We always need “just one more,” right? One more rod. One more lure. When you’re heading out to explore the outstanding fisheries of the Alabama Bass Trail, it’s always good to have options!

For most of us, our options are limited by our budget. Short of using our mad fishing skills to go pro and garner the support of generous sponsors, we must pay to play when it comes to equipment. Here are some tips for getting the gear you want without breaking the bank.

1.) Keep It Simple This is the one none of us wants to hear: We may not actually need it all. The best way to save money is to buy less. Instead of buying plastics in every color imaginable and so many hard bait patterns, sticking with a few tried-and-true basics might just get the job done.

2.) Repair and Reuse Your Plastics You can extend the life of your soft plastics by simply investing in some superglue. A few drops on a tear and that bait can be used again without any drop in performance.

3.) Change Your Treble Hooks When the hooks on hard baits get broken, dull or rusty, don’t trash the bait, change the hook. Some pliers and an extra pack of treble hooks won’t cost you much and can add new life to your favorite hard baits.

4.) Re-Tie Your Line Often Taking a few minutes regularly to re-tie lines can dramatically lower your number of lost lures. Yes, it will still happen but the time you spend compensating for wear and tear on your line will result in savings on your tackle costs.

5.) Reversing/Backing Your Braid Using old or cheaper line as backing to fill a reel halfway is a resourceful way to save big bucks. Once the line is worn, just tie the end to another empty reel and fill up the spool about halfway. Now you only have to change out half of your main line and one filler spool will go a whole lot further.

6.) Get a Lure Retriever If you fish with crank baits, you’re going to get hung up in heavy cover. It’s a fact of fishing. A simple lure retriever can get your prized lures back, save you a ton of money and keep you fishing.

7.) Be a Smart Shopper Embrace shopping! Comparison shop, shop online and join mailing lists. If you’ll be patient, you’ll find that sweet deal worth waiting for.

All that money you save can add up. Maybe with your savings you can plan an extra trip along the Alabama Bass Trail next year. Our 13 lakes and lots of adventure are waiting.