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[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 2][#002850]Every year about this time I think back about some of the helpful tips, tricks, or gear that I have discovered that I found to be very helpful or useful. These are things that I hadn't thought of previously that ended up making my fishing more comfortable, easier, or increased my catch rate.
This is an invite for you to post up your favorite discoveries of the year in the area of fishing that made you think "Hey, that's a pretty cool idea!". Share the ones that you discovered this year (or previous years if you think it is really cool) and actually put to use. No doubt, someone else may have already thought of it or may have been using is for years … but if you think it's cool, share it anyway. If a fellow BFTer turned you onto the cool idea, give them credit too.
Try not to hijack this thread so that we can all keep reading everyone's cool discoveries.
Here are a couple of tricks I was pretty impressed with:
While fishing with TarponJim (guide on Flaming Gorge), Jim required that we apply our sunscreen BEFORE we got on the boat. Since then I have been doing that. That allows me to stand in front of the mirror at home and do a better job of application and coverage. That's one more item I don't have to take with me on the boat, one fewer interruption to fishing, and less non-fish stink and oil on my hands.
Second item was showed to me by N.E.T.O. while fishing Strawberry last week. It is similar to the sunscreen idea. Rather than cutting bait on the boat, cut the bait at home … better cuts, less boat mess, no cutting board on the boat, always in a baggie rather than out in the open, and again, fewer interruptions to fishing.
So, what cool discoveries have you made this year?[/#002850][/size][/font]
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One cool thing i learned a couple years ago was to bleed the wipers right when you catch them. It eliminates the strong flavor(if any) and is much easier to clean them.
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[cool][#0000ff]Good post/thread. We can never learn too much about making our sport easier and more enjoyable. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]After reading post after post about FORGETTING necessary items, and only finding out you left them home when you hit the water, here is my suggestion:[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In addition to keeping your gear stored in "trip ready" condition...ready to load and boogie...try loading up your boat and vehicle the night before a trip. For those things you do not want to leave in the boat or vehicle, have a "staging area" where you stack everything beside the exit door. And, leave a reminder note for anything you still have to get from the refrigerator or freezer.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]At dark thirty most of us are not as bright and alert as we will be later. It is easy to overlook something that can ruin a trip if you don't have it. This includes licenses, gate passes and all that stuff too. If you need to transfer something from one vehicle to another, do it before you go to bed.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It has been a long time since I forgot anything critical on a fishing trip, and I have little patience with a fishing buddy who announces that he forgot his tackle, lunch, bait, license, etc. when we hit the lake.[/#0000ff]
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Here is a great tip always make sure you let your wife outfishe you and catches the biggest fish it will lead you to more fishing trips! ]
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[black][size 3]I thought of posting this last week after watching TV covering a national walleye tourney. One of the contestants was fishing with a hand line.[/size][/black]
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[size 3]Several years ago, a group of fishermen who fished Fish Lake, trolled with hand lines, and paddle boards. It sounded fun, and I cut myself out and finished a paddle. I never did make it to Fish Lake, but did use it for trout on a few different lakes. I also used it for ice fishing. It's surprising how sensitive and quickly hand lining works.[/size]
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[size 3]I haven't tried it on large fish, thinking that the shock absorbing features of a rod would be necessary. It is very effective for jigging, and adds a different twist to fishing.[/size]
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heres one for smelly jelly. i put a small amount it in a ziplock baggie. and leave bottle in frigde. last longer and its easy to drop lure in without touch the lure. none on my fingers.[ ]
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If you want to catch a lot of fish at Strawberry, always fallow MGB.
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To minimize the possibility of leaving a critical item home make a detailed list of everything that you will need for the type of fishing that you will do and, make photocopies of the list and then check off the items as you pack them. I have a detailed list for ice fishing, one for softwater fishing, and a third one for sturgeon fishing. A good way to make your list is to list the items after a fishing trip as you remove them for storage.
If you have problems with bait, such as crawlers or minnow falling off of your hook, especially when fishing barbless, cut a large rubber band into approximately 1/2" long pieces and slide a piece of rubber band on your hook after putting on your bait.
Fish whole minnows backwards. It is easier to put them on the hook backwards by lacing the hook and leader through the minnow several times, it is easier to cast or easier to troll, and fish will bite a minnow just fine if it is going through the water backwards.
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the best tip i er learned is you cant catch fish if your line aint in the water......that means learn to tie good quick knots, learn how to cast properly, and keep your tackle in good working order...if you go fishing for 4 hours and you waste one hour just untangling lines and retying lures and getting lures unstuck from a bad cast then you have wasted a lot of time that you could of been catching fish
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To have the most success fishiing, do exactly the opposite of what I do. This would yield very productive escapes to the outdoors.[blush]
Honestly, I learned to reline frequently, check your drag when starting the day, re-tie lures often, and take a small first aid kit with you.
Also, "when fishing becomes work, it ceases to be fun."
