Is it sad or normal?

[Chas0218]

So I sat down the other day and figured out what I had into my boat only gear wise and it is almost 5 times what I bought my boat for. Granted my boat is old and tired but it catches fish a nice ones at that.

Is it normal to have that much invested?

Sent from my thinking chair...

[Sk8man]

If we based our concept of normalcy on how much fishing gear we have or compared it's cost with the price offish per pound we'd all be locked up

[baitrigger]

Its better if you dont do the math, easier anyway

[Fatty1017]

Just remember to put anything you got for free as a multiplier at the end.

Boat $30000+

Rigging $10000+

Lures $6000+

X- my buddy gave me a spinny=$0 invested

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[bandrus1]

boat... $1500

 

Repower 11k

 

Truck to tow 7 k

 

 

so there is that

Edited March 5, 2015 by bandrus1

[ifishy]

you got to divide it by the number of years involved fishing collections build up over  a life time sometimes multiple lifetimes if there is stuff given.  Plus I always like to exagerate how much was from christmas gifts or birthdays or bought with gift cards.  it makes it sound much better.  

[on the lam]

The only way to avoid this is to get a sweet deal on the boat in the first place, where the cost and rigging is less than what you could sell it for when your done. Otherwise is a losing proposition.

[Xxx]

Well let's see here, my first tast for walleyes was when I was 11 years old, my uncle Skip took my cousin, myself and three others to Canada for the first time, we stayed in old rustic cabin on lake Bidibie, just north of Maniwaki at that time it was dirt road, that was 39 years ago and I became a walleye "JUNKIE". At that time $300.00 got the job done, then as time went on my dad acquired enough vacation time to go along with me, I remember the price climed to $1000.00 with the fuel being the main factor and the price per man also increased as did everything else, after about 5 years fishing Bidibie($1500.00) we flew into Lake Osullivan, where we met the owner Ted Barklow, we struggled at first, then on day 2 Ted took all us kids 4 of us went with Ted down to Smiths Bay, were Ted educated us kids on how to jig for walleyes, we filled the boat and I'll never forget that day. The men were all jaw dropped when Ted told the guys we didn't do well, then us kids held up our stringers and I never saw my dads eyes so big, that night was a blast filleting fish till midnight. We continued to go to Osullivan for the next 20 years.($20,000) after that we went to a lake Pourtincourt for the next 10 years at a grand per man, but the fishing at that lake was nonstop all day you could catch eyes. It was a Great Lake to fish. ($10,000) then we fished the Gwan or something reservoir. For 2 years we did fare at that body of water the problem with the reservoir was it was huge and the eyes migrate like Erie. We got hooked up with a guy on the western basin of Erie who owned a marina called Lamberjacks, right across from him was Turtle point Marina, that might ring a bell to some on here and we went there for 5 years ($5000.00) we also bought a place in NY on the Perch River, then we needed boats that's when my dad bought a 18ft Troller Boat, I think they were built in Ohio and the list goes on and on. I'm probably around $10,000 a pound for walleyes, but my experiences through out my time with my dad and the guys who are no longer with us, no amount of money could ever replace those times and memories, now my dads been gone for 7 years and my uncle Skip is 73, I have 2 daughters that love to fish off dads boat and I hope I can do for them as my dad and uncles did for me, my one daughter caught her first Black River Bay eye two years ago and my other caught her first LakeO smallie on the same trip. This year both my boat and my body is ready to search for eyes. I don't think I feel sorry for the $$$ I spent over the year fishing, I know some guys put that much $$$ up their nose and have nothing to show for it other then jail time or can see their kis on weekends only. I hope my kids get as addicted to fishing as I did!!!! Like mentioned above if you spend moderately and over time it's not so painful as all in one big blast, but if you can do it that way then buy all means go for it!!!! Well that went a little longer than I intended but there you go folks. Looking back I wouldn't change a thing, tight lines and please be safe. PAP.

[spincast]

sometimes, it just kinda looks like this?

[Richard]

Do not forget to add in the items that you can not put a price tag on. Most of my trips are with my dad. He is the first male in my family to live past 62. The rest of the trips are spent with my family and friends. The time spent with these guys and girls is worth way more than all my cost multiplied.

[TileMan Dan]

Don't think about it and just go fishing and have fun. There are a lot worse vices we can have in life. Never seen a Brinks truck following a hearse yet. This is not a trial run for us here earth

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[Fish Hunter]

I have collected quite an amount of hunting and fishing gear in my life.

