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| Helpful Hints, Tips and Tricks |
by Vic Carrao
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 Have you noticed every time you walk into a tackle store, your wallet becomes a little lighter than you anticipated? You go in thinking you just need a couple of lures and line, by the time you hit the cash register you're down $30 or more.
There are so many lures that catch fish, it's hard to resist adding one more to the tackle box, and fishing line is not cheap either. In my business, if you don't learn how to shop wisely, you'll soon find yourself working just to keep the tackle box full. There are some things you can do that will save some money in the tackle shop. |
| Lures and Hooks |
 Most species of fish will bite a lure or spinner. Many of my fondest memories come from casting a lure for Coho, Chinook or Steelhead. Most of the lures on the market today come complete in a package with swivel, split ring and hook. The hook is usually made from a hardened metal or alloy which is great until you get snagged on a branch or log. Snagging up on the river bottom usually means the loss of that $5 lure. For years now I have been changing the hooks on my lures straight out of the package to a softer hook that will straighten on a snag.
Most of you are probably thinking that if the hook will straighten on a snag then it would also straighten on a fish, not true. When a lure gets snagged on a branch or log, the point of the hook is penetrated into the structure; this puts the stress on the point of the hook. When you pull hard, the hook either straightens (if it's soft) or breaks the line (if it's hard). When the hook is penetrated into a fish's mouth, the stress on the hook is not on the point but on the bend of the hook. I have never had a hook straighten when fighting a fish that was hooked cleanly in the mouth. |
| Changing Hooks |
I change the hook on my lures to an Eagle Claw or Gamakatsu Si-wash hook. A Si-wash hook is a hook with an extra long shank and an open eye. The open eye allows you to attach the hook onto a split ring or swivel quickly with very little effort. All you need is a pair of pliers to close the eye once placed on the swivel or split ring. When you purchase your next lure, pick up a pack of Si-wash hooks, make sure you match the size of the hook on the lure to your Si-wash hooks.
Leader and Lines
There are many brands of line available on the market today; my favorites are Berkley Trilene for spinning reels and Maxima Ultra Green for levelwinds. The Berkley Trilene offers a larger variety of lines for specific methods and species that is more suitable for the majority of the fishing fraternity.
There are many factors that must be taken into account when putting line onto a reel; Berkley has covered them all from Berkley Sensithin for lighter applications through to Berkley Big Game for your larger game fish. Maxima make a great product for your standard levelwind applications with Ultra Green being the most popular. Both these brands are readily available at most tackle stores in your area.
Saving $$$ on Line
There are 4 basic spool sizes available, leader spools - 27 yds ($4-$5), mini packs - 110 yds ($9-$10), one shot - 220 yds ($17-$22) and bulk line purchased by the yard, 4-8 lb ($4 per hundred yds) 10-15 lb ($5 per hundred yds) 17-20 lb ($6 per hundred yds). The bulk prices above are available at most retail tackle shops.
If you take a close look at the differences between purchasing leader spools and bulk line you'll soon realize the large savings if you purchase your line by the yard. Lets take the leader spool at 27 yds for $4-$5, which works out to approximately $12-$15 for a hundred yds. Bulk line for 100 yds is between $4-$6, that is over a 50% savings on just one purchase.
When you purchase the larger one-shot spools for re-spooling your reels you pay between $17 and $22 for 220 yds, most reels only hold 120 to 175 yds of line. You don't want to use the same diameter for leader as mainline so that extra 45 - 100 yds becomes waste. If you take your reels into the tackle store for re-spooling, you only pay for the line that goes on the reel. That now means on 120 to 175 yds your only paying $6 - $10, saving again over 50%.
How to Buy Bulk Line
Save all your small, medium and large spools, take your large spools down to the nearest tackle store and have them spool the diameter of lines that you most often use for mainline, 15-20 lb. test is what I use. When you reel is in need of new line, just re-spool your reel with your bulk line.
