Tackle On A Small Budget 2024
Tylertut reply :
I am a college student trying to work through college, but also enjoy bass fishing.
I usually spend, on average, $10 per week, and I want this money to go far as possible.
So does anyone have any tips on where to get tackle or gear on a budget? What off brands offer good quality and what brands do not? Any tip is appreciated.
tbone1993 reply :
On 1/24/2014 at 5:55 AM, Tylertut said:I am a college student trying to work through college, but also enjoy bass fishing.
I usually spend, on average, $10 per week, and I want this money to go far as possible.
So does anyone have any tips on where to get tackle or gear on a budget? What off brands offer good quality and what brands do not? Any tip is appreciated.
Join your college bass team or start a college bass team and take advantage of the discounts provided to college students. Also its better to spend money when things are on sale.
tholmes reply :
Browse the Fishing Flea Market forum on this site.
When possible, buy house brands from the big retailers rather than (pricey) name brands.
You don't need the latest, shiniest tackle to enjoy fishing,
Tom
Comfortably Numb reply :
Great deals in the flea market section here and other sites.
Tylertut reply :
On 1/24/2014 at 6:14 AM, tholmes said:Browse the Fishing Flea Market forum on this site.
When possible, buy house brands from the big retailers rather than (pricey) name brands.
You don't need the latest, shiniest tackle to enjoy fishing,
Tom
I've been browsing that forum a lot lately but have only jumped on some football jigs which I got a good price on. Are their any house brands I should shy away from due to quality or such?
On 1/24/2014 at 6:09 AM, tbone1993 said:Join your college bass team or start a college bass team and take advantage of the discounts provided to college students. Also its better to spend money when things are on sale.
What places offer college discounts?
tbone1993 reply :
Almost every fishing company offers some sort of a college discount if you look in the right place. Being in a bass club is usually the only way you can gain access to those discounts.
tomustang reply :
Hit up some flea markets, antique shops, garage sales and find the deals
Felix77 reply :
WalMart. Watch for deals
Jrob78 reply :
I know you don't have them in Ohio but Academy's house brand (H20 Xpress) crankbaits are really, really nice. They are $3-$6 with most being on the $3 side of things. You can order them online.
Tylertut reply :
Another tip someone else just told me was to wacky rig senkos with o-rings to keep them from ripping, which in the end, will save money.
bartdude186 reply :
h2o express hooks, zoom soft plastics, and h20 express crankbaits. also, check out gander mountains website and they have buckets of soft plastics for 20 dollars you get like 500 pieces, and the quality isn't bad at all.
buzzed bait reply :
aside from the flea market on this forum (those jigs were a good deal 
) i would say you just watch for good sales at the big box stores (dick's sporting goods always has good stuff in clearance) i rarely if ever pay full price for tackle
Maxximus Redneckus reply :
Get some grubs chartruse white and black 2 inch will work .these catch fish anywhere and cheap too 10 $ will get u rolling.or zoomm super flukes white with a 3/0 gama hook
Jolly Green reply :
My local Walmart clears out inventory with extreme prejudice; currently they're practically giving away Gamakatsu EWG and finesse hooks, Strike King jigs, and various minnow baits. Anywhere that sells sporting goods merits a cruise through the clearance aisle.
0119 reply :
ffo-tackle's website can get you new or factory reconditioned rods/reels for over 50% off many times. Direct from manufacturers websites too. Like Heddon and Bomber, many have clearance shops. Ive gotten $16 Sebiles for $4 on ffo and half off St. Croix rods too on their factory clearance link of their site.
hoosierbass07 reply :
I would stick with what works - plastic worms! Go to Walmart and buy some Yum's or other brands for $3 or $4. If I was on a tight budget, I would not waist money on things that don't work as good as soft plastics and has
a more high chance of getting snagged and lost. Plastic worms - cheap, effective, and they work!
Arv reply :
I would choose lure that you can fish multiple ways. Senko's and trick worms are pretty versatile. lipless cranks are another option. I would also put jigs in the mix as well
Tylertut reply :
On 1/24/2014 at 9:21 AM, Jolly Green said:My local Walmart clears out inventory with extreme prejudice; currently they're practically giving away Gamakatsu EWG and finesse hooks, Strike King jigs, and various minnow baits. Anywhere that sells sporting goods merits a cruise through the clearance aisle.
