Tips For Saving Money While Fishing

Fishing tackle can definitely be expensive!

I know how tempting it can be to keep adding to your lure collection every time you're in the tackle store. So here are some money saving tips.

Your Hooks and Lures

Most species of fish will go for a lure or a spinner. Most of the lures on the market today come complete with swivel, split ring and a hook, which is usually made from a hardened metal"which is great until you get snagged on a branch or log. That usually means the loss of the lure. So for years now I have been changing the hooks on my lures, right out of the package, to a softer hook that will straighten out when snagged.

Some people worry that a softer hook, which will straighten out on a snag, will also straighten when they catch a fish, but this isn't the case. When snagged on a log or branch, it is the point of the hook that is caught. This means when you pull on it the stress is square on the point and the hook therefore will straighten if it's a soft hook, or break the line if it's a typical hard hook. However, when a hook is caught in the mouth of a fish, the stress point is not the hook's tip, it is the bend of the hook that is stressed, and pulling will definitely not free the hook from the fish.

So I change my lure hooks, most often to a Gamakatsu Si-wash hook, which has an open eye and a very long shank. This allows you to attach your hook to a swivel or a split ring with very little effort. Just use some pliers to close the eye after you attach the hook. Try picking up a package of Si-wash hooks next time you buy lures. Just be sure to match the lure hook size to your Si-wash ones.

Lines and Leaders

There are many things to be considered when putting line onto a reel and for my money, Shimano has covered them all. They have baitcasting reels, spinning reels, offshore reels, you name it, and a reels for everyone's budget. I've used Shimano for many years now.

You can save money when re-spooling your reel by having the tackle store do it. This way, you pay only for the amount of line they actually put on your reel, rather than buying a one shot spool that has, typically, 220 yards of line, and your reel only holds 120 to 175 yards. The rest is waste! I generally save 50 percent this way.

Save all your spools and take the large ones down to the tackle store and have them spool the diameter of lines that you most often use for mainline. 15 to 20 pound test is what I use. Then, when you need new line, you can re-spool your reel with your bulk line.