# Cheap Tricks



## seafisher

Let's hear some cheap tricks of the trade. I think it would be cool to have a cheap tricks section of the site so let's start saying some tricks/ ideas.

I think this could benefit people if a person makes something one way, but another makes the same item a different way, which could make it a heck of a lot easier for the first person that used the item and had lots of trouble using it or it just could make their life easier.

Ideas or plans on how to make some home-made fishing tools would be cool.

Thanks, seafisher


----------



## rockhead

*trix*

well I have got two cheap trix for making carolina rigs for flounder. for beads I go to my mom/girlfriend/grandma/whoever for costume jewelry etc. which I break up for the beads, or I go to the dollar store for cheap plastic little girls beaded braclets/neclaces, the colors are usually good. for sinkers I always keep old nasty cast nets that have been ripped up and cant catch fish. these nets have about 50 1oz slip sinkers on the bottom that you can cut off. now all you need to buy is a swivel and a hook.


----------



## AL_N_VB

*lead*

Trick one:
I use the lead on my cast net and make new molds(Heaver's web site).

Trick two
I carry alot of gold hooks.Great to use when catching pompano's,blow toads and small pups.Well since the gold hooks seem to be more pliable than the regular heavier hooks I use.I bend one out when I need to use one as a rigging needle,and I have frequently use one when I get wind knots in the braided line.I use it to pull them nasty knots out.


----------



## neuman

*chum*

heres one on chum were talking fishing with good current so you grind all your fish rice macaroni whatever now how do you get the bait out when its frozen into the bag or pot you dont. freeze your chum in those 3-4 gal pals trick is you still need the weight to get it down so find some of those old window weights and freeze them right in with your chum now when your on the pier ,boat or bridge just take out your trusty drill and start drilling tie a rope through the holes throw it over no messy chum on you your boat , or the area your fishing because we all know how chum attracts bugs and walla no mess .another one for surf fishing take a film canister put some small holes through it fill with cotton and any kind of oil,shedder ,bunker ,shrimp better yet grind some bait and freeze the canister just attatch it with your sinker trust me sometimes they inhale the whole canister other times when blues are thick they bite them in half or take the hole deal theres a couple that i reely like!ZOOM


----------



## Smoothbore54

I transport my surf rods in an old, rigid "par 3 " size golf bag.

The reels are stored in gallon size zip-lock bags, in the pockets of the golf bag.

My "Surf Gaff" is a barbless #12 hook on the end of a golf club handle. (And YOU thought Golf was a stupid game.)

The PVC sand spikes also travel in the golf bag, with the tip sections of the rods inside them for protection.

The shoulder strap on the bag frees up your hands for carrying other stuff.


----------



## Thrifty Angler

*Another golf bag use*

I have three of them that I use at home for storing my rods and reels. I put the butt ends in the bags that have the flexible material type dividers in them and I store the "tip ends" in a golf bag that has molded plastic, from top to bottom, tube type dividers. The reels go into the large pocket of each golf bag and I put my rain suit, pliers, etc... in the numerous 6 or so other pockets of each bag. Then I store the bags in a corner out of household traffic flow. 

I have been tempted to carry them onto a pier, now I might just have the courage to do just that. BTW..I have the wheeled carriers for the bags as well. Other than the carriers being wide when opened, the plus is they have large wheels that will go over any pier surface whether concrete or wooden boards spaced apart, such as Harrison's.

Having a tilting ledge mounted to the wheeled carriers would allow one to carry coolers onto piers. The large wheels are good for going over boards that are spaced apart, such as with Harrison's. 

All bags with their wheeled carriers were purchased at flea markets or yard sales for 5 bucks or less. 


8(---)


----------



## Smoothbore54

*Eels*

I learned this up on Martha's Vineyard a long time ago.

