The High Cost of bassfishing

[Kelly Jeffers]

What is the most anyone has paid for a rod and reel? (the fellas from TackleTour excluded) (I know what your paying!) I spoke to a bass angler yesterday and he was complaining about having a hudd being ripped appart after 5 cast, that they cost to much! (and he is a DDS) most of the rods & reels I see people using are on the low end of things but the boats are 50k or more "boats are just the ride there and back" isn't better to have whats between your hands and the fish on a higher Grade???

[NaCl]

Or, perhaps the subject line should read "You're making too much CENTS!"

You are right. I get a big kick out of guys who spend $45,000 on a boat, $5,000+ in entry fees, fuel, travel cost and insurance. Then, these same guys look for bargains on fishing line and Senkos! That said, reels and rods are like cars. Some are cheaply constructed. Some are good values in a reasonable price range. And some charge you a premium price mostly for ego...they offer very little real improvement in performance for a lot of extra money. Abu Garcia and Shimano have a long history of success in this market with old reliable reels like the 5500's and Curado's.

I'm getting ready to buy a new set of reels and I've narrowed it down to three brands...Daiwa, Shimano and Abu Garcia. All the reels I'm interested in will cost less than $200 each and I expect to use them for many years to come. So, in the short run I'll spend close to $3,000 for 15-20 reels but, even at that price, they are inexpensive when compared to the cost of a boat, entry fees, fuel, insurance and having a wife.

.....NaCl

[CharlieS.]

Hmmmm, I actually try not to think about what Ive spent on rods and other "Needed equipment" I get slightly crazy when I see an add for what I already have and it reminds me (and the wife ) what it cost,lol. Sometimes I think the boat was a smaller amount than whats in it!... Charlie

[TTCal]

(the fellas from TackleTour excluded) (I know what your paying!)

LOL Kelly... thanks

[Slippy]

i would say my average rod and reel combo would be $325-$385 x 15 set ups..... yikes!!!!!

[Kelly Jeffers]

I just got a new rod and reel for about 1200.00 (mega,Antares DC) I also own a new z20 me and my wife are on the low end of middle class if that and we are rolling the dice with are evey thing hoping I make it, so I think a person that says they should,could have is one who lives by "IF" so "IF" you dont have the proper tools shouldn't Just leave it on the trailer, and go buy a jetski?????

[StockOption]

My setups are typically $350-$400 depending upon the specific application.

Since I'm currently a fun fisherman I typically have 10 "active" setups (6 casting 4 spinning) and usually have 6 setups on my boat at any given time.

[TTCal]

which Megabass Stick did you get for that Antares DC on Kelly?

[bassrippin365]

my worming and jigging and dropshot set-ups are high end set-ups,but my blade,crank,topwater,and other reaction type set-ups are just clarus rods with curado's.I don't feel a person needs to go overboard with the reaction set-ups as long as it has the right action,but hey if you got it then spend it.

[510lipripper]

my worming and jigging and dropshot set-ups are high end set-ups,but my blade,crank,topwater,and other reaction type set-ups are just clarus rods with curado's.I don't feel a person needs to go overboard with the reaction set-ups as long as it has the right action,but hey if you got it then spend it.

Clarus rods with curados is the way to go on a budget. People tend to get caught up with wanting the best tackle but it dosent matter as long as you got the right presentation.

[510lipripper]

my worming and jigging and dropshot set-ups are high end set-ups,but my blade,crank,topwater,and other reaction type set-ups are just clarus rods with curado's.I don't feel a person needs to go overboard with the reaction set-ups as long as it has the right action,but hey if you got it then spend it.

Clarus rods with curados is the way to go on a budget. People tend to get caught up with wanting the best tackle but it dosent matter as long as you got the right presentation.

[Kelly Jeffers]

TTCAL

which Megabass Stick did you get for that Antares DC on Kelly?

I put the ANTARES DC7 on F4-610XDti,and Just put conQuest DC 201DC on F6-72DG to throw my IT-Jacks,LIMBERLAMBERS

[TTCal]

sweet KJ... nice setups.

[Quantum_Kid]

I believe the most I have paid for a rod and reel is $450-500, but then again I earned them...

[Casey]

Might be a stupid question but....does a rod really go bad? I understand that the eyes will break or the gromets within the eyes sometimes need replaced, or the threds on the reel hold done go bad....
what i'm asking is does a rod lose it's backbone strength or flexibilility or time and useage?

[StockOption]

In my personal experience rods do wear out whether they are made from fiberglass, graphite or bamboo.

