Frugal Fishing

[wperry]

I grew up near the Chesapeake Bay in the early 1950's. People used a ball of twine and a hook to catch stripers and perch off the docks. They called it a hand line. Extremely simple, but it worked. My Amish neighbors are good examples of successful simplicity. We all like flashy machinery but don't really need it.  

[hoosierbass07]

One bag of Yum-Dingers in watermelon seed for $3.00 plus tax and a bag of Berkley Power Worms in electric grape for a round $4.00. One pack of hooks and pack of billet weighs. All you need. All I need (rod and reel too of course).

[MO_LMB]

You really can't beat those 1$-2$ Bins they always have at Wallly World. Yum, Heddon, Cotton Cordell... Not the best variety, but very cheap prices for decent lures.

[Dave P]

Always check clearance bins. You'd be suprised at what you can find in there occasionally. There are some off the rack lures at WalMart that have made me some money in the last few years. Just be patient and when you find what you want, stock up.

[Jaheff]

Ive drop shot'd walmart worms (renegade) after cutting a little bit off of the ribbon tail with success.

[0119]

I've standardized alot of stuff to simplify my fishing life and found its made for the cheapest fishing year I've had in ages.  I've found I'm as happy with 12lb. mono as I am with any other kind of line.  I buy it in a bulk spool.  I've found I'm happiest using Abu Ambassadeur 4600's for my style of fishing and they last and last.  I get regular emails from a couple of lure manufacturers that sell direct online advertising crazy cheap deals.  Like $16 Sebiles for $4.  Its getting easier and easier to save money on rods. I hate the new style of rods and traditional gripped & non technique specific types of rods sell for less.  I've found $300 St.Croix's for $99 on their online outlet.  Sometimes Dick's Sporting Goods has off the wall sales too.  It also pays to talk to store manager's.  I got $100 off a St.Croix LTB once because it had been on the shelf of the BPS so long the cork was near black from folks hands.

[Catt]

One of my favorite members here is Low Budget Hooker, wish he still hung around.

Po Boy fishing who aint been there for what ever reason. There is some tackle I simply refuse to pay for cause the price aint worth it.

Plastics: Zoom, it's had to beat there price & they work.

Berkley Big Game : a 1/4 lb spool will fill my reels 3-4 times & there aint a more abrasion resistant mono

I still use lead bullit weights in 1/32-3/8

Academy H2O hooks are as good as any

Bill Norman Original Cranks are hard to beat

[Dyerbassman]

I really love how this thread is going! Another of my low budget tips...I have used my wife's sparkly fingernail polish to repaint jig heads. It actually lasts quite a while!

[WRB]

If you bought rods and reels in the past use what you have, just service them. I purchased 3 new ALX rods 2 years ago and 1 new reel this Dec. My other rods snd reels are over 15 to 20 old, well maintained. if you buy good quality it will last longer and cost less at the end of the day. Terminal tackle like line, hooks, weights only get replaced as needed. Hooks I use are premium Owner for worms, Gamakatsu for jigs and VMC (trebles), always sharp and reliable. Big Game mono in 1/4 lb spools, I change mono often. Blackwater or Sunline FC, will not use other brands of FC due to poor performance. Hooks and line attach you to the fish.

You shouldn't need to replace most hard lures unless you loose them, they are very durable.

Bottom line take care of your equipment, retie often and you will not need a lot more tackle.

Tom

[Brayberry]

One of my favorite rods is made by Walmart, they were sold around 2001 for $19.88 each at Walmart.  The spinning rods were ok, but the baitcasting rods were great.

[geo g]

Good question, Zoom plastics and BPS plastics are good quality and inexpensive.  Zoom flukes, trick worms and centepedes will all catch fish in good numbers.  BPS stickbaits are as good as senkos, more durable, and lots cheaper.  I stopped wasting money on those expensive ones.  4 inch Stickbaits in watermelon red or Okeechobee color.  You will catch loads of fish.

[hookset on 3]

I use the online store "Outlet Bait & Tackle"

This week they've got Yamamoto Baits 5" Senkos for about $5 dollars. Lots of good colors not just dogs.

[BassCats]

For the most bang for your buck on soft plastics I suggest Z-man elastice baits. You can generally catch around 50 plus fish on each individual worm. A single bag can last a year.

 

Buy line in bulk when you can afford it and keep it in a dark cool place and it will be cheaper and last long.

 

Buy used rods and reels on forums and flea markets.

 

Braided line with leader will save you money on line.

[mrmacwvu1]

Buy cheap unpainted jig heads and get some cheap tubes and grubs

You can fish all depths of the water with various speeds

[Dyerbassman]

I hit the jackpot at Cabela's today. Bargain cave find...bag of 100 Berkley Powerbait 7" worms in my favorite motor oil color for $15. And a spool of line $6.

