Check out these 10 tackle tips to make life easier and put more fish in the boat
Glen Booth
Tackle Hacks are simple little tricks that prolong your gear, help you stay organized and ultimately catch more fish. Our first tip is for electronics storage. If you don't like leaving your marine electronics on the boat, whether it's parked in the driveway or at a marina, a heavily padded postage envelope will help protect the screen and terminals from damage.
This rig is not the best if you want to catch a live bait, but if you're looking for a small tuna for dead bait, try rigging two ganged hooks like these 7/0 Mustad 9175s hidden in a jethead. They're deadly. Double-hook rigs also work, just put a small cable tie or a whip of waxed thread on the shank of the hook to stop it from slipping off the leader loop.
You can use the cap from a crutch as a rod holder insert. The caps that some rod holders come supplied with will tear off, and a rubber crutch cap makes an excellent substitute.
Salt air, water and steel cans don't mix, but you can avoid those ghastly rust rings in lockers and tackle cupboards and maybe save the spray can from rusting out altogether by storing it in a can cooler. 5. A winch handle holder also makes an excellent knife and tool scabbard in a boat cockpit.
Make a lure from tubing. This clear plastic tubing lure is an excellent reproduction of a near translucent baitfish. Adjust the tube and hook size to match the hatch, and flare the tail end if you like to enhance the bubble trail on this super cheap lure.
Whether trolling or stationary, a twist of copper wire coming from the stem of a spinning reel is perfect when the target species needs a bit of free spool before setting the hook. Just step up the wire diameter if fishing bigger, more active baits.
If you're connected to a deep-sounding fish such as a tuna and it's hard to tell if the angler is winning or losing, periodically give them a piece of torn up paper to slip under the line on the reel. It's very encouraging when the piece gets buried, but disheartening as all get out when the fish makes a run and there's a sudden snowstorm of paper in the cockpit!
Is there anything cable ties can't do? These handy tools make a good connection for fishing dead baits, especially on circle hooks. Run one through the eye sockets and another on a long leash, which is held to the hook bend with another cinched up tight, and you're fishing in seconds.
We all know how handy waxed thread is, but sometimes it's just too bulky when rigging smaller baits and tying on lure skirts, leaving an ugly bulge at the knot. For a thinner piece of thread, split it down the middle and you'll have nearly all the strength, but in a smaller package. Like these hacks? Check out Even Tackle Hacks
