Terminal Tackles - Part 4 Lines & Leaders

Off

Fishing line is what separates us, Anglers with other forms of catching fish. Most often, beginner anglers usually starts with mono filament lines, then they gradually move over to braided lines & subsequently, other more capable fishing lines as the need arise. Generally in the market, the most widely available & cost effective fishing lines are mono filament or mono for short while braided lines is catching up.

Monofilament
This is the cheapest among lines to be used for angling. They are made from a single strand of plastic. Depending on the quality, some lines are stiffer & thicker while other premium mono lines are softer, more supple & thinner. They come in many colors but the most popular coloration are transparent lines which is popular among bait/pole fishing anglers for finesse presentations. Mono lines also cuts water better due to their roundness. Mono has it's drawbacks too. It stretches when pulled which can be a problem when cast over a distance, the angler won't know there is a bite until the fish starts running with your bait. Another problem is memory. Mono lines tends to retain memory if stored on a reel over time. Ever notice when fishing with old mono lines, when you cast out, there will be a lot of curls formed?. This will hamper casting distance & accuracy as the curls create friction on the guides.


Braided
As the name implies, braided fishing lines are made by braiding 4 to 8 strands of fibers into a single line. Braided lines are usually made from plastic fibres, dyneema or spectra materials with dyneema being the more popular material. Braided lines are also very thin, retains no memory & almost zero stretch. This is important for casting lures where the angler would feel the slightest movements on their bait or lures. One drawback of braided line is it's underwater high visibility. Braided line is also not abrasion resistant so they will easily cut when subjected to trashing on sharp objects & chaffing. To counter both problems, anglers tie a length of mono leader to make the line less visible & better abrasion resistant. Braided lines also tend to float due to the braiding process of storing pockets of air. This can hamper presentation of baits when pole fishing.

There are also some new type of lines such as fluorocarbon, nanofil, fused & multifilament (superlines) which are also popular with the high end market but generally, most anglers would use mono or braided lines for majority of fishing needs.

Why The Need For Leader?
Leaders generally serve 3 purpose, 
Ready made trace wire leader
(A) Abrasion - it functions as an abrasion resistant joint on the line. Most fish when hooked would perform all sorts of dirty tricks & maneuvers at the bottom to try to escape. During this stage, lines are subjected to abuse due to abrasion on rocks, corals, logs & weeds. Using a short length of leader, which is usually thick stiff mono, the joint between hook & line has less chance of breaking. A strong tough leader also protects the line from being bitten off by toothy fishes. In situations where you are expecting large toothy fishes, I would recommend using trace wire leaders for ultimate abrasion resistant & toughness.


Fluorocarbon Shock Leader
(B) Visibility - Those who favors braided or superlines normally tie a length of between 2 to 4feet of transparent mono leader to make their bait/lure less visible to the fish. Although fish is not intelligent by any means, they do have survival instincts & would avoid lines if seen clearly. This means there will be no bites as well as spooking fishes away. In some fishing situations, especially among surf casting anglers, they would tie 15 to 20ft leader. Some modern anglers have begun utilizing 100% Flurocarbon leaders which is almost invisible underwater.


(C) Presentation - A thicker & heavier poundage leader helps to sink rigs faster without the use of additional sinkers. This is crucial for finesse presentations.

Terminal Tackles - Part 3 Sinkers

Off

If you are fishing with a conventional rod & reel set up, sinkers are an integral part of the system. You need to have sufficient weight to cast your bait out to a fishy looking spot & keep it pinned down on the bottom or stationary on mid water, depending on your presentation. Sinkers, as the name implies, is a piece of metallic object usually made of lead but can also be made with rocks, brass & steel. Keep in mind that, lead is toxic to the environment & so try not to loose them or use brass sinkers instead.


Just like any other terminal tackles, sinkers comes in many shapes & sizes. They all perform same function but is specific to their applications. I'll describe some of the common ones that I use regularly.

Ball sinker

Ball or Egg sinkers
Just as the name implies, it's shape like a ball or some in oval & has a center hole for threading line through it. I regularly use these sinkers when fishing in shallow waters. They generally come in small sizes for fishing in freshwater lakes & ponds. I usually use these sinkers for my umbrella rigs. In the absence of bullet sinkers, I use this as alternative for assembling Texas rigs.

Long sinkers





Long sinkers
Similar in design to ball sinkers but shaped longer. They have a centre hole for threading line through it. It's more aerodynamically efficient & less likely to snag on the bottom. I use this sinker for my sliding sinker rigs.