For leaders have them spool the medium size one-shot spools with leader line, usually 8, 10 & 12 lb. test. When your small leader spools that you carry in your vest become empty just re-spool them at home with your bulk leader. You'll save a lot of wasted money that can be applied to that new rod or reel that you've been eyeing up.
Next issue we will be looking at some new products and more tackle tips. |
Tight Lines and see you on the water
Vic Carrao
STS Guiding Service
www.guidebc.com |
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Article |
Topics |
Date |
| 1. |
Fishing the Tyee Pool in Campbell River |
Salmon |
Aug 2013 |
| 2. |
Jigging for Coho |
Salmon, Tackle |
Aug 2013 |
| 3. |
TKO ing Big Springs |
Salmon |
Jun 2013 |
| 4. |
Spring Fishery Updates 2013 |
Fishing Area Outlook |
Mar 2013 |
| 5. |
Fly Epoxy Chum Fry |
Flys |
Feb 2013 |
| 6. |
Best Fishing Story of 2012 |
|
Feb 2013 |
| 7. |
Salmon fishing outlook for 2013 |
Fishing Area Outlook, Salmon |
Jan 2013 |
| 8. |
Fly Tadpoles |
Flys |
Jan 2013 |
| 9. |
Fishing Outlook for 2013 |
Fishing Area Outlook, Salmon, Sturgeon |
Dec 2012 |
| 10. |
Fly Steelhead Muddler |
Flys, Steelhead |
Dec 2012 |
| 11. |
Fly Bacon n eggers |
Flyfishing, Salmon |
Dec 2012 |
| 12. |
Keeping a journal |
Technique |
Dec 2012 |
| 13. |
Fly Egg-sukin leech |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Oct 2012 |
| 14. |
Fly Steelhead Madness |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Oct 2012 |
| 15. |
White Lake |
Fishing Area Outlook |
Aug 2012 |
| 16. |
Fly Orangesicle |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Jul 2012 |
| 17. |
Fly Blue Morrison baitfish |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Jul 2012 |
| 18. |
Fly fishing the Estuary (Amundson Thompson Chaser Fly Rod Review) |
Flyfishing, Tackle |
Jul 2012 |
| 19. |
Sockeye Strategies |
Salmon |
Jul 2012 |
| 20. |
Ultimate Squid TUBE |
Flys |
Jun 2012 |
| 21. |
Roche Lake |
Flyfishing |
Jun 2012 |
| 22. |
Fly Coho Blue-zer |
Flys, Salmon |
Jun 2012 |
| 23. |
Flies Webflyzers |
Flys |
Jun 2012 |
| 24. |
Vancouver Island's Esperanza Inlet |
Halibut, Salmon, Vancouver Island |
May 2012 |
| 25. |
Fly Purple Peril |
Flys |
May 2012 |
| 26. |
Trolling for trout |
Trolling, Trout |
Apr 2012 |
| 27. |
Fly Blue Note |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 28. |
Fly Kalumlow |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 29. |
Fly Skeena Scar |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 30. |
Fly Polar Express |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 31. |
Sturgeon fishing in Vancouver British Columbia |
Sturgeon |
Mar 2012 |
| 32. |
Strategies for Catching Sturgeon |
Sturgeon |
Mar 2012 |
| 33. |
Fly Copper Gammarus |
Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 34. |
Fly Alley Alevin |
Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 35. |
Fly Hilton Boss |
Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 36. |
A Guided Steelhead Trip on the River |
