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Posts: 133
Location: South Bend, Indiana | If you haven't noticed, musky fishing gets VERY expensive. Most of us can't afford a brand new boat with the industry's leading motor, or buy the giant GPS that can do everything but cut your grass and wipe your a**. So, as most of us are, the average fisherman (if musky anglers can be average), how do you save money in doing this sport? |
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| My favorite way to save money is to fish smaller bodies of water where I don't haev to use much gas to get around the lake. Also maximizes fishing time. More time with my bait in the water and less time moving around. |
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Posts: 1749
Location: Mt. Zion, IL | I buy a lot of slightly used gear on here to save costs. I do splurge on some items (I am a reel whore - I have over 100 reels), but most items come from here or ebay.
Edited by RyanJoz 7/14/2012 7:44 PM
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Posts: 477
Location: Iowa | I now buy a lot of used too. Have not paid full price for any of my Toro reels, and few of my rods. I shop around until I find a deal. No more impulse buying! I'm trying to figure out the right prop now. I will try as many as I can, then find one this winter for half price of new, or less. I will probably buy my next trolling motor, and fish finders new, but they will be on sale before I do it. Also shorter, and not as many trips. That works out good right now though, with the age of my 2 little girls. |
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Posts: 143
Location: Palatine, IL | Ebay and craigslist. I haven't paid full price for anything. You have to be patient. |
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Posts: 32930
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | What was already said. I can run any size boat I want, but choose to run a 17' tiller with a 50. I think our gas has cost about $50 since April. |
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Posts: 1638
Location: Minnesota | i havent done it yet just thought abought it
i was thinking of looking for a fishing budy i could shar the cost with for gas i have a nice boat truck and all the gear i need
go on a say 100 mile trip 200 round trip i get abought 13 per gal pulling my boat so you looking at around 55 bucks that dont count the gass for the boat ill burn abought 6 to 10 gallons depending on how much running i do so it can cost around 75 bucks just to go for the day then if you go on a longer trip its nice to have help with the driving have you tried this |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | I have two good waterbodies within 10 min. of my house and 4 more within 30 min so I quit driving 10 or more hours to find fishing no better than at home. I changed my 50 2 stroke for a 60 4 stroke and Im using a lot less gas.
To day I took a guy that owns a big Billy Bob rig ( aka Bass Boat) out for 13 hours on a small river in a 12 foot tinny with a 3 horse outboard pulling up through rapids fishing unfished water and had a great day. We each took one SHORT rod and about 5 lures.
Edited by horsehunter 7/14/2012 9:25 PM
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Posts: 434
Location: Omaha, Nebraska | I buy almost of my lures used on here or on clearance at stores. I don't buy reels or electronics used, so I wait until they are overstocked or are clearing out the old stock. I usually buy my rods at the beginning of the season sale or the year end sale. Needless to say, I rarely pay full price for an item unless it is a necessity.
The big way I save money, is instead of going on multiple week long trips, I go on one 2 week trip up north. This saves a lot on gas. We stay at relatively priced housekeeping resorts with great accommodations, so we get to eat when we want to and the meals we prefer, while saving thousands of dollars. |
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Posts: 1405
Location: Detroit River | I save by making some of my own lures & buy used ones as well. Instead of fishing St. Clair I fish the Detroit River, which is 13 miles from my house compared to 38 for SC. I also save by fishing with others to share on gas. |
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Posts: 265
Location: Manitowish Waters WI | eBay!!! Just bought 8 new baits for $28. Reels I don't skimp, rods I'm starting to go middle of the pack. I'm loving TI rods so I'm saving a ton there. I also don't get fancy with my rig. I'm not a tourney fisherman so I don't need a 20ft boat with a 225, my 17ft tiller catches plenty of fish. Electronics I splurge a little but not a ton. Pick and choose my friend, there are areas where you can save and areas where you can splurge. Reels are the only part of the game I refuse to skimp. |
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Posts: 1901
Location: MN | We sleep in the truck, eat peanut butter sandwhiches, don't buy much for new baits, and spend the rest on gas for the truck and boat. |
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | I buy alot used, or on discount, truck's and boats older and paid off, electronics and reels I save and buy the best I can.... |
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Posts: 793
Location: Ames, Iowa | For us it's not so much what is bought for fishing like baits and gas but how our travel habits have changed. We used to run into Walker about every other day for a trip to Reed's, walk about town, and then we'd have to eat. We never do that anymore. On the way north we don't make lunch stops like we used to for the 5 of us. If we do stop- it's at a supermarket for some fresh rolls and stuff to put on it- and our snacks, pop, milk, water are in the cooler in the back, not bought. Just cutting out the vacation side trips and going out to eat has saved the equivalent of what we pay for gas. |
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Posts: 567
| I sold the wife, the house, and the dog, and I live in a van down by the river! Hahahahahahaha I agree with above, buy used, be patient, and cook on trips. |
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Posts: 433
Location: Cedarburg, Wisconsin | As mentioned before, gas there and back is a killer, so go less often but stay longer!
