The cost of fishing?

[bigbill]

We can rant all we want or complain about the cost of fishing. But it really pays off for us in the bottom line.  Think about it we don’t waste money. We get to use everything we purchase. I can’t think of a better hobby to spent my time and money on. It can be addicting at times. 

 

i don’t drink or use drugs, I Hardley drive now. All my mad money goes on fishing stuff every so often. When ever I find a new bait to me that works I do purchased one for everyone in the family who fishes. This keeps my family interested in fishing too.

[Jar11591]

Good post. When I think of the thousands of dollars I spend on rods, reels, baits, boat & gas and fishing trips, never do I feel like that money was wasted. All my disposable income goes to fishing related things because its my favorite thing in the world and I can't think of a better thing to do or spend money on.

[68camaro]

Actually fishing is my less expensive hobby, other hobby has me throwing .30 - .40 cents brass away with every trigger pull (don't reload).  fishing I usually get lure back:) 

 

Even so your point about using what we buy for me is correct, I keep lures and even plastics to minimum, I have confidence in certain baits/presentations for most all situations and stick to them in few colors. Ex. with jerkbaits I have 3-4 lures for each level in water column, my plastics all run within same several colors.

 

My son loves fly fishing for trout and bass, I do some, and like you if I find fly's that work for me I always buy extra for him.

[bigbill]

Take the brass and reload it’s easy. SNS casting has leadcast bullets affordable. Keep shooting affordable, shoot more for less.

[NorthernBasser]

Agree. Tho I will say I feel some buyers remorse when I walk into a BPS or Cabelas with the intention of getting 1 or 2 things, and end up walking about with $150 worth of lures/stuff. 

[Ksam1234]

I was just going over this the other day! I really got hard into fishing this year and as a beginner I rly did have much but 1 spinning rod , some split shots, bobbers and worms.. I think I have learned so much from friends and everyone on here and became better all around fisherman , but I went over the totals of how much spent this year between trial and error with junk lures and having to get all I need as far as jigs,crankbaits,spinners, swimbaits, plastics and hooks and frogs and so on.. I spent roughly 3500 on everything ?.. actually I forgot about my canoe.. make that 4000$

[lo n slo]

big bill for president

[Crappiebasser]

I figure it's a lot cheaper than the divorce attorney and alimony I would spend if I didn't have fishing to get me out of the house. 

 

I have really gotten over the bait monkey the last couple years. I don't feel the need to have the latest and greatest rods and reels anymore. I went to BPS a few weeks ago and bought just 1 crankbait to replace one I lost. There was a time that would have been at least a $200 trip.

[Gundog]

Beats my other hobby of collecting replicas of McHammer's pants....

Can't touch this!

[Deleted account]

I don't consider $ spent on booze, cigars and hookers wasted. Eye of the beholder.

[NHBull]

19 minutes ago, reason said:

I don't consider $ spent on booze, cigars and hookers wasted. Eye of the beholder.

Especially if enjoyed on a boat!

[BuzzHudson19c]

2 hours ago, 68camaro said:

Actually fishing is my less expensive hobby, other hobby has me throwing .30 - .40 cents brass away with every trigger pull (don't reload).

This^^. Never enough ammo.

 

 

[Angry John]

You are only spending to much when you fell like you have to justify what your doing.  I spend a lot on fishing and i could care less if it bothers anyone.  I do what i love for me and provide for may family.  If i want a beer i have one of those, but i would rather have another lure

[Catt]

Those smiles are priceless!  ?

[3dees]

can't put a price on something you love doing. sometimes I wonder what I would do with all the money I have spent over the last 45 years. spent countless hours with my son and now my grandson. teaching them not only how to fish, but to respect and enjoy everything nature has to offer. how can you put a price tag on that?

[bigbill]

15 hours ago, reason said:

I don't consider $ spent on booze, cigars and hookers wasted. Eye of the beholder.

My dad had problems drinking, gambling and had nothing in return. I tried to help him but he was happy so I left him alone. I don’t drink, smoke or gamble. My money is in my tackleboxes.

 

that first night bass fishing with a front approaching(rain in two hours away yet) we put on mepps #3 in-line spinners and we caught doubles for a while. I just purchased the mepps basser kit. Just opened up the package. That was priceless. A moment sealed in time with my son. We went from using livebait to using only lures from that night on.

