Fishing on a dime

Discretionary income seems to be less and less all the time and then I watch IDO and other fishing shows and read the magazines and it’s all about spend, spend, and spend some more or you won’t be successful. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve learned a ton from those shows and mags but my bucket list is filled to the top just being able to afford to fish productively in places within an hour from home. Trips to Idaho and Canada will never happen for me unless disaster strikes and my entire family is gone along with all family obligations. I know why shows and mags are that way, sponsors need to sell products.

So here’s the challenge for me and to help newbies. What’s the minimal amount of gear needed to truly be successful and what will that cost a beginner? Do you buy quality but less of it? How little gear do you think you could get by with to truly be successful?

Hey James, I know it won’t pay the bills but your show and most others makes a guy think maybe it’s time to give it up because the average guy would never be able to do most of what you’re doing. I’m sure the stats would show most anglers are lower middle-class people likely struggling financially also. Just throwing it out there but if IDO is ever feeling the squeeze I’d love to see a season where you’re forced to walk to fish spots within an hour of home to locally pressured bodies of water. It’d be great to see how the pros would tackle the conditions the average joe faces every weekend.

Gregg, I feel your pain. Getting accustom to commission checks 8 to 11 months after a sale is hard to adjust to. Those that think guides make millions are nuts. So the money faucet is not pouring out gold here, yet I’m expected to have latest/greatest when someone is dropping $275-400 to get out.

I think first step is examining purchase habits. Its nice to buy 6 of every size and color, and to buy them going into peak season. But adjusting to covering the spectrum with less and when you purchase, you can extend your purchasing power further.

As for IDO shows, I think if you look back at a lot of the early shows, and season 7, there are a lot of inexpensive techniques shown. Granted, they weren’t filmed in James’ back yard, but a few were on my “home” waters. For obvious reasons, there are a few things you need to look past. James has a deal with Skeeter, and all the open water shows are filmed in a Skeeter boat. Doesn’t mean that other boats don’t work. Same goes for a lot of other products shown. But I think James did an outstanding job that season in showing a LOT of inexpensive techniques with plastics, blade baits, and others.

Also, the few outing James did on open basin crappies were pretty basic. Tungsten jig, grub or just a few different plastics.

Agreed, the IDO show has done a better job with local pressured water techniques than most. The challenge would be doing it week after week in the same pressured water in the same conditions faced by most anglers out there.

While some of the shows are about beautiful places for dream trips, local is sort of relevant to where you are. I see guys posting on the Green Bay get together, about being careful of the travel and such. For guys from MN and further, that is a special trip. To us living closer, it can be even a day trip, like it will be for me tomorrow.

The recent show on Lake Poygan is a high pressure local lake for many, and they talked about staying mobile, away from crowds and such. Guys are driving and accomplishing that now without any special gear. On that Lake Link thread, the show has been pointed out many times as “this is what you need to do”. They made reference to a lake in MN that this was a lot like, so locals there can connect to the points being made.

Last year’s Duluth, MN walk off the shoreline and catch nice Lake Trout is the same thing… a hump for some of us, backyard stuff for others. Nothing but a flasher and average gear needed for potential fish of a life time dream. Same with the community hole crib fishing for gills on the western side of WI episode a few weeks back.

I’m 2.5 hours away from the bay of Green Bay… and last year’s shows on the walleye fishing there after ice out gave me the incentive to try it. Three of us went together, and did something all new. We caught great fish, had a super time, and it was in line with our pocketbook. Yes, we needed a boat for those waters and such, but my 17′ Lund was enough. Didn’t need a 60K walleye boat.

Episodes show me the methods and thoughts to learn to enjoy special things that are close at home as well. I’ve used their technics for dragging jigs and searching for fish on the Wisconsin river fishing out of my kayak as an example.

Am I going to Idaho or North Dakota for perch, or Canada for Lake Trout, no. I can dream about it, but other bills need to be paid. I can still take some of what I see and not only enjoy the entertainment, but learn from it.

I’ve now fished new waters here in WI because of the show, and even discovered Lake MI fishing here ten minutes from my house because of the website conversations. I don’t want to say these have been life changing, but they sure have added a lot.

