How expensive is fishing

[Mrs Ronnie H]

Hi All
Just thought I would get a few views on how expensive you all think it is to fish.
Walking out of a tackle shop yesterday after parting with 400 bucks for a 2-3 kg live fibre and reel and braid Hubbie said maybe we should take up Table Tennis--It wouldn't cost as much.

I know by the time we fuel up, buy bait we have spent quite alot just on one days fishing-- that is without taking into account what we spend on rods, reels and tackle throughout the year, and the cost of upkeep on our boat and trailer.
Just how much do each of us spend in a year.
The list just goes on-- rego, services, where do we stop.

Would be interested to hear everyones thoughts

Ronnie

[f.t.r.]

my thought about it is dont think about it

matty

[bennykenny]

i shudder to think how much i spend on fishing gear over a year, this is why i pay for all my gear in cash, so there is no paper trail for my wife to follow;) , because im sure she would casterate me if she knew!!!

[mylestom]

Only as expensive as you want to make it.

Enjoy what you do, with what you can afford.

Me, I just like tackle shopping nearly as much as the fishing.

Regards

Trev

[sulla]

It depends on how much you shop in my case . Bennykenny i'm with you mate i always pay in cash avoid my wife asking questions even paid for my dogfight in cash defianlty not letting her know how much that reel was lol

[trueblue]

too much, but I don't smoke, and I don't spend a lot of time in pubs....

[jtpython]

What price can you put on a relaxing break away from it all.
Yes it's expensive and i eat heaps and heaps of fish and seeing they are charging $11 a kg for hussar fillets i wouldn't want it any other way.
Love getting out with the kids . mates . the wife and my father nothing compares to the time shared on the water .LOVE IT
JT

[charleville]

It is as expensive as you want to make it.

I have some flash gear also but it is amazing that the rod that I use most has a $30 Shimano reel on it. It is a Live Fibre Rod for sure but the cheap reel is so simple to use that it is just a comfortable rig for me and I like it. The other more expensive stuff, (eg baitrunner and overhead outfits) are ok but are not as much fun for the sensation of feel a fish nibbling as a simple rig.

I am bait fisho and now buy my bait in bulk from a wholesaler at about half the retail, small-quantity price.

On the upside, I have eaten my own catch for six out of every seven evening meals for the past month and likewise enjoyed crab sandwiches for every lunch for the past couple of weeks.

On the other hand, tickets to the upcoming John Farnham concerts in "A Reserve" start at $199. I have seen enough John Farnham "last concerts" to last me a while. ;D I would rather go fishin'. :D



.

[lunchcutter]

well yeah its out of my mind until i check my bank balance then explaining is needed to the wife

[fez]

How Expensive is fishing??????

How much Fun is Fishing?????????

No matter what you do to relax fair chance it is going to cost you money. For me it is about the enjoyment of fishing with mates or family.

As the Mastercard ad says "Priceless"

My thoughts.

fez

[Steve B]

How much do I spend on fishing????........not as much as I would like too!!!!:P

[Kleyny]

Try dirt bikes.

My wife is stoked when i spend 50 bucks there or a 100 there, as the bike was a 100 bucks just to walk into the shop.

neil

[Poodroo]

Having a wife and kids makes fishing very inexpensive by comparison. ::) Now please don't anyone ask me which I would give up if I was given the choice. :-X

Poodroo

[Mac1952]

My biggest fear is that, when I die, my wife will sell my gear for what I said I had paid for it.

[Jeremy87]

Yes fishing can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be. It inevitably comes down to what style of fishing you want to do. Something that always crosses my mind is how much bang for buck i'm getting from my tackle investments. i e how many fish an item has caught per dollar value, the would be economics of fishing. Or hypothetically if your goal was to catch as many fish as possible for a fixed amount of money.

For example i often question to worthyness of investing in a boat. Sure if you fish frequently for a target species that requires a seaworthy vessel the choise is clear. But alot of boat owners do not have the time to fish frequently. For offshore anglers or serious sport fishing vessels new boats sum into the 10's of thousands plus the costs of running. Money which could be better with greater reward fishing on a decent quality chartered opperation. Similarly the relatively small investment required to purchase a canoe or kayak would reap huge rewards for many land based anglers. Allowing them to fish a greater variety of locations with greater effectiveness.

[355avk]

i fine fishing very cheap instead of drag racing,$400 for a rod&reel is good,i spent $12000 to run a second quicker but thats what i love doing so it doesn't matter how much it cost as long as your happy.

[tunaticer]

I tell my wife I spend less on fishing than she spends on her hair per month......she hasn't queried the expense since.

[castlemaine]

It's like having a vegie patch, if you work out the cost of fertiliser, herbicides, pesticides, keeping the possums out (buggers) and time & labour costs and then work out the cost of your lettuce, you may as well give it away.

