Tackle/Fishing Supplies..Tips/Tricks

[manitoubass2]

We as anglers tend to spend alot of money on bait, gear, lures and fishing related supplies. Over time and many mistakes, we learn and improve on how we do things. So I thought a tips and tricks thread would be a great idea. We can combine many years of angling experience into one thread, to help each other learn, and save money as well. I don't care how many years experience you have, you will always be learning new things about your favorite pastime. So lets just make it easier for one another, and compile a list to speed up the process!

Never store bass jigs(skirted jigs) rigged with plastic baits, or in the same compartment of your tackle box. The combination will cause the plastic bait, and or the silicone skirt material to melt into a goooey mess, rendering them all but useless.

Always allow round head or any lead jig to dry before storing, or they will rust. Again, as mentioned above, remove the plastic bait from the jig as well before storing. I leave my tackle box open, inside for a few hours before closing it up. You can also use the packets from vitamin bottles to put in your tackle box to remove any access moisture to help even more.

Dont store a jig, rigged with a plastic, back into a bag of plastic, especially if they are salted baits. They will rust the jig.

Don't mix various plastic into one bag. They can melt, colors can bleed as well.

Scented soft baits, like Gulp products, should be stored into seperate zip lock bag to prevent them from leaking into your tackle box. If it leaks into the ziplock, its quick and easy to replace the bag, and keep the stink and mess outta your tackle box.

Don't apply suncreen or bug dope before fishing, they are both horrible in terms of taste/smell to fish. As is nicotine. If you must apply these products (which you should do on some level to remain healthy), wash your hands and use a fishing scent on your lures, or hands or both to mask the odor.

If you don't like birdsnests and wind knots, try as hard as you can to not cast directly into the wind. Sometimes you have to, but try to avoid it if you can. Also, watch your line when you cast. Alot of these issues are easily corrected at first happening, not so much after you begin to retrieve, or try to cast again. Cast low if casting into the wind, don't lob cast.

Just a few to start with. Please feel free to chime in with some of your own tricks/tips. I'll have more later

[bettercallsaul]

I love rubber bands. I've used them as bobber stops when the silicone tubing breaks, a bait stop on a hair rig, and can be used as a bite indicator, and of course storing two piece rods is much easier.

[MikeH]

Hahaha... On my phone I get the first few words of a post, so I'm like "he loves rubber bands? WTF is going on in there"?

I add small (size 1 or 0) blades onto worm hooks so that my plastics have some flash and flutter under them.

[MichaelAngelo]

(03-26-2012 10:22 PM)MikeH Wrote:  Hahaha... On my phone I get the first few words of a post, so I'm like "he loves rubber bands? WTF is going on in there"?

Yeah I miss a day on here and that's what it comes to LOL

[MichaelAngelo]

(03-26-2012 07:45 PM)bettercallsaul Wrote:  I love rubber bands. I've used them as bobber stops when the silicone tubing breaks, a bait stop on a hair rig, and can be used as a bite indicator, and of course storing two piece rods is much easier.

Elaborate, this is interesting! (not on the storing the rod part though, I got that down .

Bite indicator?

[bettercallsaul]

(03-26-2012 11:22 PM)MichaelAngelo Wrote:  

(03-26-2012 07:45 PM)bettercallsaul Wrote:  I love rubber bands. I've used them as bobber stops when the silicone tubing breaks, a bait stop on a hair rig, and can be used as a bite indicator, and of course storing two piece rods is much easier.

Elaborate, this is interesting! (not on the storing the rod part though, I got that down .

Bite indicator?

When fishing for carp or any finicky fish, if you tie your elastic to your line and it's easier to see the line going out as the rubber band would move out (I hate wearing my glasses).

[manitoubass2]

a very easy way to join two lines(yes, easier and stronger than a uni-uni)

Take about 15" of your main line, and the same amount of the line you want to join to, so that they are horizontal together.

Hold both lines, with both hands a few inches apart, bring them together to form a loop.

Take both lines in your left hand and feed them through the loop twice.

Do the same with you right hand, but in the opposite direction.

Lube the line with spit or water and pull both main line/tag ends tight.

I might have to do a video for this one, lol.

If you are having a hard time with this knot, start out the same way up until the loop, then feed the line in your right hand 4 times and cinch tight. This is a little easier if your trying to re-spool. It called a water knot, here is a link to the video.

http://videofishingknots.com/water-knot.html

[manitoubass2]

elastics are good to wrap your treble hooks on your crank baits, so you can put multiple lures in one section without them tangling up.

Put the elastic over one treble, twist a few times, then wrap over the second treble, and wrap a few times. Works really well if you carry alot of cranks/stickbaits.

[manitoubass2]

If your jig fishing, always tie direct to the jig. If you use a snap swivel and your fishing the bottom, the bait just collapses on itself.

If you spool up braid, wrap it around the spool 3-4 times, then tie to the spool to prevent slipping. You can also put a small piece of electrical tape over the knot just to make sure (or use a mono backing) Spool it up as tight as possible, the tighter, the better it will handle.

[OldTimer]

It is good practice to inspect, a few times a year, the condition of your tiptop, guides, line rollers, and spool contact edges to avoid line damage leading to reduced strength and shock resistance.

In older rods made with simple chrome plated tiptop and guides it is possible within a short space of time when fishing “dirty” water for the line to cut a groove in the tiptops’ ring interior. This takes much longer nowadays with the ceramic and tungsten inserts, however these materials are subject to chipping and cracking if abused, or impacted.

If you see what looks like very thin threads or wisps of material on the surface of your fishing line - you have either a damaged tiptop/guide, or a damaged line roller, or spool edge on your reel.

Visual inspection works OK – but the quickest way to find a burr, crack or finish imperfection is with a Q-Tip (or cotton ball)……….. just rub the cotton around the interior of the tiptop and guides, etc. Imperfections will grab threads of the cotton batting.

Replace all damaged parts…………….

Cheers,

OldTimer

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(03-26-2012 07:45 PM)bettercallsaul Wrote:  I love rubber bands.

And the fabric covered "hair" elastic bands the girls use - last even longer for fishing purposes....