A Saying That May Hold Some Truth

"He who dies with the most 'toys' wins." That saying implies what appears to be the way most bass anglers think and act if/when they get really hooked on the sport of bass fishing.

In reality, there's nothing wrong, generally speaking, with an angler having all the basic tackle and extra things he or she needs/wants, as long as it doesn't lead to their having to take out a second mortgage on their home to pay for everything.

One thing we all can do is learn to become "bargain conscious." Just as there are certain seasons of the year when bass are easier to catch, there are times of the year when expensive tackle can be purchased at bargain-basement prices. Stores routinely clear their shelves of old inventory to make room for all the new stuff, including fishing tackle. It's nothing unusual to see some prices reduced by more than half during seasonal clearances.

Conventional wisdom holds that you get what you pay for. And since a fisherman's line is the most vital link between him and his quarry, it then behooves him/her to choose good line. While inexpensive monofilament line may fill some of your needs, you will be better served with fluorocarbon and braid for other occasions. Once again, you may find bulk spools of all these lines in the spring sales offered by many retailers.

Some of the most dramatic cost increases in recent years have been in fishing lures, with prices running $30 and, in some cases, considerably more. One way to reduce these expenditures is by finding outlets that deal in knockoff models and painting them yourself or obtaining the services of a custom painter.

And if you happen to be a live-bait fisherman, you always have the option of gathering your own bait at no expense whatsoever to yourself.

By being observant and choosing wisely, an angler should be able to save enough cash to put gas in his vehicle and drive to that special spot a little farther away, where the big ones are just waiting.