People are complaining about the price of bait. And it does bite 
when the prices are high; but if you are out to save money, hanging out at the library is a lot less expensive than fishing.
Just guessing here but I figure the “average” person on IDA has around $16,000 in their boat, $20,000 in their tow vehicle, a bunch of rods and reels at $100 a combo, $500 worth of tackle, and then there is clothing, accessories, gas, trolling motors, kickers, etc., etc.
Its an expensive sport gang! 
dd
Fishing is only as expensive a sport as you want it to be. Expensive boats and equipment do not put more fish in the boat. A friend of mine is the only 4-time MWC (Mississippi Walleye Club) fisherman of the year and I wouldn’t give him $2,500 for his boat, motor and tow vehicle combined but his fishing knowledge is priceless.
Good point, I once watch 2 young kids in a 14′ duckboat with a 15hp Johnson win a 65 team walleye tourney. It was catch n release so with no livewell they had to run back n forth to the weigh station on each fish. Good thing it was close. It was comical watching them roll past the $35,000 Rangers on their way to the title. 
Not that it’s bad, I would much rather have the Ranger.
That is why I said “average” IDA person. And you are right it is only as expensive as you make it. But expensive means different things to different people. I would say that for all but a very few thrifty people its cheaper to buy fish than to catch them. 
dd
I agree with you dd. It is what it is. Just like gas prices, it isn’t gonna stop me from going. I look at leaches as a commodity, ya gotta have em.
Ahh… materialism.
Its rediculous how magazines, commercials, and other fisherman convince some of us that we need brand-new, expensive, top-of-the-line equipment to catch an animal with an IQ of about 1. Man do they make a killing on us! Me included 
. All we really need to catch fish is a license and some basic tackle. Boats are basically transportation and a fishing platform. With my $3,000 boat I can fish anywhere on the Mississippi that a $35,000 Ranger can fish. Though it might take a few more minutes to get around but what’s the big hurry unless youre a tournament fisherman??? Most of us arent. I think the most money is spent when a fisherman decides he NEEDS to be able to catch fish in every way possible and in every condition possible. “I have to have the best trolling motor and Depth Finder/GPS. I need that $200 G-Loomis rod so I cant possibly fail to detect the slightest bite. I need every crankbait under the sun because I dont know which one the fish will like the best on any given day. I need $300 rain gear in case it rains and $200 sun-glasses in case the sun comes out. I need trolling rods, jigging rods, flipping rods, and ultralight-rods.” And on and on…
I guess its all about what you want and how much you like to spend money on things you don’t actually NEED. Personally, I like keeping things simple and cheap if I can. I think its more fun that way, keeping things simple. But thats just my view. Popular or not…
I don’t think the issue is the price of an object, but when a item goes from $9.00 a pound one year, to over $22.00 a pound the next, just looking for justification. Using the same percentage, imagine the outcry if a $35,000 boat went to $85,555 in a year. People would ask why ?
big g 
With the high cost of gas and everything else associated with fishing I sometimes wonder why a boat any bigger than 16’ with a 40 hp motor is necessary for the waters I fish. Why do I need that huge gas tank under the floor as I only burn a few gallons on any fishing trip? In fact why do I need that heavy floor to walk on as I am usually sitting anyway? If I am going to keep some fish then why do I need a live well as I could just put the fish in a cooler? Is that carpet that gets wet & heavy, dirty & smelly, really necessary? Just the bottom of the Aluminum boat would work fine for a floor. A boat & motor without all that extra “stuff” would probably weigh about 1000 lbs and could easily be towed by a small high gas mileage car. Maybe this is the future for some of us.
Now if I could just convince my not so good back that bouncing around in a smaller boat would be OK.
Thats why I appreciate my Jon boat so much. Lower cost, lower gas bill, and still alot of fun to fish from. BUT my bigger Alumacraft boat with a few nice features like floor, livewell, rod lockers, casting platforms, locators and GPSs is still ALOT of fun to fish in. Guess we get spoiled as we get more and new toys so to speak. As for the higher price of gas I just fish closer to home more often as I prefer to be on the water as much as I can. Only so much money so I figure out ways to stretch it so I can still fish as much as I want to. 
Thanks, Bill
I guess I’m just a free markets guy. I don’t like high prices either; but I figure that there are reasons and things will work out eventuually. People can’t just arbitrarily set prices on things. The stuff has got to sell. If it doesn’t there will be a correction. People do get stung in the short term; but people are resourceful and they work it out. And prices work themselves out too.
Lots of folks have nightcrawlers in their own yards for the price of a lawn watering or a little digging in the leafpile. Don’t worry be happy!
dd
When you die…he who has the most toys WINS. 
Quote:
When you die…he who has the most toys WINS.
Correction: When you die…he who has the most toys has kids who WIN. 
I guess I can speak from both ends of the spectrum on this one. I catch walleyes from a 16 foot square stern canoe with a 6 horse at home, and a 2005 alumacraft 1950 w/ a 150 opti at the big river………. A catch a lot of fish out of both, but I know which one I’m more comfortable in, is it necessary? Probably not? But then I have to ask myself if Willow Cats are necessary at twelve bucks a dozen, again, probably not, but I find it necessary to catch walleyes over twnety inches, and sometimes cats ARE necessary to do that for me this time of year, and my expensive St. Croix rods aren’t probably necessary in that application either, but they sure are a dream to fish with……….. I guess if I’m going to work seventy hours a week, I’m going to enjoy myself to the utmost on the weekend……. just my two cents.
Quote:
Correction: When you die…he who has the most toys has kids who WIN.
AMEN Bill!!!!! The alumacraft I fish out of is Dad’s, but it sits at Evert’s 365 a year, the boy with a boat on pool four 24/7 definitely wins!!!!!!!!!
Sean,
I’ll tell you like I tell my boy. Let the old guy catch one once in a while too!! Seems like every time I see you guys on the water you and Chris are catching fish and your Dad and I are out for a boat ride.
At my age the price of gas is a little bit of an inconvienience but the time I spend with the boy is invaluable so I don’t plan on backing off fishing anytime soon, God willing that is.
It’s all about WANT and not NEED.
I WANT a nice boat.
I WANT a wife.
I WANT to fish.
I WANT to shop for tackle.
I WANT to use leeches.
I NEED to have a job.
I don’t NEED a wife.
I NEED to complain about stuff.
Do what your WANT to do and what you can afford to do. Everything else works it’s self out.
Remember, we are on this earth a very short time, make the best of it.
Quote:
Correction: When you die…he who has the most toys has kids who WIN.
Correction:
He who has kids to fish with wins!
Amen to that Brian!!!!!!
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