King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah
Fishing ? Instructor!
Hey y'all, back with another installment in the fishing tips series. This is where I go over at least 10 tips that you can use to make your day on the water easier or more productive. Here's what I've got for you today:
#1) baitcaster backlashes
To prevent having to re-spool your baitcaster after a horrendous backlash (ESPECIALLY WITH BRAID) make as long a cast as you can and use a small strip of electrical tape and wrap it around the spool - when you backlash it will never go past the tape, saving your spool from deep overruns.
#2) Increased Fly Casting Distance
Everyone knows about line conditioner for conventional reels and lines but did you know there's a slick way to get the same effect with fly line? Use a mild vinyl seat protectant like armor all to clean the line, give it a slick finish and allow it to more easily transfer through the guides. Spray a rag with the liquid and close your fist with it pulling your line through it. This will not short cut time and experience casting or practice, so if you're new you might still make 100 false casts before actually landing the fly on the water, but it will increase some distance by several feet.
#3) Weedless Crankbait Fishing
If you're in a weedy area and can't fish a crankbait through it, take the treble hook prongs facing the front of the lure, making it where they don't catch the weeds. This won't work on algae though, just weed stalks.
#4) Makeshift Lure
If you're around crappie, trout or panfish and have no baits, use a white pipe cleaner and wrap it around a plain jig head. Even better if you allow scent to soak into the fibers.
#5) Powerbait For Trout
After the trout stockings, everyone catches the heck out of them on berkley powerbait. However, the glitter versions catch more than the plain most often. Easy fix, take some glitter with you and make little balls of bait for the hook, throw them in the bag of glitter and shake it up. Now when the powerbait hits the water there's a puff of glitter attracting bites. Add glitter to bottles of fish attractant for a similar effect.
#6) Rattling Plastics For Bass
If you're going to insert a plastic or glass worm rattle, insert a stiff coffee straw in a bait, bending the end over to create a vacuum. Even you pull it out, the section of worm that it was inserted in will also be pulled out leaving a perfect hole to insert the rattle in without having to tear up the worm trying to force the rattle in by hand.
#7) Revive Your Spinnerbaits
When the blades on your spinnerbait get corroded, take some steel wool to them. If they're tarnished use a little brasso and shine them up.
#8) Better Scent Application
If you use fish attractant but it's too messy for you, use a syringe to inject the scent in the bait so it slowly leaks from the inside out instead of washing off. Also you can marinate your baits in scent the night before you use them and the plastic will absorb it. Use a quality resealable bag to prevent leakage.
#9) The Hitchhiker Rig
Stubborn bass? Schooling bass? Fish swirling on topwaters but not actually eating them? Try this...Tie a walking bait like a spool or a popper like the Rico popper, rebel pop r or just a regular old school hula popper, take off the back hook, attach 10 inches of leader to the back and tie on a round bend worm hook. Rig it with a fluke or slug go style bait or even a trick worm and fish the combo like normal. Aggressive fish will strike the popper, less aggressive fish will be attracted to the noise of the popper but take the softbait, and schooling fish will hit both, sometimes getting you 2 fish at a time.
#10) Bubbles For Bass
To attract bass and other gamefish, cut a small slot in the back half of a plastic bait and insert a small chunk of seltzer tablet. The fizzing, bubbling and crackling sound will attract fish. Gives an interesting look to your crappie jigs as well.
*BONUS*
Weedless Crappie Jigs
If you're fishing heavy brush for crappie, use a jig with a light wire hook. With pliers, bend the hook shank down at about a 45 degree angle. Now you can actually Texas rig your plastic trailer leaving the hook buried in the plastic. This will reduce the snags you get but increase the slabs you catch, saving you a lot more jigs and grubs and putting for fillets in your freezer!
#1) baitcaster backlashes
To prevent having to re-spool your baitcaster after a horrendous backlash (ESPECIALLY WITH BRAID) make as long a cast as you can and use a small strip of electrical tape and wrap it around the spool - when you backlash it will never go past the tape, saving your spool from deep overruns.
#2) Increased Fly Casting Distance
Everyone knows about line conditioner for conventional reels and lines but did you know there's a slick way to get the same effect with fly line? Use a mild vinyl seat protectant like armor all to clean the line, give it a slick finish and allow it to more easily transfer through the guides. Spray a rag with the liquid and close your fist with it pulling your line through it. This will not short cut time and experience casting or practice, so if you're new you might still make 100 false casts before actually landing the fly on the water, but it will increase some distance by several feet.
#3) Weedless Crankbait Fishing
If you're in a weedy area and can't fish a crankbait through it, take the treble hook prongs facing the front of the lure, making it where they don't catch the weeds. This won't work on algae though, just weed stalks.
#4) Makeshift Lure
If you're around crappie, trout or panfish and have no baits, use a white pipe cleaner and wrap it around a plain jig head. Even better if you allow scent to soak into the fibers.
#5) Powerbait For Trout
After the trout stockings, everyone catches the heck out of them on berkley powerbait. However, the glitter versions catch more than the plain most often. Easy fix, take some glitter with you and make little balls of bait for the hook, throw them in the bag of glitter and shake it up. Now when the powerbait hits the water there's a puff of glitter attracting bites. Add glitter to bottles of fish attractant for a similar effect.
#6) Rattling Plastics For Bass
If you're going to insert a plastic or glass worm rattle, insert a stiff coffee straw in a bait, bending the end over to create a vacuum. Even you pull it out, the section of worm that it was inserted in will also be pulled out leaving a perfect hole to insert the rattle in without having to tear up the worm trying to force the rattle in by hand.
#7) Revive Your Spinnerbaits
When the blades on your spinnerbait get corroded, take some steel wool to them. If they're tarnished use a little brasso and shine them up.
#8) Better Scent Application
If you use fish attractant but it's too messy for you, use a syringe to inject the scent in the bait so it slowly leaks from the inside out instead of washing off. Also you can marinate your baits in scent the night before you use them and the plastic will absorb it. Use a quality resealable bag to prevent leakage.
#9) The Hitchhiker Rig
Stubborn bass? Schooling bass? Fish swirling on topwaters but not actually eating them? Try this...Tie a walking bait like a spool or a popper like the Rico popper, rebel pop r or just a regular old school hula popper, take off the back hook, attach 10 inches of leader to the back and tie on a round bend worm hook. Rig it with a fluke or slug go style bait or even a trick worm and fish the combo like normal. Aggressive fish will strike the popper, less aggressive fish will be attracted to the noise of the popper but take the softbait, and schooling fish will hit both, sometimes getting you 2 fish at a time.
#10) Bubbles For Bass
To attract bass and other gamefish, cut a small slot in the back half of a plastic bait and insert a small chunk of seltzer tablet. The fizzing, bubbling and crackling sound will attract fish. Gives an interesting look to your crappie jigs as well.
*BONUS*
Weedless Crappie Jigs
If you're fishing heavy brush for crappie, use a jig with a light wire hook. With pliers, bend the hook shank down at about a 45 degree angle. Now you can actually Texas rig your plastic trailer leaving the hook buried in the plastic. This will reduce the snags you get but increase the slabs you catch, saving you a lot more jigs and grubs and putting for fillets in your freezer!