Same as going fishing ... if you're going to count the costs give it away. Fishing is a lifestyle not a necessity.

Expense is not the point!!!

It's all about how much value do you put when your son/(in my case) daughter; pulls up her first keepable snapper and has a grin from ear-to-ear ... priceless.

But when the government raises rego prices under the pretext of upgrading boat ramps, etc., just for the sake of revenue, that's when I have an objection.

Fishing (and camping) has always been seen as the the 'poor man's' escape but now it's getting to a stage we're being regulated so much that you're better off staying in a unit on the coast.

(Sorry I'll get off my soapbox).

Cheers 8-)

[yellowbeard]

I never spent a lot on gear until I walked onto the beach to fish. Then I went a little nuts. That includes rods, reels, lures, and especially clothing/wet weather gear. It gets bloody cold down there in winter -- and wet. So I'm selling the boat because I don't uses it anymore. But can't part with the Prado -- so I guess that makes me a real landlubber. But my compromise is I leave the 4WD at home and drive the wife's Corolla to the beach to save on fuel (still can't sell it though -- can't drive the Corolla on Stockton or Fraser Island [or the Gibber for that matter]) : $7.50 return to the beach in the Corolla, $15 return in the Prado. Most of the guys drive down onto the beach, but I walk from the carpark.
Whole bream/snapper sell for $20 kilo here -- and we eat fish about 4 times per week. I haven't bought any fish since February this year, so it balances out.
On the way to the beach I have to pass the Hawks Nest Golf club. To me golf is a good walk ruined. So I always mutter to myself, "Look at those stupid punters, they must spend a fortune on that equipment, and then have to buy their seafood dinners!"

[death_ship]

its as expensive as ya make it, i catch snapper on plastics offshore on a $100 dollar reel, its accounted for dozens of them and is still goin strong, 3 or more snapper per plastic, couple peolple to chip in fuel, service your own engine and your eating the freshest fish there is, and at $35 bucks a kilo for snapper i reckon its on par for costs plus you get to have so much fun. And i love looking at my boat in the backyard, thats how i justify it to myself anyway!

[Wahoo]

ahhhhhr the joys of boating and fishing, it does add up over a year, but with the amount of fish we eat, if we had to buy it, it still would cost us big $$$$$, go out and enjoy

Daz

[Mrs Ronnie H]

Hi all
Thanks for your replies.
I agree that you can't put a price on something you enjoy doing-- just that hubbies remark the other day about playing table tennis instead of fishing bought a big smile to my face.

I don't usually take him to the tackle shop-- I am better off going by myself and when I get home I can tell him about the great special I got. Besides once I've bought it I can't really take it back-- can I.????

My favorite rod is a 5'6 rex hunt special edition --cost 10 bucks and it has caught more fish than the most expensive ones-- reel about twenty bucks.
I don't think it really matters either whether we have the most expensive gear or the cheapest as long as we all keep enjoying what we are doing------ Fishing.

Ronnie

[Sea-Dog]

I remember when I was a kid in Melbourne.
We'd hire a tinny from a blind bloke at Rosebud, buy a couple of cork handlines for a couple of bucks, a packet of whitebait and head out for half a day.

Never, ever came back without a good feed of big flathead.
The bloke would hear his hire boat coming back in a he'd wade out to meet you and bring the boat in.

I wish my fishing was still as cheap and as successful as it was back then.....

<sigh>

[Scalem]

How much I spend is irrelevant at face value. If it compromises my family in any way and I obviously deny them things they need because I spent money on fishing, it's then that I have spent too much.

Scalem

[PinHead]

I came into the world with nothing..I will leave with nothing..anything else in between is just part of the ride..enjoy it.

[yellowbeard]

I came into the world with nothing..I will leave with nothing..anything else in between is just part of the ride..enjoy it.

What does 'the wife' have to say about your philosophy?
;D

[revs57]

I think the question should read...

"What value do you place on your sanity?"

A mate, back in the 1970's, once sold a very nice outfit - 16ft quinnie half cab (when Quintrex were the dick guts) with a 90 horse johno (When Johnson was the motor of choice) that he had set up very nicely for fishing Port Phillip bay and southern surrounds.

The reason he sold it? it was cheaper to go an buy his fish at the fish and chip shop! I reckon if you look at investment to that sort of return on that basis - stop now, sell up everything and go and play table tennis!

For me, fishing is a lifstyle thing, not just a hobby or a sport. I think that is why ausfish is such an important site for many who frequent the boards here - it keeps the home fires burning when the weather, busyness or any other thing stands in the way of pursuing our passion - be that catching a whiting off the banks of the creek at Pottsville, to landing a PB in any species 50 klm offshore after a massive tussle.

