I'm definitely a bit of a fair weather fisherman as well as a bit on the frugal side, but my goodness I simply couldn't justify spending over $4k a year just on fuel costs alone for my boat. On top of that you've got other maintenance, insurance, bait/gear, ice, food, drinks and everything else, which is only going to increase the price from there. Fortunately I've got a beach cabin on Whidbey Island, of which I also do in fact have a kayak to where I'll paddle out to my boat on the buoy and then basically start trolling for salmon from there. I'd say maybe 1/4-1/3 of the time I'll motor over to Edmonds or over to Point No Point if the fishing near the cabin is slow, of which both of those areas are less than 10-15 miles each way. But dang, if I lived 50-100+ miles away from the fishing grounds then I'd honestly just tow the boat to where I needed to launch it at, move to a different location where the fishing was considerably closer or I'd probably find a new hobby. While I do love fishing, I also love spending time with family and friends, old cars, sporting events, golfing, hiking, camping and a multitude of other hobbies as well.