When useing elvers (little eels) as bait for stripers. It's important to have "live" eels. The problem is that they give off huge amounts of glue-like slime. You need to transport them in a bucket, but if you leave them in the bucket they will drown in thier own slime. You often have to drive around the island, until you find the fish. Making it impractical to take your elvers in and out of the bucket, and NO a regular minnow bucket won't work. (The holes are too big.)

The solution is. to take a 1 to 2 gallon plastic container with a tight fitting lid. (And YOU thought tupperware was useless.) With a knife, make SLITS, not HOLES in the top. ( Those little guys can get thru a good sized nail hole.)

Transport your elvers in the upright position, but when you get to the fishing grounds, keep your eel bucket upside down so the slime can constantly drain away. 

You can keep eels alive for days in this fashion.

If you try to keep them from one trip to the next, keep the bucket inverted, in the shade with a heavy weight on top.

Cats and Racoons love Sushi.


----------



## seafisher

Keep on posting guys.

I put up a post a while back about to make a good rigging needle with a clothes hanger.

Also, reel covers can be made by just putting your worn out sock over your reels and rubber-banding the sock to keep it on.


----------



## OldBay

*El Cheapo!*

Don't but lures for $5, buy the components and assemble them yourself. Unless you can find them in the discount bin at Sports Authority for $2.

Look around when you are fishing. Chances are someone fished there recently and left something. I find all kinds of stuff.

Definately make your own sandspikes.

Catch your own bait and tie your own Hi/Lo rigs.

The number one way to save $$ is to Not lend your good reel to someone who lays it in the sand and then rinses the sand off in the saltwater, everytime they re-bait.


----------



## Fish Hunter

*Reel Bags*

Noticed a couple of guys mentioning zip lock bags for your reels. Bad idea. They will not breathe and allow any mositure in or on the reel to evaporate. This will start the corrison process much quicker than just leaving them loose.

Crown Royal bags are AOK.


----------



## Sandcrab

*Re: El Cheapo!*



OldBay said:


> *...Never lend your good reel to someone who lays it in the sand and then rinses the sand off in the saltwater, everytime they re-bait.  *


Roger that!


----------



## BigJeff823

I sometimes tie my own bucktails;I lose a dozen or more at Indian River Inlet .I snell my own hooks on my homeade rigs;Use foodsaver bags to keep bait fresh.Thats all I can think of


----------



## BigJeff823

I also agre with Old Bay;theres nothing worse than salt n sands efect on a reel


----------



## seafisher

Thats why when ever I loan someone a reel, its the cheap one. Good idea, Fish Hunter. Thats another reason I use the socks.

Keep on postin y'all.


----------



## BigJeff823

If my reel ever falls in the sand a rinse in saltwater;then a better rinse when I get home with high presured freshwater and most of the time my reels survive


----------



## Kozlow

*Hints and Tips C/O*









http://home.cfl.rr.com/floridafishing/main.htm

If fishing from a boat buy a waterproof Sportsman Dry Box, K-mart and Wal-Mart carry them, to keep your wallet, important papers, flares, sounding device and camera in. 

When fishing unfamiliar waters get a map of the area, Top Spots Maps are great, and study it before the trip. In this way you can eliminate many unproductive areas and concentrate on the areas that look like fish producers. 

Use a hot butter-knife to melt the plastic back together on your tore-up plastic lures. 

Carry a tube of super glue in your tackle box and use a small drop to also repair plastic baits. 

To keep your fishing maps from being destroyed. Cover both sides with clear contact paper. This makes them waterproof, and allows you to mark choice locations with waterproof grease pencil. Use a dry cloth to wipe off the markings later. 

Done flossing! Use the cutter from a floss container, to cut threw those new braided lines. 

If you get a leak in your waders. Find the hole. Melt a plastic worm and smear the goo onto the hole, inside and out. Now you can get back to fishing, and enjoy the rest of your day. 

Looking for small screws for quick reel repairs. Look no further than a cassette tape. The screws are usually the right size. 

