This past spring took forever to arrive. For literally weeks, I sat watching the spring that never really came, wondering when it would warm up so that we could get back in the river and start on the catfish. Last fall ended on such a high that, unlike some years, I was not ready for the season to be over. Some years, it’s not like that, and a break is welcome.

Recently, I was thinking about what it’s like anticipating a fishing trip. Both when and how excited people get. I fully understand that bigger, more exotic trips come with much higher anticipation than a trip to a river that is 10 minutes away from home, but there is still a certain level of anticipation.

Twenty years ago, a two-hour trip to the river to catch catfish could derail most of a day of work. I would be coming out of my skin just to get those few hours in and hopefully tie into a monster.

Bigger trips, such as a weekend at the lake chasing walleyes, or better yet, a long weekend in Canada chasing anything that would bite, would pretty much wreck me for over a week. Weeks before the trip, I would have all my tackle set out and sorted back into a tackle box. I would have my rods out—if not to service them, just to look at them.

Now, after many years of guiding, the anticipation level has changed. A day on the river is usually just another day. I do get ramped up when long-time customers who have become friends return, or if the catfish are really putting on a show.

As one would expect, longer trips such as a fly-ins still get me amped up. This year, besides waiting for the river to get going has had a new level of anticipation. My friends are going on a northern Canada fly-in, and my son gets to join them. I will not be making this trip due to obligations, but the anticipation has been nearly the same as if I was going.

I did research on the lake and the fish they plan to catch. I then found the best rods and gear to be successful for those species. I had so much fun shopping for this trip that I am not even going on. As this trip gets closer, I must admit that I am getting a little jealous that I won’t be on the adventure, but the anticipation is still high.

Other catfish anglers

I was curious what some other catfish anglers think when they are going on a trip, and how their anticipation levels evolve as the trip nears. I happened to be talking to my buddy Jon Thomason, who is a die-hard catfish angler and creator of River Addicts on YouTube, from Fargo, No. Dak. Before I go any further, Jon cut his teeth on catfishing from shore or a kayak, and in late 2025, purchased his first boat. That alone will hype his anticipation for any time on the river sky high.

He said, “For me, there are two different types of fishing trips. The first is the ‘after-work trip.’ You clock out, grab your gear, and head to the water for a couple of hours, just to reset.” It clears your head, settles you down, and gets you right for the next day.

Then there’s the other kind of trip. “I’m talking about the days when you’re heading to new water, or to a spot you’re determined to figure out; the days you know that you’re about to grind from sunup to sundown. Those days are different. The entire workday before feels like it drags on forever, because your mind is already on the water. You’re not thinking about work; you’re thinking about patterns, spots, bites… fish. The night before, it’s like a ritual.”

When I asked him about his preparation for a trip, I got a familiar reply. “I get my boat or kayak ready first. Then I rig every rod, dial everything in, and make sure it’s all clean and perfect.”

He had an interesting take on the night before the trip. “I’ll eat a good meal to fuel up, and then comes the hardest part: trying to sleep. I’m so fired up, so full of adrenaline, that I could drive out there that night, sit in my truck, and wait for sunrise. There’s nothing else in the world that gives me that feeling.”

Anticipation for a fishing trip is real. My beginning to catfishing (and fishing in general) was so exciting and filled with excitement. Over the years, I have calmed down some, but I still feel it, just in different ways. Being more than 20 years younger than me, Jon Thomason is going through the same experiences and levels of excitement.

If this proves anything, it is that fishing can be a universal sport when someone is introduced to it and gets bit. It is called “hooked,” as many would say. It leads to a lifetime of spending money, learning, and of course excitement and enjoyment. May the anticipation of your next trip commence!

For more insight and tips on how to make the most of the time you spend fishing, check out the articles in every issue of MidWest Outdoors, available by subscribing on our website.