Cost of Fishing?

[stoner]

Just finished reading Bass Times and it hit me... When I first started Bass Fishing I felt like I had everything if I had a few spare hooks and a few extra plastic worms fishing from the bank. When we would toss floating Rapala's in the evenings as the Sun set it felt like we had the best life. Fishing was simple, inexpensive and satisfying...Of course things escalated rather quickly as I figured out ways to do without somethings to put more money toward tackle.

The big purchased was the used boat and even back then 9K was a steal for the Skeeter I purchased with a Yamaha Pro V 150 anyway I saw that the new Skeeter Model with the new 4 stroke is priced around 70K!!! Are they serious?

Hey I saw that as well in the magazine, Ill admit i have a couple LuckyCraft Sammys, but and a some nice rods and reels, but you cant convince me that their boat is worth $70000. Thats is nuts the majority of the people who will have that boat will be the ones that they give it to for tourny's.

[mhall]

It's certainly not a cheap sport or hobby is it? Gets tough on the pocket book sometimes, I'm not a rich man fellas.

[fishincreek]

With all of the posts ringing true, it is tough NOT to enjoy flying down the lake at breakneck speed on the way to your hotspot. And when they are biting and your don't have a care in the world, how can you put a tag on that? Ever go to your grandpa's or fishing buddy's funeral? You won't care about the costs and you won't muttering "I'll bet he wished he had not fished so much".

[DJD]

I lOVE speed I mean LOVE speed..65+ on the ATV, 125+ on my old Crotch Rocket, 120+ in the old Nova, 70+ in a Gambler but 70K for a new bass boat? Naw not me but when it's 90 degrees and the humidity is high and there is no wind? Lets go down the lake!

[Rock_Fish]

I lOVE speed I mean LOVE speed..65+ on the ATV, 125+ on my old Crotch Rocket, 120+ in the old Nova, 70+ in a Gambler but 70K for a new bass boat? Naw not me but when it's 90 degrees and the humidity is high and there is no wind? Lets go down the lake!

I love speed myself ! I bought a 05 Screaming Eagle VROD that goes 0-60 in 3.2 seconds. Does 90 in second gear ! Will make you dizzy in first if you have the nerve to hold it ! Of course it is not as fast as the crotch rockets. Like my sons ZZR that registers for 170 MPH. It can not compete with their power/Weight ratio. I call the Vrod an old mans crotch rocket!

The wife and I once went 110 Mph down Hwy 75 without helmets . Looking back we say, How stupid was that !

[kygorski]

My first boat, cash! it was only a 12 ft vee. BUT you could on one hand the number of boats on the lake I fished. Second one one year tro pay for it. banks didn't finance boats that much. 3rd, me and a friend took over payments on a whaler, great boat for big water, when we were finsihed, we sold it back to the original owner as was part of the deal, so we were in fact leasing it. Got some of the money back. $th one is just sitting here in my yard, needs some repairs, but with a few hundred bucks it will be OK. Current one 17 ft grizzly, rough ride in choppy water, only goes 28 miles an hour, but it runs all day long on 6 gals of fuel, and towing it is much cheaper. Gets me where I want to go. I dont need any speed, if I want to get to a spot far away I just leave earlier.So I'm not a slow boater, nor a fast boater, just a half fast fishermen.

[kygorski]

Oh yes musky fishing was very expensive, used to fish a couple of class A musky lakes up north, and also a few in Illinois.Two years on GRL was my last trip, after 6 hours of throwing suicks, bull dawgs and other 10 inch baits, I couldn't lift my arm the next day.Son in law got some very nice tackle at a very good price, nothing! Great lakes salmon fishing wasn't cheap. Down riggers planer board mast, Dodgers, schoolies and tackle added up quick, but had a partner so we shared some stuff. Sold mine down here at a fraction of the cost. I still give GRL a shot at ole esox, but its plain old bigger bass lures. Heck never kept one and some of the nicest ones I caught up north was fishing for pike. I remember my uncles eyes when I put a sucker on one of our rods that was bigger than any fish he ever caught, and it only cost 3 bucks for a minnow.

[sglass]

I got very lucky on a boat last winter. I bought a Gambler 19 footer with a 150 Merc from my aunt for 5 grand. It is a 2000 model with a 01 motor. It had no trolling motor, no batteries, no battery charger, no depth finder, carpet was green instead of red, all pumps were stuck and would not work, trim tabs were stuck as well. Very filthy boat since I had seen this boat new it made me sad the condition it was in. After a couple weeks of hard and I mean hard work I got her looking close to new. I put about 1500 bucks into it and tore out a bucket of unused wires that was part of the birds nest in the back, replaced the impeller in the engine, bought a digital 80something LB thrust motor guide trolling motor that is a hoss of a motor, only had to replace one livewell pump the others worked fine after taking them apart and hand turning them with WD40 and took apart the trim tabs and hand started them and they work like new. All I need for it now is a new spare tire, depth finder and a grease nipple for the right trailer tire. I am also going to replace the bearings in a month or so just to be safe. If I wanted to I could sell this boat for 13-16 grand but I love it. There are great deals out there you just have to luck up on them. 70 grand for a boat, nah not unless I was cashing every tourney I fished then a Forrest Wood edition Ranger maybe.

[mhall]

With all of the posts ringing true, it is tough NOT to enjoy flying down the lake at breakneck speed on the way to your hotspot. And when they are biting and your don't have a care in the world, how can you put a tag on that? Ever go to your grandpa's or fishing buddy's funeral? You won't care about the costs and you won't muttering "I'll bet he wished he had not fished so much".

Good stuff Creek!!

[Rayman]

Boy's...I was a two pack a day smoker for 22 years. Stopped cold turkey in 1995. The money I saved by not smoking, bought me a new 16 ft. skeeter in "95". Paid it of in "03 and traded that in for a new "03" Nitro NX750. Got well over a thousand dollars in rod and reels, for Bass, Crappie, and Catfishing. Nothing special, just good reliable outfits. Well over a thousand dollars in lures, tackle and equipment. Four weeklong trips to Kentucky Lake each year. Many more trips around home. Well.....That's how I did it!.....Think about it!

[Rock_Fish]

Man, I would probably have a heart attack if I knew how much I really had in Fishing for Myself and Wife and all three kids! But it is good clean family fun time when we all get to go !

[fishhound]

i always said fishing is the most expensive sport a guy can get into
fishing consumes me!! its a way of life i didnt catch that first bluegill as a little boy it caught me love at first site lol and ive been hooked sinse so that being said i have two loves playing music is the other love from the boats, gear,tackle,trips,guitars,amps,livesound,recording studio i dont know how much money & time i have invested! but it dosent matter we cant put a price on happiness and a piece of mind and i take pride in both