Keep track of your split shots by putting them in a empty breath mint box. Write the size on the outside for easier identification. 

When walking through tick country on your way to a favorite fishin' hole. Wrap duct tape around your pant cuffs to seal out the bugs. 

When portaging a canoe to remote locations, bring along a mesh fruit or onion sack. (grapefruit, oranges, onions) and a length of rope. You can fill the bag with rocks and tie it to the end of the rope. Now you have a portable anchor. 

When your crankbaits get damaged or punctured fix then with no chip, top-coat (clear) nail polish. Fill the hole or scratch with polish. Let dry then give two or three more coats to attain a smooth surface. Your bait is back in business. 

Safety pins help keep things together. Slide spare blades, hooks, swivels and the like onto the pin, and snap the pin shut. Now you don't have to worry about them scattering all over your tackle box. 

Put a drop of hot glue onto the eyelet of your stinger hooks. Slide it onto your spinnerbait, jig or buzzer. You hook will stay in place all day. 

Use an outdoor digital thermometer, the kind with the 10-12 foot lead. Drop the probe down and you can measure the water temp down to 10 or so feet, instead of just at the surface. 

Use glittered fabric paints to jazz up your baits. 

Use your local bait fish as a guide to size and color selection for your lures. 

Using a lighter test fishing line can help improve the fish strikes. 

Sharpen hooks just before use for more positive hookups. 

Varying the retrieve speed or combining a quick retrieve with a pause to let the lure sink a few feet down in the water before continuing the retrieve can stimulate more strikes. 

You may wish to replace the treble hooks with heavy duty double hooks when going for big fish. 

A different lure presentation (size or type) from what is normally used in a particular area can also help improve the fish strikes. 

Always store your reels with the drag set at no tension (free spool) or as low as it can go. This will prevent flat spots on drag material. You can set the clicker to "On" to prevent the reel from turning and line unwinding. 

Rod Tip: Take the male end of the ferrule and rub it along side your nose before putting the rod together. The oil from your skin/nose will put a light lube on the joint where the two rod parts come together, making it easy to pull apart. 

If you're having a hard time getting a rod apart because the joint or ferrule is stuck together, try this. Sit down and lay the rod across your lap with the ferrule centered between your legs. Take your hands and grasp the top and bottom of the rod on the outside of your legs. Hold on tight to the rod, keeping your hands below the top of your legs and slowly move your legs apart, pulling the rod apart at the same time! 

Tuning a crank bait or diving plug: Most diving plugs right out of the package don't catch fish. Some do, but most don't, they need to be tuned. Tie the plug on as recommended by the manufacturer. Usually a snap (not snap swivel) or an open loop knot is best. Once tied on, let out a few feet of line and pull the plug through the water at the rate that you will be trolling or retrieving the plug. Make sure you can see the plug in the water. It needs to run straight, perfectly straight! If it turns on its right side, turn the clasp on the plug to the left. If it runs left, turn the clasp right. You won't need to turn the clasp much to make the adjustments. Keep pulling the plug through the water and making adjustments, make it run straight as an arrow. Test your plugs after catching a fish or getting snagged, both of these things can make a plug run out of tune. You'll hook more fish with a finely tuned plug, take the time and do it. The pro's do. 

Finding a leak in waders: Take one end of the hose from a vacuum and put it in the exhaust of the vacuum. Now take the other end and put it into the waders. Now close the top of the waders around the hose, blowing the waders up like a balloon. Take a spray bottle with soapy water in it and spray the area of the leak. Bubbles will appear at the leak. Mark the spot, let the area dry, and patch with a sealer. 

After you have those hooks sharpened to a razor sharp point simply take a black permanent marker and color the tip from the point to just below the barb. By doing this it will help in preventing rust. Thus prolonging the life and edge of your hooks. 

