, we are living in some interesting times, rising oil, coupled with rising food prices and an increasing unemployment rate, not to mention general economic hardships, there could be dark days ahead. My question;

how will this effect your recreation, travel and general well being...

Dano

[zander]

I am fishing Lake Springfield more than Taney unfortunately. It just isn't the same for some strange reason

[gonefishin]

I wont be visiting Taney or Warsaw or Pony Express much if at all this year. Gas, med and food costs are eating up all of my extra money so I am going to have to stay close to home.

[Rusty]

I have yet to fish this year. For me to make a day trip to Taney, it would run me roughly $275 at todays costs. Before the gas issues it would have been closer to $200. This includes gas, food and the normal goodies I get when I make my rounds to the fly shops and resort. But, I must admit too, I have been remodeling our house and that has taken a lot of my time this year, and still is. This is the first full day that I have not worked on it in two months. Did I say that I needed a break. Hawaii in June though. Chasing bones on the flats and and maybe a trevally too. I be sure to post pics.

[Phil Lilley]

We've seen this same thing in the past in a tough economy... people will stay closer to home and take shorter, less expensive trips. We get most of our people from within a 500 mile radius and this is what we hear, from say people in KC, taking a trip to Branson instead of Orlando because of gas or other higher costs.

[Don]

Exotic trip? How about local trips? I waited for water to shut off at Taney Sat night 11:30, 3:30, and 9:00 AM. Didn't happen so I contemplated the upper Current River some 2-3 hous away. I didn't make the day trip because of gas prices. A little later I realized that was the first time ever I didn't opt for a day trip because of gas prices. What's odd is that I later regretted my decision because gas will be even higher when my next opportunity arrives.

Ronnie, thanks for sharing. That's one cool fish, not to mention quality time with the kids.

Don May

[fly2fish]

Exotic trip? How about local trips? I waited for water to shut off at Taney Sat night 11:30, 3:30, and 9:00 AM.

Was that you at outlet 1 about 1am Saturday night? The water was about a foot higher than it was Friday night but I still managed to find enough room to backcast with the flyrod and catch several trout and 1 walleye. We are just going to have to live with the fact we are going to be fishing high water for most of the summer (like we haven't already been doing it) and paying high gas prices.

HC

[bclift65706]

I am going to Truman friday saturday and home sunday run some trot lines and jugs maby a few limb lines with the lake on a good rise may be pretty good. last year I stayed at a few hotels for 28 & 32 dollares a nite that is way cheaper than I can drive back and forth. Alot better to stay anyway spend more time fishing or laying around the pool with my sunglasses on so the chicks cannot tell I am looking at them.(wouldent want them to think I am perverted or somthing)

[Don]

Was that you at outlet 1 about 1am Saturday night? The water was about a foot higher than it was Friday night but I still managed to find enough room to backcast with the flyrod and catch several trout and 1 walleye. We are just going to have to live with the fact we are going to be fishing high water for most of the summer (like we haven't already been doing it) and paying high gas prices.

HC

No it wasn't me. I called the generation number each time and never left the house.

Don

[Trav]

I planned on babysitting a crop of corn and tomatoes. wink