8 Tricks To Save Money On Fishing Gear

Fishing tackle has come a long way in the last 20 years, and those advances have led to unprecedented success on the water for many anglers. Unfortunately though, all those advances have come with increased costs, making it tough for anglers on a budget to save money while fishing with all the latest gear.Whether you’re bassing on a budget, or just want to be more cost-effective in your fishing expenses, there are definitely things you can do to make the most of your fishing dedicated dollars.Here are 7 tips to save money while fishing:

1. Reuse Your Plastics

There are lots of ways to extend the life of your soft plastics. The number one step should be to pick up a bottle of Mend-it or superglue. Many plastics can be repaired with a few drops and used again without any drop in performance. Another way to save money is to repurpose used plastics. That craw or creature that is too torn up to Texas rig can be shortened and repurposed as a dynamite jig trailer.

2. Change Your Treble Hooks

You’d be surprised how many anglers will discard or replace old hard baits once their original hooks become broken, dulled, or rusty. A set of split ring pliers and a couple packs of treble hooks can be had for just a few bucks, and add new life to a number of different hard baits.

3. Re-Tie Often

Losing lures is an unfortunate (and expensive) reality of fishing. It’s going to happen, but being lazy will make it happen more frequently. Retying only takes a minute, and doing so will minimize the number of baits you lose due to wear and tear on your line. If you can reduce the number of break-offs by 10 percent in a season, you’ll effectively be saving 10% on your tackle costs.

4. Use Backing On Your Reels

Fishing line, particularly braid and fluorocarbon is expensive. All too often though, anglers waste large quantities of it by allowing it to waste away at the bottom of their reel spools. Most reels hold far more line than you can actually cast, so maximize your line by laying down some cheap backing prior to your main line. For most presentations, all you’ll really need in a year is 60 or 70 yards, so by using backing you can spool three reels with one 200 yard filler spool.

5. Reverse Your Braid

Another way to save money while fishing is to flip your braid at the end of the year. Throughout the course of a season, the first 20 to 40 yards of braid on your spool will absorb the vast majority of the wear and tear, leaving the remainder relatively new. Instead of re-spooling, just reverse your braid by tying the end of your line to another empty reel, and wind it off the original reel. By doing this, you’ll bury the worn braid at the bottom of the second reel and leave the fresh stuff on top.

6. Keep It Simple

Although very basic, the best way to save money while fishing is to only buy what you need. Instead of buying plastics in every color imaginable, instead focus on just the necessities like green pumpkin, watermelon, and black/blue. The same can be applied to hard baits, as you can do just fine with a couple simple patterns like shad, crawfish, and something bright like chartreuse/black back.

7. Only Use Tungsten When You Need It

Tungsten weights are tops when it comes to feel and compact size, making them ideal for many presentations. They’re really expensive though, so budget conscious anglers should focus on only using tungsten on presentations where it makes a difference. Presentations like Carolina rigs and drop shots, and even Texas rigs with sinkers less than ¼ ounce in weight work just fine with lead, and you’ll really minimize the impact to your pocketbook.

8. Sign Up For Mystery Tackle Box!

Signing up for a tackle subscription service like Mystery Tackle Box is one of the easiest ways to save money on fishing. You'll save close to 40% off retail while discovering new baits and techniques every month![x_button shape="rounded" size="x-large" float="none" style='background-color: #F4AA00; border-radius: 3px; border-color: #f4aa00; border-bottom: 3px solid #C89A2A; text-shadow: none !important; color: #ffffff !important; font-family:sans-serif !important; font-weight: 800; letter-spacing: 1.5; text-transform: uppercase; font-size: 16px; padding: 10px 20px 10px 20px;' href="https://shopkarls.com/trymtb" target="blank" info="none" info_place="top" info_trigger="hover"]Learn More[/x_button]