Tricks & Tips Thread?

[H'Islander]

A popular fishing magazine that I subscribe to always has some neat and usually cheap tricks for making life on the water easier, safer, more efficient. etc...I'm positive that many folks here might have a dozen slick shortcuts up their sleeve -

Of course there isn't a $200 reel as a prize here, but I though that this might be pretty well received?

Looking for thoughts from the masses here - bad idea? good idea? go away and don't come back, Kevin?

I'll toss one up to start:

When we anchor our boat for an overnight stay in a popular (crowded) area where there is a lot of dinghy traffic, kids in small craft, people who don't pay attention, etc... I mark my anchor lines with the neon colored poly-foam "Pool Noodles" (Wal-Mart - $1.88 ea) - I split them along the length, down one side so that I can slide them onto (over) the anchor rhode - they slide down to the water line and float - this allows folks to see the anchor line in low-vis conditions or prevents injury to the necks of folks who are just too drunk or stupid to pay attention.

P.S. We also use this for aft-anchoring while rafting with a bunch of other boaters tight against the shore - the two boats on the ends of the raft mark aft anchor lines from their boats with multiple pool noodles (like swimming pool swim-lanes) creating a safe place for little children to swim and play in the water while behind their boats at places like Napatree.....

[old mud]

Great idea, save some dumb a$$ from a neck brace . seariously!!

Don

[H'Islander]

Oh C'mon guys....don't be bashful...32 hits and no other neat tricks?

[Bob & Mag]

In Clinton harbor many of the blo boat owners use pilings to moor their boats.
When they untie to go out on the boat they have what you describe with noodles to float the bow and stern line which are tied together. Upon return they boat hook the floating line and have both bow and stern in hand very easily.

[TRIPLE J]

I don't know if this little trick effects how the fish will go after my bait but it saves me a ton of lost rigs.

When I am tog fishing I insert my sinker into a wiffel ball so it won't get hung up in the rocks. It looks alittle funny when it is going over the side, but like I said it saves me on buying new rigs. I have also used rubber bands to attatch weights, so if ( WHEN ) I get hung up on teh bottom I just lose the sinker not the whole rig.

Rich

[H'Islander]

OK - Here's another -

On a tuna trip last year we got our birds snipped off and had no spares - we took beer/soda cans and created a daisy chain of them, butt end of the can forward, First one was solid, stuffed some weights in it, acted like a popper - on the other 3 trailing cans we punched holes into the face of the bottom, like a smoker head, and opened the top so that the "smoke" would pass freely (leave the lip of the can intact for strength)

Got pretty beat up, but it jumped and popped and smoked like crazy and it saved the day.

[88 Sportcraft]

I guess this would be more for shore fisherman, I use Yellow electrical tape to mark my fly rod @ 28". If I get a fish I think is a keeper it only take a second to verify it, then I can get the fish and my fly right back in the water.

[old mud]

Originally Posted by 88 Sportcraft

I guess this would be more for shore fisherman, I use Yellow electrical tape to mark my fly rod @ 28". If I get a fish I think is a keeper it only take a second to verify it, then I can get the fish and my fly right back in the water.

HAY good one 88!! I have 73" marked on both sides from the transom fwd., at the waterline.

Don

[H'Islander]

BUMP...
FESS UP THE TRICKS GUYS n' GALS!!!

You're makin me think I'm such a mr. know-it-all!!!

[ChuckA From "Land of the Lost"]

Its been a cold winter ,I have CRS so until I walk around the boat and remember something that is a tip or trick I'll have to wait to post .If I remember by the time I get online. Oh yea Cant Remember Sh*t