How do you convince your girlfriend that tackle is not a waste of money?

My girlfriend recently brought up the fact that I spent around $1200 on tackle year summer and said I shouldn't be wasting my money!

Can you believe that!

just tell her it's your money and you'll spend it how you want! lol

time for a different girl friend

You buy her something of equal or greater value of your tackle when she complains. That's if you want to keep her, though.

First ask yourself why does my girlfriend know that much about my finances. And then ask her if you can start tracking how much she spends on shoes, clothes, makeup, etc... HAHA!!!

Take her fishing with you, let her use a lucky craft or some expensive lure and when she loses it you explain that she needs to replace it and let her buy it, then she will understand that its a necessity and not a waste....lol

My wife asked me the same question once. I replyed " do your really need all those Shoes? End of Conserversation

Yup cause it will only get worse..

Maybe this is why I'm divorced but they way I look at it its my money and I will spend it how I want even if its on tackle and beer. She probably wastes money on make up and you don't say anything do you.

I keep it simple, I just add hooks to her dangly ear rings and use them as lures.

She is a girlfriend no explanation needed.

hold her head under water, and her hands behind her back.

Tell her you are a guide, then write it off on your taxes

You don't. Unless she fishes, she will never understand the obsession we have with all things tackle.

With all do respect, my wife never knows how much I spend on fishing or boat matters. We trust each other to know the bills are paid and that Texas A&M is still gonna get their money for the next two years. If she's gonna be more than just a girlfriend you might want to build and gain a trust factor. Good luck.

I agree with ban d

Problem Solved....

My wife, then girlfriend, never knew the amount of tackle and/or hunting equipment simply because she was not interested. And I keep everything in the shed and she never ventures out that way.

Let her know that if she is in the relationship thinking she's going to change you, she needs to keep on moving. If she truly loves you, she'll love the fishing part of you as well.

My wife knows exactly how much I spend, we share a bank account. I also run any purchases over $25 by her, as she pays the bills, she knows when it is due, and just because we have money in the bank, doesn't mean that is available, it may be for bills due the day. Sometimes she asks me to wait til we get paid to buy stuff, sometimes she doesn't care. But she is my wife, she has that right. A girlfriend doesn't have that right. Unless you have been dating for 10 years, and you just won't put a ring on her finger.

if you find the answer let me know because i have the same problem, i just buy it and face the music when it hits, then i give her some cash and tell her to go have fun shopping and i will watch the kids

Play that song non stop for a week

Find one that fishes also. It makes Christmas and birthday shopping easier when you can buy them a new reel or rod and they are excited about it!

Marry her and then you will have more money to spend on
fishing, lol

Mine ( wife ) doesnt care what I buy as long as I buy her one too, as she likes to fish and if I have one she better haver one in her tackle collection.

Yup. Throw her back and find a girlfriend who likes to go fishing with you.

Ask her why she has 3 trillion pair of shoes.

Just use some of her shoes as topwaters & bobbers, that oughta cure her

catch a 10 pounder

Look her dead in the eye and ask her who said she could leave the kitchen.

Well Guru, unless she's as avid about fishing as you, the answer to you question is simple; YOU CAN'T. So, now that we've got that cleared up, take the time you would have spent contemplating this matter and GO FISHING! You'll be happier in the end.

Mine ( wife ) doesnt care what I buy as long as I buy her one too, as she likes to fish and if I have one she better haver one in her tackle collection.

Girlfriend is the simple answer. It won't get any better if she complains about it now. Just tell her its simply a $100 a month. What does she waste $100 a month on?

Why would a " MAN" have to convince a girlfriend of anything,just point out the door to her!

Just do what I do and buy what ever you want, but if she asks why didn't I tell her I bought it I tell her because I'm grown!!!!!!

Yep, you need to find a GF that likes to fish or it is just going to get worse, my wife loves to fish so I can buy what I want she is going to use it as well...

Post a picture of her. It might be worth cutting back to $1100. Can't make that judgement without a pic.

