Counterpoint: Book Your Dream Fishing Trip at the Last Minute

I still believe that if you want to partake in a particular fishing experience at a particular time, the best way to avoid missing out is to book as early as possible. After all, I’m a planner. Nevertheless, I realize that for some of you early booking may not be feasible. Perhaps you have an unpredictable job or some other factor that makes it tough, or you just can’t make up your mind.

Good news: In some instances, it may be possible or even better to book at the last minute, assuming that you can handle that level of uncertainty.

What are those situations?

• First, sometimes lodges, outfitters or guides run specials. Perhaps it’s a trip for eight and they’ve only filled seven spots, or someone has to drop out and forfeit their deposit at the last minute. Not all of them will discount the trip in this case, but some will, and the difference can be substantial.

• Second, perhaps you end up with some unexpected free time that. For example, maybe you change jobs and suddenly know that you’ll have a week or two or three to kill in between them when no one expects you to be anyplace. The good news is this is found time. The tougher scenario is that you’ll need to mold the trip not only to remaining availability but also to seasonal options – if the gap is in January, it’s not going to allow for your dream trip to Alaska, to give just one such option.

• Third, if you have flexibility in your schedule, and you hear from a reliable source that the bite is exceptionally good, it can make sense to drop everything and hop on a plane, train or automobile to enjoy a trip that you’d planned to take down the road. We always advocate that you should “go when it’s good” so learn to time things based less on your personal preferences and more on that of the fish.

If you think that last minute, spur of the moment trip might be in your future, or you’re considering it for the first time, here are a few steps you might take to make it happen, and to make it successful:

• First, subscribe to email updates from preferred outfitters, guides and lodges, as well as from travel planners (including ours). Sometimes they’ll blast out a special deal and you need to not only learn about it quickly, but be ready to jump on it.

• Second, keep a rainy day fund. If the trip of your dreams arises it doesn’t do you any good if you can’t afford it, even if it’s discounted. It’s easy to get excited and lean out over the tips of your skis.

• Third, have your gear ready. If you know that eventually you’ll be going to some specific location or fishery, start accumulating the necessary gear as soon as possible. If you book a trip at the last minute, it’s extremely helpful to have what amounts to a bug-out bag. That way not only do you not forget some critical item that’s unavailable at the other end, but also that you don’t order it and then learn that it’s out of stock everywhere, or see it get delayed in shipping.

• Fourth, be in shape. If your bucket list fishing trip requires 10 miles of daily hiking across the tundra, 5 miles of wading, or battling 800 pound bluefin on standup gear, you’ll need to be consistently physically ready for those challenges. Unless you’re a freak of nature or a workout fiend, it’s tough to get ready for any of those challenges at the last minute.

• Fifth, have your travel documents ready. Make sure that your passport is up to date and if the likely destination requires certain vaccinations that you’re up to date on those, too. Visas may be a struggle to obtain in a hurry and may require the services of an expediter. Before booking, ask the agent or outfitter what steps are necessary to get into the country legally.

• Sixth, make sure that you are a member of a frequent flyer program (or several). The only way to get the itinerary you want at a semi-reasonable price may be with miles. Alternatively, if you have to pay with cash, and particularly if you end up buying an expensive ticket, it’ll earn you valuable currency for future trips – perhaps even a multiple of those miles if you purchase the ticket with an airline-branded credit card.

Again, we’re semi-obsessive planners with our basic schedule game-planned out (in pencil) through the end of 2025, but we’re always looking for good deals and great opportunities for an exceptional fishing trip. If you’ve read this far, you’re likely in the same boat. Keep dreaming and be ready to make those dreams happen at a moment’s notice.