Devils in the Details

[stripah]

Hi,

I know I am new here so I dont have much "street cred", but in the spirit of the man who this forum is named after I would like to offer some quick tips that everytime I go out I try to remember. They come from past mistakes and I have made quite a few. If we can get some people to post a couple tips they have "learned the hard way" than I think everyone will benefit.

1) Check your hooks

After catching 4 longfin on one special tuna clone, we missed every single tuna that hit the lure the rest of the day. I was the mate and couldnt figure out what was going on. This was the HOTT lure for some time and when we finally pulled the spread in for the day and I was putting the lures away I noticed that the hook was all out of whack and closer to being straight than being a J...why the heck didnt I notice this earlier! Needless to say I am supercareful now about the hooks sharpness and also checking the condtion of the terminal tackle to look for a weakness after every single bite.

2) Dont get wrapped up

Watch where the line leads off of your rod tip, I have had several times where it was wrapped, or there was a chaffing point and boom there goes the rigger and then bang there goes the fish, as the line is chaffed right through or broke right at the tip cause of a careless error.

Lastly,

3) Pitch Baits

After missing too many whites because I didnt have a pitch bait ready, I started to rig them and keep them ready to deploy, by leaving them in a cooler still in the leader coil and attached to the rod. A whitey would show and I was there fumbling and stumbling with the damn leader, this happened on two trips before I decided to say screw keeping them in the cooler with the leader wrapped. Now I put them in a tube with some ice and wrapped in a towel. The leader is free and ready to go coming straight up to the rod leaving no stupid coils or tangles to undo.

These are some common sense things I have managed to screw up royaly and I know there are more to come, hopefully we can all learn from one another.

Marc

[Satans_Chariot]

STAHHH BOY. Ill vouch for your cred there marc.

did penny give you a job yet?

[stripah]

lol...small world aint it, it looks like I will be going to Houston this week or next...hopefully

Now I know you screw up alot...jk...so post it up!!

[Satans_Chariot]

marc-ey marc, come on now.

ill be down in houston april 1-4. ill be over at the office everyday and will be at teh same hotel. so call my phone up if your there at the same time.

[stripah]

Alex,

Will do.

[birdhunter]

Thanks for the tips man, you hit the nail on the head there, the devil is certainly in the details!

[clt_capt]

Great tips - they look simple, but #1 & #2 have cost me fish in the past.

[WAHOONBOX]

I HAVE READ THESE TIPS 3 TIMES NOW......ASTOUNDING........I HAD TO GO BACK TO CHECK AND SEE IF IF WERE I THAT HAD STARTED THIS THREAD.........THEN I REALIZED IT WAS STRIPAHNBOX


IF I WERE TO EVER DESIRE A TATOO....I WOULD INK THIS THREAD TO MY FOREARMS SO TO KEEP ME REFRESHED & REMINDED OF MY MISTAKES AND ERRORS OF PAST


5 STAR.........NO DOUBT ABOUT IT ...A FIVE STAR THREAD

[hotshot1]

thanks for the refresher

Not a bad idea ifthis continued if veryone chimed in what they have learned for free

[Glenn W]

I find #3 to be most timely as I have also decided on a pitchbait change my self this season. For years the standard pitchbait rod (when I've been motivated enough to keep one locked and loaded) has been the standard 10'-12' 60-80lb leader conected with a snap swivel and another 12' 80lb section connected with a Bristol knot. So the pitch rod is sitting there, leader is coiled somehow (usually in the chair rocket launcher) and it is time to pounce with the pitch rod. You grab the rod, fumble with all excess leader (it is much longer than the rod), weave under the long rigger rods in the side chair holders, get your mess in front of the short rigger rods, fiddle with getting the bait out without the damn leader getting hung on something and--- and---- too late White Boy is gone or by now invading another bait.
Instead, this year I will arm my pitch rods with a 3' leader/ perfection loop to the swivel. (still use the 12' shot via bristol knot) I can now truly grab the bait in one hand and pitch the bait the way it is supposed to be done( Used to pitch alot bass fishing with jig & pigs).
The short leader will have no coils to fumble with and allow a much faster and accurate pitch to the fish.--- we'll see if there is an improvement.