Stay out of the local establishments for those long social events that seem to just happen. Stop in and say hi, have a drink and then head back to the cabin for a cookout and refreshments there.
If you are on big water, plan plan plan. You don't go from a spot on one end of the lake to a spot on the other end and then back again. If you want to fish a long ways from camp run there right away at a good cruising speed for max efficiency and then fish your way back trolling between spots when you can. Spot hopping with the big motor sucks more gas and oil than cruising or trolling, so unless the fish are on a rampage and you need to cover lots of good spots fast, don't.
Win the lottery? |
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Location: Sun Prairie, Wisconsin | I believe that theamount of "stuff" you NEED for Muskie fishing needs to be questioned... Does a guy really need to take 14 rods and reels? Does he have to have a ginormous just in case box along with the Lakewood all filled with baits, most of which will not see water during a season? I have become that guy... You don't have to be. I recall meeting a gentleman who runs a historic Muskie resort in Wisconsin. He fishes out of a small boat with a handful of used surface baits. The guy catches fish! Makes me wonder if I really need all this stuff. Oh wait! There is an ad for a good used 620 vs!!!!! Marcia, I need to buy that boat today! |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | 1 good rod, 1 good reel, 8 proven baits and a boat that floats ...
happiness is when you go fill the truck and boat with gas without a care in the world. spend the money doing and not paying for "stuff".
an idea on boats. find an old one and restore it vs. buying a new one that comes along with a payment book you'll never complete. no matter what your market --- from $1,000.00 to $30,000.00 you will come out way ahead (and btw there is absolutely no reason to have more than about $25k into even the nicest boat you would ever want).
it's like the harley generation that think they have to have a harley because it's what you need to fit into the club. i restored a 1982 vintage motorcycle and built a custom. it gets more looks, has more performance and is more fun to ride than anything HD makes ... i think i have $4,000.00 total invested in the project.
NEVER buy a new boat ... new motor (yah), but never a new boat. |
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Posts: 252
| My trouble is, I enjoy buying the lures and boats and other junk on days that I cannot fish. I just bought a third boat yesterday.
I think that if I could fish every day, I would stop buying as much stuff, and that might save me some money... |
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Posts: 1220
| I fished as a young man who had nothing, I fished through the middle years when I struggled to keep a little, and now continue to fish when I am old enough to actually want to spend what's left before I go. It's not what you can fish with that's important, it's that you are on the water doing it! Don't save up so you can live your life at the expense of having missed it. |
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Posts: 795
Location: North Central IL USA | KentuckyMuskie - 7/15/2012 7:29 AM
My trouble is, I enjoy buying the lures and boats and other junk on days that I cannot fish. I just bought a third boat yesterday.
I think that if I could fish every day, I would stop buying as much stuff, and that might save me some money...
Exactly!!! Except the boat part now. If I bought another boat my wife would probably kill me. The tackle and lures I can sneak in.
I fish out of a ’91, 17 1/2ft boat with a 70HP engine bought used for under 5K. Sure it'd be nice to have a 20ft Ranger with a 250 Verado but seeing as I fish alone most of the time lately what I have is plenty big enough.
I saved a lot of money last month - went out 3x just using my kicker ( a 1975 mercury 9.8 my dad bought new back in the day). Probably used only about 1 gallon of gas.
