Fishing for some is a livelihood, a hobby for others, while for many it’s a nearly addictive passion. Regardless of the category you fit into as an angler, saving some money can go a long way. There is no doubt saltwater fishing can get very expensive with reels or rods running from $50 to $2,000, not including all of the other incidentals, especially if you own a boat.
The offseason for a professional fishing guide can kind of look like Christmas with new products, re-stocking lures, and hooks and lines being delivered almost daily. As fast as gear and maintenance items come through the door, the quicker the money leaves the account.
Over the years, several of these tried & true measures have helped cut costs and make that dollar go a little longer on the water.
Boats, Engines, & More
As the saying goes, “the two happiest days of a boater’s life is when you buy the boat and sell the boat.” Most boats, unlike cars which see daily use, tend to sit on trailers or in boat slips only getting used on weekends, or at worst a few weekends a season. Most mechanics agree, it’s better to regularly use a boat than to underuse it as sometimes low hours are not the best thing for all parts of the boat’s mechanical parts. Regular use and maintenance is crucial to the life of a boat motor along with the ancillary parts like steering and trim tabs. When in use all of the parts are continually being lubricated which helps to prolong the life of an engine, hence cutting down on repair and re-powering costs. Step one, use it as much as you possibly can.
Lubrication is key to all moving parts, whether it’s on the road or the water. Try to grease all grease points on boat engines at the minimum twice a year and pay attention to trailer bearings as metal does not like being dunked into that corrosive brine. A good rule of thumb is to grease trailer bearings before each time using the trailer as this guarantees the proper lubrications and helps to prevent bearing failures.
Steering happens to be another component that gets less attention from boat owners, but can wreak havoc when it fails. Owners of outboards with hydraulic steering can increase the life of the system by preventing pitting and corrosion of the ram. Neglected steering over time will get pitted and these blemishes will eat into steering seals that have extremely small tolerances.
One way to help, which I learned from a Tele-flex technician, is to lightly spray or coat the ram with hydraulic steering fluid after it is rinsed with fresh water. The coating will protect the ram from corrosion extending the life of both the ram and seals. I’ve been doing this for years and it works great!
Rods, Reels & Gear
If you haven’t realized – soap and fishing reels do not mix. I never use soap on my fishing rods or reels, only a freshwater spraying or soaking. After my last trip of the season, I hit all of my rods and reels with warm freshwater to remove any remaining or hard to get salt deposits. Soap has devastating effects on the oils and grease that lubricates a fishing reel and can easily breakdown those compounds. Penn Reels makes a fantastic reel and rod cleaner which is sprayed at the end of the season or when the gear will have extended time off the water. The oil-based spray not only cleans, but helps to restore the plastic polymers or rubber and protects against corrosion and reduce wear.
Depending on the amount of rod and reel setups you have, keeping accurate maintenance records can help protect reels as they are usually the most neglected piece of equipment. As a charter captain, my rods are labeled and recorded on a spreadsheet which indicates when they were serviced, year and strength of line. By doing it this way, I know when a reel is due for servicing or when line needs to be re-strung.
Tackle can be another added expense that seems to always need reinvestments, especially if you fish any stickier types of structure. If you can Do-It-Yourself (DIY), lots of dollars can be saved with producing your own weights, jigs, and rigs. The off-season is the perfect time to learn new knots or loops and tie rigs. If it’s in-season, next time you watch your favorite Netflix or show – tie some rigs for the next trip. Your local tackle shop probably sells leader, hooks, and terminal tackle in bulk quantities and savings can be had this way.
Although more extensive in scope, making weights and jigs can also be another DIY item which can save cash. First, a spot with good ventilation becomes necessary when working with molten lead as lead fumes can be hazardous to your health; that’s why most folks wait until the spring to do this type of work! Keep in mind however that other safety measures are needed such as leather gloves, safety glasses and chemical masks. Lead-lure making gear like molds, pots, and ladles, can all be purchased from a variety of suppliers and soft lead can usually be secured from scrap yards.
