How much have you spent on your gear?

[Waterwings]

I tend to be a penny-pincher also . Not really that much $$ invested in gear, with the "Carrot" costing $149.95, then I have 2 BPS rods (got 'em on sale) that I use, and a 7' M Abu spinning rod I found on clearance at Walmart for $10, but no reel on it at the moment.

The expensive thing (to me) was the '08 1652 Lowe boat (ord'd w/tm, dual batts, and trailer with spare tire and mount, which ran a little over 5k, which................................will be paid-off in mid-February! [-o<

 

[shamoo]

Mr. Redbug, Airrus hasnt had anything new out till this year, dont know who owns them but a dude named Charles Steffler is their president, Ken Whiting hurt them with his leaving but they're coming back this year and they're going to be getting all their rod blanks from a US manufacturer whom they wont name.

They have been working on a semi-custom rod called FeatherTouch T-6 Series bass rod(very nice looking), you can order a custom rod(249.00-349.00)also a WildLife Series of rods, theres only one rod in this series so far Copperhead Cranking Stix(144.95)to be followd with a flippen stick(169.99), proceeds from this series of rods will be donated to the Texas WildLife Refuge Assoc.

 

[bassboy1]

I love high end gear, but don't like paying through the nose for it. Therefore, I buy most/all of my stuff used/on sale. I sold all my spinning tackle (other than my light action crappie rod) to my dad, so I am down to one good casting rod. It is a St. Croix Avid with a BPS extreme reel (piece of crap). The reel is about 70 bucks, and I got it on sale for 45, and the rod I bought "used" (barely) for 110. I am going to get a Veinto for Christmas, and I saw it on ebay, and my folks got it for 135. I am about to get my first new rod. Of course, it is only because it is too new to find a used one, and it is relatively cheap. It is a St. Croix Mojo spinnerbait rod, which is a 90 dollar rod. I love Lucky Craft lures, but I haven't spent over 10 bucks shipped on one yet (NIP), as I get them on the large site flea markets, and when Cabela's has sales. Same for Senkos, as the only color of them I use on Allatoona is blue pearl, which only Yamamoto makes. Haven't spent more than 4 bucks on a full bag. I snatch up deals when I see them. Recently a guy was cleaning out his back stock, so I got a whole bunch of brand new Zoom plastics for a buck a bag, and X-raps, NIP for 3.50. Tacklewarehouse had a lot of cranks on sale last week, so couple that with the 10% offer they emailed out to repeat customers (ouch), I something like 22 cranks, spinnerbaits, and a couple other odd things for like 75 bucks. And, these are 6 dollar spinnerbaits and cranks. I have also gotten into striper fishing, so I am picking up a few of the Abu reels, and my last two, a 5501 and a 6501 came for 26 and 50 shipped respectively, in almost new condition.

That is really the only way I can afford to fish at this age. Now, my boat on the other hand. I have about 4K in it, and my dad gave me a 2K interest free loan on it. And, my next project will probably cost around 12K, and of course, I will definitely have to upgrade it, so I may be up to 15K to 18K before too long. I refuse to take a loan out on that though, and am going to see how well I can get some investments to pay off to work that.

 

[russ010]

Same for Senkos, as the only color of them I use on Allatoona is blue pearl, which only Yamamoto makes. Haven't spent more than 4 bucks on a full bag.

BassAddict just poured me up some worms and one of the colors is pretty dern close to blue pearl

 

[ilinimud]

Its funny this topic came up. My wife has really been throwing it in my face how much i spend on fishing stuff here lately. Someone said thier wife understands its not like he is spending the money on booze/women. My wife doesnt see it that way, and im not saying she should. But my excuse is i work hard for our money and if i want to have 1 good hobby (obsession) then she just needs to chill out and let me. lol

I have more of a problem with buying tackle than gear. I have a Gander Mountain Elite casting rod i got on sale for 39.99 and an Abu Garcia Revo S (that i love) on sale for 99.99. I think this is a great set up for me, but since i have a new found hate for spinning gear i have been looking for a baitcasting set up for light lures (feel free to offer suggestions) Tackle Warehouse is a killer for me!!

