Planning a Successful Family Fishing Vacation - It IS Possible!

It’s late December and most hunting seasons are winding down. Although ice fishing is in full effect, if you’re like me, open water fishing season can’t arrive fast enough.It’s time to start planning a spring fishing trip, and there’s nothing better than launching the boat, locating some fish, and watching my wife and girls hammer them!

By late January, the annual boat, RV, and sports shows converge on the Midwest. As of this writing, the 2022 Des Moines RV and Boat Show has not been scheduled. However, Northeast Iowa has a full schedule of shows starting with the Iowa Boat, RV, and Vacation Show on January 28-30 at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls. A few weeks later, the Cedar Rapids Sport Show will be held from February 18-20 at the Alliant Energy Powerhouse Convention Center. Sports show season wraps up when the Eastern Iowa Sport Show comes to the UNI Dome in Cedars Falls from March 11-13.  

Outdoor enthusiasts from all over the Midwest line up at these shows to ogle the sparkling line-up of boats and RVs and stare slack-jawed at fishing outfitters’ photos of full stringers and trophy fish. If a fishing trip is on your family’s agenda this spring, I recommend spending an afternoon at the show nearest you and stopping at as many booths as you can to check availability and pricing. Then, narrow down the destinations to your top 5 and spend time reviewing guest reviews and feedback online. Visit outfitters’ websites and social media pages and solicit information from your favorite fishing message boards (a quick Google search for “catfish fishing message boards” should give you more than a few options!).  

Once this process is complete, identify your top 2 locations and sit down as a family to define “success”. This may seem silly to some, but each family member could have different goals for the trip. For one person, success might mean the number or size of fish you catch. For another, simply spending time outdoors as a family may be reward enough. As a result, to ensure a successful vacation, it's crucial that expectations are discussed and understood as a family.    

Every family seems to have both diehard and fair-weather anglers, and any successful vacation plan must accommodate both. When determining the location for your trip, make sure the area has more to offer than just fishing. Doing so will mitigate boredom from a slow bite, misery from severe weather, and frayed nerves from too much “quality time.” For example, if the destination is Storm Lake, Iowa, for spring walleye fishing, make it a priority to take the kids to King's Pointe Indoor Waterpark. Similarly, if you are heading to the Iowa Great Lakes, leave room in the schedule for some shopping around town and rides at Arnolds Park Amusement Park.

Another consideration in planning your trip is how far you are willing to travel to get to the honey hole. In my experience, 4-5 hours in the truck is the maximum distance for my family. In addition, if we are trekking that far, it’s important to fish for species we can’t easily find locally. In our local area, big bluegills and crappies are abundant in several close lakes and farm ponds; however perch, northern pike, and walleyes are rare to legendary, so targeting these “unicorns” helps to build excitement for everyone.  

And while every angler has dreamed of fly-in vacations to remote fishing meccas, most family budgets cannot support journeying to these once-in-a-lifetime destinations. When planning your family fishing trip, it’s important you don’t have champagne tastes on a light beer budget, and that you factor in all the actual (and potential) costs involved. If you plan to trailer your own boat to the water, make sure to calculate and budget not only your fuel costs, but also the pre-trip vehicle, boat, and trailer maintenance expenses. The last thing you want to worry about are flat tires, check engine lights, and worn out bearings. Check your tackle box to see what equipment needs to be stocked, as well as the space available to carry both the equipment and the other items your family “can’t live without” while away from home. These issues can ruin months of planning and preparation before you make the first cast.

When deciding on your budget, it is important that the above-factors are taken into account and then compared to the cost of a guide or charter service. Unfortunately, many people have the mistaken idea that hiring a charter or guide is not budget-friendly or suitable for a family vacation, and often they are wrong. Half-day guided trips in many areas can cost $250 or more, and for full day outings, that amount can easily double. Yet when you factor in the costs (and stress) of the pre-trip, trip, and post-trip expenses, plus not having to worry about the boat and trailer, gear and equipment, and room in the vehicle for all family members to be comfortable, those considerations may very well be worth the cost of getting that guide.

Although cold water destinations for exotic species are traditionally spring favorites, guided catfishing charters year-round are gaining popularity. If you are going to travel, you might as well get the “extra insurance” a catfishing guide/charter service offers in terms of knowing where the trophies are, what equipment is needed, and the best techniques for nabbing Mr. Big in the area you will be visiting. This also helps to up the odds that everyone in the family is going to have an enjoyable trip, as the likelihood of being bored while fishing with an expert is pretty low.

If your family would be interested in an epic trip to Texas fishing for catfish and learning how to be a better catfish angler, Whisker Seeker Tackle ProStaff Manager Chad Ferguson is your guy. Chad owns and operates North Texas Catfish Guide Service, the premier fishing guide service in Texas (and a few other areas he travels to throughout the year). Chad didn’t earn the nickname “Mr. Catfish” because he finds the big cats hard to catch - his list of professional accomplishments and accolades speaks for itself, and he will put your family on the fish no matter the weather conditions, geography, or time of year.  

If one of your lifelong goals involves catching big river blue cats over 50 pounds, the lower stretches of the Mississippi River near St. Louis can be dynamite. Captain Jason Schneiderhahn, a great friend of Whisker Seeker, operates STL Catfishing Trophy Guide Service, working mainly on the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, and nobody is better at putting big Mississippi blues in the boat. Imagine catching your first trophy blue with the St. Louis Arch in the background!  

If your trip involves specific midwest locales, there are several ProStaff Guides at Whisker Seeker that are just a phone call or email away. WST ProStaff member Dave Wyner operates Chasin Cats Guide Service, a Google top-rated guide service operating in Central Iowa and specializing in full season catfishing from ice-out through the fall. On these trips, you’ll even get a Whisker Seeker Tackle gift package to make sure you have the tackle you’ll need on your next catfishing adventure. More importantly, Dave will share his wealth of 30+ years of experience by teaching you tactics that will last well beyond your day trip, such as basics of trolling and controlled drifting methods, basic sonar strategies and setup, and catfish gear selection and the types of rigs to use when targeting channel catfish.

If you prefer to get into the tighter spaces and lesser-known locations in the Midwest that require more of an “off-road” adventurous spirit, look no further than Spencer Bauer. Spencer owns and operates the charter service River Certified Outdoor Adventures, and is an expert on fishing, camping, and kayaking for multiple species of fighter fish on Iowa’s streams and waterways. Check out Spencer’s River Certified YouTube channel for entertaining videos that are never short of tips and tricks for catching a variety of fish.  

Planning a family fishing vacation builds excitement and gives families something to look forward to when we are all stuck inside during those cold winter months. The research and preparation provide a convenient distraction to the winter doldrums, and also gives anglers the opportunity to check gear prior to the coming fishing season and investigate trending tactics and presentations. By including the entire family in the planning, and making sure everybody owns part of the process, you create anticipation, which increases the enjoyment for everyone. Making it a team effort also ensures that one person isn’t responsible for both the planning and ultimate success of the trip.

The one wild card that we cannot control is the weather. As a result, if you can bank enough vacation time to spend at least 3 days on the water, in addition to travel time, this should help mitigate a total wash out. When my family goes to Wabasha, we count on at least one day of rain, and on these days it’s fun to hit the creamery in Nelson, The Eagle Center in Wabasha, putt-putt golf in Kellogg, or one of the many local taverns for fishing intel.  

Wherever you decide to take your family this spring, do your homework and spend some time planning. Get the whole clan involved and it may just be one of the most rewarding and satisfying vacations your family has ever experienced. Until then, I wish you good luck and tight lines!