Check twice before hopping out of the boat. I've had two too many dunkings in cold rivers. And no, I'm not a smart man.

Have everything ready to go before a fishing trip. All in one spot or in the car.

Have your vest all organized ready to fish.

Have a bunch of leaders with nothing but hooks. Who knows what they are biting when you get there. It is much easier putting them on once you are there than trying to pull off corkies and yarn becaue it's a different color or having them all rigged and having so many different leader styles that you need an additional back pack of leaders.

wow, good question. Is anybody out there superstitious when it comes to fishing? Ive got a routine that will help your catch rates increase by 47.5%. The first step is simple and not as important as the second process. OK, first step is getting your crap(gear) out the door, forget about what shape its in or if your eggs are freezer burnt. OK, now the process:

Upon entering a crowded section of river:
1) Clap your hands three times to get attention of fellow fisherman
2) Reach down and take a pinch of sand
3) Sprinke sand down the front of your waders
4) Do the "icky shuffle" (bounce on one foot approximatley 3 times and then immediatly repeat with other foot.
5) Yell a bunch of gyberish nobody will understand

- Proceed to river

NEVER leave fish to find fish!
This is my brother in law to a T right MAjor Brown..
If someone catches a fish he is ready to go.. like there is only one bitter per hole...

TH

www.thcustomrods.com

If you say you are going fishing with me ya better show or you will never be invited again. If you can't make let me know the night before.

1. always have plenty of leaders.
2. Gear is always inspected, prepped and packed the night before.
3. If meeting fishing partners; explain that they get a 10 minute grace period to show, if not, you are leaving, no ifs ands or buts, i will never be late to the river!!(have left plenty of friends before)
4. Always carry TP in the backpack

This has happened to me twice now. Everytime I don't bring toilet paper I always end up having to go once I get out fishing. The one time I had to go so bad that I just threw my rod and tackle box into the bushes and ran as fast as I could without letting loose. I was only about 6-7 minutes from the toilet paper in my car, but it felt like an eternity. Anyways, always bring TP with you!

~ Dr Pepper

Dr. P,

That's technically refered to as the "procrastinated 'tape' dash".

All of us have been there, done that. And we don't learn. Kinda like the Saturday night party drinking - "Oh gawd, I'll never do this again". Ah huh.

You absolutely WILL NOT catch a fish sitting in front of a computer talking about it.

Wild steelhead should absolutely be released.

Any other "rule" has an exception or twenty.

Fish on...

Todd.

Hook file....... never leavehome without it. This is my answer to the original post....

RT... Why are your posts better when they appear after midnight? JK

Fish Jesus... Don't throw away that old line when you re-spool...Most times most of that line has not seen the sun or the water... wind it on to leader spools..lots cheaper that buying them and saves the land fills...

Dr. Pepper.. I hear ya....years ago and I mean 15 plus, in a hole called two bit soen here in Oregon ther was a great bite, soooo I launched the boat about 2 hours before o dark thirty (don't do this anymore) to get a good spot for the next day.... well about an hour before light i had to shi#. not a matter of when, but where.... ended up using shrimp containers..... some freinds still remind me of that once in awahile........ to this day. I never go fishing without some Bu$$ wipe in my back pocket

[ 11-16-2001: Message edited by: Fishbait ]

nobody baits my hook but me.

Shrimp containers? You must have great aim. I'd need a rear view mirror to pull that one off.
I'm not even trying picture that one!
Was your shooting percentage worthy of a tryout for the Sups?

FJ.. out.

So Fishbait, that bankie that told us he saw you using dollar bills to wipe your a$$ was telling the truth! Gee, biz must be real good, eh? Yay for those low interest rates. So one of your absolutes is to bring 'dough'; one way or the other.

As for better posts after midnight ... an absolute also. The family and pets are asleep and most guys are off their computers. So I have my thoughts and the BB to myself (except for playing games with Petz ) ; along with working on my book and other projects between posting urges.

RT

[ 11-17-2001: Message edited by: RT i ]

RT 1, Fishbait quotes: I had to take a shi#. Not a
matter of when but where to go, ended up using shrimp containers. What are people to assume?

If Fishbait wanted to say that he used shrimp containers for a** wipe then why didn't he just plainly state that?

FJ...out

I'll be honest here, I can't believe guys get caught up in little things. gear fishing for steelhead seems to have changed a lot since I did much of it (the 80's). It seems that run timings are much much smaller and decent fisheries are few and far between.
I remember having it not be uncommon to catch several fish a day. The rivers here in southwest washington, other than the Kalama and the cowlitz basically suck!

My biggest piece of advise is fish rivers that don't suck!

FJ, I assume Fishbait meant he wasn't about to leave the spot in the '2 bit' hole they had earned, just for a sh!$. So I think he used the shrimp containers as miniture latreens right in the boat. Containers plural - probably a lot of them in quick change fashion; like an old 'I Love Lucy' show. The only thing I'm wondering is if he had the sense to put the shrimp elsewhere first. Not sure with Fishbait ...