How much does it cost to go fishing in Singapore?

The simplest questions asked are often the ones people ask all the time. Throughout my life, questions such as “where do you go fishing” or “Singapore got fish meh?” are often very common conversation starters. So I wondered out of curiosity how much really do we anglers or fishermen spend on our hobby.

The result? I put together a very simple list below that doesn’t really conclude anything but if you have friends asking you about fishing costs (because they really don’t know or because they want to pick up fishing) then please show them this blog post.

Fishing cost in Singapore is generally split up into equipment and trip cost since there are no local licenses that we need to purchase.

Note that costs are in SGD and these costs are written from a Singaporean slant.

Equipment cost

Equipment cost refers to the fishing rods, reels, lines, hooks, sinkers, lures and accessories that one will need to buy when fishing. Costs are also very subjective here since there is a wide range of equipment that we can choose from.

• A fishing rod can cost between $5 (cheap China-made ones) to thousands of dollars. Typical entry level but decent ones would cost from $50 to $100. Higher quality ones and Japan designed ones would cost from $100. Custom fishing rods on average would cost between $300 to $500 (inclusive of rod blanks, materials and workmanship).
• A fishing reel can cost between $5 (cheap China-made ones) to a thousand dollars (check out the Shimano Stella) Typical entry level but decent ones would cost from $50 to $100. Higher quality ones and Japan designed ones would cost from $100. $300 would fetch you mid-range ones such as the Shimano Twinpower while $800 onwards will get you the Shimano Stella.
• Fishing lines (for reels) is a contentious one since there are so many types and ranges of fishing lines! Monofilament line would cost anything from $5 for a spool while braided line can cost $15 for a spool (excluding cheap China-made braids). Spools are also sold in 100m, 300m, 500m rolls. Some braid and PE line though, can cost you $200. In general, Japanese PE line would be pricier than American braid (i.e. Varivas PE line vs Tuffline)
• Lures can generally cost from $1 to $50. Like lines, lures can be very contentious in terms of pricing. In general though, non-Japanese usually cost from $5 to $15 and Japanese lures often are priced above $15. If you’re doing big game fishing and require heavier lures such as Poppers, these can also bring up the cost since some Poppers do cost a few hundred dollars. Prices of lures are pegged to technology/design and application.
• Jigs can cost from a dollar or two to $100. Same thing with lures, if you’re going for bigger jigs for big game fishing, then expect higher costs. The price of jigs though seem pegged more to weight and material (i.e. tungsten) than technology/design.
• Sinkers generally cost from a few cents (split shots) to a few dollars (large ones from size 8 to 32) and are one of the items that generally have quite a sensible price range since it’s just lead.
• Leader lines (used to connect your mainline to lure or for tying rigs) are monofilament lines and cost anything from a dollar or two (starfish brand), $5 and under (dupont brand) to $30 and above. Generally, fluorocarbon monofilament lines are pricier and heavier poundage will mean more cost.
• Terminal tackle accessories such as hooks, swivel, snaps, and so on are usually quite low on cost and can cost from $1 per pack. However, these days there are many variations, models and designs that are in the market. In general, an acceptable pack of hooks/swivels/snaps will cost you $1 to $2. Better ones will cost from $2 to $5. Big game fishing terminal tackle accessories are usually costlier especially if you get the Japanese ones. You should also note that assist hooks (for jigs) with kevlar are also pricier.
• The other fishing accessories such as boga grip (fish gripper), pliers and so on are too varied so I’ve excluded these costs.
• Note that I’ve excluded maintenance costs here but generally it should cost anything from $30 to $70 to service a fishing reel and $5 to $20 to fix a fishing rod guide.

Fishing trip cost

• A pond fishing trip to a local catch and keep paypond will generally cost you $30 to $100 depending on the location chosen, hours spent fishing and also packages utilised. In general, $50 will set you off for a whole day’s fishing at Pasir Ris main pond while $50/3hrs will also get you a ticket at most “pro-ponds” which are basically smaller, more private ponds.
• A pond fishing trip to a catch and release paypond will cost you $30 to $100 (Pasir Ris Farmway 3 costs $30/12 hrs while Orto is pricier with more complex packages). Increasingly, there are also more trips to catch and release payponds which focus on bigger sportfish and these will cost from $50 to $100 (i.e. Barelang fishing pond).
• A simple offshore fishing trip around Changi waters will cost you $50 to $120 (depending on type of boat i.e. bumboat or fiberglass and number of people sharing the cost).
• A simple offshore fishing trip around Southern Island/Sentosa/Tuas waters will cost you $80 to $150 (depending on type of boat i.e. bumboat or fiberglass and number of people sharing the cost). In general, the fishing spots here tend to be further.
• There are also free fishing locations in our Singapore freshwater and saltwater waterways. Legal fishing areas in reservoirs, public beaches, jetties and piers are all free of charge. These though are often not very productive.
• A simple 2D2N trip to East Malaysia i.e. Rompin, Pekan, Desaru, Merchong, Sedili will cost you $300 to $500 in general. These include lodging, charter costs and food. 
• A simple day fishing to East or West Malaysia should cost around $100. These include charter costs, food and general costs. 
• Fishing trips to further locations do commensurate with location, professional costs and currency. I.e. Kuching, Sarawak, Miri, Maldives, Australia and so on. 

Now, I hope these costs do help you. To admit, I put together the list because I was trying to kill some time. If you have anything to add on though, do email me or comment so that I can add them in! Hopefully this is useful for those picking up fishing or asking about fishing costs.