Are we going to see them fishing out of a car top kayak in the near future, probably not… but I do think the information they share can help us in any manner we fish. Do I get caught up wanting all the new fancy rods and stuff sure… but at the end of the day, it is something to dream of and work for. I accept my average store brand reels and such are plenty good and I’m still happy with them.

I think that is a benefit coming from most of the season is on ice fishing… there are a lot of average guys that can get out on the ice, that can not afford the boat and such of summer fishing.

Great post, I love to ice fish and the areas I typically fish require foot transportation, a hand auger and only enough gear to fit in a 5 gallon bucket. I target shallow backwater areas of the Mississippi and typically don’t fish deeper than 4′ of water.

To get set up you would need a good hand auger ($100), a tip down ($20), a couple of schooley rods ($10 each & best shallow water Rod on the market) and about $20 worth of jigs (Cecil’s, purist,rocker jigs,Rembrandt and rat finke), a good bucket to sit on and no need for a flasher as you will work the entire water column. As you would expect there is not a lot of marketing in those things I mentioned above, because there cost is low you are paying for the product and not all the advertising.

I know there are a lot of options for ice fishing, if you are on a budget then I would concentrate more on shallow water sloughs. If you start to tackle bigger water then you need to consider electronics, portability, a good power auger, mapping chips, spinning reels and Rod combos ect. So head to Wabasha some weekend and sit next to a grumpy old man on a 5 gallon bucket, share some of your venison sticks and sit back and you will see how enjoyable ice fishing is when you keep it simple.

Greg, I sympathize with what your saying. That being said I believe we are in two different worlds relating to ice fishing culture. I am newer myself to ice fishing and when I remember back to how it went a couple of decades ago I conjure up thoughts of a guy with a hand auger, pole, bait, and a bucket to haul it in while he walked out to his spot. He’s usually an older guy who has been fishing this spot for years and learned of it either through trial and error, or from his grampa. Fast forward to now, and it’s a totally different game, we now live in an age of instant gratification where no expense is spared. While our newer, more modern contraptions may translate into higher success, they also abbreviate the time needed to get there. Also, depending on how much you spend, you can add comfort and ease to the experience. Yes this all comes at a price. I also motorcycle quite a bit for over 40 years and I’ve seen an evolution in that sport. I have asked myself how many would be on bikes if they had to as in the old days properly choke and set the throttle and kick start the bike? Then deal with hard grabby clutches and drum brakes. Motorcycles used to be a cheap alternative transportation, now they are expensive butt jewelry. Where does the spending end? It will end for me when I run out of money, but that’s just me, others need to decide for themselves.

Gregg Pfeifer wrote:

Agreed, the IDO show has done a better job with local pressured water techniques than most. The challenge would be doing it week after week in the same pressured water in the same conditions faced by most anglers out there.

We can’t do the same show week after week. We’d be out of business shortly after adopting that format.

We go to great lengths to diversify our show topics and locations to appeal to a wide audience. Selling tackle or anything else has nothing to do with where we go or how we fish. And we fish more heavily pressured bodies of water than remote destinations. Upper Red, Mille Lacs, Poygan, Cedar, Enemy Swim…these are all bodies of water that we fished this year that crawl with people and get hammered with pressure.

Nice post Joe, those are the types of replies I’m looking for to help a couple buddies get started. They heard all I have to say but still skeptical startup expenses will would too much but I got them reading this stuff. There’s lots of shallow water opportunities for them here like Monona Bay where anyone can catch something.

James Holst wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Gregg Pfeifer wrote:</div>

We can’t do the same show week after week. We’d be out of business shortly after adopting that format.

We go to great lengths to diversify our show topics and locations to appeal to a wide audience. Selling tackle or anything else has nothing to do with where we go or how we fish. And we fish more heavily pressured bodies of water than remote destinations. Upper Red, Mille Lacs, Poygan, Cedar, Enemy Swim…these are all bodies of water that we fished this year that crawl with people and get hammered with pressure.

James, I maybe wasn’t clear but I think you guys do a great job on the show and do show low cost techniques in pressured areas. I did say IF the funds ever got tight it’d be nice to see the local approach. I do also understand everyone’s local is different but one thing in common to populations is those local waters will see pressure.

BTW, whoever made the Harley comment my buddy has 2 of the best cared for bikes he’d like to sell.