What price do I place on my sanity? No, not quite whatever it takes - but if the important family matters are covered, and a new trinket arrives at my local Bait and Tackle shop - it just might turn up in my shed! Just don't tell Jackie;)

Cheers

Rhys

[Captain Jack Zero]

fishing is what you make it.

[PinHead]

What does 'the wife' have to say about your philosophy?
;D

she shares my philosophy..she wrote the cheque for the current boat..she enjoys boating and fishing also and she has a full social calendar of weekends away for us etc.

[fez]

Yep agree Pinhead,

No point being the richest man in the cemetary.;D

fez

[Jabba_]

Only as expensive as you want to make it.

Enjoy what you do, with what you can afford.

Me, I just like tackle shopping nearly as much as the fishing.

Regards

Trev
I have the same sentiments....

I love fishing and love being the water.. If I wasn't in the boat fishing, I would be spending my money doing something else....

All men need a hobbie.. So long as you can afford, then don't think about it and just enjoy it....

[Tangles]

I gave up counting the cost a long time ago, dont care.. its my pastime pure and simple

[Poodroo]

I gave up counting the cost a long time ago, dont care.. its my pastime pure and simple

You save a lot of money by leaving your boat at home and going out with someone else. ::):-X

Poodroo

[NAGG]

The only time I sit down to count the cost of fishing is when I'm working out my insurance.::)

I spend what I do , when I do & dont really think twice about it ...... Its not a case about being wealthy or frivolous - just where my enjoyment & priorities lie.

Sitting back like we did last weekend with fellow Ausfishers around a campfire of a night ..... & chasing barra during the day - Well you just cant really put a value on it ....... but it was certainly worth every cent spent. :)

I wouldn't worry about the cost of fishing ..... specially if it gives you enjoyment :)

Chris

[Pretzil]

i spend way too much on fishing each year, but i reckon that if you enjoy it, then its worth it, nothing ide rather spend money on i reckon, but i better get a job soon to keep the obsession alive :P
good luck fishing to everyone over the weekend, stay safe

[Tangles]

You save a lot of money by leaving your boat at home and going out with someone else. ::):-X

Poodroo

Poodroo,

those soft plastics must be making your brain soft;D I sold that boat on Ausfish ages ago, but your right I certainly am saving a lot of money on that boat as i dont have it anymore. Hope that clears it up for you.

mike

[BarraBandit]

A good point. I dont drink, I dont smoke, I dont get fines... I think fishing isnt that bad... Even counting the Stellas, Loomis's and the list goes on.

Do what you love guys and girls, thats what lifes for!

[Hardb8]

PRICELESS!;)


Cheers. B8.;D

[Little grey men]

Awesome mate, that second shot is an absolute cracker.
One for the album there !!!:)

[PNG1M]

I'm here for a good time and possibly a long time too...

Years ago I used to go for the el-cheapo tacky stuff and persevered for quite a few years while still enjoying my fishing.

I remember in the 90's an Ugly Stick was beyond my budget but now I'd even be lucky to even poke a stick at one (don't ask what I mean by that).

In the 90's I saved up and started using Penn Spinfishers as my number one strike weapon for the beach off Budgewoi. I had two 6500s and a 7500.

My main rods were 12' 2-pce INAZUMA's but I haven't heard of'em in years now despite searching.

Plus you gotta have a bit of an arsenal that'll cater for different applications.

I had set-ups for blackfish (luderick) and for 'out of a boat' and for light estuary/river and that sort of thing plus a few handlines.

I guess when you add it all up it comes to a princely sum. Just as well you generally get some good mileage out of it.

You only live once so you may as well enjoy what you like doing.

Since I discovered the world of baitcasting for Black Bass n Barra in PNG I spent a fair amount quite rapidly on good quality gear so I could maximise my enjoyment of the sport.

Now I'm setting myself up with new round of beach fishing tackle with rods & reels & line & lures and the rest of it...but I'm not complaining about the cost.


To sum up I'll use the cliche...."Its all Good..!"

[finga]

My fishing is cheap.
$800 for the boat
$250 for the trailer
Not saying how much the motor was because that's a secret.
The cook thought an electric start 15 Honda was OK for $900 ;););)
$23 for the rod
$5 for the spooled Alvey (garage sales are a blessing :))
$5 for bait per trip (unless I use the $7 yabbi pump from the boaties market)

See...cheap as.

Now house decorating is expensive.
The full rod rack in the hallway is worth...well I'd hate to think, and the cupboard with those reels and stuff...Oh dear :(
The shed was empty and looked a bit nancy boy like so I had to buy another boat or two to make it look good and full and the spare props and motors and spares and tools to fix the boat (if it got wet and broke down) look impressive and all bloke like and well worth the expense.
Ya have to look the part don't ya?? Even if none of it is used :D

So my fishing is cheap. My decorating is expensive.