If you happen to get poked by a catfish fin, such as the dorsal or pectoral fin of a hardhead (sea catfish), I can guarantee you some serious pain!! As soon as it happens, rub some of the slime from the fish's belly/body into your wound. And if you have any Asprin or Tylenol handy, take a couple! You will get very Numb around the wound for about an hour or so, but the slime should keep you from getting infected. The slime is a NATURAL ANTIDOTE for the bacteria. If the Dorsal or Pectoral fin has broken off in you, Stop fishing and get to a clinic or Hospital IMMEDIATELY and have it removed. 

Having trouble keeping those trout floats on your line. Simply place a thick rubber band through the slot before putting the line in. Then put the stick in the float as you normally would. This improves the friction and keeps the float where you want it.

Hope it helps someone out.
The catfish one helped me out.


----------



## Fish Hunter

*Dang*

Dang Kozlow, you the Martha Stewart of the fishing world? 8(---) 

You got a good list there. Several new ones for me. 

Thanks.

One more on my end. 

To prevent those backlashes from burying deep into the spool, take your best cast and then put a small piece of masking tape across the spool. If you backlash, then it stops at that point. If you have a better than normal cast, the tape pops off and no damage done.


----------



## fishnkid

not really a trick but fishing lynnhaven inlet can get you tackle. Last time i went there i picked up one decent look rig, a fish finder, and a jighead with a trailer. Normally u can snag some good things there, its true to i swear it is.


----------



## neuman

ditto kos i got some good ones out of that list !!ZOOM


----------



## rockhead

yea ditto fishinkid, extreme lowtide at most spots is tackle collecting time. jetties are great for this


----------



## seafisher

For offshore trolling, never buy those store bought safety lines for the clips on your reels. Instead go get about 3-4 feet of rope and some clips and make your own. 

Or, if you are pin/ king rigging on a pier and want to hold you fighting reel down if something hits it, a dog leash with a clip on one end and spliced rope on the other.


----------



## seafisher

Heres something I thought of a while back for taking line off of high yardage reels.

1) Take a round piece of wood (thicker than the regular dowel) and drive a screw in one end of it.

2) Take the center of the wood and make an indention all the way around the block of wood in the desired area so it will act like a spool.

3) Get someone to put the reel in free-spool and put a little tension on the line so not to backlash.

4) Put the screw that was driven in the wood on a chuck and put the reel in reverse.

(The person putting tension on the line should still hold it while your running the drill)

5) If all goes right, the line will come off in the spool-type indention made in the wood

Be careful when doing this so the screw will not come off the chuck and make a weapon out of a line de-spooler!


----------



## Smoothbore54

*Re: Reel Bags*



Fish Hunter said:


> *Noticed a couple of guys mentioning zip lock bags for your reels. Bad idea. They will not breathe and allow any mositure in or on the reel to evaporate. This will start the corrison process much quicker than just leaving them loose.
> 
> Crown Royal bags are AOK.  *



Apparently some clarification is in order.

I carry my "clean, dry, freshly oiled" reels in zip-lock bags in order to keep them clean and dry.

When using the golf bag to haul my gear, I usually have 6 or 8 rods and as many different reels as I can stuff into the pouches on the bag.

Obviously, they don't ALL get used EVERY time. 

By using the zipper bags, only the ones that HAVE been used, need to be cleaned up later.


----------



## skunked

For any time bait ..
Buy a couple of lbs. of squid. Clean it and cut into the size you like for bait. ( The wife should NOT be home when you do this!) Pickle it in as much KOSHER salt as will dissole in the amount of water needed to cover your bait ( add a few drops PLAIN bleach etc. not lemon or the like). Put into jars or air tight containers. Store in the fridege. When I did this the squids I pickled were very durable and seemed to get a lot of strikes. I could keep mine in the truck in the middle of summer and it wouldn't go bad. Handy if you decide to fish on the way to and from where ever. Keep a few heads also as they seem to be good at resisting bait stealers.