My local Wal-Mart is stingy. They hardly ever mark down fishing stuff. I do drive by a Gander Mountain once a week. I'll have to start stopping just to check their markdown rack.
Grizzn N Bassin reply :
gander is decent. you can buy big bags of senkos there. and there brand actually isn't to bad i got a few bags. id go with jigs, soft plastics, and then expand your hard baits over time.
roadwarrior reply :
Well, I have a different take. I don't fish knock-offs or house brands.
For the most part I buy brands I trust on sale. These are true "values"
and come up all the time. Most recently a new Academy opened in
Collierville, near me. They had Rage Tail Menace, 7' Thumpers and
Anaconda on sale for 98 cents. When I left there was only a big hole
left in the display.
BryanBrown reply :
Overstockbaits.com every once in awhile runs a deal on Rage Tails for 1.99 & also some good deals Gary Yamamoto...
EdKras reply :
Pick baits that can use the same hook. a 5" senko, 6" lizard, 4" tube, Sweet beaver, and a super fluke can all use a 3/0 EWG. Also pick a hook that you can both wacky rig and dropshot with. Cutting down on the types of hooks you use can save a lot of $, especially if you can buy bulk packs of the ones you do use.
bassin is addicting reply :
send me a pm with your address and i'll stick some stuff in the mail to ya. good, name brand baits, hooks etc,...that i can part with. i've got no problem helping someone who wants to get started bass fishing and on a tight budget...
bmac31 reply :
I do pretty well at local flea markets. I've realized most of the sellers around me buy entire lots of stuff at auctions the bring them to the flea markets. Half the ppl selling fishing gear don't have any clue what it is. I've picked up some brand new in box rapalas,spro frogs,rat l traps and so on for a buck or less. Just stay outta my area lol. Jk happy hunting
Brian
Jolly Green reply :
On 1/25/2014 at 6:27 PM, bmac31 said:I do pretty well at local flea markets. I've realized most of the sellers around me buy entire lots of stuff at auctions the bring them to the flea markets. Half the ppl selling fishing gear don't have any clue what it is. I've picked up some brand new in box rapalas,spro frogs,rat l traps and so on for a buck or less. Just stay outta my area lol. Jk happy hunting
Brian
True in my experience, too. They will have weeded out all the obviously antique wooden plugs and slapped $25 tags on them, but your modern baits often go for a song.
To the OP, if you ever road trip south in the direction of Cincinnati for any reason, you should bring your birthday money and stop at Trader's World and/or Treasure Aisles flea markets in Lebanon, they are enormous. In the meantime, those $1 spinnerbaits at Walmart will absolutely catch fish, but you should wire the skirt on as the stock rubber band deteriorates quickly.
Tylertut reply :
On 1/25/2014 at 8:40 PM, Jolly Green said:True in my experience, too. They will have weeded out all the obviously antique wooden plugs and slapped $25 tags on them, but your modern baits often go for a song.
To the OP, if you ever road trip south in the direction of Cincinnati for any reason, you should bring your birthday money and stop at Trader's World and/or Treasure Aisles flea markets in Lebanon, they are enormous. In the meantime, those $1 spinnerbaits at Walmart will absolutely catch fish, but you should wire the skirt on as the stock rubber band deteriorates quickly.
I actually used to go to Treasure Isles when it was still called Turtle Creek with my mother to sell stuff on weekends. Thanks for the tip on the spinnerbaits too. I've been buying them but have to replace many of them a couple times.
Jolly Green reply :
Lol... I didn't know the name had changed until I looked up its proximity to Greenville.
gr8outdoorz reply :
On 1/24/2014 at 5:55 AM, Tylertut said:I am a college student trying to work through college, but also enjoy bass fishing.
I usually spend, on average, $10 per week, and I want this money to go far as possible.
So does anyone have any tips on where to get tackle or gear on a budget? What off brands offer good quality and what brands do not? Any tip is appreciated.
Overstockbaits.com
WIGuide reply :
As mentioned, overstockbait.com is a good place to start. Also, taking advantage of anything on sale. Gander Mountain always has stuff on sale (at least in my neck of the woods anyway) Bass pro will have their spring fishing sales soon and Cabelas will too. Also, ***.com is a great place. Every year they have the 25 days of Christmas where they mark down a new thing every day for 25 days. You can get some killer deals on there then. I usually save over 50% on stuff I order. Also, they have a 4th of July sale where you can find some really good deals as well.
