If you factor in JUST the new vehicle I bought this January for the sole purpose of towing my boat, each fish I've caught so far this year would be about 5 thousand dollars.  Pretty darn expensive sushi-except I threw them all back.

Three Letter Acromyms (TLA) aren't often allowed in fishing, unless it's WOT, FOW, etc. ROI isn't allowed.

My Return On Investment (ROI) related to fishing is very high as I calculate it. The joy I get from fishing is NOT dependent on high numbers of fish, or even monster fish. Those are just icing on the cake. I love the time on the water, the gear, the conversation, the solitude, the communion with nature, and the thrill of the hunt. As A-Jay said, life is short. I do not know or care what my cost per fish is, just like I don't know or care what my cost per meal is. The dollar amounts spent has varied over the years based on income, but fishing and eating are not really optional IMO.

Your fish may be worth 10 dollars each, but the experience that comes along with catching them is priceless.

Very interesting.  Im surprised I never thought of the price per fish that way.  But, it is a luxury, pleasure, relaxing, enjoying with friends and family, and just true enjoyment.

Though, when I was younger, I had thought of the price per "date" with the girlfriend of the moment, and what "benefits" cost me!  LOL.

Thanks for bringing it up. 

I have nice equipment and don't overspend based on our needs/income.  I  don't think about my fish to dollar spent on gear ratio: it's a hobby.  I just enjoy fishing and try to improve every trip out.

 

Besides, my wife is an accountant, not me.

I have thought about this before. I did not break it down by fish caught but by time/days on the water (d**n skunk) For me personally I am happy with my cost to days ratio and in the end that's all that matters.

Since you are analytical, I think it is good for you to look at the ROI of fishing.  However, I think you may have chosen the wrong metric to measure it by.

 

For most of us, fishing is a hobby, which by definition is a pleasurable activity one does in their spare time.  Therefore, rather than dividing the number of fish caught per dollar spent, i would suggest dividing the number of hours involved per dollar spent.  Include all aspects of the hobby (tinkering with gear, time spent shopping for new equipment, watching MLF, etc) and come up with the total number of hours you spend on your hobby.  Once you divide it by the dollars spent, you get a per hour cost of your hobby, which will allow you to compare it against other hobbies such as golf, chasing women, collecting stamps, whatever.

 

I think fishing may fall somewhere in the middle, not because it is cheap, but because it can consume so much time.

Does one also think about all the things too that we put into a car or house too that are totally unnecessary.    Fishing is a good out that sometimes receives some extra money...but then why do we work....to save it to pass on to others?  Will not go on....don't want to analyze what I really love so much.

I have a spreadsheet where I calculate per step expenses for all my footwear.  Turns out barefoot is the cheapest, though ringworm and the random nail can throw a mokey wrench into the plan!