Steelhead |
Feb 2012 |
| 37. |
Fly Polar UV shrimp |
Flys |
Feb 2012 |
| 38. |
Egg-sukin Beaver Leech |
Flys |
Feb 2012 |
| 39. |
Fly Chardolas Bait |
Flys |
Feb 2012 |
| 40. |
Don't be afraid to try anything |
Steelhead |
Feb 2012 |
| 41. |
Best Fishing Story of 2011 Ryan Spannier |
|
Feb 2012 |
| 42. |
Best Fishing Story of 2011 by Bob Waldhaus |
Steelhead |
Feb 2012 |
| 43. |
Best Fishing Story of 2011 David Sandquist |
Kids, Salmon |
Feb 2012 |
| 44. |
Fly Reeds Spey |
Flyfishing |
Feb 2012 |
| 45. |
Jet Boat Maintenance |
Boats |
Dec 2011 |
| 46. |
Smoked Salmon Recipe BBQ and Honey |
Recipes, Salmon |
Dec 2011 |
| 47. |
Poached Italian Cod |
Recipes |
Dec 2011 |
| 48. |
Fly Blue Charmer |
Flys |
Nov 2011 |
| 49. |
Fly Muddy Waters |
Flys |
Nov 2011 |
| 50. |
Fly - The Excursion Leech |
Flyfishing |
Nov 2011 |
| 51. |
Herb and Garlic Crusted Halibut with oven roasted ratatouille |
Halibut, Recipes |
Oct 2011 |
| 52. |
The Banner Season |
Fishing Area Outlook |
Jun 2011 |
| 53. |
voteforsalmon |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Apr 2011 |
| 54. |
Votesalmon |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Apr 2011 |
| 55. |
Rivers Inlet Hatchery Program |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Apr 2011 |
| 56. |
Mayday for Wild Salmon |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Mar 2011 |
| 57. |
Contest 2011 Fishing Story David Sandquist |
Flyfishing, Steelhead |
Feb 2011 |
| 58. |
Contest 2011 Fishing Story Honourary mention Ron Gibson |
|
Feb 2011 |
| 59. |
Contest 2011 Fishing Story Bog Waldhaus |
Steelhead |
Feb 2011 |
| 60. |
Contest 2011 Fishing Story Brian Wong |
Salmon |
Feb 2011 |
| 61. |
Does Fish Cooking Techniques Matter |
Recipes |
Jan 2011 |
| 62. |
Mediterranean Fish Fillets |
Recipes |
Jan 2011 |
| 63. |
Virus Killing Fraser Sockeye |
Conservaton, Fish, Salmon |
Jan 2011 |
| 64. |
Halibut Fishery |
Conservaton, Hallibut |
Dec 2010 |
| 65. |
Salmon Virus watch |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Nov 2010 |
| 66. |
Disease Information |
Conservaton |
May 2010 |
| 67. |
Sea lice kept secret |
Conservaton |
May 2010 |
| 68. |
Catch the Dream |
Halibut, Salmon, Trolling |
May 2010 |
| 69. |
Oak Bay Marine Group Newsletter |
Salmon |
Mar 2010 |
| 70. |
Quesnel Lake |
Trout |
Jan 2010 |
| 71. |
Art of Curing and Smoking Fish |
Smoking |
Jan 2010 |
| 72. |
Bradley's Famous Hot Smoked Salmon |
Smoking |
Jan 2010 |
| 73. |
Salmon fishery action suit |
Salmon |
Nov 2009 |
| 74. |
Save B.C. Salmon |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Nov 2009 |
| 75. |
Winner of the Giver on the River Free Charter |
Fish |
Sep 2009 |
| 76. |
Oven bbq salmon |
Recipes, Salmon |
Aug 2009 |
| 77. |
Poached Italian Cod |
Recipes |
Aug 2009 |
| 78. |
Salmon Creole |
Recipes, Salmon |
Aug 2009 |
| 79. |
Australia Fishing |
Salmon |
Aug 2009 |
| 80. |
Horseradish and Dill Butter Salmon Steaks |
Recipes, Salmon |
Jul 2009 |
| 81. |
Navigating a boat purchase |
Boats |
Jul 2009 |
