I search the on sale bins in the bait shops I visit. I visit Cabelas a couple times a year and head for the bargain cave. Last January Cabelas had a 25 cent sale on terminal tackle, jigs, bobbers, all kinds of crank baits, line and other small fishing equipment. For about $50 I got a lifetime supply of stuff for me as well as several year supply of birthday and Christmas gifts for my fishing buddies. I've been buying from the used market for more expensive items like fish finders, ice gear, snowmobiles, etc. I also made a commitment to use what I already own which has been a major savings for the last couple of years.

My big saving idea this year was using my small boat with a 7hp vs big boat with 75hp. Saved a ton in gas and caught just as many fish just took a little long to get from spot to spot. The other thing I am doing is trying to use the 30 years worth of tackle I have and not buy more (very hard to not buy the new hot lure or great priced reel). Going to do the same for this ice season and try not to buy a big bag of jigs when I have enough to most likly get me through 2 more seasons.

Those ice fishing jigs pile up. Yesterday, I was going through my ice fishing gear and would estimate that I've got 500 to 600 different jigs in every size, color and configuation of colors in the rainbow. I could use each jig for 15 minutes and it would take me 20 seasons to get all of them on. Total them up at 25 cents to a dollar and there is big money in those little boxes. Then there is the trout jigs @ $3 to $4 apiece. WOW! You're right about those trips into the bait shop. I buy a scoop of minnows for $3 and end up with $5 more worth of jigs in one of those little plastic bags which I either put on the dash of the truck or my pocket and then forget about.

My boat is actually my dad's boat and I store it and can use it anytime I want, he never fishes!

I watch the paths, landings and brush/trees around the lake. There are lots of goodies that other lose or leave hanging.

Steve its all good in the hood. I know ya had a bit of tackle envy.

No one else picked up on this: Get your buddy to take you. Burn his gas.

I do spend more time running the trolling motor and fish lakes much closer to home.

The gas prices have kept me from upgrading the boat. 25 horse works fine.

I have scavenged the popular spring shoreline spots and collected a bunch of jigs, bobbers, sinkers etc. Even if they aren't great, better to get them out of the lake then having the shoreline look like a trash heap.

I tie my own rigs and use stuff until I can't get it to work anymore. I have an issue with the Thill slip bobbers, where after a while the line cuts a small groove in the top of the bobber, so the line gets caught and won't slip. I just take a sharp utility knife and shave the top of the bobber until the groove is gone. I guess you can say I "repair" some of my tackle to make it last longer.

Fish closer to home...don't be afraid to buy some tackle, especially terminal stuff like hooks, jigheads, bobbers, line etc from Walmart and other non-sporting good stores. Always check the clearance bins and buys stuff out of season. Right now you should look for Open water tackle and in spring buy your ice fishing tackle... oh yeah, pawn shops and garage sales are good too.

So you dont chip in? Also I tie my own snells, but I dont think that saves me any money. I have alot of blades/beads/hooks, etc to make up until I break even! Very addicting hobby.

team otter, owes me a new lipless crank on one of his cranking trees for spring walleyes!

Just picked up 6 crank baits out of the bargain bin at Gander the other day.

That on-line auction place has some deals from time to time also.

I like to paint my own jigs and make my own rigs. I get a bag of 25 unpainted jigs for a buck at bass pro and paint them myself.

I live a block from the Mississippi and it has taken a lot of tackle. so the cheaper, the better.

I also figuered out the river is pretty much 7 feet at the deepest point where I fish so I use lots of very shallow running lures (i.e. shallow shad rap, sub-wart, spinnerbaits). They got lots of action and don't hang up nearly as much.

I keep it on the cheap by keeping "old school"- basic hook, line and sinker kinda setups, using secondhand gear, shopping C***gslist, clearance bins, catching my own bait, that sort of thing. I've also found that the right $20 rod works just as well as a $200 dollar one under 99.98% of circumstances.

for what it's worth, my sonar is a first generation GreenBox!

One good way: ask for it for christmas!

About half the stuff I asked for is stuff for my pets, and the other half is fishing gear.. Also guitar hero