 

[shamoo]

I use to work over-time, the 40 hour check went directly to Momz, the ot went to me, the way I looked at it, I didnt have to work it, when I did it was my time, so its my money. I never kept the whole thing anyway, always shared.

 

[BassAddict]

Same for Senkos, as the only color of them I use on Allatoona is blue pearl, which only Yamamoto makes. Haven't spent more than 4 bucks on a full bag.

BassAddict just poured me up some worms and one of the colors is pretty dern close to blue pearl

Strangely enough I wasent happy with that color, but decided to send it as an extra anyway. After researching "blue pearl senkos", I realize that if I used diffrent color glitter it would of been almost dead on to the GY color. Good thing I take notes on my mess up colors too .

On the cost of my fishing gear I would say im defently under a grand since I usually go for the Onsale sub $100 combos.

 

[shootisttx]

I know I have spent way too much on gear and tackle over the years as I have moved up in quality and quantity, especially when you figure a cost per fish basis.

The way I figure it, though, is that no matter how much we have spent on our fishing gear, I'm sure the federal government would have spent billions and billions more. :?

 

[Popeye]

I refuse to look at it on a per fish basis. Just like I'll never try to figure out huw much my home grown tomatoes cost per pound. Like gardening, fishing is theraputic and relaxing and sometimes I can get Jean to go with me, and that my friend, can't be measured with dollar signs. If I could find a job in Corpus Christi area for the $35/hr it would take to get me to move, I'd be down there taking the grandkids fishing as often as I could.

Hint, hint... if someone out there in the coastal bend of Texas needs a stationary engineer and is willing to pay $35.00/hr, give me a shout.

 

[sccamper]

Ive probally got less than 2 grand in all fishing gear/ tackle/ boat. (cash). I did some side automotive work for the boat, lot of hand me down rods/reels. Pick up some tackle while Im waiting for the guy to get back with my minners. I absolutly can not spend the way some bassers do. Ive got a coworker that uses $500-600 rod/reel combos, I saw 8 on the bow last trip; he also claims to use $20-30 crank baits. Im CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP. Then again, it is not my only hobby. Ive got 400 pounds of light weight backpacking gear, a camper and everything that goes with that mess, wood working stuff, and $30k in tools at work. I have also in the last few years got into firearms. So many other things to get involved in but out of cash allready.

 

[ilinimud]

LOL sccamper i know what you mean. I was going to buy a PSE Archery bow last week and start deer hunting with my father again, but then i realized i wouldnt have as much money to fish. I am going to try to keep fishing as my only hobby, if i focus enough time on maybe i can actually get good.

 

[KMixson]

I have less than $3000 invested into boat, motor, trailer, gear and tackle. My most expensive rod/reel is a shakespeare combo with a Penn 209 levelwind reel. It cost me about $45.00 when purchased about 15 years ago. All of my rod/reel combos are in the range of 10 to 30 dollars. I even have a Shimano rod I purchased from Sports Authority for $15.00. As for lures I will not purchase them if they cost over $4.00 each. I can go fishing all day (12-14 hours) and total cost for me is around 5 to 10 dollars. That is for 1 to 1 1/2 gallons of fuel for my Evinrude 9.9 and food. I go out and just have a ball being out there. As I have said in another post, I am a bird watcher also. I get to see ducks,ospreys, bald eagles, anhingas, cormerants and all kinds of other birds on the water.

 

[Specknreds]

I do not know where to start????

Offshore Saltwater: 2 Penn International 50TWS + rods $1800, 4 shimano TLDS + rods $1600, 4 Diawa Coastals + rods $700, 2 Fly rods 8WT & 12WT $500, trolling lures ($10 -$40 each + rigging) $800, Tackle $500, safety equip and misc. $1000 +. This is just a quick summary on stuff that stays on the boat, I don't want to talk about the boats.

Inshore Saltwater: 4 Diawa Coastals $700, 3 old style Lew's + rods $400, tackle $300, lifejackets, safety, etc $300, GPS $300, Fly rods $600. Again I don't want to talk about boats!!

Freshwater: same rods as above, $300 - $400 tied up in tackle and misc. gear.

I hope my wife doesn't see this. She might take back that new trolling motor she just bought me. [-o<