If you're like me you want to save money especially in this economy. Acquiring fishing equipment (you can never have enough anyways) can be relatively inexpensive if you do just a little bit of homework and hands on work. One of the best things that I have found is that you can find excellent deals on rods, reels and tackle just by going to garage sales, eBay, Craislist or by looking in the classifieds in your local paper. Here's a couple tips that I hope will be helpful to you.
Tip#1 Learn how to work on reels
I can't tell you how much money that I have saved just by going to these places and fixing things myself. For example, when I go to garage sales I just drive by first to see if there are any rods sticking up. If there is, I follow this simple rule: The dirtier the rod the better because you can bargain with the price. I found a freshwater outfit that consisted of a G-Loomis rod with a Calcutta reel attached. Now the reel didn't turn because it was used on the beach and the guy didn't clean it. The rod was covered with dust and dirt and had some stains on it. I bought both for $10, took the rod and reel home, cleaned them up. This rod and reel combo would have retailed for over $230.00 dollars if bought brand new.
Tip#2 Learn to wrap rods
I learned how to wrap rods when I was in my teens and still do from time to time. This is definitely a skill that is not too difficult and I think you should learn anyways because it comes in handy as well as saving you money. Once again look for rods that are dirty, missing guide(s) or look "unattractive". Check the integrity of the rod. If there are splits or nicks on the rod itself that go through the finish you might consider not rebuilding this due to these "weak spots".
Recently I found 2 rods that were light, long and perfect for throwing crankbaits, put new guides on them for about $12 bucks and spent about 3 hours total time to refurbish them. If I were to buy these rods at a tackle store I would have paid well over $100.00 but instead paid less than $30.00. And they have a "custom" look to them.
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