The rod builders here can probably provide more details on which types tend to last longer.

[Fishin' Dave]

If you are at the lower end of the middle class, you probably can not afford tournament bass fishing, unless you have some credit cards and win something to pay them off. Also, I don't know the percentages of marriages ruined by tournament bass fishing, but there are a few people who will let you know. When I'm independantly wealthy, I'll be back. But for God sakes, if you have kids, take that $1000 dollars you would have spent on rod and reel combos and open a fund for your kids. Take you dad on a fishing trip. Don't worry about keeping up with the Bass Joneses.

[Kelly Jeffers]

take that $1000 dollars you would have spent on rod and reel combos and open a fund for your kids.

dave, I hear what your saying ,but my family is behind me 100% and I had to work to go to school and had to work for every thing else too! I never had nothing handed to me I said my prayers in school and stood proud in front of the flag and used the words"under GOD" no one was taking guns to school ,and a man's word was worth something !so now a days to much is handed to kids and look what they do!!!! mine will learn respect for family,GOD and country so thanks for your advice but keep it when it comes to my family,I don't want it or need it! now if you want a Lesson on fishing just bring$$$$$$$$

P.S. My son's name is Sieg Super Stick Jr

[Fishin' Dave]

I don't blame you for being mad at me as every man has his pride. I'm glad to see you are a family man, and you don't need any advice from me, nor would I want to. But besides you and I, others will read this post. If I could get only one other person to think about things before blowing his $$, I'm satisified. Believe it or not, some don't know that you don't need to spend a fortune. If nothing else, my post cost nothing, and has caused no blood to spill. I hope things work out for a hard working guy like your self as I am a hard working guy too.

[Kelly Jeffers]

Dave,
your alright with me! and I don't have no hard feelings for No one

[Riplip]

For me personally....I would love nothing more than to have $400 combos to fish with but my perspective is until fishing is more than a hobby or a pastime I can wait...

Those of you who have funded college educations for your kids know how friggin expen$ive it becomes. I bought a Fisn-n-ski, not because it was the boat I wanted to fish from, but because it was much more justifiable to my family. I could probably do much better in the circuts I fished if I could afford to prefish regularly. I have accumulated $$$$ worth of tackle over the years, however, since the introduction of high end baits some years ago my collection of stuff looks dated. Sure, I've got a few LC baits and such, but I stick to whatever works that I can afford.

I have a friend who I talked into bass fishing. He bought a Clarus/Shimano combo at my suggestion. Altogether he spent around $300 on fishing...He goes out walkin the banks and promptly beats my PB by 3lbs! It's not so much what you spend... A wise man once said "you can always make more money, time is harder to come by".

Rip

[aNNieNsaLTIE]

i do not think bass fishing or any fishing is HIGH COST. but i think i am!!
i really am trying to controll my spending and question more of, "my wantings".
i really like all the newer high end stuff. if you go back into you older older stuff and compare it to you current gear you will see the difference and comfort. i know the only reason i leaned torwards the higher end stuff is so i could fish those super long 12 hours fishing day s pitching, flipping, chucking and all that winding.
when i am in my local tackle shops i do alot of comparing with rods and reels. i look for the lightest and smoothest reguarding to reels, and i look for the lightest, most sensitive and the most backbone in a pole when shopping for one. for some reason loomis rods feel the best when i grip them. i have recently beeen purchasing more powell rods.
i like shimano crucial series, 80% of all my rods are G.LOOMIS and a few powell rods. the reels i use are mostly curado, cronarch and calcuttas. recently i just came back from vegas and bought a diawa reel.
.........fishing can be costly but it better than running a tab every night at a local bar!!

saLTIE-

[Sacto John]

The cost of bass fishing is only as high as you allow it. Going from starving grad student to newly wed to new father has left me and my family with little in the way of disposable income, yet my time on the water has increased every year while our debt has decreased. I am lucky that my wife is great at budgeting money, but I have also learned how to make every fishing penny count. I do not need the newest rod and reel, and I take care of what I own so I will not need to replace gear regularly. I fished for years with rods that rarely cost over $60.00, and I do not think it has hurt my ability to catch fish. When I do buy rods and reels I look for used gear here on the classifieds, as well as other sites. As for baits, most people who fish with me are surprised with how few baits I own, but every one of the baits in my box have caught fish. I stick to the basic colors in my hard and soft baits, which makes fishing choices easier and allows me to focus on fishing instead of getting hung up on what bait/color I should be using. My one guilty pleasure has been swimbaits, but even in this expensive area of fishing I have been able to slowly build up a verity of proven baits and two nice swimbait rod/reel combos. This year I will be fishing tournaments again for the first time in a while but again it is something that I have budgeted with my wife so I know it won’t be a strain. Oh, and Dave we also put money away every month for my daughter's education. I think the key is to save, do research less expensive alternatives and spend wisely. I have also made it clear to those who are nice enough to buy me gifts that nothing makes me happier than gift certificates to fishing retailers. My love for fishing has made me very good at stretching every dollar I make, I choose to not go out to eat, buy mochas, or hit the bars. My recreational priority is fishing and I budget/spend accordingly.