Already have one Harley, don’t need another although those new Indians look real nice.

Coming from western NY I’ll never be able to fish these MN. and Wisconsin waters. Unfortunately I also have a limited fishing budget (darn it). Seems like I could spend everything I make, if my wife would let me. I watch the IDO shows and I can relate to certain episode’s that either reinforce a technique I already use or provide me with some new tips to try for my style of fishing. Our lakes see a lot of pressure perhaps even more than yours since NYS is densely populated and has fewer lakes, but with patience and skill there’s a lot of nice fish to be caught.

Hmm, so far there’s suggestions of getting started with the help of buddies or borrowing equipment. So would you save the expense of a guide for once you’re established and need to get better? Or would a guide be the best money spent if done when getting started?

If it was on a body of water that I intend to fish over and over again then yes to a guide asap. It’s an investment that will pay for itself over and over, again and again, you know what I mean, you know what I mean.

Yeah, I agree with clown…use a guide. Also agree with others…if you want to get into fishing cheap, find a friend that is all set up. I know I buy extra gear for just that reason. No one riding on my boat needs anything more than a fishing license and their clothes. I like to take friends, family and foes out fishing to enjoy the sport and social aspects so they can really decide if this is something they want to do every week or just here and there.

That being said, I blame James and crew @jamesholst for “making” me buy all the gear they use on the show. My wife is conflicted about him…She thinks he is handsome and manly but knows the reason we can’t afford new windows or a deck in the back yard is because all my disposable income has been diverted to fishing gear, 4 wheeler with tracks, pimped out jon boat, custom rods, etc. lol! Watch your back James. She will be the thin tallish brunette approaching you on the streets with a smile and a vendetta.

Never used a guide on the local lakes, just talked to people and fished them until I got the feel for the lake. But when going into Canada for several trips and fishing a fairly body of water that I’ve never fished before, Guides proved invaluable. I’m sure our catch rate would have been down form that of what it was without using the guide. I also think it’s important to make the guide feel like one of the guys. I.e.: if your having a big fish fry ask him to join you.

A Zebco 33 reel on a cheap rod. Bobber, hook, sinker and you can catch any species that swims in Minnesota. The rest is to increase the success rate, size of fish you catch and to outdo or impress your buddies.

You can narrow it down to fishing if you want to but we all do the same thing with everything in life. We eat better then we need to. We drive better vehicles then we need to, we buy better clothes then we need to, we buy internet and cable packages we don’t need.

In summery……it’s the American way.

JD Winston wrote:

That being said, I blame James and crew @jamesholst for “making” me buy all the gear they use on the show. My wife is conflicted about him…She thinks he is handsome and manly but knows the reason we can’t afford new windows or a deck in the back yard is because all my disposable income has been diverted to fishing gear, 4 wheeler with tracks, pimped out jon boat, custom rods, etc. lol! Watch your back James. She will be the thin tallish brunette approaching you on the streets with a smile and a vendetta.

Thanks for the heads up! My fear is your wife is not alone in feeling that way. If they end up finding my beaten body in an alley behind a dumpster some day I’d like to remind everyone that Mrs. JD Winston is a suspect.

I’ve always enjoyed the shows!

These gentleman go to great lengths to show us the precise presentation to use as well as hot new tackle & the fantastic bites.
I think half the fun of watching a show or reading a magazine is utilizing the mentioned techniques on your own body of water.

That being said I think a show that would benefit everyone on IDO greatly would be a show on how to fish wingdams on the Mississippi. There are many techniques that could be covered on a good bite. Trolling three ways to pitching jigs to casting cranks.

We have a great fishery on the slot pools #12, #13, #14 etc. 15-25 fish days are common with double digit slot fish (20″- 27″). I would love to see a show on one of the pools down this way.

A flasher, a couple jig poles, some baits/lures, and some warm clothes will get you going pretty quick.

No need to go all over the countryside to fish. There are likely more than enough options within a short distance for you. Talk around with the ole boys and bait shops in the area. Check your DNR page for info. Lake Koshkonong? Looks like some lakes to the northeast and northwest of you too? Mendota?
I live in SouthCentral MN myself, and while our lakes aren’t nearly as good as some of the northern fisheries, or big name waters, we are still able to make it happen most of the time around here too. “Dance with the one who brought ya” Ya know? To be honest, I’d be tickled pink to have the fisheries as close to you as you have.

