I have learned a few things over the years. Here is one I just heard. to remove the memory from mono before spooling soak it in real hot water for a few minutes. It works. the line comes off the spool straight .

Anything to share?

Dont post pictures on this BB... unless you have a thick skin that is...

JK

Just came up with this one a couple of weeks ago...

If you lock your spare tire on your boat trailer, cover the key hole on the lock with a bit of duct tape.

This will help keep the dirt and sand out of the lock and should let you actually get the key in the lock if you ever have a flat.


Also, always carry a can of wd-40 in your boat... it'll save your a$$ if your lock is full of dirt...

I also shot my locks full of marine wheel bearing grease. They have been in great shape ever since!

I'll bet it also makes it easier to get your keys in your pocket after you've opened the locks as well.

hmmm, slippery keys...

For all electrical connections on your boat, use heat shrink to eliminate loose connections and corrosion ---forever. Use it on all splices and connectors. Heat shrink is the best stuff since sliced bread.

Sky Guy: I hate to admit I dont know, but all things mechanical seem to escape me. What do you shrink it with? I used some awhile back on my depth finder connections. Tried the wife's hair dryer and it worked kinda, but too looong time and never did shrink as tight as I wanted.

My tip. Attach your float to your mainline with a rubber band. It lets you adjust the float easier then usual method, keeps the float on your line when you break a leader and doesn't cut you float in half when you get snagged.

Hah! Piper, yes my keys were a bit greasy the first time or two!!

SkyGuy's suggestion on heat shrink is a great one, I go one further and go to an electronics store, not Radio Shack, and get the heat shrink that is lined with epoxy. This way when you heat it the epoxy melts and when the tube shrinks it also glues itself to the wire. Water tight that way! I use a lighter torch to melt it, just be careful and keep it moving or it will burn it.

I use the std heat shrink all the time... never heard of this epoxy lined stuff.... I'll be checking this out for sure.

Thanks Steve

Surecatch,

A heat gun $ 9.99 mosr places for a cheap one. Or a little blow torch lighter like the crack heads use. It may get your truck searched at the border so leave it home if you go to Canada.

When fishing for Chums or any other salmon in the estuaries or saltwater and you are using a corkie, jam a tooth pick in the hloe on the corkie and snap/cut it off. Do this so that the corkie dose not slip up away from the hook since there is little or no current. This also works when fishing in the rivers in the back water or very slow spots.

Piper, if you are ever in Olympia, go to a place called ERI. (Electronic Resourcing, Inc.) They have it in all sizes. It is FANTASTIC stuff!!

When adding electrical accessories to an aluminum boat use the common ground on the 12v battery, even though you can get a ground from any part of the boat.

Comp your holidays!

Buy low...Sell high!

How about this one - always take a grease gun and a spare hub with you. Nothing like a broken wheel bearing in the middle of nowhere. Shoot your hubs full when you pull your boat out right at the ramp to push the water out. Now matter how hard you try, you can't avoid water getting in the hubs and salt water is the worst! The spare hub is fairly cheap, I carry a tool box with the grease gun, hub, and required tools to change it with me at all times because after two busted bearings last year, I can't be too careful!

Or, when changing a trailer light bulb, unplug your harness, or at least turn the lights off. I was changing a fender clearance light this summer as I was about to leave on an early morning, since it was dark I noticed it out and always have a couple of spares lying around. When I pulled the bad light off, the hot lead hit the fender and caused a short and burned out the converter box. If it was the truck, it would only have blown the fuse since it doesn't use a converter. I had to swap trucks in the dark and was late picking everybody up because of it!! And, had to buy a new converter for the Explorer.

On the same note as above unplug trailer lights before launching.Saves alot of grief changing light bulbs.Better yet get or make a light bar,keeps the whole mess out of the water.

You guys that fish spoons.Primarily the ltlcleo users as the style lends it self to this tip well.For those of you that did not know my monicker is also my favorite fishing lure.Eddie thinks I should change it,thinks it is deceiving,anyways.

Every body is familiar with the age old method of quarter casting,for covering water it is the only way to go.

Something experiance has taught me is that it is not the only way to fish a spoon and may not be the best.

I do most of my fishing in canyons,with limmited access.Alot of times over the years I have been forced to fish a hole from the tail out only.This has forced me to cast my spoon up current and work it back with the current.I either reel just above the speed of the water or I work it back with quick jerks of my rod tip,kind of like with a buzz bomb only not as extreme.The key is that like the buzz bomb they attack on the flutter down and simply fallow during the retrieve.I have caught more steelhead on the olympic penn doing this than any other method.It also is very handy for deeper slots where water speed/drag reely keep you from getting your presentation down.I also think that the no strech Kevlar lines are almost necessary as the take on the flutter down can be as subtle as they get.

Give it a try it has worked wonders for me.

ltlCleo - Great tip, and I don't think you should change your board name, only your picture. You are much better looking in person!!

Pretty Basic Ones, nothing too exciting, unless ya don't know.
1. Use a film container with a small hole in top to have yarn pre loaded and easy to clip.
2. Use rubber tube used for pencil lead to make a nice harness for your pliers around your neck.
3.For silvers take a 5/16 lead head jig bullet shaper preferred, and put a hootchie over it
small slit for eye and you're jiggin silvers.
4.If your frozen at the river, catch a fish, it causes adrennilin to warm the body, and it don't seem so cold.
5. Remember when fishing tidal rivers to keep the flows in mind.
6.If you use Power Pro or any super braid, when it dicolors use a felt pen on the first twenty feet.
7. When you start in Steelheading, read books, take advice, listen, and put in your time.
8.Think like a fish
9.For a rod balancer, find a tube that will fit over the butt of the pole, use pencil to balance it, duct tape and lead work too.
10.Watch what others do when they catch fish, note colors, technique, and presentation
you will learn alot just by watching, and noting size, color, etc.

WW