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Round split rings on lures are worthless, especially on Rapalas, most definately with the Rapalas. Replace them with oval split rings.([url "http://www.worthco.com/fish/x2rings.html"]http://www.worthco.com/fish/x2rings.html[/url])
Also, always carry some extra treble hooks with you while fishing cranks. It's no fun taking off a treble from one lure to replace one that got broke. The 'Rapala knot' is junk. Fishing isn't always best in the morning. Even though you have a concealed weapons permit leave your gun at home while fishing at Jordanelle or Pineview. (skiers).....Don't beat up a 14 year old kid that spray painted your boat or you will spend the night in jail.....Always carry a tow rope in your boat, not for yourself but scantily clad women in daddy's ski boat that ran out of gas [angelic]. Always carry an extra light for the boat trailer. Always unplug the trailer lights before launching.
Make sure you take the tie-down straps off the boat/trailer or 200 horses will get you nowhere [blush].
Most important, remember to fsh 4 fun.
Never leave fish to find fish.
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This year leasons learned....
1) When trolling - If you catch one fish continue to beat them on the head till your're sure you have covered that area from every possible angle - then change lures and come back in 30 o 60 mins.
2) Try to take a couple of non-fisherman out for a fishing trip each year. This will show these guys the world we here at BFT enjoy and invest in.
3) Check the bottom of your surge brake reservior for Goo - I thought all was well till a line was accidently cut and I ended up rebuilding the whole trailer brake system - And my boat was only 7 years old.
4) Make sure that bolt that hold the auger blade to the gas motor is held in with lock tight.
5) A Speaker magnet will pick up an ice auger blade in 60' of water.
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Always remember to put the drain plug in the boat before you launch it into the water. Acey
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I like to rig up my poles for the water im fishing before I go so i can get to my spot and start fishing rather then rig then.
Like Kent said a list is very good too
I always make sure the boat battery has juice the night before[unsure]!!
Make sure your beer has plenty of ice on it!!! M.H.[ ]
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Remember to respool your mono. Line gets old and brittle(I thought I read somewhere that UV rays break it down), and If you have not used that rod in a little while (ie. your ice fishing rod) then the line just may brake loose leting the only fish of the trip slip right back down the icehole.
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hey saberfish did you put copper line on your pattle board? my grandpa used a pattle board at fishlake for years. but he put a big hand painted flatfish on and drug it around the bottom of the lake.. he cought alot a lakers that way tho.. i pefure my downriggers to the pattle board to. not near as much work and i think i catch more fish that way..
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Along the same lines as MrLipRipper > > > We found that while float tube fishing at Pineview, we had our best success for Muskies when we put away the bigger lures, wire leaders and such, and just concentrated on casting tube jigs for smallmouth, or go even smaller for crappie. We would hang multiple tigers almost ever trip that way. And catch some other species as well.
Now we didn't land them all, or even see them all, but did manage to land a couple of tigers from 30 inches on. And I managed to talk one big critter into allowing me to see him before he made that final line-busting run.
And it was great fun!
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1) Start you motor (briefly) while you are still in the "boat prep lane" before backing down the boat ramp. This way you know your motor will start and you won't plug up the boat ramp longer than necessary when your motor won't fire up. Or even worse you boat will slide off the trailer into the water and then you can't get the motor fired up and your battery goes dead. Trying to load a boat with a dead motor back onto your trailer is not fun either for you, but more importantly all the other people waiting to launch their boats!! Firing up you motor for 2-3 seconds out of the water will not ruin it!
2) Check tire pressures in the trailer tires the night before your trip. Low pressure = overheated tires on long trips. Especially the little tires found on smaller boat trailers (i.e. <12" tire size)
3) I too have "packing lists" for fishing. Use them! no matter how good you think your memory is.
4) Always carry a spare set of keys for your boat motor. Its amazing how many people I see that drop their keys into the water next to the ramp and then spend hours trying to retrieve their keys with magnets, hooks, etc.. Why even take the keys out of the boat ignition? Its impossible to steal a boat when its on the trailer! Keep the spare set in the tool kit on your boat!
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When Ice Fishing, 99% of the time I fish 2 lures at a time. Specifically, I fish a 1/8 jig top and tie leader directly to the hook. Usually the leader is about 3 -4' long.
At the bottom of the leader I fish a smaller lure, usally an ice fly. Not only does the larger jig serve a weight on deeper waters, it is a good attractor. I catch a considerable more ammount of fish since I starteddoing this.
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With all the tackle accumulated over the years, I've started separating it into individual tackle boxes based upon where I'm going and the type of fishing planned.
There's one box with my favorite trolling stuff (mostly trout - Strawberry, Jordanelle, Rockport). Another for warm water and panfish style fishing. The easy one is the ice fishing kit(s), but those too are for larger gear (again Strawberry, Fish Lake) and then the panfish box (Mantua, Pineview).
If there's room I'll be taking multiple boxes, especially to places like Powell, but at least they are somewhat organized.
By the way this is a great time for revaluation of what goes where and what could be added to the christmas list.[  ]
Now where did I put my keys? My glasses?
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