Fish_Whisperer reply :
This may not be the advice you are lookin for, but imo, the best way to stretch your dollars is to find what works at the waters you frequent and focus on keeping your arsenal stocked with those. A big collection may be nice to show off, but if they don't produce, then what's the use?
guitarkid reply :
A really good budget line is BPS excel mono, You can get like 1400 yards for $20.
-gk
Tylertut reply :
On 1/26/2014 at 7:32 AM, guitarkid said:A really good budget line is BPS excel mono, You can get like 1400 yards for $20.
-gk
I will keep this in mind when backing my reels this spring. Much cheaper than what I use now.
Bassfishing375 reply :
I would use mend-it on your soft plastics, since soft plastics can be expensive and they can tear easily. It does however leaves a scent behind but that is nothing that megastrike can't solve.
spartyon8 reply :
Hit up DSG right now. They have a huge clearance sale going.
K_Mac reply :
On 1/24/2014 at 11:11 PM, roadwarrior said:Well, I have a different take. I don't fish knock-offs or house brands.
For the most part I buy brands I trust on sale. These are true "values"
and come up all the time. Most recently a new Academy opened in
Collierville, near me. They had Rage Tail Menace, 7' Thumpers and
Anaconda on sale for 98 cents. When I left there was only a big hole
left in the display.
The trouble with only buying name brands on sale for many of us is that they don't often come on sale when we have the cash to take advantage of it. To be able to buy a couple of hundred dollars worth of Rage products on sale is very cool-if you have a couple of hundred dollars to spend. I have found reasonably priced alternatives for many of my fishing needs. When I run low on a particular "alternative" bait, I can buy them whether on sale or not without have to pay the name brand premium. BPS Stick-os and River Bugs are good examples in my opinion. I do not argue that these baits are as good as GY Senkos or RI Sweet Beavers (although empirical evidence suggests they often are), just that they are good enough to meet my needs at a price I'm more willing and able to pay.
On 1/26/2014 at 4:29 AM, Fish_Whisperer said:This may not be the advice you are lookin for, but imo, the best way to stretch your dollars is to find what works at the waters you frequent and focus on keeping your arsenal stocked with those. A big collection may be nice to show off, but if they don't produce, then what's the use?
This is best advice in this thread IMO. Most of us spend an awful lot of money to figure this out, because it much easier said than done. What works is a fluid thing for me, because the truth is there are many ways to catch bass, and I like to experiment with different techniques and baits. That requires continually searching for the right bait at the right price...I believe it is that process of figuring it out that makes fishing the life-long challenge that keeps most of us learning as we go.
Tylertut reply :
On 1/27/2014 at 11:23 AM, K_Mac said:
This is best advice in this thread IMO. Most of us spend an awful lot of money to figure this out, because it much easier said than done. What works is a fluid thing for me, because the truth is there are many ways to catch bass, and I like to experiment with different techniques and baits. That requires continually searching for the right bait at the right price...I believe it is that process of figuring it out that makes fishing the life-long challenge that keeps most of us learning as we go.
This is very good advice, but... I just got a kayak and have bank fished only before that so this year, my tactics are going to have to change completely. I have just started getting into soft plastics as well so I hardly know anything about my area. Or any area for that matter.
BuffaloBass716 reply :
I'm in the same situation as you man, college student here and looking for a job. I almost worked for gander mountain for the fishing department which would have been perfect, getting paid to do what I would enjoy, learning about other fishing gear, and probably getting a discount, but sadly I was never hired. I'm basically starting from scratch this year because I literally have nothing from last year, But knowing what I learned over winter and some trial and error I need to stick to the basics as to watch catches fish.
I would also stick to soft plastics like most others have motioned already. Maybe a lipless crank and a few jigs. Build your confidence over time, season after season. PM me if you find some deals on some sites or anything like that. I would greatly appreciate it.
mjseverson24 reply :
Berkley Havoc is probably the best bang for your buck soft plastic MSRP, i would stick with the pitt boss, craw fatty, subwoofer, smash tube, sick fish, and juice worm. for $3.00 a pack these are great baits. paca craws and chunks are a great deal as well.
