I Live in a Van Down by the River

By Evan Goetler

Musky fishing is expensive. You knew this, and I knew this. It is not a surprise to anyone that once you have accepted your fate in this world of fishing, money seems to just disappear. That being said, I love spending money on gear. New lures, reels, rods, boat equipment, nets, release tools… I can stop, you get it. These all come with a price tag and a necessary one in my opinion. These are the things REQUIRED to catch and release a fish successfully. One spot I see as an opening to save a few dollars is lodging. 

I have been extremely fortunate to stay in some absolutely exquisite locations to fish for these slime leopards, and I am grateful to everyone that let me crash on a couch, “take it for the weekend,” or even just let me toss up a tent on their land, but not everyone has these types of connections. I don’t really have them either, but every musky finds a perch once in a while, or however that saying goes. My point is that lodging can be cheap. It doesn’t have to be a 5 star resort to chase these beasts. It is nice when it happens, but the best… I’m sorry… ONLY way to catch a musky is to be on the water, and sometimes lodging needs to take a seat for the opportunity to get where you need to get and sleep for a few hours. 

I am 30 years old and I have 0 children. This allows me to be very open to getting on the water. If I am being honest, there is nothing that can stop me from being on the water if my mind is set to it. I know I am not most people and this is not their situation, but I have a few tips that can possibly help put you on the water more and, in turn, help put you on more fish. 

1. Do not be afraid to ask people the question. I can talk to anyone. It is a blessing and a curse, but this can oftentimes lead to invitations to visit and stay on a couch if needed. I am not a freeloader. I love helping out around cabins: putting or taking docks, helping install bunk beds, or whatever else needs to be done. I am not always comfortable asking to stay somewhere for free. I actually don’t even think it is fair to put that kind of pressure on someone else you are close with in any way. That being said, I have asked to sleep on someone’s property in a tent for a night with the understanding that I would essentially be a ghost. They would never know I was there. Up before dawn and back after dark. All I need is a place to lay my head for a “tight 5” hours of sleep before I get back on the water the next day. I expect nothing more though. I don’t expect to be invited inside. If I am, I offer or leave a few bucks for the trouble. 

2. Don’t overlook the hotel/motel. There are hotels and motels located all over and these are where I find myself the majority of the time on trips. I have discovered that often these are the cheapest routes when staying somewhere. I understand that there might not be a hotel right on the water, but I would rather be closer to the body of water I am fishing, than further. I simply mean that I would rather get off work on a Friday night, drive a handful of hours, check into a hotel, then sleep for a few hours opposed to waking up extremely early, driving, and then fishing all day. Majority of the hotels I have ever stayed at have hook ups for electronics too. You have to be okay with asking if there is no clear solution to hooking up to an outlet. More times than not, these people are more than willing to work with you. If all else fails, ask for forgiveness, not permission. 

3. Camping. I am okay with sleeping in a tent. It is easy to pack, and very versatile. Think about a campsite. Most have electric hook up for boats, phones, batteries, etc. When it is really hot, I would rather spend a little extra for a hotel, but even once it gets into the 30’s or 40’s at night, a decent sleeping bag and a few layers can help you stay warm enough to get through the night. Most tent campsites are really cheap, even with a hook up, and sometimes there is a restroom and shower. 

4. Last resort can be the best resort. I really swear this next statement is true. I enjoy sleeping in my Jeep. It is so convenient to pull up to a truck stop and fill up an air mattress and sleep for a few hours. I have a few systems in place that make this go a lot better than it sounds, but you can figure something out. This started when I forgot poles for a tent on a trip once. I just threw my air mattress in the back and slept. It was awesome. No unpacking, no setting a tent, no packing when I was done. I loved it. I loved it so much that I took a few trips last year with just my Jeep and my boat. If it is nice enough you can even just sleep on your casting deck in the boat too. You cannot park and sleep wherever you want always, but there are a few consistent options. Truck stops are usually fine with this. I think this is my favorite. Bathroom, warm coffee when you wake up, food, etc. Although I have never flexed this option, I think you can also stay in Wal-Mart parking lots pretty unbothered and some of their light poles have electric hook ups. You need to be careful at boat launches because they’re usually monitored and people don’t like “camping” there, but I have slept in launch parking lots undisturbed before. I just like to have a back up plan in case I get asked to leave. The Jeep option is awesome for a one or two night stay but things can start to get iffy from there when it comes to charging the boat, showering, and other things like that. 

Club Secretary Matt Bright asleep on the bow of his boat. 

The point of this article is not to show you how I can live like a bum and fish for Musky. Wait, it kind of is. I am a teacher and money is not readily available all the time so I am not above living this way to chase these fish. Time on the water is the only way to catch fish and sometimes you have to be willing to do whatever it takes to get there.