15 hours ago, Gundog said:

Beats my other hobby of collecting replicas of McHammer's pants....

Can't touch this!

Too bad you didn’t collect the M Jackson stuff?  Lol

[Tweek1106]

Conversely fishing doesn't HAVE to be expensive.

 

For $100 I can take you to Walmart get a spinning combo, baitcasting combo, and enough hooks and bait to get you started.

 

Literally the only thing you won't be able to do is punch heavy vegetation with that equipment.

 

Just my 2¢

[TheRodFather]

With fishing, it seems as though the spread between top of the line money spent, and basic money spent, is absolutely huge, but they both have the potential to still produce the same.  Angler skill plays such a huge role in fish caught.

 

I can find 10 guys that say they like fishing because it's relaxing and it's not much money.  And I can find another 10 guys say they like it because it's relaxing , but that have 50 thousand or more invested in fishing.  Hopefully they are both happy.

 

Like the story goes between the famous photographer, and the famous writer:

 

In an encounter between famous novelist Ernest Hemingway and famous photographer Ansel Adams, Hemingway is purported to have praised Adams’ photographs, saying, "You take the most amazing pictures. What kind of camera do you use?"

 

Adams frowned and then replied, "You write the most amazing stories. What kind of typewriter do you use?"

[Yakalong]

Fishing can be as expensive or as cheap as you want it to be. This morning I was down on the docks jigging for crappie. The rod I usually use had line issues so I grabbed an old zebco 33 and used it. I caught quite a few and the whole time I was thinking why don't I use this more often just to jig for crappie.

[Sword of the Lord]

1 hour ago, Yakalong said:

Fishing can be as expensive or as cheap as you want it to be. This morning I was down on the docks jigging for crappie. The rod I usually use had line issues so I grabbed an old zebco 33 and used it. I caught quite a few and the whole time I was thinking why don't I use this more often just to jig for crappie.

My Senko setup is a 6'6" M/F Lightning Rod with a Zebco Platinum 33. Wacky or Texas. 10 pound Stren mono with 10 pound fluoro leader. Sooo much accuracy and sooo skippable. Handles Illinois bass perfectly fine. I've tried Senkos on spinning and baitcasting and it just feels like I'm missing an arm. I have the utmost confidence in Senkos with this setup. I feel like I can do anything.

 

My wife knows my Senko setup as my "nasty $h!t" setup lol. Because I will get down and dirty with it and hit the most messed up places.

[gim]

Fishing gets significantly more expensive when you add in the cost of owning a boat.  Depending on how new or big it is, it can often cost just as much as having another car after routine maintenance, breakdowns, equipment repair, etc.  Course, you could sit on the dock with a zebco and crappie fish instead too.

[Angry John]

Or you could have a yak that costs from 300 to 10k.  That's what's so cool about it.  Get in where you feel comfortable.  

[SuperCorona]

My wife's mom(91 yrs old) lives with us so it was always hard to plan any kind of vacation, so for years we never went anywhere.  This spring we started talking about fishing and maybe taking a little fishing trip.  Her mom used to fish but now a trip to the bathroom tires her out.  We decided to get a little boat, Tracker PanFish 16, so we could go out whenever we wanted for a few hours.  It's the best thing we've ever done.  Since May we have spent more time together and had more fun than in the last 10 years.  I also get to fish with our son a couple times a month.  In a few years I'll be taking my grandson out to teach him how to fish.

 

At first we had to get all new gear since most of our fishing stuff had been lost, broken or given away during various moves.  I could get pretty much whatever I felt we needed to catch bass, bluegill and crappie.  Now I've been told to quit buying so much tackle.  I'm down to getting a monthly LTB box, replenishing terminal tackle and a couple colors of Trick Worms.  I have to save up for a sonar upgrade so that's my incentive now.

[Tara-senko]

I spend almost all my money on fishing stuff ( I'm young I don't work a real job fyi) and don't regret it ever. My buddies will spend 80 bucks at the bar and I see that as all new tackle. When it comes to reel rod and line, I go and pay the extra money I find it to be a huge difference 

[JustJames]

I'm trying not to loose any lure or plastic, every time I lost one or two, I end up bought 10 or more. Talking about cheap hobby, huh.