X3 On Ollies , I Brought Every Green Pumpkin Gator Tail They Had End Of Year Sale Last Year @.99 Per Bag.

 

I Also Have A Friend That Makes Most Of My Soft Plastic's , At A Great Price.... Bulk.

 

Mike

Pouring your own is long term saving...like really long term, especially if you go injection molds....those things run 100-300 bucks. standard molds run under 100 generally....but still. Thats a ton of cash to be putting all your fish into one barrel basically

Don't buy a boat

Use a duffle bag or a normal backpack and stuff it w 3600s or 3700s.

Transfer braid from last years spool to a new spool.

Use regular needle nose pliers that u can get at a hardware store, no need to buy a name brand

I don't look to save money, but I see no reason to needlessly spend on items that won't catch me any more fish.  If XYZ lure is productive for me I'll buy it over and over again.

If I'm looking to save, I'll dig up worms and use a cane pole.

Don't visit TW a lot......

Clearance section and eBay

Boat = Break Out Another Thousand!!!!!!

 

I Just wanted to chime in on the lure retriever too.  The only "tool" that i take from my boat to others when i go fishing with them!

 

My dad made it almost 30 years ago, it's a hound dog style and has saved us HUNDREDS, if not THOUSANDS of dollars in that time! Still lose one now and again, but there have been years were I never lost a crankbait all year!

 

Thanks for the tips guys,

 

Jim

I've got a few...

 

If you want a boat, strongly consider going the jonboat route.  As far as jonboats go, my rig certainly wasn't cheap but it was a very good bit cheaper than a full-on bass boat.  And it seems to me there is much less that can go wrong in an aluminum, electric-powered jonboat than a gas powered fiberglass rig.  Don't forget to factor in the gas savings aspect here too!  But just make sure you factor safety into this.  Don't go driving off into the big waters of Erie with your 12-ft jonboat

 

Don't be fooled by the "technique-specific" stuff.  Yes it's likely true that some power/action/gear ratio etc is better than others in certain situations, but you CAN fish a topwater on the same combo you fish worms on (for example). 

 

Research BEFORE you buy.  There are quite a few folks on here who post stuff along the lines of "I just got this rod/reel.  Was this a good choice?".  Ask these questions before you buy!

 

Use cheap (but still decent) mono backing on all your reels.  Whether the line you're fishing is fluoro, braid or mono, you can still save decent money by filling the first half of the reel with cheaper stuff.

 

Be patient and wait for sales.  Between Dicks, Academy, TW, etc -- chances are you're never more than a month away from SOMEONE having a good sale.  And anyone who has been on here a while has seen some smoking deals in the Flea Market.

 

While it's true across the board, this was especially helpful for me with plastics.  Stick to a a collection of a few core colors.  With very few exceptions, I stick to GP, watermelon, junebug and a shade of black on all my plastics.  Don't feel the need to have every color of every bait.

 

Resell what you're not using.  I'd say that 95%+ of us on this site buy stuff that never gets fished.  Use winter to look through your stuff and cull the items that you're just not using.

 

Take care of your stuff!  At least get knowledge of how to do a very basic reel cleaning and lubing.  I'm not saying you need to break it down all the way, but know how to take the side plates off, and know the easy-access areas to clean and lube.  Rod socks and reel covers are very good investments!

 

I'm sure more will come to me later.

Don't visit TW a lot......

X 500  ... I think I spent $2,000+ last year on rods, reels, and stuff the bait monkey made me buy...

Last year I discovered if I fished about a 1/3rd of what I normally would, I could save a bunch of money.    That saved money quickly got shuffled to something else though.    lol

Mend-it.

When fishing with friends, always pretend to accidently leave all your tackle bags and binders behind. 

Only read the everything else forum on here and avoid all the others. 

Bankbeater said it. When ever someone asks me for a present, I tell them BPS gift card. Good years I can hit around $300. Office secret santa, anniversary, X-Mas, you name it. Sorry, I don't want socks for my birthday!

 

Also, as previously mentioned, when you find something you like buy it in bulk. Doing the math will tell you if you are saving money.

 

Finally, and most importantly, it cost us $0.00 to have fun and pass down our knowledge to others so listen.  

Get a kayak. Now you don't need gas or registration or a gym membership. Boom there it is.

Buy or make a mold of your favorite bait and remelt old torn up plastics

Never, but never, go into a tackle shop with a credit card or a checkbook. Carry ONLY a little cash and buy only what what you went in for.

Buy what your budget allows.

Applies to every aspect of fishing, and life in general.

Keep some Mend-it in the boat and never EVER click on, look at or use a Megabass product.  A slipperier slope may not exist.  

I'm not gonna go thru the whole thread now, and somebody might of already brought it up.... Cut your credit cards on half..

I'm not gonna go thru the whole thread now, and somebody might of already brought it up.... Cut your credit cards on half..

No reason to if one has self control.

^{marry a rich woman}

x2 except that I'm not marrying any time soon.

Don't lose anything. Buy good quality line.

My method for saving is to buy used. Reels, rods and hard baits can be had for half (or less) of new price. Shop the Flea Market forum, Ebay, and other forums on a regular basis. There are bargains to be found.

 

Tom

I purchased decent quality rods and reels for 50% off plus free shipping. A one or two year old new model. In my price range I saved money to buy more lures.