Surfcasting on a budget

[tattoobob]

Lets come up with some ideas to save money,
Like what DZ Did with the shampoo bottles to store lures.
any one have any ideas to save money now that gas is to
much money

[lurch]

Use rubber shad baits as they are cheap and dont waste your money on expensive plugs.

[Diggin Jiggin]

For a lot of years, the only thing in my bag was bombers in black, pearl white and yellow...

[Slipknot]

pitch a tent by the water

[RIROCKHOUND]

catch your own bait and chunk!

[labrax]

I just bought a 12.5' aluminum boat so I can justify owning a big SUV to tow it with, figure I'll save some $ by fishing local bass ponds when gas rises to over $4 a gallon.

Probably seeing if anyone else wanted to share a ride and split gas would save some cash for those of us that need to commute to fish.

I might even take the wife's Maxima - which gets about 6-7 more mpg.

Just saw that the gas commodity traders saw a government forcast showed an even greater imbalance in the gasoline stocks, so they went on a buying spree and the price has gone up again.

[Joe]

Sell the beast and outfit a Prius with a rod rack.

[Backbeach Jake]

Back in the day, when catching meant dinner and a skunk meant no dinner, I bait fished, Worms were dug on the low tide and fished at the next high. Very effective, closest to a sure thing you'll ever see. If not worms, then clams. Also, very effective. Worms seem to be stripers,flounder and cods comfort food, and that bait seems to filter out blues.In fact, I've only seen two blues caught on worms in 40 years of fishing. My equiptment consisted of a clam rake, a sandeel rake, a Berkley honey colored rod and a Mitchell reel that compares to a 704 today. I can't remember the Michell model # but I still have it. I used mono, 20# Ande and tied my own rigs. My clam permit was my biggest expense. I did WAY better then then I do now with all this hi-tech bs.

[JohnR]

Car pool and arrange fishing parters - hmmm, should we have something here like Match Dot Com? Have people submit their video & profiles and we'll have Raven jam the info into his Farmer's Almanac computer and spit out compatibilities?

[Raider Ronnie]

I'm thinking about having a sail mast added to my boat to cut fuel cost with my boat !

[RIJIMMY]

freeze you unused eels, rig em and use again and again and again.......

[RIROCKHOUND]

RIJ:
that only works until you have a couple of doz rigged and a few doz more unrigged. then you must be forced to choose... throw some out or sleep on the couch...
damn my neck is all crinked today

Seriously though Bob, it is the cheapest way to fish: start in May, catch a sh-t load of squid, freeze them. chunk squid till June, buy or snag/net a tote of pogies, freeze them, chunk till whenever, and throw eels when you feel ambitious or $...

'course my broke ass just buys eels and forgos a few beers or coffee every week!

[fishaholic18]

Repower your boat with a 4 stroke.

[wheresmy50]

Make your own coffee and lunches
Keep two or three rods and sell the rest.
Fish longer and make fewer trips.
Don't use braid.
Superestrike

[Rockport24]

yes, keep the gear simple and minimalist, try and learn spots closer to home so you don't have to drive as far, make your own coffee and lay off the dunks and this may be VERY controversial, but keep a keeper now and again if you eat fish and save yourself money at the market, might as well make all this time on the water work for you.

[HighTide]

bought a kayak

[VTRI]

Park your boat and pick up your surf rod

[luds]

buy all your stuff from M&D's.

[JFigliuolo]

Originally Posted by Rockport24

... VERY controversial, but keep a keeper now and again if you eat fish and save yourself money at the market, might as well make all this time on the water work for you.

Controversial to who? makes perfect sense to me. Even if you think killing a stirper is tatamount to murder... Think about all the by-catch that is slaughtered when you buy fish at the store.

[Jimbo]

Excellent thread, I need this because I usually make 6-8 trips up to the family digs on the Cape during the summer. I guess maybe fewer trips, but stay longer. I like the break in the trip, but with gas surcharges maybe pass on taking the Orient Point-New London ferry. Holding quasi-garage sale to get rid of some edgers and weed whackers, etc., I just don't use (actually I do it the old fashioned way, with non-gas equipment). Someone else said save some money at the supermarket by keeping some of what you catch, to eat. That hold true for having a garden as well. For the past few years in addition to my small plot at home my work has allowed a few of us to plant a garden near our building. I also definitely don't care what other people think and have no qualms about picking other people's garbage and any dumpster that looks interesting, too.

