Looking for a Cheap Vacation? Go Fishing!

Even if you aren't doing so hot in the money-making department right now, you may still need a vacation. Vacations can actually help you be more successful with your money by giving you a break from the world and the energy you need to hit your work hard enough to impress the boss. If you can, try to take a week of vacation every year. If not, a weekend here and there can be almost as good.

Of course, you don't want to blow your entire month's rent on a vacation, either. Luckily, there are plenty of fun, old-fashioned ways to take a vacation without spending a fortune on some theme park or cruise. One of the best vacation ideas that can be cheap and fun? Fishing!
Even if you've never been fishing before, you might find you fall in love with it. Fishing can be great for a one-person vacation, a family trip, or a get-together with a group of buddies. There are tons of great places to fish in the United States, and chances are likely that there are some great places near you, so you don't even have to splurge on gas or airfare.

Here's what you need to know to set up the perfect, most affordable fishing vacation:

1. Figure out your budget. This is key to making your vacation cheap. Just how cheap does it need to be? A fishing vacation could cost as little as a couple hundred bucks, but maybe a couple thousand bucks is still cheap in your book. Check out your bank account and your budget, and decide what you can afford to spend on your vacation. This will help you make good choices in the rest of these areas.

2. Decide who's going with you. This is important, too, because it will help you figure out if you need, for instance, a fishing guide or fishing boat. Maybe you have a family member or a buddy who already has a fishing boat. If not, you might need to work a rental or a guided trip into your vacation budget. If you know how to fish or have a friend going with you who does, then you don't need to worry about a fishing guide. If you're a first-timer, hiring a guide might be worth your while.

3. Figure out where you're going. This will depend on lots of things: what you're fishing for, what season you're going, how far away you can afford to travel, who is going with you, and what your specific fishing trip needs happen to be. Here are a few different options you might look at near you:

• For a super cheap vacation, take a camp and fish vacation. Just look at campgrounds on lakes or ponds near you. The lakes don't need to be very impressive to catch a bunch of fish, even. For this kind of trip, you just need your own camping supplies, camp-type food, and a van or truck to haul it all in. Often times, you can rent fishing boats from a campground for next to nothing, or you might be able to just fish off a dock or a canoe you bring with you.


• For something a little more upscale but still affordable, check out campgrounds with cabins. Tons of state parks have running-water cabins available for campers. These can be affordable when split between several people or couples, and they're also tons of fun. You don't have to worry about weather or figuring out how to set up your tent, and you can still cook all your own food, which saves a fortune.


• Guided fishing trips are great if you want to catch a whopper or if you're an inexperienced fisherman. There are several of these available on the Great Lakes. If you live near a coast, you might check out deep sea fishing options. These trips can be just half a day or an entire weekend, depending on how much time and money you've got. This is one of the more expensive options, but it might be worth a splurge if it's within your budget.

4. Figure out your gear. This will depend on where you're deciding to go. If you're going camping, you'll probably want to take your own gear for the sake of convenience. If you're renting a cabin, there may be a place where you can rent fishing gear, which is cheaper if you aren't going to fish all that often. Oftentimes, on a guided fishing tour, they'll actually give you all the gear you need right there. If you're inexperienced, do some research about the types of gear you'll need to catch the fish that are available where you're going.

Don't forget about gear for cleaning and cooking the fish, too. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but you'll want to eat your catch unless you're going somewhere that only offers catch and release! Again, on a guided fishing tour, they will probably clean your catch for you, but make sure before you sign up.

A fishing trip can cost anywhere from $200 if you're close to home and super smart with your money to $5,000 if you splurge on a deep sea fishing adventure. Depending on your budget, this could be a great cheap vacation for you. Plus, fishing is relaxing and fun, and you get to actually enjoy the fruits of your labor when the day is done!

Abigail Hall is a blogger at CreditDonkey. Read more of Abigail's articles at www.creditdonkey.com, where you can also find travel credit card deals.