[finga]

You save a lot of money by leaving your boat at home and going out with someone else. ::):-X

Poodroo
Great...how's Sunday looking?? ;D
I'll supply the coffee and anzac's and I'll be waiting out the front at 4.30 in the am for you. :)
That'll save my $4.50 for fuel for the boat 8-)
Who else wants to come??
I think Poo's boat can hold 4.

[BarraBandit]

Good on ya Finga!

You even make your own jigheads!

[finga]

Good on ya Finga!

You even make your own jigheads!
I might make them but I don't use them.
Stinky bait for me ;D

[Reefmaster]

Catching good fish and proudly holding them up for some photo's all seems wonderful but behind what's seen in people's posts and articles is whole other story. Depending on where and what you fish for it can get very expensive but doing what you love all seems to make it all ok.:)


My usual fishing trip consist of.

$400 in boat fuel on average
$170 in car fuel to tow the boat to ramp
$100-$150 on bait
$20 ice

Total $700-740 on average per trip plus food and drinks.:o
God I wish I didn't just work that out now:'( :)

Regards,
Greg

[STUIE63]

my last trip I took my 23 year old nephew out for the first time his previous biggest fist was a 35cm trevally from a beach .it was hilarious to watch his reaction when the rod buckled over for a 80cm nanny . the fight in 70m of water . the shake of the hands after the fish was landed . the young bloke will remember it all his life so will my son and I .priceless
Stuie

[reidy]

Could be as inexpensive as a $5 handline or as expensive as a $2500 game outfit.But when push comes to shove they both preform the same role.
Cheers
Reidy

[Spaniard_King]

Try Taking the family to a theme park every weekend instead of fishing, then come tell us whats cheaper :P

[theoldlegend]

You save a lot of money by leaving your boat at home and going out with someone else. ::):-X

Poodroo


Pooey, from what I've heard, you have an impediment in your reach. The thing is to at least pay your way or part thereof. I've heard about you. No cash forthcomng from Pooey. People should be AWARE OF THIS. Now you're having a go at Aigutso, who just happens to be a very good mate of mine. Naturally I'm agahst at this unwarranted attack against a very good person, and I will defend his integrety top the fullest.

TOL

[Scalem]

Pooey, from what I've heard, you have an impediment in your reach. The thing is to at least pay your way or part thereof. I've heard about you. No cash forthcomng from Pooey. People should be AWARE OF THIS. Now you're having a go at Aigutso, who just happens to be a very good mate of mine. Naturally I'm agahst at this unwarranted attack against a very good person, and I will defend his integrety top the fullest.

TOL

Keep goin TOL, posting this sort of rubbish in an open thread does not look good for you, take it off line if you have a personal gripe to have with anyone. A joke is a joke, Poodroo told me he posted something light hearted to Mike, which side of the bed did you get out on?, in his defense he is off line for a while and can't respond, I am sure he did not intend anything but light banter.

Scalem

[PNG1M]

I don't own a boat at present. Have owned two in the past and no doubt will own one again some day.

Don't people say that a boat is really a hole in the water that you keep on throwing money into??

Aah,well...its gotta be done!

[hooknose]

If fishing is where it is at for you, like it is for me, who cares what it costs !!
I have the Finga disease, the fishing gear is getting older and coming inside, ya gotta love it !!!

[The_Tub]

Its pretty expensive,and things happen,for example i set off one day cash in hand to buy a new lawnmower it just happens it turned into a new rod and reel on the way home,the ex wife was'nt impressed[hence the ex bit]

[Dantren]

I am here for a good time, not a long time.
But I won't borrow money for fishing.
If I can afford to buy a boat - I will. If I can't pay cash, I'll go land based or chip in on a mates boat.
Fishing should be our harmony, escape, our time out.
I don't want to stress out about money looking at the boat in the back yard if I don't use it for a month.
Keep spending though - our local businesses need to make a living too!!!!!

Dan.

[sambos]

Buy a big boat.,try fishin with ya m8 s every opportunity, cause they an you both love it .Wife doesnt see it that way, her or boat .,then it becomes expensive.
Im gonna miss her.

[Dick Pasfield]

Close enough to $6500/year or $28/trip

btw good to see the captain again hooknose8-)

[PNG1M]

Well, you only live once so you may as well enjoy life while you're livin' it.

I used to read about blokes using top line gear and I was generally ambling along with run-of-the-mill bits & bobs.

Then when the fishing bug bit more fully I thought....sh--te, I may as well see what it like to own & use some decent stuff too. Otherwise I'll grow old & grey and never know what it would have been like to use that gear.

