$$$ Saving Ideas

[FloridaFishinFool]

I get a kick out of fishermen in Florida worrying about color in dark waters where you can not see your hand 6 inches below the waterline.

If you can't see your hand only 6 inches down with good light, how in the heck is a fish going to see what color a lure is 3 or 4 feet deep or deeper? They can't! In that situation color does not matter in my opinion.

Oh but wait! Purple works better than black!

Uh huh... sure it does.

Sometimes us fishermen worry about details that in the real world simply don't matter as much as some think they do!

[Master Bait'r]

14 minutes ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

Wow! I do the same thing! I also use to do metal fabrication and working on aluminum boats is a breeze! Someone gave me an old 1973 AlumaCraft with a shattered transom because they used a 60hp outboard on a transom rated for a 20hp. So he gave me the old boat for free. I spent an entire winter overhauling it and customizing it, but I added a yamaha 25hp 4-stroke outboard that is a perfect match for the 14 footer. Here is what it looked like before and after:

For a free boat, a few modifications and presto! Instant bass fishing boat on the cheap and it can take me to where many fiberglass boats can not go because they draft too deeply and will ground out when this one keeps on going and going. I can go all day on a gallon of gas too. And I added a rectifier/regulator to the outboard and now charges the trolling battery as I run it. That cost $25 and was well worth it.

I used no wood in this overhaul. But one difference between your boat and mine is that front deck. I used all plastic and aluminum. That front deck is all aluminum angle framing, but covered in expanded foam PVC plastic sheeting in 2 pieces with hinged access to below where the batteries and fuel tank are stored out of the way under the front deck. I wanted an open floor in the boat without lots of obstacles.

I only used an 1/4" aluminum plate under the casting seat and raised it up another 1/4" to match the thickness of the plastic decking I used to keep weight down, and the plastic decking was a 1/3 the price of an all aluminum deck. In this next photo you can see how I extended the casting deck back another foot by using some custom made L brackets I hand hammered to fit this boat and used all aluminum hardware. Stepping up and down on the deck is solid now and I am not stressing those weak old seat rivets which would eventually tear out of the thin hull. My extension method hanging the rear of the casting deck from the upper railing takes all of the weight with ease and is not dependent on the hull for support back there.

In total I spent maybe $1500 on it- including the 4- stroker, but it is like new and takes me where ever I want to go for freshwater fishing.

I did add a Lowrance dual scan sonar with GPS and mapping...

Aluminum boats do save money, and are cheaper to maintain over the long term. It may not be as nice as a fiberglass boat, but it is more important to me to be able to go into places to fish that fiberglass bass boats simply can not go!

 

 

Nice!  I like how clean it is and that front storage is pretty cool!  Nice work on the brackets.  I just want a small ~5hp motor though, that 25hp would straight up flip my boat haha- That white would have me in tears though, my eyes are too sensitive to light for a color that bright inside.  Check out the full build thread I made when I was doing all the work to my boat, I think you'll appreciate the details that went into it for sure!  I love projects.  making something amazing from something neglected is always a rewarding feeling.  I may not be able to afford to buy a nice bass boat outright but I can sure make myself a sweet one!  

 

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/155730-its-official-i-have-a-project-the-dream-12er/

[Evan K]

Those are some sweet boats!

[fisherrw]

I always try to buy my fishing stuff when it's one sale and I shop eBay and Craigslist and the flea market for used rods and reels. Although I occasionally buy a new rod reels I almost always buy used.

[Arobb2012]

This thread is awesome. I knew I wasn't the only cheapskate towards buying fishing gear.

I only buy lures that are on sale and try to get them on clearance if I can. I always check closeout bins too.

I have received my kayak and 2 rod and real outfits for Christmas or father's day. My kayak and baitcast combo were Christmas presents and my wife was able to get them for half price by getting them on Black Friday sales.

Last year my health insurance gave us gift cards for filling out health assessments, so I chose bps gift cards and used them during the classic sale last year.