[ppickerell]

Shoot, I thought my Clarus Curado combos were high end, not budget!

[Cooch]

Cameron and Beichman rods $99-$129 each
ABU Garcia 4600 reels $34-$79

I've got 38 paired and rigged, countless spares on the shelf. In today's age of one rod applications, havin' a bunch is not uncommon, but practicle. I'm a frugal shopper and am always looking for bargins. You can find quality equiptment for 1/2, even a 1/3 of the costs many anglers do indeed spend.

Get a grip, what the heck, the vast majority of most aglers, are all just chasin 3 pound fish anyways! HAR! HAR! HAR!

Too each his own, it only becomes expensive, when yer standing there looking at it on the counter, and can't afford it!

[mark poulson]

I'll drink to that!

[stringer]

hey i know for a fact that that man never worked hard for anything cept begging his mom to use her credit cards for his big high end fishing tackle... so dont let him make you feel less. he's all about show and if you look at his tournament standings youll see just how much money his mom lost and will never see agian

[biteme]

Cost is super high. I run a 03 520 with seven rod set ups going 400.00 each. But that stuff to me is a givin. Those things are my tools I use in this sport.
The problem with me is tackle, gas, oil, insurance, storage. I would say Im spending about 800.00 a month for those things.

[Joe W.]

Hmm, Lets see here. I guess I'm on the poor side...er I mean budget bass fishing side.

The Boat. I got my high quality bass slaying machine, a 1972 Starcraft Aluminum from a guy on another fishing board for my Trout unlimited Colorado pontoon and 500 bucks. It came with a early 90's Johnson 20hp. I spent another 200 or so on plywood. I tore out all the crappy decking that the old owner put in and made a new front and back deck and floored the whole thing. Carpet goes in soon. So that is a grand total of $700 spent out of pocket.

Gear, I use shimano, shakespear, abu garcia. I don't spend that much on gear. Sure there is much better gear out there but I see no reason to spend an arm and a leg on gear that isn't going to help me catch fish. My most expensive set-up is most likely my swimbait rod and reel. It's probably no more than 200 bucks. I only have 2 rods on board the boat most of the time. A worm rod and the swimbait rod. I can do anything I need to do with those two.

The moral of this story, is you don't have to spend a small fortune to have fun and catch fish. Tournament angling is a whole different ball game though. One that I hope to get into in the future.

[NaCl]

Let's see, a rebuilt tranny with shift kit...$1,200. Another guitar for my collection...$800-$2500. Rent a houseboat for summer vacation...$2400. Physical therapy bill for a week of playing racquetball...$65/visit (3 visits per week for a month - ouch!)

I think I'm a lot better off fishing. Couple new rods each year...$ 340 (for Dobyns Rods) Bait, tackle, launch fees and gaas...still cheaper than most other hobbies I would choose. Besides, bass fishing reduces blood pressure so I'm saving big on the cost of prescription meds!

.....NaCl

ps Cooch hit the nail on the head. You don't have to spend a fortune to catch fish. The only place where I won't skimp on price is on line...I want the best line I can buy.

[Marc]

...I'm in this fishing deal for the fun , and I'm not about to ruin it by thinking about how much I'm spending or wishing I was spending!

If and when I run out of money , I'll scrounge up someone else's discarded mono and hook and tie it to a bamboo shoot, and still have fun catching bass!

[g-man]

I'm not married, and don't have kids. but i still spend way too much on fishing. Think about all the stuff you bought when you first started out, and had no clue what to buy. You know all that stuff that does not work, and is just sitting in your closet, or garage. I sent all my stuff that I was not using to Iraq. So our miltary could do some fishing when their not kicking someones butt! And from the looks of some of those fish they got there, I bet they have never see that stuff, and our soldiers are slaying them with it!