Strawberry 5/20

[Bduck]

I live in Weber County, so driving time is an important consideration.  Strawberry is about a 2-hour, 1-way drive for me and the Gorge is about a 3-hour, 1-way drive for me.  Fuel cost has become a major factor this year with about $4.50 a gal being close to average.  Mileage pulling my boat is going to be about 11 m/g.  Distance to Strawberry from home is 224 miles round-trip and will cost about $95 for fuel.  Distance to the Gorge from home is 348 miles round-trip plus miles to and from the launch & Motel and will cost about $175 for fuel.
My story is somewhat same here living in North Ogden area, but I drive a diesel which puts that $1 per gal higher. Mileage is about the same as mentioned above as a 1/2 tank is $110. I also have a second vehicle (Escalade) that I can tow with for which I can use cheaper price fuel. Performance is lousy using low octane fuel, so I burned nonethanol which does fine with it until it becomes no longer available. But mileage does not improve while towing my boat which is the same mentioned above. Now that the national average is stated here at $4.50 for regular gas today what is it going to be tomorrow as these prices happen to rise on a daily basis. 

Going to the Gorge for me isn't ever a day trip - too far at my age.  So, add a motel cost of $90 for one night and about $40 for restaurant meals for just me.  Plan 4 trips a year and the Wyoming fees ($30 for AIS decal & $30 for fishing stamp) add another $15 to my trip.  So, 2 days of Gorge fishing will cost me about $160 a day.
Since 2012 my wife no longer can enjoy the trips we made to camp out at the Gorge do to crippling physical issues. So I do the turn & burn trips when I can and at home every night to help her. My trips are now lessened these days, so I get what I can when I can. I still spend as mentioned above here even stopping off at a burger joint on my way home. 

I can do Strawberry day trips at about $95 a day.  I didn't include boat fuel usage, but that is minimal.  So, yes, it's cheaper to fish closer to home, but the fishing quality isn't the same at Strawberry as it is at the Gorge.  Strawberry limits are harder to come by and the average size of the kokanee are smaller, compared to the Gorge.  I'm willing to pay a little more for that better Gorge quality.  Your budget restraints may not make that an option.  Life's a beach; then we die.
  
Strawberry day trips is not bad, I consider anything over a 2hr drive a turn & burn, so I'm at that threshold. I even found that the Gorge trips for kokanee sometimes would make you work for just 1 maybe 2, humbly again making do with what I can get. While the Gorge also has quality koke size I can't complain with what I catch from the Berry, I've pulled out some decent size fish from there, trying to avoid the onslaught of cutts that are mostly slot range. I too don't include boat gas as I can make several trips on less than tank.