Woman are like this a lot, but yet they can buy makeup and other useless stuff and thats ok.

Find a good hearted woman who wants to love on a Fisherman

She knows I'm uncureable so she encourages me going fishing. When I'm actually fishing I'm not spending money on TW or at cabelas lol.

My gf of ten years hates the fact i go fishing. I would never want one who comes with me...for me its getaway time. Mine doesnt even like to go outside. Fishing is the topic of many fights. I nust say tough s+!$ if you dont like it...

This is so true. Bribery, usually in the form of diamonds is a sure-fire choice.

Why do you have to convince your girlfriend? The girlfriend phase is when you weed out the ones that have problems with you buying tackle.

I make it a point when I find baits on sale to point out how much I actually saved but my wife doesnt really bitch bout it anyways. She kalso nows it's my hobie that I love doing.

Just ask her why she needs so many "shoes" in the closet!

Ditch her and find someone who supports your hobby/passion. Pretty soon she'll be asking why you spend all that time chasing fish instead of her.

Huckleberry and Klinger are right. Get rid of her. The're like bass, always a better one a cast away.

unless she looks and writhes like the one in skeetermarine's posts i'd probably have to find one that does...or fishes...

As stated she is a girlfriend, if you start explaining yourself now you may as well turn in your man card if you get married, because you'll never get a kitchen pass. There is no need to explain how or why you are spending your money.

And BTW I love it when guys as us for girlfriend advice. Some are divorced, others use this as a avenue to say things they can't say to their wives or GF and a few are the lucky ones with wives/GF that totally support them.

My wife understood before we even were officially dating. Our first time to meet was a fishing trip...and she saw really fast what all that stuff was for.

I had everything tied on that I wanted to fish that day (bass fishing), and everything was set up on a combo that matched the technique.

Hers was set up likewise.

Although she doesn't fish too much with me anymore, anytime we go we "need" about 10-12 setups at least to be efficient.

She's never questioned me for the quantity I have (though I do catch h3LL for the frequency with which my equipment is "rotated".

She just wants 4-5 setups that she doesn't backlash, so I HAVE to keep at least that extra over the 12 or so that I "need".

This doesn't include spinning gear though

WHAT YOU TELL HER ?

If my significant other was to ever go out in the garage and count --- hmmmm prolly have to get another other

Make it clear to her BEFORE ya tries to slip on a ring that you have a FIRST love, but that don't mean you won't spend more on her

Wow. I think I might stay single for ever now.

Before my wife was my wife she kinda gave me [censored] about fishing stuff. Then I was working all the time and did not get the chance to fish. She soon realized that fishing made me less of a jerk and then encouraged me to go more often. I also would take her with me from time to time and she strated to see what I like about fishing. So I am not saying to go and be a jerk just try to help her uunderstand why u like fishing. How knows she may tell u to buy some more stuff

Yes.

some things you just keep to your self

Usually a woman wants to change you AFTER you get married.

My wife and I are Packer shareholders so when they won Super Bowl 45, I bought her the shareholder Super Bowl ring. Now she is telling me to go buy myself a Ranger from Cabela's.

Things have a way of working out.

Seriously???

Tell her to be a good girlfriend and go make you a sandwich and not worry about man business.

I would say she has to have things each month to control monthly things in her life and so do you. You need these lures to control the excitement in your life each month for just the thought of going fish. You buy a head of time and so does she. You have to be ready these days ! Hahaha.

* Caution this may get us all in trouble ! *

*Use this excuse at your own risk !*

+1 lol

laughing at all the relationship advice on here. She thinks he spends a lot on fishing, it's probably true.

She seems level headed...keep her, there isn't many out there that are!

Did it ever occur to you that she is right? $1200 is a big chunk to spend unless you have a lot of discretionary income.

I got my wife interested in fishing several years ago. She spends as much as i do on tackle and that is one subject that has never caused an issue. Sometimes the boat is hooked up, washed and ready when i get home from work.
I don't understand what you guys are complaining about. LOL!!!

