• If fishing from a boat buy a waterproof Sportsman Dry Box, K-mart and Wal-Mart carry them, to keep your wallet, important papers, flares, sounding device and camera in.

• When fishing unfamiliar waters get a map of the area, Top Spots Maps are great, and study it before the trip.  In this way you can eliminate many unproductive areas and concentrate on the areas that look like fish producers.

• Use a hot butter-knife to melt the plastic back together on your tore-up plastic lures.

• Carry a tube of super glue in your tackle box and use a small drop to also repair plastic baits.

• To keep your fishing maps from being destroyed. Cover both sides with clear contact paper. This makes them waterproof, and allows you to mark choice locations with waterproof grease pencil. Use a dry cloth to wipe off the markings later.

• Done flossing! Use the cutter from a floss container, to cut threw those new braided lines.

• If you get a leak in your waders. Find the hole. Melt a plastic worm and smear the goo onto the hole, inside and out. Now you can get back to fishing, and enjoy the rest of your day.

• Looking for small screws for quick reel repairs. Look no further than a cassette tape. The screws are usually the right size.

• Keep track of your split shots by putting them in a empty breath mint box. Write the size on the outside for easier identification.

• When walking through tick country on your way to a favorite fishin' hole. Wrap duct tape around your pant cuffs to seal out the bugs.

• When portaging a canoe to remote locations, bring along a mesh fruit or onion sack. (grapefruit, oranges, onions) and a length of rope. You can fill the bag with rocks and tie it to the end of the rope. Now you have a portable anchor.

• When your crankbaits get damaged or punctured fix then with no chip, top-coat (clear) nail polish. Fill the hole or scratch with polish. Let dry then give two or three more coats to attain a smooth surface. Your bait is back in business.

• Safety pins help keep things together. Slide spare blades, hooks, swivels and the like onto the pin, and snap the pin shut. Now you don't have to worry about them scattering all over your tackle box.

• Put a drop of hot glue onto the eyelet of your stinger hooks. Slide it onto your spinnerbait, jig or buzzer. You hook will stay in place all day.

• Use an outdoor digital thermometer, the kind with the 10-12 foot lead. Drop the probe down and you can measure the water temp down to 10 or so feet, instead of just at the surface.

• Use glittered fabric paints to jazz up your baits.

• Use your local bait fish as a guide to size and color selection for your lures.

• Using a lighter test fishing line can help improve the fish strikes.

• Sharpen hooks just before use for more positive hookups.

• Varying the retrieve speed or combining a quick retrieve with a pause to let the lure sink a few feet down in the water before continuing the retrieve can stimulate more strikes.

• You may wish to replace the treble hooks with heavy duty double hooks when going for big fish.

• A different lure presentation (size or type) from what is normally used in a particular area can also help improve the fish strikes.

• Always store your reels with the drag set at no tension (free spool) or as low as it can go. This will prevent flat spots on drag material. You can set the clicker to "On" to prevent the reel from turning and line unwinding.

• Rod Tip:  Take the male end of the ferrule and rub it along side your nose before putting the rod together.  The oil from your skin/nose will put a light lube on the joint where the two rod parts come together, making it easy to pull apart.

• If you're having a hard time getting a rod apart because the joint or ferrule is stuck together, try this.  Sit down and lay the rod across your lap with the ferrule centered between your legs.  Take your hands and grasp the top and bottom of the rod on the outside of your legs.  Hold on tight to the rod, keeping your hands below the top of your legs and slowly move your legs apart, pulling the rod apart at the same time!

• Tuning a crank bait or diving plug:  Most diving plugs right out of the package don't catch fish.  Some do, but most don't, they need to be tuned.  Tie the plug on as recommended by the manufacturer.  Usually a snap (not snap swivel) or an open loop knot is best.  Once tied on, let out a few feet of line and pull the plug through the water at the rate that you will be trolling or retrieving the plug.  Make sure you can see the plug in the water. It needs to run straight, perfectly straight!  If it turns on its right side, turn the clasp on the plug to the left.  If it runs left, turn the clasp right.  You won't need to turn the clasp much to make the adjustments.  Keep pulling the plug through the water and making adjustments, make it run straight as an arrow.  Test your plugs after catching a fish or getting snagged, both of these things can make a plug run out of tune.  You'll hook more fish with a finely tuned plug, take the time and do it. The pro's do.

• Finding a leak in waders:  Take one end of the hose from a vacuum and put it in the exhaust of the vacuum.  Now take the other end and put it into the waders.  Now close the top of the waders around the hose, blowing the waders up like a balloon.  Take a spray bottle with soapy water in it and spray the area of the leak.  Bubbles will appear at the leak. Mark the spot, let the area dry, and patch with a sealer.

• After you have those hooks sharpened to a razor sharp point simply take a black permanent marker and color the tip from the point to just below the barb. By doing this it will help in preventing rust. Thus prolonging the life and edge of your hooks.

• If you happen to get poked by a catfish fin, such as the dorsal or pectoral fin of a hardhead (sea catfish), I can guarantee you some serious pain!! As soon as it happens, rub some of the slime from the fish's belly/body into your wound. And if you have any Asprin or Tylenol handy, take a couple! You will get very Numb around the wound for about an hour or so, but the slime should keep you from getting infected. The slime is a NATURAL ANTIDOTE for the bacteria. If the Dorsal or Pectoral fin has broken off in you, Stop fishing and get to a clinic or Hospital IMMEDIATELY and have it removed.

• Having trouble keeping those trout floats on your line. Simply place a thick rubber band through the slot before putting the line in. Then put the stick in the float as you normally would. This improves the friction and keeps the float where you want it.
  Take a kid fishin'. Ron

• Carry a tube of Neosporin or other triple antibiotic on board to treat cuts and punctures. If you are required to take an antibiotic before any dental or "dirty" surgery due to heart or other surgery, carry a full dose of the antibiotic on board as well. I was punctured in the hand by a sail catfish pectoral fin, right into a large vein. Lots of blood. Use of the above prevented any infection or short term discomfort. I was also bit by a large sea bird while trying to remove a hook from its chest. Used the Neosporin or triple antibiotic and only have the scar as a reminder. Submitted by John Ells

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