To save money on fishing gear, think smaller and bigger. Smaller boats and buying in bulk can pay dividends. Building and repairing your own equipment are other ways to keep money in your wallet. If you own a boat, save money on gas and oil by considering when and how you burn it and buy it.
Get a Smaller Boat
You do not need the biggest, fastest boat on the water to catch fish. Big boats look great and are fun, but they can cost a lot of money. Fisherman Trevor Knight, who once won a major tournament with a 17-foot boat powered by a 70 hp motor, says the prevailing idea that you need a $50,000 bass boat to be competitive is myth. Other fishermen who could not get their engines started have won tournaments fishing near the launching ramp. Big boats with big motors burn a lot of fuel. Save a dollar and spend your time fishing instead of boating.
Save Gas
Drive your truck, not your boat. Instead of running from one end of a lake to the other in your boat, put your rig on its trailer and pull it there. You'll use less gas driving a truck than a boat. Buy gas before you get to the lake. Marina gas is usually more expensive than highway gas. Ease off the throttle and run at 3,000 to 4,000 RPM. That could get you 30 to 50 more miles per tank of boat gas. Don't buy a gallon of oil and throw the plastic jug away. It is cheaper to take that jug to a dealer for a refill than to buy a new gallon of oil. On the road, consider campgrounds instead of motels.
Buy in Bulk
You'll save money on line if you purchase 2,000-yard spools instead of 250-yard spools. Fisherman Knight says if you have favorite lures or if you plan your fishing trips early in the year and you know what lures you will need, buy them in bulk during the off-season.
Make it Yourself
Make your own tackle. Weights are not hard to make, and the investment in equipment will pay for itself in a couple of years. Many trout fishermen tie their own flies, and bass fishermen can do the same by tying their own jigs. Replace worn out parts of a spinnerbait rather than buying a new spinnerbait. Feathered trailers on the back hooks of poppers can easily be tied at home without buying pre-packaged replacements. Replace your own rod guides. If you cannot match the original wrap color, you will have a rod that looks unique, that works well and keeps money in your pocket.
Glue It
Use glue. There are super glues and fishing glues that will mend cracked plastic lures. If you fish grubs and they slip down the hook, glue the tip of the grub to your weight. Fishing Minnesota says glue also will prevent small fish from stripping plastics off your hook, which can save you more money.
Change Only Part of Your Line
Don't change all of the line when you change line on your reel. Use a heavy line for your backing and fill half the reel. Use a uni-knot to connect the backing to the line of your choice. When your line starts to fray, replace only the front half of your line. The backing may last an entire season.
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