1) Paper Clips: These little guys are for more than holding your
office paperwork together or getting stuck in your vacuum cleaner (my wife
works from home, so this happens now and then). I have found these are an easy
way to hook up a weedless soft plastic when you run out of Texas rig
hooks. Simple unbend the paperclip,
slide it through the eyehole of the hook, and bend them into a V shape. Use
your need nose pliers to hold one side of the paperclip straight. Bend the
other end around the outside of the pliers 3 or 4 times, making a coil. Snip
off the excess and screw the top of your soft plastic lure on to the coil.
Setup the hook through your lure and you are all set!
2) Rubber Bands: I use these more than pretty much every other
tool. From pinning weights (check out http://wired2fish.scout.com/story/1469191-5-texas-rig-modifications-every-angler-should-know)
to holding my tackle boxes closed, they are very versatile. These are particularly useful when I am
running a jerkbait or crankbait through weeds. I thread the rubber band through
the hook eyehole and attach to the barbs on a hook. This works the best if you
break off one hook on the treble hooks.
3) Shrink-Wrap: You know that little metal attachment on your rod
where you hook your lures? I hate that thing. Countless times my line has been
hung up on that metal loop. I always break it off, but I don’t want to put
tension on the pole eyeholes. Since my poles are 2 piece setups, I take a
little shrink-wrap on the upper half of the rod and leave a tiny slit that I
did not shrink to hook my lures. You can also use two pieces of shrink-wrap and
mechanics wire or a paper clip to make your own loop in a place that won’t hang
up.
4) Red Sharpie: I use this on my crankbaits to add a little blood
coloring on the gills or the bottom of the lure. I also will draw on my
buzzbait blades to give a little flash of red on bright days. You can also use
the sharpie to write the diving depth on the bill of your crankbaits. You won’t
forget the how deep they dive, and it makes the lure look like it is bleeding
from the mouth.
5) Toothpicks: Most fishermen know you can peg you weights, floats
and
plastic lures by threading the toothpicks in the holes and breaking them
off. One thing I learned from a fishing buddy of mine was that you could use
toothpicks to stiffen up your soft plastics. Shove the toothpick in your worms
and it changes the action completely. I like to wacky rig a curly tail worm and
jigging it for spring bass. You will be surprised how many hits you have over
spawning areas with this pattern.
6) Salt packets: I love salted lures, but as time goes on, even the
salt impregnated ones lose their flavor. Take 2 toothpicks and thread them into
the bottom or middle of the worm or swimbait. Spread the toothpicks apart pour
salt down the middle. Pull the toothpicks out slowly, and then use the
toothpicks to punch a few holes in the salted area.
7) Foam Ear Buds: These are great for little bobbers when fishing
for panfish. Thread your line through the center and use it as a float. Another
great option for the ear buds is to soak them in scent attractant and use it as
homemade floating trout bait. It takes a little work to get them to float, but
they do catch trout. I find that cheese and garlic scent works best.
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