What should/would you spend your money on?

[Vegasspider]

OK like most of you I have been at this long enough to hopefully know that spending money will not catch you a fish. I am curious to know if you know what you know now and started with a clean slate and say $5,000 to spend on whatever you wanted for bass fishing, what would you spend it on?
I would buy quality maps and medium quality rod and reels. I would buy the best GPS system available and would probably only need to spend maybe and just maybe $2-$300 on baits. 20 years ago I would have spent $3500 on combos, another $1,000 on hard baits and $500 on storage containers etc.
I think combined in all of my adult life I probably have bought 8 boats, (Just the last 3 I bought the best electronics I could afford) countless rod and reels and who knows how many “monkey” baits. But not including a boat I think I could spend the same $5k now and catch more fish accordingly that what I have spent over a life time and just to be now catching on a regular basis regardless of the region or water I am on.
You know what they say, catching bass cost money - how many do you want to catch?

[bassboogieman]

I would spend mine as you would 20 years ago. I would want premium rods and reels, above anything else. Those would be a "ONE" (at least I hope it would be) time purchase, that I could take with me wherever or however I fish - my boat, a buddies boat, or from the bank at home or while away on a trip. A small selection of quality baits - same reason. I'd want a good GPS and a seperate SONAR of decent quality for my boat of course, but those I find myself upgrading every few years, I'm not replacing my rods or reels quite so often. Although, truth be told, I did upgrade about a dozen reels just this year when Pflueger changed over to the new small frame reels. But it's been a few years since I've done a major change over.

[nofearengineer]

It's a no brainer for me...electronics all the way.

My attitude is this...whether or not I'm correct, I always feel like I can catch the fish if I could just find them. Maybe they're there and I'm just not catching them, but it's a mental thing. If I can find them, and THEN can't catch them, then maybe I'll think differently haha.

[WTL]

Gasoline, oil and I'd tell my boss see ya for a couple months.

Take it as far as the $5,000 would go. Fish everyday. Would catch many more fish that way.

[WaffleJaw]

I tell you what I do.......Two girls at once.....(Office Space,anyone?)lol
First,buy a used Tracker.
Electronics because I need to know what Im over,I hate not knowing where the structure is from the bank.
What ever is left over would be for my wife, so she doesn't b**ch that I blew 5k on fishing.

[Racemaster33]

#1 = The best electronics out there, cant catch them if you cant find them.

#2 = Equipment (quality rods/reels), can't catch them if you can feel them.

#3 = Tackle (lures, line, boxes, ect), have to have something to offer them after you find them.

#4 = YOUR BROKE ALREADY!

[Vegasspider]

Sorry if my wife offended anyone. Shes a real crack up sometimes. If you dont know by now we share the account here.

[Bassboss]

I think I'd first buy something to get me on the water probably a 10' Jon boat like this one. That's 2,700 right there. I'd wrap up 3,000 with a decent sonar/GPS. Than I'd spend 1,100 one rods and reels, the rest would be different lures, and terminal tackle.

Good idea for a thread BTW!

[BigBassin144]

Right now, I'd spend probably 2500-3000 on new electronics. A good side imaging one (probably around 2200) and another good one for the bow (about 800).

I'd give about 1200-1300 on rods and reels. Definately look for good deals on ebay and such (like I have done with almost all my reels) Knowing what I know now, there's a few things I'd stay away from with rods and reels. If I got to do it over, I'd say no to the BPS rods. As for reels: no to the Skeet Reese Revo, and get a Zillion. and get a Revo STX or Premier or Pflueger Patriarch XT over my Johnny morris signature reel (which is a good performing reels, just a bit big for my hands and fairly heavy).

The rest would go to lures and terminal tackle (700-800). Like before, knowing what I know now, I'd easily be able to get the colors and lures I've proven to work for me w/o wasting money trying others that I know don't.

BB

[Bender]

Right now I have most all the bass fishing stuff I need. If I was forced to spend $5,000 right now I'd get a couple more specialty rigs such as for swimbaits, another SI unit to put up front, a new cranking battery, and maybe more jerkbaits.
If I was starting off fresh with an empty boat I'd get electronics, buy the best batteries possible, and buy a ton of the same lures. Common lures like a Pointer 100 in Ghost Minnow I'd get 20 of, instead of getting 20 different colors. I think with that strategy for baits I would use up the cash quickly. Rods and reels would take the rest.

[Jigger]

Originally Posted by WTL

Gasoline, oil and I'd tell my boss see ya for a couple months.

Take it as far as the $5,000 would go. Fish everyday. Would catch many more fish that way.

That's the right answer. All the equipment in the world won't help you like TIME ON THE WATER will. Experience is the name of the game.

[TnTom]

Electronics

[Vegasspider]

For sure it seems to be all about electronics. But then again more time on the water sounds pretty good too.

[aikenyounggun]

Im sure 5k would get me some time on Falcon, which would catch me more fish, haha. Look at Alton Jones's blog on bassmaster.com and you might agree with me.

[bamabassman]

Let me get this straight. Now she is talking about STARTING ALL OVER right? Meaning you have NOTHING at all but the desire to start fishing. And you have only 5 grand to start. Is this correct? If so............
1; Quality rods and reels.
2; Quality bag to put in lures and baits in.
3; As good a Quality boat you have money left for. (Which you probably won't cause you spent all you had left on lures and baits.)
All the electronics can't help you if you ain't got a rig to put it in, right?
So this is where i would and DID start. Still have the 2 quality reels i started with. upgraded the rods though, hehehe. Had pistol grip rods and they were 5'6"ers. Now all my rods are 6'6" or 7' footers.



And we were not offended at all. This is a good thread. Threads like these are truly good. Makes you re-think things.

[Vegasspider]

The apology for was for something else not the start of the post. (For those of you who don’t know my wife and I used to share the screen name, we no longer do and it’s only myself posting, the husband. TMI) I wanted to know – knowing now what you know not including buying a boat for the $5k what you would spend the money on.

Originally Posted by bamabassman

Let me get this straight. Now she is talking about STARTING ALL OVER right? Meaning you have NOTHING at all but the desire to start fishing. And you have only 5 grand to start. Is this correct? If so............
1; Quality rods and reels.
2; Quality bag to put in lures and baits in.
3; As good a Quality boat you have money left for. (Which you probably won't cause you spent all you had left on lures and baits.)
All the electronics can't help you if you ain't got a rig to put it in, right?
So this is where i would and DID start. Still have the 2 quality reels i started with. upgraded the rods though, hehehe. Had pistol grip rods and they were 5'6"ers. Now all my rods are 6'6" or 7' footers.



And we were not offended at all. This is a good thread. Threads like these are truly good. Makes you re-think things.

[bamabassman]

Ok, cool. Then I would spend it all on the first 2 items. And still it isn't enough. The reason is most of the money I would spend would be on the setups. Best rod and reels I could get. Then I would spend the rest on baits.

[pig n jig]

I would take the 5 grand and look for a better paying job.Your going to need a good paying job if you intend to start buying fishing tackle.

[bassintom]

Knowing what I know now??? Hookers and beer..

[bassinbob]

With what I know now I'd look for a decent used alum. bass boat-$1500 t0 $2500. Hopefully it would come with some type of electronics. If not a decent unit $500 to $1000. Last quality rods and reels bought at discount. What ever is left over tackle storage, lures, etc.