[hoosierbass07]

  I Just got back from Walmart and looked through the small fishing bargain bin.  I usually don't look through it.  What did I find?  Two bags of Yum lizards for $1.98 each. I got them both.  Sweet!  And the cool thing - I've been looking online for some lizards to order because I want to have a nice little collection of them to use when spring gets here.  Sweet!  

[Insanity]

I really love how this thread is going! Another of my low budget tips...I have used my wife's sparkly fingernail polish to repaint jig heads. It actually lasts quite a while!

Man I was just admiring some metallic with big metal flake nail polish at Kmart last night. Even had some pretty incandescent greenish blue. Which reminded me of sexy shad. I'm gonna get some to paint a few old cranks. As it doesn't take a fancy paint job just some of the rite colors. You should have on the clerks face as I turned to ask the price. After I explained i wanted it for lures she looked relieved. Lol.

I sure no what its like to be low on funds. As I have been for the past few years. And I also had everything stolen a few years back and had to start over.

Biggest thing is to buy only baits that work for where your gonna fish and stay away from buying multiple colors of the same bait. You only need two in most baits. And you could fish just about anywhere with only two baits in two colors from the different category's of baits. Baits like spinner baits and lipless baits can be worked from the surface to the bottom. And from slow to fast. So there my first pick. And my go to baits as well. You can just buy just two spinner baits and an assortment of blades to cover everything. I only use two colors usually.

Lots of times the old tried and true baits cost less then the new stuff just out. And it still catches fish just fine Even more as the fish seem to forget the old ones. Because it mostly new stuff they see passing by them all weekend long in most places.

[SirSnookalot]

A large percentage of snook and tarpon as well as some other species are caught for me on bucktail jigs.  One of my favorites is a hot lips jig that BPS makes, a 3 pack is about 6 bucks and I do order them on line.  I happen to be at BPS several months ago so grabbed a few packs, on the way out I passed a clearance bin with 3 pack hot lips for 99 cents, I loaded up.

Outlet bait and tackle has some real bargains, I've bought $10 lures for a couple of bucks, I keep my eyes pitched and evey once in while they sell Krocodile spoons for .99 &1.99.  

I buy inexpensive lures that have proven to catch fish, I buy $20 ones too but a a good deal is not being frugal, it's being smart.  Where can I get a deal on Shimano waxwing lures?...........haha.

[Jaheff]

  

I buy inexpensive lures that have proven to catch fish, I buy $20 ones too but a a good deal is not being frugal, it's being smart.  Where can I get a deal on Shimano waxwing lures?...........haha.

I Threw the wax wing at stripers for an hour the other morning for no love. If you love the lure,youll love the Rods even more. I'm not a shimano cool aid drinker,but they nailed those terez line of rods.

[SirSnookalot]

Terez rods are really nice, and I have done very well with the waxwing lures.  I could throw a stick of dynamite this time of year and not get much, it's never good in the winter.  I probably here this one a dozen times every winter down here from the "Long Islanders", "We were killing the stripers back in October".  What do they think we were doing in October...........killing the tarpon and snook, it's all about the bait runs.

[hookset on 3]

I am with you on a tighter budget this year and last, really it was more fun simplifying and getting a bunch of junk out of the boat anyhow.

Berkley powerbait flat back shad/lunker city shaker and Conquistador 3/4-1oz jig head.  Good substitute for more expensive ultra realistic swimbaits. Only a 6-7 inch profile but still catches good fish. 

Berkley powerbait soft plastics- last longer than most brands, don't need to buy scent, etc. etc. 

pocket knockers to quickly retrieve jigs and crankbaits.  This was my best money saver yet as I already used everything else.

I use a lot of different brands of soft plastics and I feel the same way about Berkley Powerbaits. They really are a good value for your hard earned dollars.

They outlast many others.

[SwimJiggin]

I found some good deals at a pawn shop. I picked up Loomis rods there. Granted, they had some scratches and the cork was old. Um, I think IMO that getting a good reel is important. Some lower end reels have caused me a lot of frustration. If I needed to save money I would look for some thing that retails around 100$. You can buy it used as long as it starts off better made. As far as line I could use Berkley XT for everything. I'd be glad I was when I see a pike with my 1- knocker in his mouth. But then, I'd be giving up the sensitivity of fluoro that I love.

Many ways to save money for sure. I know a guy who love cherry rods for cranks. They break ez though.

[ww2farmer]

I use a lot of different brands of soft plastics and I feel the same way about Berkley Powerbaits. They really are a good value for your hard earned dollars.

They outlast many others.

Seeing as how this is the "frugal fishing" thread, if you really want to get techincal about it............some power baits are pretty expensive compaired to similar,popular baits. For example:

 

5" Paca Craws: $3.49/per 8 at TW...... $0.43 each

4.5" Rage Lobsters: $5.39/per 5 at TW......$1.07 each

5" Chigger Craws: $4.99/per 4 at TW.......$1.24 each