Total investment

[chimo]

money well spent.

^^^ x2!

[Fish]

Just got into kayak fishing this year and have only invested 800 dollars on every gear I own. Lovin every bit of it!

[frettr00]

Gotta pay to play.

[LoudounFisher]

Kayak fishing expensive? LOL This is my cheap hobby.

Try motorcycle racing. For a weekend you're looking at a minimum of several hundred $$ for just race entries, $350-400 for a set of tires that will only last the weekend, and average of $100 for fuel just to get to/from the track. A typical season is 10 weekends.

[moc]

I like all of the comments. It is still not that expensive in terms of other entertainment and what you get out of it. Like any thing that you like to do, you can always buy more things that you need and more expensive things. I think someone commented about pimping your ride and they are correct. I talked to many kayak anglers, and we always comment on how much gear we take with us, and never use. I have seen anglers who catch so many fish and they do not have a fishfinder or they have only the $130 finder where others have the $600 ones. Yet they outfish a lot of other anglers with more expensive gear and finders. This is just a fun sport and we all spend our money on things that we enjoy.....

So I will stop discussing my ideas and let me get ready to buy my Hero 3 camera for my yak.....what...I know it is expensive....what....I know it will not help me catch more fish.......what....but it is a fun necessity for me to capture my kayak fishing "Kodak" moments... LOL.

Enjoy Kayak Fishing Everyone!

[tufnik]

+1 to all comments. Once you get in the mindset, it doesn't end. It can get quite haunting.......more gear, better equipment, more trips, different places, bigger fish, more species, different pullage, more friends, more meet/greets, different tournaments, more charities............and costs add up.

[Memory Maker]

Bwhahahhaa................. No Comment !!!!!!!

[AbuMasgouf]

+1 to all comments. Once you get in the mindset, it doesn't end. It can get quite haunting.......more gear, better equipment, more trips, different places, bigger fish, more species, different pullage, more friends, more meet/greets, different tournaments, more charities............and costs add up.

^ +1 LOL!!! Took the thoughts right out of my mind!

[mytmouse]

Well for me, I knew I would NEVER be able to afford a boat! LOL So I went with a kayak, and it let me get away from some of the craziness that happens on the surf and piers! Not that anyone ever bothered me personally, and at times they were pretty entertaining, but I also didn't want to be confined by the shoreline and piers. Like any hobby, necessity is far from need to have. But as you get into the hobby/sport more and more you start dabbling in the nice to haves and find yourself pretty deep real fast!! LOL I used to bowl VERY frequently before my kids were born, at one point I had to have had over 20 bowling balls and that's with selling some! LOL Now I didn't need them all, but it was fun to get different reactions on the lanes and cover different conditions.

Same thing with fishing! At one point my most expensive rod was $25 and the reel was like $40! But I was still fishing! Still catching and still having fun! LOL But of course I ventured into the higher end gear and that's all she wrote! But I don't count that towards kayak fishing alone, I would still be getting gear even if I was on the surf and pier! LOL So kayaking, for me at least, doesn't run that much. BUT I also have limited income to throw at it... best believe if I had some more $$$ it would be thrown at kayak fishing! LOL I see people all the time making purchases for their yak that in the back of my head I am saying.... "you don't need all that", but I am also saying "I wish I could get one!!!". LOL If you're having a good time, who can put a price on that?

[ronaultmtd]

Well for me, I knew I would NEVER be able to afford a boat! LOL So I went with a kayak, and it let me get away from some of the craziness that happens on the surf and piers! Not that anyone ever bothered me personally, and at times they were pretty entertaining, but I also didn't want to be confined by the shoreline and piers. Like any hobby, necessity is far from need to have. But as you get into the hobby/sport more and more you start dabbling in the nice to haves and find yourself pretty deep real fast!! LOL I used to bowl VERY frequently before my kids were born, at one point I had to have had over 20 bowling balls and that's with selling some! LOL Now I didn't need them all, but it was fun to get different reactions on the lanes and cover different conditions.

