The Bait Monkey

.By Ian

Imagine walking down the aisle of the fishing section of your local retail store. You started fishing , found you liked it, and decided to go buy yourself a new pack of fishing line. Suddenly, as you pass a shelf of crankbait, a little voice in your head that you never noticed before urges you buy to something. You put it off for the time, and go buy your fishing line, but that voice nags you repeatably to buy something. Finally, you can't put it off anymore, and come home with a wallet considerably lighter than before.

You have just met the bait monkey.

mysterytacklebox.com

With the holiday season coming up, it's easy to go buy "a little something for next year's season" and come home with a massive pile of stuff.  When you go buy a present for fishing friend, you decide to treat yourself to some gear, too. And even when you are in a store for groceries, your eyes wander to the fishing department...... and you know the rest.

Even when you shop online, there is no refuge. Advertisements and glowering reviews dance around. The bait monkey is merciless. At the slightest hint of need,  he harasses until you are forced to slash your bank account.

Pretty soon, a cute little monkey becomes a two ton gorilla.

How do you deal with him?

First off, if you have a bad case of him, unsubscribe from online tackle shops, so you email inbox isn't a source of the bait monkey's screaming.

You can also go to your local fishing store with only the amount of money needed to buy your item. For example, bring $5 if you want a new bag of soft plastics, instead of your credit card.

Only go shopping for fishing gear on certain days, so you feel that your pile of "necessary" items are enough, and promptly leave the store.

Lastly, ask yourself "Do I really need it?" Why buy another pack of hooks if you have 50 packs of the same thing lying at home? 

Tight lines,

Ian.