So the budget went out the door and now I own quite a strong repertoire of quality gear that I enjoy using. Sometimes I buy cheaper stuff too, usually for a particular reason but hey, it's all part of the trip.

I can fish much better than I play golf...but just so I wouldn't use "crap clubs" as an excuse for rubbish golf, I bought a set of top quality Taylor Mades. I still can't play for crap but at least I get to enjoy using decent clubs that otherwise all I'd do is read about & see in mags...

I remember years ago when I was growing up in the Lower Clarence area we used to cut down about a 14ft length of bamboo (a Ned Kelly rod) and tie a few metres of line to the end of it.

We'd use a wine bottle cork or a piece of stick as a float (or a chunk of old thong). Grasshoppers or earthworms for bait and we used to always catch a feed of Aussie bass.

Cheap as chips but if you compare then to now, the equipment & expense has somewhat changed.

Usually whenever I think I have enough gear I get a whim & buy more - like I did yesterday (hmm, and today in fact) - but there's always a valid reason for it!

[theoldlegend]

I disagree Scalem. Poodroo appeared to be having a veiled go at one of my mates, which I don't like, and I'll say so again.

I think there was more in his comment than meets the eye, as I've been given some background info on this.

There is simply no need for that sort of thing. Why didn't he make it a general comment, instead of targetting a member?

TOL

[finga]

You save a lot of money by leaving your boat at home and going out with someone else. ::):-X

Poodroo


Great...how's Sunday looking?? ;D
I'll supply the coffee and anzac's and I'll be waiting out the front at 4.30 in the am for you. :)
That'll save my $4.50 for fuel for the boat 8-)
Who else wants to come??
I think Poo's boat can hold 4.


Keep goin TOL, posting this sort of rubbish in an open thread does not look good for you, take it off line if you have a personal gripe to have with anyone. A joke is a joke, Poodroo told me he posted something light hearted to Mike, which side of the bed did you get out on?, in his defense he is off line for a while and can't respond, I am sure he did not intend anything but light banter.

Scalem
Bugger...does that mean Sunday with Poo is off??
Ah hah...another thought just come into my fairly limited brain....So Brian...what are you up to on Sunday?? ::)
I'd love a trip in the new boat. And it'll save me $4.50 in fuel. ;D
Cheers then
Scott :)

[Scalem]

I disagree Scalem. Poodroo appeared to be having a veiled go at one of my mates, which I don't like, and I'll say so again.

I think there was more in his comment than meets the eye, as I've been given some background info on this.

There is simply no need for that sort of thing. Why didn't he make it a general comment, instead of targetting a member?

TOL

Best not to get involved TOL IMO, whatever was said, if there was anything sinister, let the big boys sort it out between themselves. That's how wars start where the counter offensive is as agressive as the what was percieved as an act of agression in the 1st place, In this case, not. You do come out of the blocks all guns blazing, you have to admit don't you? Getting off the track of the orginal topic.


Bugger...does that mean Sunday with Poo is off??
Ah hah...another thought just come into my fairly limited brain....So Brian...what are you up to on Sunday?? ::)
I'd love a trip in the new boat. And it'll save me $4.50 in fuel. ;D
Cheers then
Scott :)

Stirrir Finga,

Keep your $4.50, that amount of fuel will get you out to Cape Moreton and back;)

Scalem

[PinHead]

scott..I'll save you the $4.50 any day..you are more than welcome for a fish on my boat any time.

[finga]

Stirrir Finga,

Keep your $4.50, that amount of fuel will get you out to Cape Moreton and back;)

Scalem
Meeee a stirrer?? ::)

So is that a yay or nay on the trip?
If yay...when?? Sunday morning??
And beauty...I am $4.50 up...woohooo!! ;D
I'll be able to get the new spectacles now
So to keep to the topic...this trip is gunna be sweet and really cheap.... Just like me 8-)
I suppose I'd better supply the jigheads though I suppose. ::)
Na, that's worth more then the $4.50 fuel...I'll give ya the $4.50 instead ;D
The spectacles can wait another 6 months. 8-)

scott..I'll save you the $4.50 any day..you are more than welcome for a fish on my boat any time.
Ta mate. Offers like that are well appreciated.
I will take you up on that one day for sure.
But I have to warn you. I'm not much of a fisherman.
More of a dangler I reckon :'(

Ah hang on here....you've heard about my mum's anzac's I have for smoko I bet.
That's the real reason for the invite..isn't it eh?? Bloody hell >:(
But I suppose my mum taught me to share so OK then. I'll supply smoko :)

[PinHead]

but finga...no jigheads..not into the artificial side of life.

[finga]

but finga...no jigheads..not into the artificial side of life.
Thank God for that. I can't fathom them suckers out for the life of me.