Anglers that participate in a lot of fluke fishing can also make their own bucktails for fractions of what they cost in stores. The money needed for one-time purchases of gear will easily pay itself back in years of making sinkers and lures. Sometimes lead jigs or bucktails may be become damaged, off colored or even paint has chipped away to the point of becoming a bare jig. When lures age to this level, they can be placed in a bucket and “re-purposed” into new lures by melting and pouring into new jigs.
Managing Tackle
Tackle management has become increasingly more efficient and sophisticated over the years with trays, gear bags, and rust-protection integrated into the systems. All saltwater anglers know all too well what happens when lures are put away without being rinsed or dried. Hooks and terminal tackle will produce those ugly, reddish-brown spots which represent the corrosive properties of saltwater and the first signs of oxidation. Plugs with haired trebles or jigs will also get an unwanted healthy dose of the Mars-looking rust.
In order to combat this, manufacturers such as Flambeau or Plano have integrated rust-protective compounds into tackle trays. These compounds emit slowly into the tackle spaces and prevent rust from occurring. If your trays don’t have this, several companies produce chemically impregnated cardboard looking chips that fit into trays offering rust protection. These chips should be changed every 3 to 6 months depending on the manufacturer.
Speaking of rust and terminal tackle, I have found that old medication containers work exceptionally well for holding angler clips, slide sinkers, and barrel swivels. These are watertight, easy to throw in a tackle or surf bag and make for quick access when the fishing is fast and furious. I literally have two containers with barrels and slide sinkers in the cup holder on my skiff during striped bass charters and makes for easy re-ties.
Any anglers that fish for fluke with Gulp understand the Gulp juice is precious to the body and function of these soft baits. But also if you spill it in a vehicle, that can get very interesting in terms of smell. There are lots of manufacturers making “spill-proof Gulp” containers, but so far the best I have found has been a container actually made for ground coffee available from Amazon. In addition to the rubber sealing gasket, it opens with ease (no unscrewing) and has UV protection from the Gulp. Since different Gulps can react to the dyes used to make them, I suggest keeping like colors together – in other words, keep colors separate. For example, chartreuse will quickly dull or darken white colored Gulp into that ugly, light tan color which fish don’t appreciate.
The next time you order from a Chinese restaurant, save the pint or quart containers as these tend to make great fresh or frozen bait containers. After a sea bass trip, we usually have leftover clams and sometimes more than desired. These quart containers make excellent keepers for fresh-frozen baits, and can easily be refrozen and thawed again for another trip. If no more sea bass trips remain, clam baits can be pre-cut and placed into labeled quart or pint containers for blowfish as they do not discriminate from fresh, frozen or old clams.
Fresh Or Frozen?
Fresh fish is the best, but sometimes due to other obligations or timing of the catch, the eating has to be delayed for another day. Fish will stay up to 3 days in the refrigerator, but to keep it to the optimal level of “freshness” – use paper towels around the fillets to absorb the juices that can quickly spoil the meat. I will change out the paper towel each day until the fish is cooked within the 3-day period. Let’s face it, you don’t want to lose your fish fillets that took time, money and energy to catch.
If you’re a regular fisherman and like eating fish, invest in a vacuum saver as these are phenomenal machines which can help preserve your catch to be eaten nearly a year later. Before vacuum sealing, the fillets are quickly rinsed with a light saltwater solution, patted dry and partially frozen. The fillets are placed in sealing bags which labeled with the species & date, before being vacuumed and placed in the freezer. We have re-thawed sea bass caught almost a year prior to have it taste like it was just off the boat.
Vacuum sealing can also be used for baits such as clam, mackerel, or squid. Bait purchased in bulk can be salted, cut or stripped. Prepared baits can be partially frozen and vacuum sealed to last two to three times as long as traditional baits.
Fishing is a recreational sport for most, which means the money comes from an angler’s discretionary income. For the lucky few, there is no ceiling on discretionary income, but for the many, limited funds are available to be spent on “non-essential” items like high-end rods, reels, and boats. By employing some of these tips into your fishing repertoire, they may allow for additional spending on more gear or less spending to keep the spouse happy.