Find a new girl who loves fishing as much as you!

I go every chance I get, and I spend more on tackle than my boyfriend, on average =]

&& LOL at all this relationship advice!

Sandwiches for everyone!!
-Nikki

run! you wont ever be able to enjoy your hobby without a sense of guilt if you continue into marraige.

get married, buy what you want and when she complains cheat on her and get caught on purpose, tell her she has a choice either fish or ho's.

problem solved

LOL!! that could be costly!!

tell her its the same as make up....

Get a new girlfriend!

As Al Bundy would say " Give her Five across the Eyes......"

best thread ever

Wait until your married it will really get crazy. Back in my tourney days I was probably spending $1200 a month or better on fishing counting everything, truck, boat, fuel (when it was $1.20/gallon), tackle, food, lodging, etc. and I was just fishing @ the club level...I got married 20 years ago and we had two kids. The boat disappeared about 12 years ago after it sat in the garage almost totally unused for 2 years.
I just enrolled my oldest in college to be a mechanical engineer this past summer so I am probably going to have to sit it out at least 4 more years. Luckily my youngest will be a freshman in HS at that point. So hopefully I can get something to run up and down the lakes at that point. It may not be much.....

gayeset thread ever. Find a new girl.

Oh I still own a boat but this is a far cry from a 18 foot Ranger or Nitro with an XR6 hanging off the back of it that I was running back in the day. Don't even have a trolling motor........paddle powered....

You just don't tell her!

I've been married for 19 years and until 5 years ago my wife didn't know how money I made weekly. Damn direct deposit!!!

Tell her make-up is also only an option, we can cut that as well!!!

You probably want to cull her, but if you plan on keeping her........good luck.

First you roll up a newspaper and call her to your tackle box....then you make her smell it and swat her a couple times with the newpaper and tell her NO! if she is smart enough to keep you then she will get the message...

The main thing to remember is to hold off adding kids to the mixture as long as you can.....I love my kids to death but that was also my down fall. After I got married; because my wife made a good income as well, I was actually able to fish more because my living expenses dropped. I just carried her with me when she wanted to go or spend time with me. We used to go to Fork a lot and she would kick my butt fishing. I'd be up on the front deck fishing as hard as I could go and she would be sitting at the drivers console reading a book and dragging a plastic worm behind the boat and she would catch more and bigger fish than me........

Catch and release is a lifestyle choice as well as fishing term. Sometimes no matter how much you like that 10lb bass you throw her back...Well at least into your 30's.

This is really the only way that works!

Trade her in on a new model. Besides, she's girl friend, not a wife. If she is starting to complain now, it will only get worse if you marry her.

Voice of experience talking!

Good luck,

Paul

Take her to her jewelry box and just stand there!!

You don't explain she is only a girlfriend

Does kinda sum it up...

My wife of six years still does not understand why I must have 8 rods/reels on the boat more tackle the most tackle shops. At times she gets mad at what I spend but being married we have "our", "your" and "my" money. Its really just a hobby overall no different than movies, music, video games.

tell her to convince you why she shouldnt be an EX girlfriend

Just tell her that it isn't any of her concern and to FO.

"a man must have his hobbies"

great thread here. show her your deep diver, and she will forget all about it.

zing!

I can't believe this thread is still going. A lot of what these guys are saying is right...she is just a girlfriend righ now and it is your hobby and it shouldn't be an issue.....just be careful though and don't add kids to the mix even if you end up marrying this girl until you are ready to slow things down. It wasn't my wife that ended my fishing but rather my own drive to see my kids succeed at everything they wanted to do that ended it. This happens more often than not with most guys. I wasn't aware when the kids came along that this was going to happen, but I wouldn't trade a minute of the good times I have had watching them grow up to go back to the tourney trail, just make sure you are ready to make the change.....I was in my late 30's when I gave it up, if I had been 20 something I don't know that I could have given it up that easy......