----------



## cocoflea

I wish I could share,I have know tricks, but I would like to thank all for sharing this is why this is the best site.


----------



## jkbraid

Back to NEUMAN's chum suggestion. Another method that works pretty well is to use pvc with caps at each end. Put your chum into a 12" (or whatever you like) section of 3" pvc with a cap on the bottom. Do not fill to the top (expands when freezing). Place your tubes in the freezer. Drill a hole in another cap and put both ends of your twine, rope, etc in the hole and tie the end together so they won't slip out(making a loop to attach another line to). When the tube is frozen attach the second cap. Before going out drill a few holes in the tube and you are ready to start chumming.

I've also heard people will reuse the tube by finding another piece of pvc that fits perfectly over the first tube allowing you to refill it without leaking.

You can usually find short sections of pvc by driving buy new houses being built.


----------



## Thrifty Angler

Economy is *way* different than it was back in 2003. Any other cost savers to help us?

Thanks


----------



## AL_N_VB

Good dig from the past. One thing I've been doing is taking the wifes 4 cylinder Honda Accord instead of my V-8 Titan to my local fishing holes. Its a little tight but gets me where I am going. Now when it smells I have to clean it.

I've spent a lot less time going on suicide or weekend trips North or South ( which I miss ). 

Became friendlier with friends with boats. I still save for those tuna charters, but would rather fish on a friends boat and give them fuel $$

I quit smoking.


----------



## CJS

I guess it is not really a trick but I wish someone had told me not to spend as much money as I have over the years on rod building, lead pouring, fly tying etc. 

If I still had all the money I spent on rod building supplies and equipment then paid myself 5 dollars for 
each hour I spent learning, cutting off wraps and retying, and reading about the craft I could have the finest set of custom rods money could buy. 

I don't have a supplier for lead or the time to melt enough sinkers to really see a cost savings. 

I don't even like fly fishing but I am sure I have blown a few hundred dollars on that crap only to see it find a home on the bottom shelf.

The point is that time and money available for fishing are limited. The crying baby, mortgage payments, and demanding job make it hard to find time and money to fish much less time and money to build a rod. So make sure you are willing to put the tine and effort into these hobbies before you sink a bunch of money into them.


----------



## surfchunker

I carry my sand spikes in an old bag chair bag ... I can get 5 in there ... buy 2" pvc and cut them just barely long enough to fit into the bag and still be able to cinch it up


----------



## George Gravier

Great tips/tricks guys I got a couple:

1. Dont buy expensive chum bags, doller store laundry bgs work great
2. Fill up old plastic soda/water bottles with water and freeze, throw them in your cooler fish come home rinse and refreeze
3. Too hot to hang/age your deer, skin and quarter your deer put in large cooler with ice salt it down, drain daily and add more ice, it helps to throw in a couple of 2 liter soda bottles of ice in there to slow the ice melting, usually leave mine in there about 5 days, make sure drain well each day
4. Pump gas in the morning when its cool and dont squeeze the pump handle full (cant verify this tip but I do it) supposedly get more gas for your money
5. Dont let brother dry fire your bow a week before bow season!
6. Drive a TOYOTA!.................geo


----------



## Ryan Y

I've posted this somewhere else before.

A 20 ounce or two leader bottle cap will fit most marine style cooler drains. (The smaller ones with screw on lids.) I had a picture somewhere before but it slips me now.
Anyhow, I like the pepsi product lids as they screw a little tighter. If you can find the three liter bottle anymore, those caps will fit the bigger style drain plugs too. Works on them all.

I also keep a couple tubes of Desitin baby rash ointment in with the gear. It coats like axle grease in case of the debilitating crotch rash. It also fixes any other rashes like those on the ankles from waders. Butt paste workes just as well and Ill bet either would double as reel grease if need be.