[Mrs Ronnie H]

[quote=PNG1M;1034139]Well, you only live once so you may as well enjoy life while you're livin' it.

remember years ago when I was growing up in the Lower Clarence area we used to cut down about a 14ft length of bamboo (a Ned Kelly rod) and tie a few metres of line to the end of it.

We used to go cut some bamboo off the channel bank and do the same every time we wanted a fish. Piece of line on the end, a hook and sinker or sometimes a spinner and walk along the bank. Used to get some pretty good redfin to.
My first rod was a little JW with a wooden handle and a plastic reel.

Although fishing seems to cost a little more and i now have a boat and better gear it seems to be the memories you create and remember and not the cost.:)

Thanks guys-- great to hear all your thoughts.

Ronnie

[finga]

You save a lot of money by leaving your boat at home and going out with someone else. ::):-X

Poodroo

Great...how's Sunday looking?? ;D
I'll supply the coffee and anzac's and I'll be waiting out the front at 4.30 in the am for you. :)
That'll save my $4.50 for fuel for the boat
Who else wants to come??
I think Poo's boat can hold 4.


Bugger...does that mean Sunday with Poo is off??
Ah hah...another thought just come into my fairly limited brain....So Brian...what are you up to on Sunday?? ::)
I'd love a trip in the new boat. And it'll save me $4.50 in fuel. ;D
Cheers then
Scott





Finga,

Keep your $4.50, that amount of fuel will get you out to Cape Moreton and back;)

Scalem


::)

So is that a yay or nay on the trip?
If yay...when?? Sunday morning??
And beauty...I am $4.50 up...woohooo!! ;D
I'll be able to get the new spectacles now
So to keep to the topic...this trip is gunna be sweet and really cheap.... Just like me 8-)
I suppose I'd better supply the jigheads though I suppose. ::)
Na, that's worth more then the $4.50 fuel...I'll give ya the $4.50 instead ;D
The spectacles can wait another 6 months. 8-)


Bugger. Nobody picked me up :'(
I waited and waited but no-one came :'(
At least the puss waited with me and got a pat on the head.
Oh well. I suppose I'd better keep cleaning out the garage instead....Or go to K-mart to get some $7 tracky dacks.

So in short....fishing can be very cheap if no-one picks you up. :-[

[Marlin_Mike]

Bugger. Nobody picked me up :'(
I waited and waited but no-one came :'(
At least the puss waited with me and got a pat on the head.
Oh well. I suppose I'd better keep cleaning out the garage instead....Or go to K-mart to get some $7 tracky dacks.

So in short....fishing can be very cheap if no-one picks you up. :-[

I came past........you were sitting against the letter box, snoring away out loud......you looked sooooooooo comfortable i didnt want to wake you.

So i kept going put in at raby bay and went outside to the cathedrals. BAgged out on 20 lb snapper in 1 hour and came hoem. Ya shoulda been there scotty..............

[Lovey80]

I really don't want to know how expensive fishing is but below is a couple of photos of the gear I'm just taking to fiji today.



Cheers

Chris

[nickstock]

I have managed to spend $2200 in the last 8 weeks on rods, reels and tackle alone! I did not buy a Stella or Saltiga either! Not to mention the 3 trips outside in my boat and a charter for the two of us? Jesus, it starts adding up quickley????

Lucky for me, my better half Holly is into fishing!

Although I have a decent arsenal of rods and reels now, it was not always the case.

I remember for my 8th birthday my old man bought me a Abu 6000 spooled with 6 kg mono and nice little 'glass Abu rod. The entire set up would have cost less than $150. I went on to catch my very first Barra on lure 3 days later and at 3.4 kilos it was the biggest fish that I had caught. One of the fondest fishing memories that I have and still to this day that little Abu 6000 sits in my shed.

Moral to the story,
As long as you are having a good time with good company and a rod in the water, than we should all be happy.

Cheers,

Nick

[big moose]

who cares how much it costs i just like it

[guruwing]

lesson number one , never take wife into tackel shop,not only will she know what im spending but will add up everything i already have on boat $$$$ as they carst their eyes around store.. remember they pick up every item in a shop and check every price tag, and will see ive been telling little porky pies......8-)

[PinHead]

lesson number one , never take wife into tackel shop,not only will she know what im spending but will add up everything i already have on boat $$$$ as they carst their eyes around store.. remember they pick up every item in a shop and check every price tag, and will see ive been telling little porky pies......8-)

if you have to bullshit to your wife about your spending on boating/fishing then perhaps you either need to get out of boating/fishing or the marriage.

