Sometimes a handy little trick can make the difference in getting a job done the quick and easy way. Here are seven fishing hacks that will make you wonder how you didn't think of these before.
- Get Rid Of Fish Odour From Skin - It can seem like there is no amount of soap that will get rid of that fishy smell that builds up on your hands after a day of handling fish, or worse, after cleaning your catch. While you need to use soap and water to get rid of grime and germs, running your wet hands over stainless steel will miraculously remove many odours from your skin. Whether you use a piece of cutlery, the faucet, the kitchen sink, or a steel bowl, a chemical reaction occurs and removes the odour causing molecules from your skin.
- Prevent Rod Ends From Sticking Together - Many fishing rods come apart in two or three pieces for easier transport and storage. The ends of the rods are called "ferrules" and can sometimes get really stuck, making it extremely difficult to break down your rod. To prevent this from happening, apply a thin coat of beeswax to the male ferrule and the two rod ends will easily slide apart. The melted wax from a beeswax candle works perfectly for this. Some anglers even use ski or snowboard wax for this purpose.
- Stop New Line From Tangling - When you've spooled fresh new line on to your reel, it can take awhile for it to form a memory and to stop spilling off your reel at every chance. To get new line to conform to your reel, run a newly spooled reel under hot tap water for a minute or so. The heat will cause the line to form a memory of the reel, preventing tangles and twist later on.
- Easily Cut Braided Line - Many line clippers and scissors have been dulled or ruined by trying to cut through braided fishing line. A cheap and easy tool for snipping braid is the little magnet milk bag snipper we Canadians get at the grocery store. The blade in the plastic housing quickly and easily slices through the line. Plastic mail openers are the same idea and work the same way.
- Hang On To Fish Guts - Garbage day isn't always convenient to a fishing trip and you may be stuck with a gut pile for a few days before the truck comes around. If you aren't keeping the offal for garden fertilizer or some other use, place the innards inside two plastic grocery bags and tie tightly. Store in your freezer until you can dispose of them on garbage day. This will prevent a lot of mess and stink in your garbage receptacle, as well as keeping pests away.
- Save Your Drag - When storing your spinning reels for the offseason, be sure to release your drag. Continued pressure on the inner workings of the reel from a tight-set drag can cause the springs to loosen over time, making your reel not work as efficiently the next time you have a big fish on.
- Keep Your Hooks Tidy - No one likes to break off and retie, and it's worse when you have to dig around to find a new hook. Stick a large safety pin through the eye of like-sized hooks and you will always have your hooks sorted and in order
The more time you spend on the water, the more tips, tricks, and fishing hacks you find for solving common fishing problems. Ingenuity and innovation are two traits every successful angler should strive for.
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