I also buy a lot of clearance stuff. Got a handful of Rapala crankin' raps yesterday @ Dicks for 2 bucks ea. Can't beat that!!!! 
No more full price reels for me any more. Both my Toro 50 and Curado 300 I got off e-bay for good prices
Got a Shimano Citica @ Dick’s last winter for about 60 bucks. It was on clearance but the last one which was the display model. They didn’t have the box so the guy knocked off another 15% plus I had a coupon and a 10 dollar ‘rewards’ check.
The bargains are out there. Just have to be patient and keep an eye open for them. |
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Posts: 556
| Don't need the most expensive boat--I spent $5500 used on a good boat and motor that i can fish anywhere with. Also I go the used route on most things--Great deals out there on baits/rods/reels--craigslist and ebay have saved me tons of $$$$. Also USED lures right here in the classifieds--I have gotten lots of deals right here. I have approx $7000 invested in everything I own for fishing. boat/motor/trailer-- 6 complete rod/reel outfits and maybe 100 lures + boxes.----If for some reason I had to liquidate it all for any reason----I would recoupe most if not all of my money. Would love the new 30K boat--and could actually get it if I really needed it--but i fish right alongside those guys for a fraction of the cost----I know I am not styling like they are, but I can live with that. |
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Posts: 8831
| Not much that hasn't been said.
Last two musky shows, I walked out with one lure. I used to bring $500 to the shows and be happy if there was any left at the end of the day.
Went from 6-7 trips a year, fishing 50 days to less than 10 days. That part sucks. But it's $100/gas just to go somewhere for the day.
I used to spend a LOT of money fishing down here. Not worth driving an hour and a half to catch one skinny 30" fish and have altercations with 5 other boats in the process.
On the rare occasion when we do make it up North, we bring coolers of food and cook our own meals. Costs us $200 for a week instead of $1,000 eating in restuarants 3 times a day.
Next step? Going from 300 lures down to the 30 or so that I actually need. 8 combos? Stupid. You can fit everything you need, including tools, in a medium lakewood. If you want to splurge? Buy two rods so you can have two baits rigged up. If you REALLY want to splurge? Carry an extra reel in case you break one. All the rest is just fluff.
I catch as many fish spending $2k/year as I did spending $20k. And it's a lot more fun without your head in the tackle box.
Edited by esoxaddict 7/15/2012 11:45 AM
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Posts: 795
Location: North Central IL USA | esox911 - 7/15/2012 10:56 AM
Would love the new 30K boat--
Me too! And if i came across a large sum of spare money, it'd probably be the Skeeter MX 1825 with the full windshield and the 150HP engine. |
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Posts: 20248
Location: oswego, il | Once the water gets hot up here, i used to travel up north most weekends. I don't do that anymore. I fish close and for other species. Sucks and I don't catch as many muskies but burning 200 dollars of gas to fish a day and a half and spending 1000 dollars a month for gas was too much.
I but my reels used and look for deals on good reels. I have a TE and I have several calcutta 400's and 3 penn reels that i got really cheap. I am also not the lure junky I used to be. I don't just buy a lure because it is new. I look at them now think about what they do and is it a better tool than what I already have or will it fill a void that is missing in my collection of baits. |
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| I have started to fish out of a kayak and wading. I am also typically using a fly rod for the tigers out west as well. The fly fishing side of it will not cut costs;) A stealth approach and thorough working of structure helps you contact fish you just can't get in a boat. It is a different type of fishing, certainly less expensive, you just need waders. BR |
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Location: 31 | Pretty much everything that has been said with one exception... poker. I pretty much support my fishing with poker winnings. I also try to buy used equipment and or sell (resell) stuff on eBay to make a buck here or there to help offset any upgraded equipment with. |
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Posts: 1638
Location: Minnesota | i do work over time when i can that helps to |
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Posts: 133
Location: South Bend, Indiana | Awesome replies guys! One thing I've neglected to do is to cook my own meals on trips, going to have to start doing that! |
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Posts: 213
Location: FIB land | Yep, crockpot meals work well and cheaply |
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