Same thing with fishing! At one point my most expensive rod was $25 and the real was like $40! But I was still fishing! Still catching and still having fun! LOL But of course I ventured into the higher end gear and that's all she wrote! But I don't count that towards kayak fishing alone, I would still be getting gear even if I was on the surf and pier! LOL So kayaking, for me at least, doesn't run that much. BUT I also have limited income to throw at it... best believe if I had some more $$$ it would be thrown at kayak fishing! LOL I see people all the time making purchases for their yak that in the back of my head I am saying.... "you don't need all that", but I am also saying "I wish I could get one!!!". LOL If you're having a good time, who can put a price on that?

Fantastic prospective, Mytmouse- Priceless- truly priceless- when we get old and can't go anymore let there be no "I wish I had done that"....there is not much that would be on my bucket list...just want to continue doing just what I am doing right now- no more; no less-

[Memory Maker]

well for me, i knew i would never be able to afford a boat! Lol so i went with a kayak, and it let me get away from some of the craziness that happens on the surf and piers! Not that anyone ever bothered me personally, and at times they were pretty entertaining, but i also didn't want to be confined by the shoreline and piers. Like any hobby, necessity is far from need to have. But as you get into the hobby/sport more and more you start dabbling in the nice to haves and find yourself pretty deep real fast!! Lol i used to bowl very frequently before my kids were born, at one point i had to have had over 20 bowling balls and that's with selling some! Lol now i didn't need them all, but it was fun to get different reactions on the lanes and cover different conditions.

Same thing with fishing! At one point my most expensive rod was $25 and the real was like $40! But i was still fishing! Still catching and still having fun! Lol but of course i ventured into the higher end gear and that's all she wrote! But i don't count that towards kayak fishing alone, i would still be getting gear even if i was on the surf and pier! Lol so kayaking, for me at least, doesn't run that much. But i also have limited income to throw at it... Best believe if i had some more $$$ it would be thrown at kayak fishing! Lol i see people all the time making purchases for their yak that in the back of my head i am saying.... "you don't need all that", but i am also saying "i wish i could get one!!!". Lol if you're having a good time, who can put a price on that?

lol ........ +1

[kevinfry]

I doubt I have $400 in my kayak.....of course the price of that is being the Fred Sanford of the MKF. I am sure I have more in safety grear (waders, splash jacket, PFD, radio) than the rest of the "gift horse". Someday........Malibu X-factor!

[acg_osprey]

For me this all started over about three years ago. I have fished all of my 41 years. Some of my earliest memories are getting into serious weakie runs on the Jersey bays with my dad, grandfather, and uncles. For one reason or another my fishing slowed down and I started spending my free time on other hobbies. Ultimately, when life threw a real curve ball at me about six years ago (one and eventually two children with Autism) I stopped doing anything discretionary and free time simply didn't exist.

It was about three years ago that I realized that I wasn't tackling these problems in the healthiest way. Both my wife and I needed to take care of ourselves individually and collectively if we were going to be the best we could for our kids. It took about two seconds to realize that fishing was the thing I loved and missed the most. It took another three years to save the money for the yak, but I did eventually get one last September. Since then it has been easier to rig a bit here and there mostly because family is more than happy to throw me some gift cards and the like on holidays.

Yak fishing for me is one part hobby and one part therapy. It is also certainly cheaper, more effective and more interesting than any shrink I've found! I'll take a new PB over a PhD any day of the week.

[dhawk]

For me I started borrowing a yak that was unlocked from my neigborhood kayak stand then I thought I would just buy a cheap kayak then talked to people test drove some and ended up dropping more than I expected buying an x factor because it was the best fit for me. So far Im pretty spartan with cheap rods and no fish finder I already had some waders and I picked up a good life vest but it is all money well spent. Time on the water is priceless.

[J Bass]

yeah, ive been reading this and LITERALLY just getting into it....currently looking at Pro anglers and i want a Lowrance elite 5dsi.......i have a little kia spectra 5 so im also having to look into transporting this sucker....plus i know im gonna want a few rod holders n stuff like that........gettin pricey