All shows will go and target high quality lakes, with high quality bites going on, or they would have a hard time getting good footage, keeping sponsors, viewers, etc.

I am extremely low budget as a college student, so I run the absolute basics. I have an Fl-8 I was gifted for Christmas from my dad as he did not use it. A 6in Lazer auger run by hand, or now with a cordless drill. I would say the cordless drill option is one of the best there is, spending the money on a power auger that is used only for ice, or spending that same amount for a high quality cordless drill that’s useable 24/7. My drill is about the minimum and it’s a masterforce. As far as rods I’m a big fan of the Berkley ice lightning rods, they are affordable and I have had no issues with them. I run spring bobbers for everything I use.

Travel for me does not happen, I don’t have the ability to go fish all over. However I have accepted that and so I accepted that fishing the pressured places is what I’m stuck with. I still plan to make a trip to some new water but for me, that means going to lake poygan or Winnebago which are both big pressured lakes. I just get excited to go fishing and spend a day out there even if it’s on a location where the fish have long since been pressured out.

brycenannenga1 wrote:

That being said I think a show that would benefit everyone on IDO greatly would be a show on how to fish wingdams on the Mississippi. There are many techniques that could be covered on a good bite. Trolling three ways to pitching jigs to casting cranks.

I think I’ve seen one or more of the shows covering a lot of this (technique) Not the lower pools, but the show doesn’t run through all the summer months many of us are out there.

So many ways to fish… so many places. Ice fishing, like a lot of it can be done on the cheap as easily as anything.

James Holst wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JD Winston wrote:</div>
That being said, I blame James and crew @jamesholst for “making” me buy all the gear they use on the show. My wife is conflicted about him…She thinks he is handsome and manly but knows the reason we can’t afford new windows or a deck in the back yard is because all my disposable income has been diverted to fishing gear, 4 wheeler with tracks, pimped out jon boat, custom rods, etc. lol! Watch your back James. She will be the thin tallish brunette approaching you on the streets with a smile and a vendetta.

Thanks for the heads up! My fear is your wife is not alone in feeling that way. If they end up finding my beaten body in an alley behind a dumpster some day I’d like to remind everyone that Mrs. JD Winston is a suspect.

Begs the question, what category of assault would this be?

Gregg Pfeifer wrote:

seems to be less and less all the time

What is this “discretionary income” you speak of??
I live on an income that is one strong breeze away from the poverty level, so very very little of it is what you call “discretionary”….
But somehow I still manage to have a great time fishing-even manage 1 or 2 trips to different waters a year IE:not only the GB GTG but also I’ll either be going to Winne or Leech or such Perch fishing after that…ya – they might not be too far away places,but living where I do it’s not a necessity…
The biggest trick for me is saving….
Not only money (I take a small-set amount out of each check I get)but doing a little extra work to track down the best deals for the stuff I do buy….
End of season sales,classifieds,and shopping around etc.,can add up after awhile…I’m never in a hurry to buy something.
With time, you would be amazed at how much “stuff” you can actually have..

Dutchboy wrote:

A Zebco 33 reel on a cheap rod. Bobber, hook, sinker and you can catch any species that swims in Minnesota. The rest is to increase the success rate, size of fish you catch and to outdo or impress your buddies.

You can narrow it down to fishing if you want to but we all do the same thing with everything in life. We eat better then we need to. We drive better vehicles then we need to, we buy better clothes then we need to, we buy internet and cable packages we don’t need.

In summery……it’s the American way.

You got it Dutchboy!

Begs the question, what category of assault would this be?

The defense would claim “the justifiable kind,” I’m sure.

Gregg Pfeifer wrote:

Hmm, so far there’s suggestions of getting started with the help of buddies or borrowing equipment. So would you save the expense of a guide for once you’re established and need to get better? Or would a guide be the best money spent if done when getting started?