----------



## jeffreyweeks

Use cut bait! More fish will hit it than you think. If you catch pinfish, perch, eels, or small bluefish they make some of the best cut bait. Cut bait strips dragged on the bottom are great for flounder, big bloody cut bait takes blues, red drum, and all kinds of sharks. Small bits of cut bait will catch croaker, sea mullet (whiting), pompano, snapper bluefish, a gray trout (weakfish) plus a lot more.

Use a cast net! If you have never learned to throw one it is not too late. it will save you more money than anything else I know of.

Freeze leftover fresh bait in water. Use previously frozen bait to catch small fish like pinfish, and then cut them up for fresh bait.

Wash your reels after ever trip. They will last much longer that way, especially for a saltwater angler.

Use Fishbites bloodworms instead of real bloodworms...I've saved a ton of money fishing for spot this way.

I published this one a few years ago: How to Save Money When Surf Fishing


----------



## BrentH

When I first got into Kingfishing, a friend who I met from here gave me some great tips. 

Always wet your line first with a few casts before throwing out your anchor. It'll go further, or so I've noticed on my spinning anchor rod. 


After pulling your anchor line up from being cranked tight all day, make a few casts to loosen the line up. The line gets pulled in between wraps when you crank down on the reel throughout the day and can cause the line to snap. I watched a younger kid throw his anchor line out after "not" loosening the line the weekend before and lost an anchor. Hasn't happened since. 


When trying to get your ping rig out further, loosed the drag on the anchor line and drop the line in the water and re-tighten. The pin rig will slide much easier on wet line. 


Use shower curtain rings instead of clasps on pin rigs - they seem to slide easier for me.


I put my pin rigs in individual zip locks to keep them from getting tangled up.


Use a rig binder for your rigs. A kink in a solid leader will cause it to break on the first pull.


----------



## kraus

Strain your oil with a coffee filter after frying your fish and use it again multiple times. Sometimes you can find a deal on peanut oil. It keeps well in the freezer in a dark container.


----------



## Ryan Y

Keep a plastic garbage bag in your buddy's bucket when you crap in it in the truck on the beach. He'll appreciate not having to scrub out those tough dried skid marks on the side.


----------



## solid7

jeffreyweeks said:


> Use cut bait! More fish will hit it than you think. If you catch pinfish, perch, eels, or small bluefish they make some of the best cut bait. Cut bait strips dragged on the bottom are great for flounder, big bloody cut bait takes blues, red drum, and all kinds of sharks. Small bits of cut bait will catch croaker, sea mullet (whiting), pompano, snapper bluefish, a gray trout (weakfish) plus a lot more.


Never rely on cut bait to catch pompano. You will be sorely disappointed.

Other than that, I'm all for it. I love cut baits...


----------



## rattler

Best one I know. You do not need $$$$$$$$$$$ tackle to catch fish.


----------



## hifu

when ya get ready to respool take a empty spool on another reel and wind the line back on....now you have line that probably has not seen the light of day ready to use again.


----------



## Diamondeyes

*Tricks*

Plastic zip-ties with the eyes make great hook keepers for any rod. I place mine at the top of the reel seat so my hook or swivel on fish finder rigs beat on the forgrip and not the blank itself.

John


----------



## Oldscout2

I was working on the RBFC (Ratty Blue Fishin Cooler) last night and thought I'd pass one along. If you have a can of Great Stuff foam you're using for household repairs, plan ahead and drill a few holes in a hollow cooler lid. Great stuff does not keep, and it
doesn't take more than a quarter can to fill a mid sized hollow cooler lid tight with foam. Space the foam flow around several holes in the lid perimeter; the foam will expand and meet in the middle of the lid. I found out the hard way once that you can make a big mess if you get rambunctious and overfill one  A foam filled lid improves thermal efficiency of course and saves ice, one of my most consistent expenses. 

Also, gorilla glue does not corrode the foam walls in coolers and can be used to glue one together that is coming apart giving it one more season.

