Downsizing Your Tackle Budget

By Ian

  Every heard of that guy who has enough fishing gear to stock a small tackle shop? Bass fishing these days has become something where people buy whatever new thing any pro tells you. Company X came up with a new color of sparkles in a certain color for a lure you don't even know about? Buy it! Pro Z tells you to get something from a company that you don't even know about? Get it!

  I don't know about you, but as a money conscious bank fisherman, I chose to carry a few lures for a trip in a nice fanny pack, rather than lug around several boxes. Heck, you wouldn't even touch half of that stuff. Even for boaters, I think that you should only carry around a few tried and true lures, lures that you use often and have faith in. Why buy something you probably aren't even going to use?

Above: You don't need the very best.

  Let's face it, us weekend warriors aren't pros. We don't need all of that. A nice stock of good frequently used lures is great. Throw in that finesse lure when the fish have lock jaw, and you're all set.

  Limit yourself to a certain number of lures when you are going fishing gear shopping, and make those trips sparse in number. Also, be sure to check out the bargain bins of the store you visit. Save  a few dollars that way.

  So I got all this stuff, and I want to downsize my collection. What can I do? Chances are, if you have a bunch of gear, you already have the essentials. Pick those out.  You won't need to buy anything for a long time.

  You can sell the rest of the stuff on somewhere like eBay or Craigslist. Make some extra bucks that way. Better yet, donate the gear. Give some of it to a deserving kid. Help grow our wonderful sport of fishing. Or, you could give it to something like a 4H group, a fishing pro's foundation like the Ike Foundation,  or give it to us. Just contact us on the Contact page, and we'll set up a pick up if you're in Howard County, or you can ship it.

Tight Lines, 

​Ian