Gregg, this question is spot on for most of my clients (both icefishing and open water)
On the ice – The vast majority of calls I get usually start off with “I’ve been fishing XXXX lakes and see guys around me catching fish on plastics….Can you show me how?” OR “I really want to try this, but I don’t have the stuff”
I’ve been very lucky in the sense that most of the calls I get are people wanting to learn. I’m sure each guide you speak to on here has their own niche of clients. For me, this is what I enjoy and teaching is a huge part of who I am.
So, with that, I get the quiz every time out with “what do I HAVE to buy”. From there, I show them a small assortment of plastics/jigs that cover the basics. Red, Purple, yellow,…same with jigs. As for jigging rods, they get to sample what I have and determine what they like or don’t like. When they hit the store, they have a pretty narrow list of things to buy. Now as time goes on, they add, add, and add some more.

Open water is a little different since I get a huge diversity of people. Some want to learn how to use their electronics, how to work blade baits, or something else very specific. Other just want to catch fish. Regardless, the same thing applies.
Guys “test drive” the humminbird SI to understand it better before dropping $$$$. Guys that never used a very good pole before get to play with all my Quantum smoke, EXO, or Falcon CaraT7s. Again, they test drive my equipment before dropping a lot of cash.
The final common thing I get on my regular guys that I see year after year is quit simple. They buy a few guide trips a year on various bodies of water. Myself on the Bago chain, someone on the Madison chain chasing muskies, and someone on the Miss. They get a few awesome days out, catch a bunch of fish, and never deal with the costs involved to own/maintain equipment. They all have commented numerous times how much cheaper it is in the long run to pay for a guide when you only go 2 to 4 times a year. No boat storage, very minimal in rods/reels/baits, no insurance,….

So if a guy wants to get out and see things with his hands before dropping huge sums of money, a guide can be a great venue for that.

As far as hiring a guide goes, I look at it like taking a class at a community college. Not only do I learn abut the body of water but also techniques. I intentionally hire them at different times of the season as patterns change. Hiring guides has probably been the biggest factor in me becoming a better angler. Spend a day in the boat and pick their brain. Ask them to try different presentaions. I had never trolled with leadcore until a couple years ago. I read a lot about it on here but being ina boat with a pro is the best way to learn. Hands on!

Couple of tip ups off ebay, auger from craigslist, your car for warmth and your fishing bud!

From my expierience all you need is a combo pack rod and jigs, nothing special, get a depth bomb bucket and some bait. For opening holes hand auger will do also an ice chipper will work just fine for reopening holes. Paying a guide sure it will work. Lots of people learn trial and error. The expierence that you gain from going out there and being successful or not will benifit you either way. Take what information you get get on tactics from IDO magazines and make it happen. My opinion for starting out is get what you need to get a line in the water and get out and fish.

I have been a very fortunate man, with 300 Ponies & 21 feet of glass, I’ve been to many different fisheries throughout the Midwest and Canada. “My goal is to seek out new fisheries” to boldly go where no one has fished before!” Sorry about that; My A.D.D kicked in.
Anyway I did not start out that way, many of my fondest memories are fishing out of row boats. I used to row around in an old cedar strip boat my grandfather had, it came complete with a Big Orange Life Vest, Cane Poles, and a Crisco Lard can for bailing out the water if got it over my ankles.
As everyone knows, that’s how it all starts, that’s how the bug bites you and the fever sets in. This goes on and on for years and we accumulate gear, from Grandfathers, Dads, and uncles, always passing on their old gear. Cane poles for sure. That’s one thing that today’s kids need to feel is a sunnie pulling on the other end of a cane pole. We squirrel away these things and find them years down the road. The trips are stored away in our memories, some of the best memories seem to be from the times when we had much less.
“Again Really” A.D.D now in check!
So now I come back to my point, as my family did for me, I also due for mine. And it does not have to be family, bring your friends, bring your friends kids, and take someone with.
If I go on a fishing trip to a destination lake I have no qualms about providing some extra cash or donating some of the gear that I have, I’ll never use it all, and if I can help someone out by giving them these things then all the better.
I get a great thrill bringing someone on a trip that they may not be able to do on their own. “What do you mean you can’t afford come?” let’s work something out here. Sure it costs me a little bit extra but in the long run what does it do? It gives them the memories, it gives them the bug, and it gives them the fever.
That is to me, what this site IDO does for others. We help others enjoy the gift of fishing weather it is Ice Fishing, Open Water Fishing or Shore Fishing.
And it only cost me another dime.