I'v only lost soft plastics to the bottom so far, but my wife has a bad habit of losing her favorite crappie lure, a strike king bitsy minnow, replaced it 6 times, so that makes it a total of about $18 on that lure so far.

Snagged a Strike King 6XD last summer so I get my trusty telescopic lure retriever just like many times before.  Working it on the lure in about 12 feet of water but lure won't come loose which prompts me to work it harder.  While doing this, for some reason I loosen my grip and the pole files into the water like a spear.  Forty dollar lure retriever goes to the bottom to never be seen again. 

 

This is most expensive fishing item I have ever lost and to this day I still trying to figure out what I was thinking.