In this topsy-turvy world mental health has taken on more importance than ever, and seeking mental health guidance has become more common than ever. But, are we going about maintaining our sanity the wrong way? The Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck has been quoted as saying, “I am surprised that the dour brotherhood of psychoanalysts has not attacked fishing, since it seems to me it is in competition. Two hours with a fishing rod is worth 10 hours on the couch and is less expensive.”
Steinbeck might have been on to something here, except maybe about the “less expensive” part. Unless your fishing is limited to cane poles and hand-dug earthworms, fishing can be quite an expensive habit. That’s especially true if you need a new fishing boat. Even so, could fishing still be a better mental health investment than therapy? Let’s crunch some numbers.
Kayak Anglers – You can get away with spending $2500 and get a pretty decent fishing kayak. Add $1000 for accessories because there isn’t a kayak angler alive who can resist adding snazzy crates, swivel-mount rodholders, fishfinders, and more. Then chalk up another $500 for rods and reels. Now let’s amortize that $4000 total over a five-year period. Let’s say you fish 30 times a year at an average of six-hour trips per year. Over five years that’s 900 hours of fishing at an average cost of $4.44 per hour. There isn’t a therapist on the face of the planet who works that cheap, and if you find one who does you should run—fishing wins, hands-down.
Small Boat Anglers – The least expensive small fishing boats around tend to be aluminum rigs with 40- to 60-hp outboards, and $10,000 is enough to get a basic but new 15’ or 16’ model with a trailer. Now pony up another $500 for the rods, reels, and tackle. We have to add in fuel and maintenance costs with a boat, too, so figure on chipping in another $500 annually. And now you’ll need boat ramp permits and title and tag fees, for another $250 a year. Over five years the total cost will shake out to $14,000. Sticking with our guestimate of 900 hours of fishing over this time period, we’re now spending $15.55 per hour. Considering that $100 an hour is downright cheap for therapy, again, fishing proves to be the better investment by a longshot.
Center Console Anglers – If you want to hit the open Bay in a center console on a regular basis you’ll want a 24’ or 25’ fiberglass rig with 250 horses on the transom. $120,000 is barely enough to get you out of the gate. Your gear costs more, too, so you’d better plan to spend $1000. If you burn an average of 20 gallons of fuel per trip you’ll now be spending $2400 on gas every year, and setting aside $2000 a year in maintenance is a must. That means you’ll be spending around $143,000 to stay sane for the next five years, at an hourly cost of around $158.88.
Wait a sec—don’t call that therapist so fast. Since your boat is fiberglass you’ll want to wax it regularly, which has an indisputably therapeutic effect. Credit yourself for 20 hours for that free “therapy” rubbing and buffing per year, and the cost comes down to $143 per hour. You could buy a spot on that comfy couch at this rate so we’ll call therapy versus fishing a financial wash at this point. Go with the fishing option, however, and you’ll have a LOT more fun.
Offshore Anglers – You say you’re ready to drop a cool three mil on that 50’ custom Carolina convertible? Awesome, but you’d better plan on also spending $50,000 on gear, and every time you leave the dock you’ll blow through $500 in fuel at the very least. (That’s $75,000 in diesel through the five-year period… best not to think about this too much). Plus, now you have $10,000 in annual mooring costs and maintenance is a whopping $50,000 per year. Total cost is $3.425 million, which equates to $3805.55 per hour of fishing. While it’s certainly tempting to go this route, if you opt to do so, unless my math is off you really are in dire need of mental help.