[krazyfisher]

I figure the cost of not fishing is much higher than the cost of fishing

[ShaneC]

I love the punt, enjoy a beer, and spend a fortune on fishing but dont care. I have worked very hard to get where I am, I have only ever paid cash for boats and cars, if I couldn't afford it, I didnt have it. At the end of the day if cash gets low, Ill sell the big boat and potter around in the tinny and start saving again. It comes, it goes, I'll enjoy while I have it cos you just don't know what may be coming tomorrow (other than a trip to the Barwons of course !!)

[Fishbait]

Hey Shane - Barwons trip - when????? Sorry I couldn't make it this week - after July - I'm all freed up again - short notice trips (except tuesdays) - here I come! Cheers mate, Darren

[ShaneC]

Heading up tomorrow mate, havent been up there for a loong time, so will be relying on some luck/ skill to catch a few. The big Furuno may help a bit too....

[Fish Lips]

B.O.A.T = Break Out Another Thousand.

:)

[cormorant]

Not as expensive as the gym, the pub and the psychciatrist if I didn't. Their might be murder in the house if iI didn't get out and I would be the victim.

So it's cheap really!!!

[Rowdy1]

When times are the darkest ... Fishing is the light that brings you back.

Fishing is priceless

11years ago my Father and father in law passed away, the mother and mother in law became ill ... we moved from God's own country " SE Qld" to Victoria to be close to our ailing parents. The continuing illnesses linger and the pressure builds, Dramas with Children(young adults now) Drugs ...problem now solved ....Daughters marriage break up due to Domestice Violence ...Custody battles ... No relaxation ... poor diet ...continual worries .... health deteriorates...
..tests tests and more bloody tests ..Chest pains ...Long hours of work no play.

Enter the Doctor ..... All tests okay ..Diet stuffed need more Omega 3, relaxation and exercise. Make lifestyle change .... Work less play more ... Take up fishing ...eat your catch ... Turn your phone off ... enjoy nature and it's bounty.

Changed jobs now only work 5days a week (50-55hrs not 70-90 as previous)
All overtime money is now relaxation (Life) cash ...which is now being channelled towards fishing.. when the folding money received from o/t = cost of boat i'm there.

As long as you have a roof over your head, and food in your belly your okay.

My health has improved dramatically, and i reckon i'll be fishing for decades to come.

How expensive is fishing ...... How much do you value life .... i'd spend all my cash and live under the stars to dance on this earth for a few extra years.

My 2 year old granddaughter now meets me at the door, with a hug, and asks to watch a fishing DVD I Fish or others. ;D ;D ;D Gee it's great to be alive again.

And Yes I will be returning to God's own country again, in fact i'll be up to enjoy her in the last 2 weeks of July.


SPEND ALL YOUR MONEY FISHING AND LIVE LONGER .... your a long time dead

[sleepygreg]

I hear ya Rowdy...how so many ppls lives are similar is amazing....after I had my quad bypass in 2001....my cardio specialist told me if i went back to doing what I was doing (80 - 90 hours a week) I may as well book my spot in the cemetary. Family had all moved to qld for a better lifestyle and I was still battleing the Sydney rat race. After another mild hearty....I decided that life and family are far more important than the dog eat dog of corporate life.....I moved to qld and close to the water so I could go fishing when I wanted....with the family and/or all the mates that also moved up here (and the many I have met since I have been here). What price fishing?..........priceless!!!!!!!

Greg

[Jurkyjj]

Our second mortgage is at BCF and Tackleworld!!!
We have that much fishing gear, I couldn't tell you how much to even insure it all for.
Best way is to not think about it....every purchase is an investment.

[NEWBY]

I can comment on most of this but having recently spent $4000.00 on 2 shimano Tiagara's with a Gary Howard rod for 1 and a Shimano T curve for the other, add to the constant hole in the water to throw cash into called "A BOAT" and I reckon I can safely say that my freezer is full of Coral Trout, Red Emperor, Red Throat etc that OWES me about $1200 a kilo. I think thats what they mean when they say "Eat like a king" eh?
I have to be honest though and say I dont care how much it costs, WHILE WE HAVE IT, (you know what I mean here ) I will continue to fork out whatever I have to as to be able to enjoy what is left of the "Great Australian Lifestyle" no matter the cost and before the greenies and government take it all away. And thats not to far away either sadly.

[fundi]

listen to you lot ??
take a hand line to the local warf or jetty and have some fun
a hundred dollar reel and 3 hundred dollar rod ??????????????????

braid ??? rubbers???

get back to what you had ????
you all want to be the next rex hunt

it should be fun not who can spend the most
20 000 for boat
10 000 for gear

kid on jetty hand line prawns catching shit fish but having fun

??????????

[ShaneC]

One thing I DONT want to be is the next Rex Hunt, I catch much better fish than him!!! I dont see this thread as being a pissing contest mate, just people with a passion expressing their ways of enjoying a pastime. Everyone started at the same place, probably on a jetty with a handline, but everyone eventually wants to venture further.