| 82. |
Salmon with a Homemade Grain Mustard Crust |
Recipes, Salmon |
Jul 2009 |
| 83. |
Halibut with Fennel Broth |
Halibut, Recipes |
Jul 2009 |
| 84. |
Cedar Plank Salmon |
Recipes, Salmon |
Jun 2009 |
| 85. |
Islander Winner 2009 |
Tackle |
Jun 2009 |
| 86. |
Just Get In the Water |
Technique |
Jun 2009 |
| 87. |
Saltwater Night Fishing for Salmon |
Salmon, Technique |
Jun 2009 |
| 88. |
Steelhead & Salmon Warfare |
Salmon, Steelhead |
Jun 2009 |
| 89. |
Deep Running Giant Salmon |
Salmon |
May 2009 |
| 90. |
Salmon Scampi |
Recipes |
Apr 2009 |
| 91. |
Dandelion Stuffed Chaunigan Trout |
Recipes, Trout |
Apr 2009 |
| 92. |
Living Rivers - Georgia Basin and Vancouver Island |
Conservaton |
Apr 2009 |
| 93. |
Salmon steak recipe |
Recipes, Salmon |
Mar 2009 |
| 94. |
Chaunigan Trout Recipe |
Recipes, Trout |
Mar 2009 |
| 95. |
Best catch of 2008 |
Flyfishing, Kids, Salmon, Steelhead, Trout |
Feb 2009 |
| 96. |
The Great Chilko Bear Adventure |
Bears |
Feb 2009 |
| 97. |
Seasonal Outlook for 2010 |
Salmon, Seasons, Steelhead, Sturgeon, Trout |
Jan 2009 |
| 98. |
A Fishing Trip with REEL OBSESSIONS Vancouver Island. |
Salmon, Trolling |
Jan 2009 |
| 99. |
Carp fishing from a different angle |
Carp |
Sep 2008 |
| 100. |
Fish British Columbia With a Timeshare |
Accommodation |
Apr 2008 |
| 101. |
Hurt by aquaculture industry |
Salmon |
Nov 2007 |
| 102. |
BC wild salmon endangered by failure to contain sea lice from salmon farms |
Conservaton |
Sep 2007 |
| 103. |
Go Fish |
|
Aug 2007 |
| 104. |
Studies show harmful impact of BC coast salmon farms on wild Pacific salmon |
Salmon |
Aug 2007 |
| 105. |
Lynn's Fishing Adventure |
Sturgeon, Trout |
Jul 2007 |
| 106. |
Chilliwack River Action Committee |
Conservaton |
Apr 2007 |
| 107. |
Indian Candy Recipe |
Recipes, Salmon, Smoking |
Mar 2007 |
| 108. |
Fishing Articles and archived fishing posts |
|
Mar 2007 |
| 109. |
Curing Eggs |
Salmon |
Mar 2007 |
| 110. |
Fishing for Chum Salmon |
Salmon |
Mar 2007 |
| 111. |
Salmon Eating - After They Change Colour |
Salmon |
Mar 2007 |
| 112. |
A guides Perspective - The Fraser River |
Salmon, Seasons, Sturgeon, Trout |
Aug 2005 |
| 113. |
Smoked Salmon Recipe |
Recipes, Salmon, Smoking |
Dec 2004 |
| 114. |
Fishing in Harrison Hot Springs |
|
Aug 2004 |
| 115. |
Jet vs. Outboard |
Boats |
Aug 2004 |
| 116. |
Helpful Hints, Tips and Tricks |
Tackle |
Mar 2004 |
| 117. |
Uncle Wes - Farewell Old Friend |
|
Dec 2003 |
| 118. |
Cow Paddy Pond |
Trout |
Oct 2003 |
| 119. |
12 Seasons of Fishing the Kitimat |
Flyfishing, Salmon, Seasons, Trout |
Apr 2003 |
| 120. |
Sara, Guardian of the Lake |
|
Jul 2002 |
| 121. |
Portrait of a Mountain Man |
|
May 2002 |
| 122. |
Carving the Salmon Pie |
Salmon |
May 2001 |
| 123. |
Spoon Fishing Lakes From The Bank |
Tackle, Trout |
Mar 2001 |
| 124. |
Vedder River Fishing “Fall options” |
Salmon, Seasons |
Mar 2001 |
| 125. |
Slippery Spotted Owls |
Salmon |
Jul 1998 |
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