Fishing Information

Fishing Equipment Tips


Cheap Sinkers

Spark plugs make excellent disposable sinkers. Need some cheap (free) fishing weights? Go to any gas station and ask for them. Then, loop a rubber band through the electrode and then tapping the wire down the plug can be attached to a loop of monofilament. The rubber band stretches when the plug is hung up, and even if the extra stretching force isn't enough to break free, the band will break before the monofilament.

Jig Weights

Jigs are one of the most versatile game-fish catchers in either fresh or saltwater. It is so important to have the right weight jig for your line weight. If the jig is too heavy for the line, you will loose your jig far too easily. If the jig is too light for the line, its swimming pattern will be disrupted and it won't be ass effective. This simple chart will help you select the correct jig:

Line Strength Jig Size
4-lb. Test 1/16 to 1/8 oz.
6-lb. Test 1/8 to ¼ oz.
8-lb. Test ¼ to 3/8 oz.
10-lb. Test ¼ to ½ oz.
12-lb. Test 3/8 to 5/8 oz.
14 to 20-lb. Test 5/8 to ¾ oz

Treble Hook Replacement

When replacing the treble hooks on your lures, there are a few things to consider. Chang the split ring too because it is subject to stress and rust. Use a stainless-steel split ring for strength. They do not spread or rust as to most of those that come wit h the plugs. Don't, however, use stainless steel hooks - they are more easily bent out of shape by a fighting fish. Also, if a fish gets away with your plug, stainless steel will not rust out, as a plain steel hook will. Lastly, get some split-ring pliers - they make changing your hooks easy.

Extra Springs

If you use a spinning reel, you have probably had a spring break when the fishing gets really hot. Always carry extras (use a 35mm-film canister) - and make sure to have a little screwdriver along as well. Practice changing it before you go out

No-slip Soles

If your winter boot soles are worn, just cut the liner to match the sole of an old sneaker. Fasten the felt to the sneaker sole with a non-soluble glue. Please a heavy object on top of the sneaker overnight, and by morning you have an all purpose non-slip shoe.

Snag-proof Spinners

Treble hooks are oftentimes "trouble" when using spinners, causing snags. Make them snag-free by removing the treble hook and replace with a single hook. Next thread on a three to four inch twister-tail grub and Texas-rig it.

Downriggers

Need to drop your bait down deep? Fish are very uncooperative creatures, and don't always hang out near the surface. If your depth sounder is alerting you to fish down deeper, a downrigger can really help out.

If you aren't exactly sure what it is, it is simple. It is a spool holding between 200-600 feet of steel cable. There is a weight attached that is between 6-12 pounds. Additionally there is a quick-release line gripper, just like a clothespin.

The fishing lines from your rods are attached to the quick-release mechanisms. Then the entire thing is dropped down to the depth you want. The bait is far enough from the weight and line gripper not to spook the fish. If you get a bite, the line is released from the gripper, so it is just you and the fish!

Some downriggers have fish-attractant properties (either electrical, or a special kind of paint), but not most of them.

Downriggers work great for deep trolling, and some even have an electronic crank that will bring everything up. If you need to get at deeper schools of fish, these are highly recommended.

Nail Polish Helps

Does your spoon, spinner, or plug get the paint chipped after only a few casts? Use clear fingernail polish to protect the paint and increase durability. Carry a bottle with you when you are fishing, and give it a shot.

Ferrules

If there is dirt on your ferrule it can contribute to rapid wear. Make a plug out of wood to help keep the female ferrule clean.

Is your ferrule stuck? Use "Liquid Wrench", which you can get at any auto-parts store. Just spray it around the male ferrule and let it drip down. In a few minutes you will be able to pull it apart.

Getting Out Line Tangles

Use a pair of large fabric needles to work out these tangles. They have a smooth finish which won't damage the line as you work the mess out. They are also handy to sew canvas tarp, leather, or carpet strips.

Pocket Tackle box

Attach a cord to your pocket tackle box, so you don't worry about dropping it in the water or leaving it behind. Just drill an undersized hole near the back of the box and insert a small eye-screw. A know will stop the cord from slipping through the eye. Just put a clip on the other end so that you can secure the rope to a belt loop or buttonhole.

Avoiding Line Twist

Line twist is the leading cause of fouled fishing. To check for it, pull off enough line to span your outstretched hands - about 6 feet. Next, bring your hands together in front of you, causing the line to drop into a loop. If the loop wraps around itself, you have line twist. Remove it by trolling about 100 feet of line behind a boat. Next install a ball-bearing swivel to prevent future line twist.

Knots Are Key

One of the most important things in losing or landing a hooked fish is your knot. Be certain the knot you are tying is strong and properly tied.

To make sure, tie your usual knot and test it against other knots. A good test is to take two four-inch sections of a broom handle with the screw eye in the center of each. Tie a knot in each screw eye and pull steadily until you see which knot survives. Do it 10 times to get an average. The knot that holds best should be your new knot.

Anchor Pulley, Keep it Quiet

If you use an anchor pulley, you risk spooking the fish as most pulleys eventually start to squeak. Try this alternative to a pulley:

Get a large U-bolt, a few nuts and washers, and an old-style glass or porcelain fencepost insulator.