Tell her to piss off.

If your pending $1200 every summer for tackle, you need a cheaper hobby! I fish alot and catch alot, but have never spent that much on tackle. You must lose alot of gear! She has good gripe!

bang her sister(s), friends,co workers, and any other attractive woman she has contact with....


She will forget you even fish ...


problem solved (again)

So has this worked for you?

60% of the time it has worked every time...

sex panther

No, hes a b([censored]) cat.

Sounds like something Roland would say!

Start smoking crack. More expensive and less productive. She'll be begging you to go fishin'!

Tell her all men get hook on something to built up energy to continue working and fishing is healthy and cost less.If we get hook on gambling,golfing will cost lots more.If we get hook on drug or drinking very bad for heath.And if we get hook on girl,I'm going to miss you .

Blue tarp some rope a shovel rubber gloves and some scubbing bubbles piled neatly in the corner before you start the conversation is game changer.

Man! $1200 a year is pretty steep. I guess i just catch fish the cheap way.

Every hobby is expensive, your paying for fun. Golf, hunting, fishing, all cost money.

tell if you cant buy tackle she cant buy make-up!

Until my girlfriend became my wife, she didn't have a say in what I did with MY money.

Sports to men is like pretty things to women. Just start wearing her jewelry, dresses and shoes, then ask her "does this makes me look fat" .. She just might figure out that guys look better with nice tackle and their own junk. Ask if her stuff makes her feel good about herself then ask her why you would be any different.. but by all means be generous to her "needs" above your own "wants" if you have hopes for a lasting relationship..

Buy a couple of inline spinners and tell her they are earrings! She'll love you for the "shiny" things...

For God Sakes – don’t tell her.

If you don’t want to know the answer don’t ask the question (that’s a good rule of thumb to use throughout life).

What I spend on fishing is between me, my tax accountant and no one else (well maybe the IRS if they really need to know)
- it's a write off,

Come Valentine's day give her a couple hundred bucks tell her to go buy something nice for herself.............. Now while she's out change all the locks on your house send her a text that she shouldn't have bitched at you about the tackle you buy because your other girlfriends don't. Then tell her when she wants to make it up to you and never bring it up again you may let her come back. Now trust me however this works out you will be able to buy all the tackle you want. Guaranteed!!!!!!!!!!!!

+1000

I would tell her, it's really my money and I will spend it like I want. Man up now and draw the line, or just buy her a house and a car and run! You will be better off in the long run either way!

This is one of the better comment I have seen on the TFF.

my girlfriend loves when i go fishing...she even buys me fishing stuff on Valentines Day!!! She will even tag along and read her book as i fish.

The only thing you tell a girlfriend is "GET ME A BEER!

Bunch of sissy's!!!!!!

I guess she carries your "boys " on a chain around her neck!

My girlfriend once told me "A Man cannot have enough fishing tackle"....thats when I married her lol....

If you ain't married it ain't her business what you do with your money. She only needs to be concerned with you treating her well.


Reggie

When my wife opens her make-up box, I look inside and say "Wow you have a lot of lures in your tackle box ... how much is this one?". If that is not enough lets talk clothes and shoes.

Tell her when she quits buying makeup, clothes she don't/won't wear cause they're out of style, shoes, & purses, then you'll quit "wasting" YOUR money on fishing stuff. Besides, tell her if'n you ain't fishin' you could be a'fishin' for a new girlfriend (one that might like to fish..jmho..(been married a long time, she likes to fish too). Sides' keeps you off tha streets and out of trouble.....

Stole this from myself.....the rest of the story......It wasn't my wife that ended my fishing but rather my own drive to see my kids succeed at everything they wanted to do that ended it. This happens more often than not with most guys. I wasn't aware when the kids came along that this was going to happen, but I wouldn't trade a minute of the good times I have had watching them grow up to go back to the tourney trail, just make sure you are ready to make the change.....I was in my late 30's when I gave it up, if I had been 20 something I don't know that I could have given it up that easy......