Thrifty Tips

[ikebass15]

Hey ya'll,

We could all use a little extra cash. Right? So let's all post our best money saving tips that we use while out on the lake or preparing for our next fishing trip.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

I have really found that the best way for me to keep soft plastics looking next to new is to not catch any bass with them. This happens a little more frequently than I like to admit...

[Deuceu72]

Whenever I am putting new line on a reel, I never take all the line off..........Instead, I take about 1/2 off, then use a blood knot to tie the new line to the old, then spool reel. This saves a ton in line expenses, and you never get to the bottom of the line on your spool anyway.(at least I dont)

[ikebass15]

I have really found that the best way for me to keep soft plastics looking next to new is to not catch any bass with them. This happens a little more frequently than I like to admit...

ROFL!!!!

[ikebass15]

For a Inexpensive "plug-knocker" i use old spark plugs. they work just great!!!!

[BucketmouthAngler13]

use $1.75 spinnerbaits instead of $5. lucky strike makes super cheap ones but they work awsome.

and if you lose it, who cares?

im afread to use some of my $10 lures somtimes....

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Good call on the spark plugs, thats a new one...

[dale]

Buy a good used boat that alone will save you $$$

[wacky rig]

Get rid of that big ole boat and buy a kayak. You will spend alot less money on gas and your wife/girlfriend will enjoy pinching your biceps more.

[ikebass15]

here's another one........

every time i buy a spinning reel, a spare spool comes with it. so i fill both up with different lb. test line. so if i need a different diameter.... just slip one off and put the other one on. and to keep the line from coming off the spool during storage I just put a rubber band on it.

[Matt Fly]

Paint your own bullets instead of buying pre-painted.

Buy your glass beads and plastic beads from hobby shop, more colors, more beads in the bag and a whole lot cheaper.

Instead of spraying one individual worm with garlic or other scents, I put one on, and place it back in its bag then spraying, it coats all the others and I use less spray.

Try pawn shops out for tackle, some good deals are to be had.    Got a 20 dollar tackle box that had 100.00 of cranks in it.    DD22's and spooks to name a few.

The kicker was the Balsa baits, had some nice new ones still in their boxes.  

The Plano two drawer tackle box makes a nice starter box for a future young angler.

Hookem

Matt.

[ikebass15]

For backlashes i go to a department store (Wall Mart works great!) and buy a small crochet needle. the are GREAT!!! for picking out thoose seldom (for me anyways) backlashes.

[VAbacklash]

Use the octane grade of fuel recommended by your engine manufacturer. Pouring premium grade fuel into one rated for 87 octane does nothing but make your wallet lighter. 87 Octane will do in most cases.

[VAbacklash]

Rinse and refill water or soft drink bottles with fresh water and freeze. Use these in your cooler instead of buying ice to cool down your food and drinks. Drink the water as it melts.

[Guest avid]

Don't fall out of your boat and loose equipment.

Of course no on BassResource.com has ever done that right?

RIGHT??? :-[ guilty

[BucketmouthAngler13]

Rinse and refill water or soft drink bottles with fresh water and freeze. Use these in your cooler instead of buying ice to cool down your food and drinks. Drink the water as it melts.

;D

Use ripped senkos as trailers. they work great for adding casting distance.

[jiangtao]

Used worms make great trailers. Plus you can just build your own jigs,spinners,and buzzbaits for as low as 70-80 cents a piece when you buy in bulk from certain places!!  Just imagine buying 50 painted or unpainted buzzbait heads for 18 bucks then buying 50 skirts for 11 bucks followed up by the blades for around 10 bucks for 50 pieces! Jigs are even cheaper to make when you buy the bulk materials. I don't know about you, but this Winter when the bite is really hard, I'll be making lures!!!

[LunkerLust]

When I first started using senkos, I always rigged them wackey. I would go through a whole bag

When I first started using senkos, I always rigged them wacky. I would lose a whole bag in a full day of fishing. Now I Texas rig 'em first, with no weight. I fish them in cover or skip them under overhangs and docks until they get pretty beat up. Then I rig 'em wacky for open water. A bag lasts 3 or 4 trips now!

[FishinChef]

Alright, my kind of topic!! :  My wife says I'm as cheep as they get and I'm always looking for a deal!

Extra spools for line are great; I also save and recycle all my broken plastic baits; and my beads came from my 8 yr old daughters jewlery making set.

My local spots are near a river and I usually target smallmouth.  Lots of rocks, holes, ledges and rip-rap; used to lose just about everything until I got a system down.  Lots of soft plastics, grubs and worms.  I've found that the salt impregnated baits (Case plastics are my favorite) are more durable,catch more fish per bait and last longer between changes.  I tend to shy away from most crankbaits because of the rocks but topwater and shallow divers rarely get hung up (except in the trees).  My PB for LM (21") and SM (19") were on a .99 heddon torpedo knockoff and a walmart swimming worm (1.29/20pk)!  I also look for the bargin bins and close outs at tackle shops where they just need to dump inventory.  I've gotten brand name tubes (mizmo, venom and strikemaster) for .99/pk.

For cats I keep all the chicken/duck and rabbit livers from work, and also use cut sections of wine/champagne corks for rig floats.  I always look in the paper for yard sales with fishing equipment; just got a ton of terminal tackle from an oldtimer who used to make his own.  Also go to the store with the wife a little more often and seem to find one or two things at a time that are on sale/clearance.

The only regret I have about being cheap is making some poor judgement when purchasing rods/reels.  You really do get what you pay for, I've passed down several rigs to the kids for cats and panfish because they no longer perfrom adequately for smallie fishing.  I'm now waiting for the weather to change and will look for a inexpensive canoe this holiday season.    

[BassKing813]

Instead of taking the wife shopping, I take the wife fishing. ;D

Or could this be a bad idea?  :-/

[BASS fisherman]

Wow! What a bunch of great tips!   I was going to say the senko 1.  Use it texas rigged, and after it rips, I put them in a ziplock bag to use as wacky riggers.  

[BucketmouthAngler13]

fuse ripped senkos back together with a red-hot paper clip. (bend it out, then heat directly on stove top)

it works great, and if do it right, you cant even tell the differnce.

[Clayton]

I didnt have any corks so I went to the bank and broke off a thumb sized stick to use as a float.

[dale]

after 17 years of marrage i learned do not let the wife see my fishing tackle and this saves me big bucks as she wants the same in shoes..lol

Dale

[fourbizz]

The best monry saving tip I could offer is : Dump your girlfriend. 1 night out is about as much as a swimbait. Go out three times a week. HMMM.. Bait monkey content!