Slip the insulator on a U-bolt, drill a couple of holes to accommodate the bolt, and tighten it to the mounting surface. The anchor rope will slide freely in the insulator's groove, and the anchor lowers and raises as effortlessly as with a pulley, especially once the rope is wet.

Casting Poppers

Casting poppers with a fly rod is awkward. To get better distance bore a slightly undersized small hole in the popper, just big enough to fit a BB in. It should fit snugly and will give you another 30 feet of casting distance at least.

Cheap and easy depth finder

Using two felt-tipped markers (red and black) mark an anchor rope as follows: A single red mark around the rope at five feet, a red and black mark at 10 feet, a single red mark at 15 feet, two black marks at 20 feet, a single red and two black marks at 25 feet and three black marks at 30. Use the color code red for every five feet and multiples of black for 10 feet.

Netting baitfish

Increases the efficiency of your minnow scoop by putting a bend in it. Just turn the wire handle down 90 degrees, then push the net back on line. The forward-positioned net makes it much easier to trap a baitfish against the inside of an open-top bucket.

A Cheap Anchor For A Fishing Boat

For holding a good-sized boat over a rocky bottom, use a large swivel snap to fasten four fee of heavy chain to a standard mushroom anchor. You can get one from a junkyard. The chain boosts the anchor's weight and holding power, provides convenient handles for lowering and raising, and gives extra leverage when an anchor jams in rocks or snags. When he brings it aboard, he coils the heavy chain on a bed of old foam-rubber pads so it doesn't rattle around or dent his boat. In calm water, he simply unsnaps the chain and uses the mushroom anchor by itself.

Copyright 2005 EveningSecretFishing.com Fishing

Frank Faldo is a Long-Time Fisherman and friend of EveningSecretFishing (http://www.eveningsecretfishing.com/specialsecret/10_Fishing_Gems.php )

Feel free to use this article on your website or anywhere else - but all links and bio information must remain in tact.


MORE RESOURCES:


MSN News UK

Mother bear rescues cub from a fishing net in Alaska
BBC News
Amateur video has captured footage of a mother bear saving her cub from a fishing net in Anchorage, Alaska. The mother desperately struggled to save her cub ...
Neighbors help bear cub trapped in fishing netKTVB

all 20 news articles »


Northern California fishing report
San Jose Mercury News
Bass fishing is slow. Catfish will be planted weekly. (925) 284-9669. LOS VAQUEROS: Striped-bass bite is back on. Frozen shad or anchovies work best. ...
OUTDOORS: Weekly fishing report, July 29North County Times

all 4 news articles »


Taylor Lake offers anglers good opportunity for bass and blue gill
Bend Bulletin
BIG LAVA LAKE: No recent report but fishing for rainbow trout has been good throughout spring and early summer. The fish have been in great condition ...
Fishing reportDetroit Free Press
fishing reportLas Vegas Review-Journal
Fishing Line: 07/29/10Sacramento Bee
ConnectMidMichigan.com -MLive.com
all 15 news articles »


DE Spears likes Louisiana fishing
Fort Worth Star Telegram
But back to fishing, here are five thoughts from Spears: 1"I'm from Louisiana. I like to fish in pits. They are off the bayou of the Mississippi River. ...

and more »


Action remains fine as fishing effort down
Seattle Times
Heading into the heart of summer the wide variety of fishing opportunities continue to offer decent action. By Mark Yuasa Seattle native and lifelong angler ...

and more »


Final two Overnight Fishing Opportunities of the summer are Aug. 21 and 28
Kansas City Star
7/28/10 - The second of two overnight fishing opportunities planned this summer at Kill Creek Park Lake and the fourth of four at Shawnee Mission Park Lake ...

and more »


The Hindu

Iceland tells EU: "We keep control of fishing"
Fish Update
ICELAND has told the European Union that its fishing grounds are not open to negotiation and must remain under the control of the Reykjavik Government. ...
Iceland defies EU fishing rulesBBC News
Iceland wants to stay out of EU fishing policyBusinessWeek
Iceland seeks EU membership benefits, but fishing and Icesave remain thorny issuesInternational Business Times
Winnipeg Free Press -UPI.com -BusinessWeek
all 149 news articles »


» Fishing Report
Bandon Western World
Anglers fishing for largemouth bass at Tenmile Lakes are still reporting slower-than-normal fishing. Bass anglers interested in entering the Tenmile Open, ...
Ocean Outlook: July 29, 2010Mail Tribune

all 2 news articles »


Kansas City Star

BP Oil Spill: Fisherman Say It's Time to Reopen Some Fishing Grounds
ABC News
Bobby Jindal and Gulf Residents Want to Begin Fishing Again By JEFFREY KOFMAN On day 99 of BP's oil spill crisis, almost a quarter of the Gulf of Mexico ...
NBC's Anne Thompson Reflects On 100 Days In The GulfHuffington Post (blog)
100 Days After Spill Gulf Still at RiskFOXNews (blog)
100 days of oil: Gulf life will never be the sameThe Associated Press
Voice of America -Albany Times Union -PR Newswire (press release)
all 4,412 news articles »

Google News

home | site map
© 2006