About thirty four years ago, I use to go deer hunting for the entire gun season (9 days). Since the area we hunted was about 280 miles from home, we obviously had to take off from work. A friend of mine (name being withheld) was working in a factory 10 hours a day, and Saturdays for 8 hours. His shop closed down ever summer for two weeks, and that period constituted everyone's vacation time. So, our hunting time required a leave of absence on his part. He had to give up 40 hours of straight time and 18 hours of time and half in order to go. He decided that he wanted to go so we made plans for the trip.
About two weeks before the season, I contacted him and told him I was going to the rifle range to sight-in my rifle and asked if he wanted to go? He told me he had sighted in the year before and felt his gun should be Ok, and he didn't think spending the three bucks would be worth it (remember 30+ years ago).
Well we went hunting and my friend had a 30 yard shot at a good 8 point, standing broadside, buck. Unfortunately, he missed it clean! We later determined that the scope was way off (by 6 feet at 50 yards). In summary, we gave up a weeks pay plus 18 hours of time and half, plus drove 560 miles, paid for meals and lodging for 9 days, paid for gas, and a hunting license. He spent all of this money and time and came back empty handed because he was to cheap to spend 3 bucks to get his rifle sighted in!
Well, this is a fishing site so how does this relate to fishing for big pike and musky? The answer is simple, I see so many, many people that will literally spend thousands of dollars, travel hundreds or thousands of miles to go fishing only to try to get by cheap on very small, but crucial things. I have seen guys that know better try to get another season out of fishing line or refuse to change a kinked leader. They will take a pliers to bend back a severly bent hook, or even get to lazy to cut a couple of feet off the line after catching a good fish or sharpen the hooks. They will buy the cheapest reels, rods, hooks, swivels, and line in an attempt to save a little bit of money. They won't even take time to oil the reel so it works correctly. Yet, a good number of these people will tell you how the "Fishing God" is unfair as they had a good fish on but the line broke, or they couldn't set the hook, or the drag locked up, etc. etc.
I am not trying to say that you will be successful if you do all of the "little things", but I will say you won't be successful if you don't! Yes, you can squeak one by every now and again, but most good fisherman measure success by consistency not on a one time occurrence. Simply do the math! You are investing big in a trip, is spending an extra dollar or two to insure your success a real problem? If you are honest with yourself, the answer is obvious.
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Last updated on ... November 30, 2002