Mitch
Kirk Bonanny reply :
Tyler, if you're on a budget, now is the time to start scouring the sporting goods stores as this is the time of year when they have a decent clearance selection. I have bought most of my rods & reels this way, and in some case have saved well over $100.00. I don't know if your geographic location sees the same deals I see in NE Pa, but it is worth a shot. Last year I bought a $300.00 boat cover from Cabela's on clearance for $60.00. Granted, that is not the norm, but those kinds of deals do appear time to time. I have a Lamiglass 12' rod for float & fly fishing that retailed for over $200.00 that I paid $40.00 for... I'm not only married with 2 sons, but I am also disabled, so I have to stretch what ever I have carefully. I am fortunate in that I had a great business prior to getting sick and had almost everything I ever dreamed of, so now I rarely have to buy anything other than the typical yearly necessities like line, replace lost lures, re-stock my worms, jigs etc...
The other way you could go is to scan the craigslist ads, as you'll almost always find some deals there. Hooking up with a local bass club can't hurt either. We had a small club up until 5 years ago, and had a couple of younger guys (college age, 18 or 19) that wished to join and fish but had very limited resources. A lot of us liked these guys and put together enough to get them started from equipment & lures each of us no longer used or wanted. We gave it to them, and they became fabulous members of the club.
HeavyDluxe reply :
Learn the fish itself - its habits, patterns, behaviors, and preferences. Then make yourself a student of the body (or bodies) of water you fish. Coupled with that knowledge, using a small, inexpensive selection of baits will still find you having consistent success.
IMO: In the vast majority of circumstances, the difference between a name brand bait and a knockoff of reasonable quality is not so large that one will catch fish and the other won't when properly applied. Yes, there are inexplicable times when they're going to be more enticed to bite by the swaying motion of a GYCB Senko in Watermelon Magic to the point they will not even notice your BPS Stick-o in Watermelon Candy. However, I think the number of times that is the case is much, much lower than the TV shows and bait companies want us to believe.
If you get good at locating fish, understanding their disposition, and use appropriate presentations based on that information, I'm willing to bet you will pull fish out of the lake. To put it a different way, top professional bass fisherman will consistently (but not always) outfish you with whatever tacklebox you hand them. And that's because they know the quarry better than the average fisherman.
Catt reply :
Peaux Boy Fishing Lures
Arguably the most productive and most versitile lure ever invented is the plastic worm. It is still relatively inexpensive regardless of brand due to the fact you get more than one for the price.
Given the wide variety of lures made from soft plastics it must be noted that today one must change this category to simply "Plastics". Under this category one finds not only worms but lizards, craws, frogs, jerk bait, tubes and creatures.
Techniques include Texas rigs, Carolina rigs, Wacky rigs, Split Shot rigs, Shakey Head rigs, Drop Shot rigs, Flipping rigs, Pitching rigs, Punching rigs, Mojo rigs, jig trailers, and Rage rigs.
These lures can be fished on the surface, sub-surface, mid-depth, or on the bottom making them extremely versatile for any water condition, weather condition, and season.
The sizes, shapes, color combinations along with the number of techniques are unmatched by any other lure type making "plastics" without a doubt the most productive and most versatile lure available to the Peaux Boy Angler!
roadwarrior reply :
There's a guy on the Forum that catches a few "above average" bass who doesn't
own a hard bait. I have had a couple of opportunities to fish with the guy and all he
ever uses are Rage Tail soft plastics.
dolomieu reply :
On 1/26/2014 at 12:56 PM, Bassfishing375 said:I would use mend-it on your soft plastics, since soft plastics can be expensive and they can tear easily...
Seriously, Tyler, buy some Mend-it. This is a no-brainer for someone looking to save money. I started using it a couple years ago and it has saved hundreds of soft plastics from my trash can.
Bigbarge50 reply :
I would say a key is the sales that will be approaching with spring and the kick off of the pro fishing season. Many websites have HUGE deals that you can stock up on. I would also look to see what new reel models are out, then look for the previous years models, they usually get a massive price drop because they added a bearing or made the handle grey instead of black. I would also recommend befriending other fishermen. We fishing guys can be the most generous guys you meet and many will toss you some plastics to try out, I know I do. A quick tackle trade is a great way to try out something new without having to buy it.
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