My grandkids shouldn't need to buy a thing......

[dukhnter8]

I just bought my 4th boat last October and I don't want to know how much I have invested in it already, probably too much as the wife says, but she never complains when we are catching fish. But to me it's totally worth it,  I don't know what else I would spend it on. It also is nice for relaxation (most of the time).

 

With this boat I have invested in things I could move to the next one if I want (like I added tracks for rod holders and downriggers). Plus most of the stuff I buy used and tell the wife I can sell for what I paid for it (not that I would most of the time).

 

If it's worth it to you then it shouldn't matter what you have invested.

[BSmaster]

Spot on dukhnter8. 

 

I do not troll (I still have trolling gear) or ice fish, so I do not have a lot of the money invested that others do, for the 2 months out of every year that I go after green backs, I have amassed a dufflebag full of soft plastics + a box the size of a cat litter box, because no matter what she tells you size and color does matter.  I have numerous planos with different baits (organized)

 

As far as my boats.  All of my boats are over 20yrs old, with some upgrades - top $ might be worth 5.  Tackle is definitely where I put my money in.  I have lost track of the number of rods/reels.  Back ups for just about everything.  If you see me in the summer I have at a minumum 6 rods ready to go with a different presentation.  Sometimes the only difference is bait color.

 

My truck is paid for, quit booze, so I justify the extra $$ for fishing.  Wife supports me fully.

[bout time]

i have invested a lot into my boat and my gear. I am always looking to upgrade my gear and get the latest / newest gadgets. For now my boat is setup the way i want with all my riggers/rod holders/ autopilot/ kicker / etc. This spring i am concentrating most my efforts on safety and reliability. New Bellows, Impellers on both motors, spark plugs, new fuel lines / filters etc. after all there’s no sense of having all the best/most gear if you can’t get out and return safely. most of this goes without saying but too often I see a lot of guys spend more money on gear and up breaking down because they neglect the maintenance

[bettieanne]

^{Well depend if you one those gaget guys.( latest and greatest)Buy those guys used stuff and save a lot. Most their stuff barley gats used anyway.  I only buy new lures line and graphs, pretty much everything else second hand. I have never bought a new rod or reel. Save money, less time have to wrk an more cash for gas.  Thanks to this site and craiglist.  Dam winter blues are set in with all the responces on this already, me included. Uncovering the boat tonight and gone mount my second hand downriggers!}

[lineman49]

I have collected quite an amount of hunting and fishing gear in my life.

My grandkids shouldn't need to buy a thing......

Never ever figure out, what you spend on any hobby! It will scare the hell out of you. I figure my fish cost me around $1,800-$2,000 a pound & a one deer cost about the same or more. Just enjoy it, we only go around once in this life & you can't take it with you! I have never seen a trailer full of money & toys being pulled by a hurst on its way to a cemetary! I always tell people it took me 3/4 of my life to make my $$$ & now I have 1/4 left to spend it. I had a friend that said if there were 2 nickles left for his kids to fight over when he died , he did something wrong!

[JakeyBaby]

For me it's purely an addiction!! As long as my bills are paid, my family has food and a roof over their head I have no problem spending money on what I truly love to do! My wife on the other hand not so much, but she understands that fishing is my crack and it's much better then smoking it!

[KING ME]

For me it's purely an addiction!! As long as my bills are paid, my family has food and a roof over their head I have no problem spending money on what I truly love to do! My wife on the other hand not so much, but she understands that fishing is my crack and it's much better then smoking it!

exactly

if it's about money or return on investment we will never win to many toys and new hot tackle out there lol

[Sk8man]

The bottom line is that you can't take it with you so enjoy it while you can...life is short... make the most of it....in the end we are all "renters" of what we have.

[Chas0218]

sometimes, it just kinda looks like this?

So So true! My wife keeps asking me when will I be done buying stuff for the boat, I don't say a thing back just smile. 

[Tim Bromund]

The gear on my boat is worth far, FAR more than the boat is.

[rolmops]

My main problem is winter. When I can't go fishing,I go look at gear in catalogs. There's when it starts to get expensive. My downfall is parts for my boat. So far I replaced the transom, the flotation foam, the floor and chairs and to top it off, of course a complete engine rebuild.Next is the lower unit gear.

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[Nontypical]

And when you come home with more stuff it's always "on sale" haha

[final flight]

The wife buys "stuff" because it was on sale, I buy stuff and tell her it was on sale so we both have a lot of stuff