How to Save Money on Fishing

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

These days, finding ways to save money aren’t hard. Everyone’s trying to save money, whether it’s using coupons, cutting back on expenses, or just making clear-cut sacrifices. What most people get wrong is believing it’s necessary to go through a lot of pain in order to scrimp and save. Sure, it might take some thinking, planning, and preparation, but that’s it: really, in the end, the purpose of saving is to sustain a high quality of life.

You can do that while keeping your fishing outings. If you’re an avid fisherman, there’s no reason to cut back on a hobby you love simply because times are tough. Instead, follow these quick tips and you’ll be saving money on fishing in no time.

Tip #1: Catch or make your own bait.

Admittedly, a small container of worms won’t exactly set you back so far that you’ll never financially recover. But there are some forms of tackle that are simply too expensive to really give a care about. Dig a hole after a rainy day to find your worms and consider making your own tackle: some quick research will yield a treasure trove of fun ways to do this at home. You’ll also re-connect with your fisherman’s roots when you create your own tackle, as you can truly say you “caught your own fish.”

Tip #2: Buy used equipment.

This is a quick way to save money in any endeavor that requires purchasing new equipment on a semi-regular basis, and it holds true for fishing. If you don’t mind a scratch or two on your fishing reel, you can easily purchase some effective equipment that works just as well as new equipment – except for a few extra miles on the odometer.

Tip #3: Rent!

One of the most effective ways to save money in the short-term is simply to rent equipment you would otherwise purchase. When we’re talking about fishing, the term “equipment” can even refer to a boat. Only rent if you’re sure you want the experience that renting provides – don’t rent simply because it’s cheaper. Use “renting” as option of last resort when you have no other way to get the fishing experience you’re after.

Combining all three of these tips, you’ll find that you understand how to have fun, effective fishing trips that provide just as much of the fun fun for half the price. Consider applying these tips to everything – make your own tackle, buy a used fish detector online, rent a boat – and you’ll be living the high life for average-Joe prices. Isn’t that what we’re all looking for?

Photo Credits: Michael (mx5tx)

The Big Camping Checklist

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

If you’ve done all of your preparation and have packed nearly everything you thought you needed for your first big camping trip, it’s time to go through your checklist. But there’s just one problem: what if your initial checklist wasn’t comprehensive to begin with? If you start out with a bad checklist, you won’t necessarily bring all of the materials and supplies you’ll need to have a comfortable, fun camping experience. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the most important camping materials you’ll need to bring on your big trip.

For the Tent

Inside the tent, you’ll want the following things: sleeping blankets, an air mattress or at least sleeping pads, a flashlight or a lantern, reading material, and enough pillows to rest comfortably. You can also bring some optional material like camping cots, which keep you above the ground.

Why bring reading material? In case there’s a particularly rainy day, you’ll find that your tent is one of the most welcoming places you have. Bringing a favorite book or some humorous material to read can really boost your mood on those ugly-weather days. It should go without saying that you’ll need to bring a tent along with all of these items: do not forget the tent!

After your sleep is taken care of, another high priority will be your stomach. There’s no point in going camping if the entire time you’re racked with hunger because the campfire won’t start, or you didn’t bring enough supplies to create effective meals.

Make sure you bring a cooler full of food that needs to be cooled: efficient foods include hot dogs, pretzels, energy bars, nuts, trail mix, and buns, breads, and bagels. You’ll also want to make sure that you bring along a camping stove to put over a fire.

When it comes to the fire, try to bring at least some matches or a lighter. It won’t hurt to bring a flint just in case you run out of either of those. If you plan on getting a lot of firewood together, bring a water-resistant tarp that you can store the wood in.

Medical, Communications, and Other Items

The most important thing on your big camping checklist? Safety. Communication with other people can help you stay safe, but you’ll also want to make sure you bring some medical supplies of your own.

In order to stay fully prepared, bring a Swiss army knife, a first aid kit, batteries for the gadgets you’re using, a compass, maps of your area, as well as phones and GPS devices if you can afford them.

Photo Credits: HGruber