Fishing tackle has come a long way over the years and advances in the materials and technology that go into your rods, reels and lures have led to unprecedented success on the water for many anglers.
Unfortunately, these breakthroughs tend to 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 fishing on a budget or just want to be more cost-effective on the water, here are five measures you can take to save some money on your tackle.
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.
Re-Tie Often
Losing lures is an unfortunate inevitability of fishing. It’s also expensive. Being lazy will make it happen more frequently, as well. One quick habit to get into is retying your knots often. Not only does doing so take little time, but it also minimizes the number of baits you’ll lose due to wear and tear on your line.
Back It Up
Fishing line, particularly braid and fluorocarbon, is expensive. It’s even more expensive when anglers buy the 300-yard spools. All too often, half of this spool wastes away at the bottom of your reel spool. Most reels hold far more line than you can actually cast, so maximize your line by laying down some cheap monofilament first and then connecting it to your braid or fluoro with a uni knot.
Reverse Your Braid
Speaking of braided line, another way to save money 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 most of the wear and tear, leaving the remainder relatively untouched. Instead of re-spooling with brand new braid, just reverse your braid by tying the end of your line to another empty reel and winding it off the original reel. By doing this, you’ll place the worn braid at the bottom of the second reel and leave the fresh stuff on top.
Keep It Simple
I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir in many regards, but the best way to save money while fishing is to only buy what you need. Instead of buying plastics in every color imaginable, focus on just the tried-and-true favorites, like green pumpkin, watermelon and black/blue. The same can be applied to hard baits, as well, as you can do just fine with a few simple patterns, like shad, crawfish and something in a chartreuse.
