Boating Industry

[ECobb91]

Buddy, you need to fish more!! Only 10 days a year? I couldn't handle that. A wise man once said, "if you're too busy to fish, then you're too busy". Sounds silly but it's true.

haha actually it’s even less.. I’ve had my boat in the water 8 times in the past two years. Daughter was born Jan 2023 so I stopped going all day, fishing clubs, cherry picking tournaments or BFLs etc..

Only fish until 11 nowadays and try to stick locally like within an hour of home. I feel guilty if I stay later than that with wife and daughter at home. Haven’t hit my favorite waters (2hrs away) in a few years now..

id say in reality, including the 2-3hr fly fishing trips, I usually get out 2-3 times a month. I’ve considered selling my boat and just using my Jon boat but my dad and wife keep talking me out of it.

hope you’re doing good and can get out fishing a lot this year!

[Les Young]

Fishing is as expensive as you want to make it. It really is that simple.

Yep. That's why i sold the boats i bought new & have bought used ever since. Recently repowered my 2003 stratos 18 xl with a low hour 2019 mercury 150 four stroke. Before that i bought livescope & updated to a spotlock trolling motor. I'm as happy fishing out of it as i have been any boat i've owned. Best thing all upgrades were payed for & still don't have a payment. I also make 90% of my own baits.

[lakebouef5]

It was genius for BASS to come up with college team fishing, then high school team fishing x then JR High school team fishing. Many of these kids will go on to
Good paying jobs and buy a boat, fishing equipment, lures.

[lakebouef5]

Agree also. Know of a couple guys that have sold boat and all their gear because they quit tournaments. I much rather fun fish. By myself most days. No sonar. Get away from crowded spots.

A few years ago, Tourament angler numbers dropped by half. I saw a guy who had fished tournaments for several years fishing near the launch
. I had not seen him in a tournament for months. I asked him if everything was OK, and he told me something that shocked me. He told me he did not have money for gas. Man had two young children, a $400,000 house, fairly new vehicles for him and the wife, a four wheeler and hunting lease, and all the insurances on all the above. Seems he was tapped out....fishing out of a two year old Pheonix.

[jcdogfish]

When you figure a couple hundred in entry fees and a few days of scouting its easy to pile up $500 in expense for a tournament, thats if you don't have to travel.

[rboren]

I would not consider myself poor but definitely not wealthy. I can’t afford to fish a bigger trail where you will have to get a place to stay overnight or two. I could if I didn’t like to do other things in life like hunting and such. I suppose many people are like me and don’t want to put all their eggs in one basket. A local trail is enough waste of money for me. As I am usually donating!

[mean_dean]

I am very happy with my 10-year-old Nitro Z7 that I purchased for a tad over 30K. I've just upgraded the TM and electronics a few times over the year. I stopped with clubs and tournaments about 5 years ago and just go fish with my wife and kids for fun, don't miss it at all.

The best part, the boat is paid for!

[Michael333]

I fished for years without a boat, then I got a flat bottom with a 25 that leaked thru the rivets lol. Then I got another aluminum with a 115. Finally stepped up to glass in 22 and bought a new caymas with a 225. No way would I buy that boat now with the way things are. I had a sizeable down payment and have been doubling and tripling the payment and will be paid off soon. I won’t be buying another boat for a very long time. We have recently paid off our cars and trucks as well. That is a good feeling !

[Les Young]

I'll be fishing the saturday nighters when they start the first weekend in june.