Edit: I forgot add that a local mom and pop tackle shop also pours their own jig heads for a very reasonable price. They have a tubs bait and grub bar that has tiny crappie tubes and grubs up to flipping tube and 5-6 inch grubs. 

Edited January 6, 2016 by Arobb2012
Forgot a couple of things

[buzzed bait]

it's been said before, but didn't see it in this thread....

MEND IT   

the stuff can keep your soft plastics together for much longer than you'd imagine

[Murrica]

A lot of my lures I buy used or from Cabelas clearance section.  I have picked up a lot of lucky crafts lately the lvr's and pointers for 5.99.  Plus a lot of the baits I like are discontinued so finding them used is the best way so I don't pay an arm and a leg.  Swim baits are another thing to buy used if you find the right deal.  I have purchased some lure lots that have some expensive discontinued baits I don't use and resold them to pay for the lot.

[imagine29028]

1 hour ago, the reel ess said:

 

Color matters even less for topwaters. Fish simply don't care what it is. They MUST KILL IT! I caught two Saturday on a black spinnerbait with a huge black Colorado blade. I don't know what that resembles, but they bit it.

 

EXACTLY!!!! Dont understand the 'need 8 Frog colors' argument....they hit it because its on the surface creating a disturbance, just like.....FOOD! Black, White, maybe Green....MAX. 

[the reel ess]

1 hour ago, imagine29028 said:

EXACTLY!!!! Dont understand the 'need 8 Frog colors' argument....they hit it because its on the surface creating a disturbance, just like.....FOOD! Black, White, maybe Green....MAX.

No need for more than a couple colors of frog. And I figure why get them in colors fish don't see. So I usually use the frog color. IT'S A FROG!

[Murrica]

5 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

No need for more than a couple colors of frog. And I figure why get them in colors fish don't see. So I usually use the frog color. IT'S A FROG!

I wasted money when I first bought frogs and bought every color.  Just don't cheap out on the brand on them (some fill with water and sink on the first cast).  White, Black and Chartreuse are the only colors really needed and if you find a deal on frogs and all they have is white use a chartreuse or black paint marker and paint the bellies those colors. 

[Fishes in trees]

I try to go cheap and some of the time I am successful.   I take that back, I try to go inexpensive.  There is a difference between inexpensive and "cheap".  I don't do cheap.   Cheap stuff breaks and causes more issues.   That's why I nearly always buy Shimano.   That's why I nearly always buy rods that have a lifetime warranty.   Fenwick HMG's and AETOS have been my last few rod purchases, primarily for that reason.  I hear lots of people talk about Dobbyns rods, but there is only one shop in the metro area that carries them and it is a drive to get there.   Different issue.      However, if there is a piece of tackle out there and I want it and I can afford it I just go ahead and buy it.   When I'm dead I'll let someone else sort out all the gear.   I justify it be reminding myself that I don't have very many other bad habits other than fishing.    Is drinking craft beer a bad habit?  I don't know.    

[the reel ess]

13 minutes ago, Fishes in trees said:

I try to go cheap and some of the time I am successful.   I take that back, I try to go inexpensive.  There is a difference between inexpensive and "cheap".  I don't do cheap.   Cheap stuff breaks and causes more issues.   That's why I nearly always buy Shimano.   That's why I nearly always buy rods that have a lifetime warranty.   Fenwick HMG's and AETOS have been my last few rod purchases, primarily for that reason.  I hear lots of people talk about Dobbyns rods, but there is only one shop in the metro area that carries them and it is a drive to get there.   Different issue.      However, if there is a piece of tackle out there and I want it and I can afford it I just go ahead and buy it.   When I'm dead I'll let someone else sort out all the gear.   I justify it be reminding myself that I don't have very many other bad habits other than fishing.    Is drinking craft beer a bad habit?  I don't know.   