Nothing wrong with fishing off a jetty with a handline, Im glad you are a grass roots fisherman. Next time I am blasting over the horizon in search of big ugly ooglie looking things I will rest easy in the thought that you are content getting splinters in your arse sitting on a jetty.

You're right, it should be fun. Geez I had fun today at the Barwons.....

[Mrs Ronnie H]

Hi all
Why is it when you get so far through a topic things always turn into a $***t fight or someone gets abit narky.

I only asked a simple question and a light-hearted opinion-- didn't want everyone to start slinging up at one another.

We all started in the same place-- when we were kids our fishing pole was a piece of bamboo with a hook and sinker. We have progressed a little over the years and now while I can afford to spend a little more, by no means do I spend excessively, I can now make my time spent fishing just a little better than having to use a bamboo pole.
I didn't ask how much is spent on fishing and aske everyone to put in a detailed account of how much this rod was and how much this reel was'' all i wanted to know was your opinion on how expensive it is getting to do something we all enjoy.

Ronnie

[Ken+]

Fishing can be as inexpensive as you like, or as expensive as you can afford. 10 years ago, I'd be on cloud 9 if I can afford a couple of Mepps spinners or a Rapala.

Now, I don't have too much more money really, but I'm hoping that one day I can move to somewhere warm along the coast with saltwater and a few pelagics to pull on. My friend in Hawaii with a 22' boat told me all the spending he puts into his boat...and while I was visiting, he had to fix a snapped Y-fork and that costed him $800 alone. Not to mention the hundreds of dollars he puts in for gas for the truck and the boat. But I don't care...I've experienced the joy of bluewater trolling and if I can afford it one day, I'm going to toss money into that hole in the water ;D

I still enjoy getting out catching a few sunfish and catfish once in a while with a bobber and a worm.

But fly fishing is just so much fun...just don't get into fly fishing and fly tying if your budget is tight ::);D

And don't start traveling in worldwide destinations ::);D

The way I see it...I don't drink coffee at a cup a day, I don't smoke, I am not into the latest fashion, I don't do yoga/kick boxing/the latest workout craze, I don't play poker, I don't watch a movie a week...and I'm still single...I might as well spend the money on something I love to do...and there's only one thing that comes to my mind...FISHING!!! ;D;D;D

BTW, my current "nice" gear for saltwater fishing...which I recently just picked up for my family visit to Hawaii...is an UglyStik Tiger and a Penn Jigmaster 500L ;D I also have a SureCatch ProKat surf rod and put the Jigmaster on it...it's not a great combo...but it caught me yellowfins, skipjacks and mahimahi...it will do for now...::);D

[MY ALIBI]

dont you all know boat stands for BRING OUT ANOTHER THOUSAND ........LOL

BUT WHEN YOU FORK OUT 350 BUCKS OR SO FOR A TRIP OUT WIDE AND YOU COME HOME WITH 7 OR SO REDS AT 9 TO 12 KG EACH @ 30 ODD DLS A KG ITS ALL WORTH IT EVEN IF YOU ONLY GET OUT A FEW TIMES A YEAR.....

[gr hilly]

i must admit it was nice to buy 200 ltrs of fuel $60 of bait and head out for a days fishing, catch a nice feed come home and eat fresh fish,now i spend $15 on fuel shoot out the pin catch a feed of flathead and whiting after pumping a few yabies coming home and eating a fresh feed of fish, my boat has gone from a 19c haines to a 14.2 tinnie a 175merc to a 30 merc lol and now i got another glass boat a bloke is nuts fishing is a disease and it is terminal.

Hilly

[NAGG]

If you went on a $/kg basis ...... most would need to own a 12ft tinny to make it viable
Those that fish purely for a feed are often doomed!

Chris

[gr hilly]

yes Chris you are rite mate but fun has a lot to do with it to, what do ya recon .
Hilly

[bondy99]

Fishing is very much like diving.

The more something becomes popular the more it becomes costly.

I too started fishing with an old tomato stick, dodged hand reel and used wire staples as my guides and yeah, mamaged to catch bream, flathead and mudcrab when I was 14.

when I was 16 I gained my PADI Openwater diver qualification at a cost of $68.00, I thought that was damn expensive, I went as far as Divemaster Qualified. Now, some many years later the same beginners course cost anywhere from $240.00 to $380.00 depending who teaches it.

Nothing has changed in that course except the Dive Repitition table for Decompression / Deep Dives..

As more and more peop;e are attracted to it then katching, katching, the dollars go up, up, and up.

The other motto is same as Brownie from Coastwatch which is "don't destoy what you came to enjoy".

Thats my look on life at a realistic view. Peter