How do you balance it?

[Caffeind]

Hey Will, glad to hear you got some steady cabbage comin' in...you'll only benefit from that, now and in the long run. Bummer the tat thing can't be full time, you're very talented from what I've seen.
Keep the yak handy, man...and try to stay in "pounce mode" with your gear.
I've been frustrated by the same feeling before...but in the end I kept my head straight with some realizations...
Fishing is a life long passion and your time for it will come and go. It shouldn't be an all or nothing situation. The key is to look for those windows.
Don't stress about the right tides, fishing reports, etc. and just go whenever you can, even if its a few hours in the harbor for a bass session or taking your daughter to a park lake.
Yah, you'll still be dreaming of the trophy fish and seeing the greener grass of those who seem to fish daily, but in the end you know you're doing what's right for you and your family...and face it, fishing is 2nd or 3rd...accept that and be OK with it.
Good luck in the new job...hopefully this helps or you're able to make whatever changes you need to be happier.

[William Novotny]

Originally Posted by Caffeind

Hey Will, glad to hear you got some steady cabbage comin' in...you'll only benefit from that, now and in the long run. Bummer the tat thing can't be full time, you're very talented from what I've seen.
Keep the yak handy, man...and try to stay in "pounce mode" with your gear.
I've been frustrated by the same feeling before...but in the end I kept my head straight with some realizations...
Fishing is a life long passion and your time for it will come and go. It shouldn't be an all or nothing situation. The key is to look for those windows.
Don't stress about the right tides, fishing reports, etc. and just go whenever you can, even if its a few hours in the harbor for a bass session or taking your daughter to a park lake.
Yah, you'll still be dreaming of the trophy fish and seeing the greener grass of those who seem to fish daily, but in the end you know you're doing what's right for you and your family...and face it, fishing is 2nd or 3rd...accept that and be OK with it.
Good luck in the new job...hopefully this helps or you're able to make whatever changes you need to be happier.

Dude, thats exactly what I needed to hear ands thank you on the compliments. Im still tattooing, just not as much. I get up at 4am and get home around 4 pm now, 6 days a week making aerospace parts. Its not my passion by a long shot but the benifits im getting make it worth it to my family and I. I know ill be back on the water as soon as I can shuffle things around. Im just missing the freedom I had ti just "up and go".

Thanks guys. Just miss been out there. The yak is safely put away

[ChefT]

will.

This is the same tragedy i face... new job 60 plus hrs a week.... stuck in a kitchen doing what i love ... but that addiction, it drives me crazy. the good news amigo .. day light fishing time.!.. night time rodeo's ....
Pack it up, take it to work, hustle like hell, then to LJ
and enjoy the late afternoon with a few beers and hopefully a biscuit...
Im sure ill see you there ....

[jorluivil]

HOW DO YOU BALANCE IT?

You don't, don't even try. Just fish when you can, you'll drive yourself crazy trying to figure it out. When I go I tend to not pay attention to tides, moon phases and water temps as much as I do to the winds and surf. Can't go Saturday? Go on Sunday. Can't go Sunday? Go Monday.

Some of the guys that I fish with tend to crack jokes about me being on drugs because I work from 10pm until 530am, meet them at 630am and fish until 2pm, sometimes later. I've been fishing at least 1-2 times a week since May of 2011, this week marks approximately 47 straight weeks(+/- 2 weeks) that I've fished without missing a week.The best suggestions I can make: keep your batteries charged, keep your gear in working order, keep everything ready to get up and go and as soon as the moment comes.....

I fished this past Friday and Saturday and would have fished Sunday if it wasn't for the wind( I don't mind the rain), the minute I knew I wasn't going out on Sunday my gear was put back in the storage bin, my ff, bait tank and vhf batteries were put on the charger and by Sunday night I was ready to go. If someone called me and asked if I wanted to fish Monday I would have been ready to go.

Like I said, don't kill yourself trying to figure it out, just keep everything in order and fish when that window of opportunity opens up.

[gupppy]

It helps if you were near the water. The travel time really prevents me from being able to take advantage of the childless life.

[bus kid]

Jorge is right, don't even try. I put in 68 hours last week mon-sat and went out sunday. Its that time of year that the aerospace industry picks up. Happy for all the OT but I would like some more time OTW.

[lbsurf2ca]

Seabass season!!!!