I drink craft beer as well. I like to taste good beer and there's no turning back from that. There are some things I won't skimp on. For instance, I use PowerPro braid, Gamakatsu hooks, all my reels with the exception of one I'm about to replace is good quality. I bought a new fishing kayak that's middle-of-the-road, price wise, while my buddy was telling me they're for sale on Craigslist all the time for $100-150 (his now has a leak and I let him use my daughters-oh, how I wish it was pink!). I'm no longer in the market for the cheapest of every lure at Walmart. I take my time choosing exactly what I want.

I want good quality. I just don't want to pay for it!

[SchlottyD]

I always look for sales and clearance for things I want but if I need it or think I need it then it gets bought no matter the price if I have the money. I have been known to walk shorelines when lakes or ponds are low and gather lures, even shimmied up a tree or two for nice ones. I also tend to use plastics until they are destroyed, won't stay hooked, or fish just flat won't touch them. Once in a while I grab a rod or reel from thrift stores, yard sales, or pawnshops, have even pulled some from trash cans and out of the water and repaired.

[buzzed bait]

15 minutes ago, BIGDFISHERMAN said:

I always look for sales and clearance for things I want but if I need it or think I need it then it gets bought no matter the price if I have the money. I have been known to walk shorelines when lakes or ponds are low and gather lures, even shimmied up a tree or two for nice ones. I also tend to use plastics until they are destroyed, won't stay hooked, or fish just flat won't touch them. Once in a while I grab a rod or reel from thrift stores, yard sales, or pawnshops, have even pulled some from trash cans and out of the water and repaired.

@chriwkbrd can tell you that i almost fell out of my kayak on sunday trying to rescue a baby torpedo i saw dangling from a tree and it was about 30 degrees out.......

[badhatharry]

I don't know about where you live, but every time I go to my favorite lake it cost's me $20 to launch.  I can buy a lot of gear for $20. I contacted the city hall and was told I could buy an annual pass for $120.  I average probably 30 launches a year there so the math even makes sense to me.

[Fishing Rhino]

10 hours ago, imagine29028 said:

Only buy tackle that works in your water conditions. No need for 10xd if youre a bank fisherman or fish shallow water. 

Know a few solid colors of lures and stick to them. All the different varities of colors dont matter to a fish. All those Flecks and flakes dont matter!!!

Custom painted lures are a way to throw money in the toilet. Those catch fisherman, not more fish. Think a 5lber looks at a crankbait and can see the custom painted gills??? Cmon ya'll....these are little fish with little brains. They react to things in their environment. 

Once you find something that works (rod, line, soft plastic, etc) STICK WITH IT!!!! Buy it in bulk...stop experimenting. 

my $0.02 

Fish may have small brains, but that doesn't mean they don't process much information.  Consider salmon, herring, and some other species.  They spawn in fresh water.  Some die after spawning, others return to the sea along with the year class, and are able to process enough information through smell to return to the spawning grounds.  Some on a yearly basis, while others spend a few years at sea before returning to their birthplace.

If that pea brain can navigate to the open ocean and then return to their birthplace, that pea brain can process a lot of information.  Two fishermen can fish the same bait, yet one will consistently outfish the other based on nothing else but presentation.

I would say we'll have to agree to disagree on the importance of coloration.  If a fish can precisely navigate thousands of square miles of oceans, with their currents, and sea conditions, who am I to limit what their tiny brain is capable of processing.

I've seen times when striper fishing that they wanted a certain color and could not be bothered with anything else even though the only difference in the bait was color.  They would fight each other to get to a fluorescent red, pink, or orange hoochie troll (a bait that has not been around for decades), but would not give those colors a sniff if they weren't fluorescent.  I'm talking about stripers that were in a feeding frenzy, or a blitz, if you prefer.  As soon as you'd engage the reel after paying out line, you'd get hit.  You could tow the non fluorescent for miles without a hit.

There have been days when color did not seem to matter, but on other days it has been critical.