The RBFC is threatening to explode any year now, but still keeps fish cold as well as I could ask it.


----------



## solid7

Funny you should mention coolers...

I use the big square aluminum turkey basting pans (disposable type) to make block ice in my garage "bait fridge". It takes a long time to make a solid block of ice, but if you add a half inch of water or so at a time, you get a better start. (just keep adding about an inch or day, and by the weekend, you are ready to go with a 20+ lb. block of ice. Adding in any old freezer burnt ice helps out. It comes out of the pan pretty well, too, because the sides are angled. And it fits right in my cooler. (some coolers may require you to use a chisel to knock of a bit to fit - but it's easy)

When you get home, you can always re-use "fish ice" by taking what isn't melted, and adding more water to it in the pan. It's a pretty simple way to plan ahead, and save time on an ice run. The added advantage is that block ice has less surface area than ice cubes, so it doesn't melt as fast.

Oh, yeah, and you can repair those pans - should they get small leaks in them - with aluminum "100 mph" tape.


----------



## OldBay

Use old spark plugs as sinkers when fishing in the rocks

If you are at the beach for a week fish a pier Sunday night. All the folks leaving for the work week will give you their bait. Salt the bait and you are good to go.


----------



## sand flea

Much like Lazarus, this old thread was resurrected and destined for The Bible. Keep 'em coming...


----------



## hifu

when yur keepin' yur cooler drain open what do ya do with yur cap, i've drilled a small hole in the cap then anuder on my cooler, run a small piece of mono between the two...great for leaving open when in storage to let yur cooler breath a little


----------



## ReelKingin

Old line on reels...Get a 2liter bottle or 20oz and take the lid, get yourself a nut & bolt about 1/4" or 3/8" size, make yourself a small hole in the middle of the cap. Place the bolt thru it, take a small washer (not needed) and place inside the cap onto the bolt, screw the nut onto it where it is firmly inside the cap. Take another nut and screw onto the pertruding end....once all tightened, place the pertruding end into your drill chuck and then screw the bottle back onto the cap & wall-i a easy recycleable way of getting old line off your reel, not matter what size the reel/spool.....hope this makes sense...lol


----------



## bluefish1928

A. use an old deep frying pot scooper to dig for sandfleas (like the thing they use to lift fried chicken out of a deep fryer) The thicker the wires, the better
B. I need to do this myself but heard of it being used before. Use a paint scarper to scrape for sheepshead bait of rocks (barnacles and mussels).
C. use clear tubing over the eye of the hook to prevent chaffing of the knot. Use longer pieces of the clear tubing to serve as a teeth guard vs toothy fish (not cut-off proof but it will require Mr. bluefish to bite deeper to get to your line)
D. make you own sabiki and mackerel tree rigs with gold aberdeen crappie hooks, using smaller hooks as sabiki rigs and larger ones as mackerel rigs


----------



## Orest

bluefish1928 said:


> *A. use an old deep frying pot scooper to dig for sandfleas (like the thing they use to lift fried chicken out of a deep fryer) The thicker the wires, the better*


You should be able to modify a ice fishing scoop. http://www.reedssports.com/Product/product.taf?_function=detail&_ID=25349&pc=2607 You could just drill out the holes a little bigger.


----------



## TideJones

I thought this thread was going to be about my third wife.


----------



## Stink-bait

As for coolers. I couldnt find that would fit my cart just right so I pieced one toghter with R-10 foam, gorilla glue, plywood, 100 mph tape and a bath tub drain plug. Cost me all of 20 bucks for about 6 CF of space and keeps ice all day.


----------



## solid7

TideJones said:


> I thought this thread was going to be about my third wife.


It was, until these fellers hijacked it...


----------



## dirtyhandslopez

Don't leave the soft cooler you have poked holes in the bottom of (to drain) in the back of the van for any appreciable amount of time.. 'specially the one you use for bait.


----------