[Skitterpop]

Originally Posted by Backbeach Jake

Back in the day, when catching meant dinner and a skunk meant no dinner, I bait fished, Worms were dug on the low tide and fished at the next high. Very effective, closest to a sure thing you'll ever see. If not worms, then clams. Also, very effective. Worms seem to be stripers,flounder and cods comfort food, and that bait seems to filter out blues.In fact, I've only seen two blues caught on worms in 40 years of fishing. My equiptment consisted of a clam rake, a sandeel rake, a Berkley honey colored rod and a Mitchell reel that compares to a 704 today. I can't remember the Michell model # but I still have it. I used mono, 20# Ande and tied my own rigs. My clam permit was my biggest expense.***** I did WAY better then then I do now with all this hi-tech bs.

******

hahahahahahah love that line... so true at times Fred

[chris L]

stop driving so far for fish . try local waters I hear there are fish . no more plugs to be bought .

[FishermanTim]

you could always fish locally, and skip any "road trips".
For me, that would mean fewer trips down to the canal, and fewer $$$ being spent there.
Don't be surprised if the rise in the price of gas this year REALLY effects the travel/tourism during the summer.
I know I won't be making as many trips because of the gas crunch.
My only relief would be if my brother wants to drive his Chevy Metro down a few times. That 3 cylinder engine sips gas compared to any other vehicle.

You could also make your own lures, either wood or possibly plastic, but that's for only the most fanatical.

[Swimmer]

Originally Posted by chris L

no more plugs to be bought .

Hey watch it, no more plugs to be bought, the very thought.

[Salty]

Stay home and watch fishing show's on the tube.

[Rockport24]

Originally Posted by JFigliuolo

Controversial to who? makes perfect sense to me. Even if you think killing a stirper is tatamount to murder... Think about all the by-catch that is slaughtered when you buy fish at the store.

I guess I was just trying to be sensitive to the catch and release only crowd. Great point though about the bycatch.

[JLH]

Great thread.

I have been saving for fishing expenses since the end of last season. Its 180 miles round trip for me to drive to the shore and back, I make the drive just about every weekend and sometimes during the week from May through November… When I take out the boat I have to trailer it from Westerly to Barn Island, plus the gas for the boat!! Yikes it’s going to be an expensive season!!

I’ll probably try to partner up more for boat trips instead of flying solo, will also most likely be using the boat less this season and making more trips from shore or in the kayak.

Toying with the idea of selling the boat downsizing both to something more fuel efficient.

[Flaptail]

Sell your VanStal's first, they are way over priced and way way overated and secondly it will also help the budding surfcasting avoid a phobia about being inadequately outfitted to catch striped bass when all they can afford is a Penn Silverado and Ugly Stick rod which btw will catch anybass that swims in the Atlantic.
(I actually own and like my 32.00 Penn Silverado 5000! )

Next unload your 21 foot boat and buy a 14 to 16 foot aluminum skiff with a 20 hp motor (4 strokes use a touch less gas but are more expensive to buy and repair) 2 stroke. Hey, who complains about fishing for two days on 6.2 gallons of gas?

Loss the Hemi truck or Hummer or F350 and buy a Beater 6 cylinder jeep, go with one other guy and split the gas and stickers. No need for a new ride in the dand and salt it's gonna eat your dough and the beach will eat the truck.

Fish locally! No need to drive 200 miles and sit in traffic if there are fish to be had in your backyard. I live in Falmouth which has more coastline than any other town on the Cape and there are inlets, beaches, jetties and bays all over. If you live inland than plan to carpool and split the expenses.

Recycle all your old plugs. Plastic and most wood don't go bad. If they are beat, restore them. It will give you something to do over the winter and aid in your personal creative outlet and expression!
( Building your own is not the cheapest way to go, the intial investment is a killer and your time has to be added in what it is worth in dollars, it's fun b ut man it is an exopensive hobby if you really get into it)

Re-introduce yourself to the idea that fishing, anykind of fishing, is supposed to be fun first and foremost. That will alone save you big bucks and therapist costs.

[djfishes]

i bought an 85 vanagoon for 500 just for fishing fits 6 and 10 poles

[Shake N' Bake]

Originally Posted by Salty

Stay home and watch fishing show's on the tube.

Salty might be onto something. You can keep your gear right next to you since the lady isn't watching your fishing show.
During commercials you could hook the cat, dog or the kid. Good fight for sure, use unbarbed so you can cast quicker.

Seriously, I have purchased decent used rods at yard sales.
I also switch it up between fresh water and salt. I can bike to fresh water...truth be told though. Pickeral and small mouth from a bridge can get boring so I jump in the Hemi and head to Hampton for the day. I Love It!!!