[Bankbeater]

First off, those are cool boats!  Secondly, the best way I have found to save money is to ask for gift cards for holidays, birthdays, etc.  It really makes a difference when you are buying a $200 reel and only need to spend $30 in cash.

[soflabasser]

When it comes to fishing I only buy what I need and don't waste my money on overpriced fishing gear.Bass don't care how much your gear is worth ,Bass care how you present the lure to them!My favorite bass rod/reel is less than $100 and it has caught me enough fish to prove to me I don't need expensive gear to catch a bass.

[FloridaFishinFool]

In an earlier comment I mentioned that I now use a particular yamamoto lure because I hate messing around with skirts. So I found a one-piece molded rubber bait that works just as well in most circumstances and saves me a lot of time and trouble while out fishing.

With this lure I do not have to buy jigs, skirts, and trailers. I just buy this one lure, rig it weedless with or without weight and go to town with it. I use it a lot for flipping, pitching, and punching through vegetation and I do not have to mess with it no where near as much as I have with jigs with skirts and trailers.

So I got a couple of PM's asking which bait it is and here it is- the Yamamoto Hula grub double tail. I absolutely love this thing!

I guess Gary Yamamoto hates messing with skirts as much as I do! Thanks Gary! Wish there were more like this one on the market!

[Cgolf]

I like what you guys did with your boats, really slick. I did something similar with my 16 foot alumacraft Kit boat. I ended up putting depth finders front an back, but both transducers are on the back due to the 80lb terrovas terrible design for transducers and all the interference it gives off, thankfully with the short boat I don't lose much because of this. The trolling motor was a much needed upgrade from the 55lb motor that came with it  

I did add a removable front deck next to the front so that I can lay down 7 and 8 foot rods on deck. As you can see from the picture it is a bit tight, but for 60k less I  can make it work. I also added a new storage bit on the front with leftover plywood from the deck and treated 2x4s I had lying around. The only thing I need to add to that is putting a piece of tarp or cloth on top that hangs over to give better sun protection to bottles of scent or bags of Zman baits I don't want to roast in the sun. 

[Scott F]

I've saved hundreds of dollars by using the same rod and reel combo for several different lures, by adjusting my technique, instead of having a different combo for every lure I own. I've saved tens of thousands of dollars by being happy with my 28 year old boat that only goes 35mph and not trying to shave a few minutes off my travel time on the water with a 250 hp bullet. I've also saved a lot of money by realizing years ago that the angler is the biggest difference between catching and not catching, not the lures. I'm immune to the bait monkey.

[whitwolf]

This is always an Interesting topic when It comes up and I truly enjoy the exchange of Ideas. I tend to be a little brand loyal when It comes to certain things and simply won't buy something different. 

As for money saving, like others I try to buy on sale and only with age has It become readily clear that buying what you can use means you don't have to buy everything "new" that comes out each year.

As for the color debate I'm a bit like Rhino In that I do believe that at times It will make a difference. It's certainly situation dependent I suppose but I choose to be over-prepared as opposed to the opposite. 

Lastly, I can only address the custom painted debate with this: No matter what you're using If you have a great amount of confidence In that bait more than likely you're going to use it and in the end you're going to catch fish.

[Cgolf]

I too agree that custom painted and super detailed cranks are overrated and overpriced. I do think color matters and have lived through it a lot fishing clear water. With Crankbaits I just make sure the bait has the colors of the prey I want to match in it to give the bass the illusion it is say eating a bluegill. 

[Jaheff]

The cheap 1.97 Cotten Cordells lipless crankbaits in the bargain bin at Wally world work great in shallow water. I've never had to tune any of them out of the package, can't say that about RES. 

[Senko lover]

Don't know if these have been mentioned, but here ya go:
-Mend it
-Berkley Havoc
-Yum
-Flea Market
-Bargain Bins/Clearance
-Dick's Sporting Goods