Fishing Tackle Tips

Fishing Tackle Tips
By Iain Loveman

TUNING A CRANKBAIT
All fisherpersons should not take for granted that what they see is what they get. The first thing I do when I purchase a new crankbait is to test it for tracking. Cast your new lure a short distance and retrieve it and watch for tracking to the left or right. Adjust it with a pair of needle nose pliers bending the eyelet in the opposite direction. Tracking true is not a set rule, there may times when you wish to track under objects and tuning off track becomes necessary.

CRANKBAIT ACTION
To give your crankbaits more natural action, try this. Instead of tying your line directly to the lure as usual, insert a small snap through the lure's line tie and attach your line to the snap. This will allow the bait to swim more erratically, and will also allow you to change quickly to another crankbait if needed. This will also help eliminate line twist.

PLASTIC WORM ACTION
If you are using soft plastic worms and your not getting the results your looking for then try adjusting their action by clipping off sections of the tail. The result is a slower action. Try this in the early spring and late fall for better results.

If you are like most, you have a tendency to toss your plastics into your tacklebox resulting in them getting out of shape. Lay them out straight in a frying pan.

Fill with a couple of inches of water. Bring to a low simmer then place them in a tray of ice cold water.

SMELLY BAITS
You know the mess you get when you buy tube or worms in bulk packages and the scent leaks out. Simply, sort them out into smaller packages and use a food vaccuum sealer. If you don't have a sealer use the ziploc freezer bags and a straw. It keeps them fresh with no mess.

REPLACING LINE
When replacing your old line, leave your spool half full. Tie the new line to the old using a blood knot and fill your spool up. This will save on buying more line. It however is still recommended that you replace your line at least twice a year. Also, if you purchase a new rod/reel combination change the line ... you don't know how long the unit has been sitting in the warehouse and on the shelf.

LURE FLASHING
Tie a spoon between two swivels, leaving several feet above your bait. This will act as a flasher and bring those stubborn fish around to your way of thinking.

NET SNAG
Eliminate net snag in areas with heavy brush, branches and twigs by sliding it into a cloth bag and securing with an elastic band. It still allows you to easily remove it when necessary.

SPINNER SIZE
When it comes to spinners, you need a body and a hook, enough said. The real winner of the spinner is the blade. Blades come in a variety of sizes, shapes, colours and attachments. Now finding the right mix for the right occasion is your responsibility.

It is a give an take situation, small blades make less noise and flash and tend to spin easier.
Large blades turn slower and stay closer to the surface.
Sizes #0 and #1 usually restricted to small rivers and ponds. #2, #3 and #4 are made for large rivers and lakes where your objectives are trout, salmon and bass.

Above size #4 your looking for those "alligator" muskey and pike, although they will attack the smaller size spinners.

SPINNER COLOUR

The standard guideline is fluorescent colours in stained water and metallic colours in clear water. Effective colours in spring creeks are silver, gold, copper and black.

SPINNER SHAPE
The Colorado, the French and the Willowleaf are your three main blade shapes. Each has its own characteristics. The Colorado is a wide blade and has more drag allowing them to run shallow, perfect for shallow streams and brooks. The Willowleaf is a long and thin designed to run deep and have a faster retrieve. The French is kind of half and half making it an all round performer.

SPINNER ATTACHMENT
Most blades are attached to the shaft by a clevis. Some come with a quick change clevis allowing easy blade changes. Others, with no clevis have the shaft running thru the blade. The advantage of a no clevis is a faster startup motion which translates to good slow retrieves in motionless water.