I grew up walking the beaches when i was young. I would hound my mother to drive me to the beach and i'd stay there for hours, hoping that a school of blues would happen to swim by so I could get ten minutes of fast action. More often than not, they didn't!!!
When became an adult,I could finally afford my first boat, an old klunker of a boat, no less... my catching went up through the roof. I caught more fish that one season than in my whole life simply because I had the option of moving around to find the fish.
Now, I have the boat I have always wanted and i go farther and catch even more fish. But, there is a price to be paid for that. For now, I am willing to pay it, and fortunately, I am able to. When I add up the receipts at the end of the year, i am always a bit amazed at how much this hobby of mine costs.
But here's how I can justify it. First, I don't follow up my fishing season with a ski season, or a snow mobile season, or a vaction to Walt Disney season or anything really. My one hobby and passion in life is being on that boat and looking for fish, or mostly, just being on the boat with good friends, my wife, my family. ANd that's my second point regarding the cost of it all, ... I get so much out of it! It is where I go for my therapy and my "recharge the batteries" time. This time of year, I don't have that option and it makes ME CRAZY!!! But it will come around again soon, so I'll make it to another year.
I pay just over $60.00 a foot at my town slip and fuel was $2.00 for most of last year except for a bump to 2.10 for a few weeks. If fuel got so bad that I faced an end to boating, I'd just fish closer to home. I could never give it up, I'd have to roll with the punches!!!
Paid in Full: My two cents
-Hooper
