Fishing

About four years ago I decided to buy about 20 Rapalas for about $3.50 a pop. Well, my supply is getting low and I decided to go out and re-stock. I about passed out when I found out that they are almost $10.00 now. Holy Freaking Crap!!!!! Are you kidding me???? Panther Martins that used to be a meager buck-fiddy are now over $4. Hoppers at Cabela's run $2.25.

I'm really not in a position to pay these freaking ridiculous prices and may have to start going old school and hunting night crawlers in the backyard and bait fishing. How many of you can afford this? How can these lure makers stay in business?

I think the advertising folks that came up with the tag-line "Take Me Fishing" or "Take a Kid Fishing" will have to revamp their slogan to something like, "You'll have to take out a second mortgage before you can take me fishing"

I'd like your opinions/comments on how the price of fishing (I didn't even get into gas prices) has affected you.

TRH

I have definitely spent far too much on fishing supplies lately, but one way to get more bang for your buck is to shop on ebay. You can often find Rapalas for a few dollars, even Lucky Crafts for $5-10. Don't get discouraged if you don't see any killer deals right off, things are always changing on there and some days there are way more good deals than you can even keep track of.


http://gregsfishinglog.blogspot.com/

4 bucks a pop up for rapals at the wal mart on wall ave, a whole shload of them





Have you read my Blog? I hear it's getting better!

http://redneckflyfishing.blogspot.com/

I would have to agree that the prices have gone up steadily every year on tackle. Companies are increasing their price to the retailers and they in turn have to increase the retail price.. It is unfortunate that the youth have to spend so much for one Rapala or one spinner just to go catch a fish. There however is a good supply of "Bargain Baits" out there. Matzuo makes some decent spinners and minnow baits for a fraction of the price. I would check them out. You really can't beat good ole" Mr. Nightcrawler when it comes to fish catchin!

I am a ksl hunter as well as a garage sale looker when I have time. On KSL I typically buy whole tackle boxes. It's usually not what I need but a handful of the lures that I use are worth what I typically give for the whole tackle box. My wife cringes if she sees me on KSL under the fishing section. I am pretty sure I could lose a lure a day for a few years and have some left over. It's the only way I can justify buying expensive lures.

I have been making and using my own stuff for quite a few years. Not just to save money but to get exactly what I want and not what some tackle store says I want.

That being said, I have also been hit with huge cost increases in just about every component I buy for fly tying and lure making. The very worst was when the ladies started buying up all the hackle feathers on the market to decorate their hair. All of a sudden you couldn't find anything you needed and if you could it was outrageous in price...for the lower quality stuff the girls didn't want.

But, I guess that's what we have to expect along with the higher employment rates, rising incomes and such a rosy outlook for the future.

I enjoy Cabela's as much as anyone else, but I won't buy fishing supplies from them. They have a tendancy to sell the same things at a higher cost than what you will find at Wal-Mart.

Sportsman's Warehouse tends to be a little bit better, and I know I have bought a box of lures in the past for a decent price.

Bottom line, go with Wal Mart for lures and general fishing needs.

+100 for example there are fishing shops that sell actual kastmaster brand kastmasters and charge 3.50 to almost 5 bucks a piece depending on size. then you go to wal mart and they sell a pack of kastmaster type lures made by south bend in a pack of three for 3 dollars, not a differnce in those then the real thing and have caught plenty of fish with em aswell, and if you lose one or break off its not as bad since your pretty much getting a 3 to 1 on em, cabelas is way over priced, the only time i go there is to look at the aquarium there.
also it really depends on where you fish and what your needs as a fisherman are. if you factor in gas dpending on what kind of truck you have, food,bait,lures, boat registration parking and how far you drive. if you go nuts it can be pricey.


tightlines




TIGHTLINES

woops left one out, BEER!! money too




TIGHTLINES

What YOU been smoking! I think you musta got a little water behind the ears on your last trip!

Oh wait - I get it!

+1 on the KSL finds, also the for-sale board on BFT. You'll find folks that "just don't use it anymore" or "got rid of the boat, getting rid of the tackle too". Whole tackle boxes, plano box sets.

I'm no-where's the master crafter that the Dude is, but I have found the joy and cost savings of creating a few spinners, worm harnesses.
You know what they say "hook - line - sinker" (maybe toss in some beads and blades).
Sometimes simpler is better, and size matters. It's all true! If you don't want to fork out $25 for a lifelike jointed swimbait crank - maybe just go for simple jig-heads, and plastic grubs and tubes. They'll catch about everything.

You wanna go redneck - try making some of these:

I like to keep an eye on Cabelas Bargain cave on line. At times they mark stuff way down. They have Rapala baits starting at around five bucks.

About a month ago the had packs of 25 painted jig heads for 1.88 each. I bought 15 of them.

Sold half of them and now I won't need jig heads for many years or until the next deal shows up.
=======================================


Light travels faster than sound.

So some people seem really bright until you hear them talk.

i have to agree with cabelas being a great place as long as you shop online. everything is right at your fingertips. it makes it really easy to compare brands and prices. i have enjoyed really good success on cabelas brand products and you can find those for a steal
best thing about it is that they ship your order to the store for free.


"All my life I have had secret places. I like secret places. They make me feel smug and superior, two of the really great feelings."

-Pat MacManus

Pretty soon it wont matter because with the price of fuel (Diesel) I cant afford to drive anywhere to fish anyway. Actually I will probably keep on payin the prices to do what I enjoy.

I have a licensed business to resell anything in utah, i wouldnt mind passing the savings on if we had a bunch of people who wanted stuff.

pawn shop??




TIGHTLINES

Tubedude, did I detect a little sarcasm in the last paragraph?

Ya sure did, Sherlock.

But I forgot to add that with fuel prices dropping as fast as they are...

Enough to make ya wanna jump off yer tackle box.

Yeah There is this old guy down the street who has beautiful barred rock chickens. He used to give me all kinds of feathers, but now he's real popular with the ladies. "Go Figure".


>>>> Listen to the voices in your tackle box <<<<

Are you the guy who produced this video?

CHICKEN FISHING

i like the spinners. where do you get the blades and everything to make em.


If you aint catchin em'...
someone else is

no i build computers, but i can buy anything under my license

  This is why I started shooting and making primitive archery gear, too.

This is why I have learned to make a few things myself.

This is why I love plastics and various jigs/spinners, etc...

This is why I scrounge lures along banks. Go to where lots of guys fish from shore, but where there's heavy brush, etc.. in your float tube. The lures are on the back side of the trees, AWAY from the bank, when the water is low.

Basically just bargain shop find the specials and closouts.There are other brands other than rapala and pointer minnows which work as good or better and are way cheaper.I dont think a fish is going to discriminate your lure if you dont use a rapala or a pointer minnow.

Funny video......You should take it to the fly tying expo........ Maybe someone could work on a rolled oats fly.


>>>> Listen to the voices in your tackle box <<<<

don't know if I dare admit it, but . . . Cabelas.
I got a spinner making kit, and it came with some blades, wires and stuff. Then I just got a packet of sampler blades, and some beads. There are various tackle-making companies with lots of options - size, shape, color, hammered-smooth. Got some cheap nailpolish from the dollar store to add some glitter and glam 'em up. Stickers too can add pizazz.
Got two types of "clevis" - metal ones, very small. Locked in. Plastic ones that are larger, but also allow for blades to be inter-changed.

I can get you a couple catalog phone#/URLs if you'd like. Tubedude lent me some of his "parts" catalogs.

I did something of a "walkthru" for how I made 'em.
Haven't hardly fished them yet, and though I haven't caught anything on them I did have some convincing follows and bumps.