Bell sinkers
Bell sinkers
This sinker is shaped like a bell & has a loop build into it for tying on a knot or run loose. This is usually meant for deeper waters or saltwater fishing so they generally comes in larger sizes.
Bullet sinker


Bullet sinkers
This is a must when assembling Texas rigs. The sinker is shaped exactly like a bullet with a center hole for threading line through it. This sinker design is also very smooth, sliding through vegetation & branches reducing chance of snagging.

Terminal Tackles - Part 2 Clips & Swivels

Off

Choosing clips & swivels, like hooks, has also become very confusing since they too come with a multitude of shapes, sizes & coloration. There are also anglers who do not use clips & swivels as they feel that the more connecting joints on a rig, more failures would occur. They are neither right nor wrong. Again, it all depends on the fishing situation & personal preferences.
A good assortment of clips & swivels


Why the need for clips?
A clip is to facilitate easy change of connecting terminal tackles. Among casting anglers, the snap is a must, as they need to regularly change lure & baits. There are some who feel that tying leader directly (using loop knots) to lure is more secured, more discreet & better presentation. This is partly true if the angler is experienced & is fishing with a proven lure. As for conventional bottom or float fishing with rigged baits, clips too allow easy change of rigs especially if the angler needs to swap pre-baited rigs on short intervals.

Imagine you are bait fishing at payponds & every minute counts. You can't afford to spend too much time loading baits. So the solution is to pre-tie about 2 or 3 identical rigs, load the first rig, cast it out & place the bait nicely. While waiting, you load the 2nd & 3rd rigs with baits. This will maximize your time in fishing. The snap gives you this capability.

What designs to consider?
I’m not too adventurous with clips & swivels; I mostly stick to 1 or 2 designs but using different sizes & coloration. One very important factor to consider when selecting clips is the shape of the bottom bend or loop.

Round loop
For lure fishing, I prefer to use those with large loops, able to move from one end to the other end at 180° wide. This allows the lure to have plenty of freedom to move, hence, more natural presentation. I also tend to use plain stainless steel clips to add to the shine, which tends to attract predatory fishes.


Sharp loop
For bait fishing, I would use those with small or even sharp loops. This design is most sensitive to bites due to the restricted movement. With regards to coloration, I mostly select those in black or carbon coated coating to reduce shine as some species of bottom feeding fishes. Shinny objects also easily spook herbivores fish.

If you are fishing in waters with brutes, is best to use double-lock clips to avoid breakage. They have a second lock just in case the first gets opened.

What Size to use?
A basic rule of thumb that I always practice is to use clips with poundage ratings that is two times stronger than mainline. If you are fishing with 10lb line, use a clip & swivel with ratings of at least 20 to 30lb but not being too oversized. You do not want your clips to fail while your line is still holding.


Why the need for swivels?
The swivel is to prevent line twist. This is important when fishing with monofilament lines which tends to twist a lot when subjected to repeated cast & retrieval. When fishing with Spinner lures, a swivel is a must, as spinners tend to twist the line more. There are also arguments saying that swivel tends to cause more snagging, I find this is also true.

What design to use?
When it comes to swivels, I mostly stick to one design. That is my favorite barrel swivel, which has served me well over the years. This simple swivel design is aerodynamic,  strong & comes in various sizes.
Barrel swivel


What size to use?
Just like clips, the basic rule of thumb that I use is to match the clip or two times stronger than the mainline.

To buy clips & swivels as a set or separately?
Personally, I prefer to buy clips & swivels separately. I always use larger clips with smaller/slimmer swivels with equal or near poundage ratings.


Terminal Tackles - Part 1 Hooks

Off

Hooks, they come in many shapes, thickness & even coloration! It's mind boggling some times when it comes to hooks. Each hook design is meant to catch, or provide a higher chance of hooking & holding a certain species of fish. Hooks also comes in different thickness. How to utilize the thickness is subjected to the fishing conditions & style of presentation. Off course, colors may be a factor with regards to presentation styles.

Before we delve into the details of hooks, a good angler should learn about the parts of a hook (Anatomy). The illustration here is self-explanatory.


Shape - So many shapes, but I'll just focus on a few ones which I use regularly.


Wide Gap
Wide Gap hooks - These hooks are good for general bait/pole/bottom fishing as they provide a high degree of hook up. Wide Gap hooks are suitable for fishing catfishes, carps & chiclids. I normally use for paypond fishing or in wild waters where I know there is minimal snags at the bottom. Be careful though, WG hooks are easy to snag. Local fishes  like Patins, Tongsan & Keli are suitable to use such hooks. Works well for groundbaits (dedak), bread & pellet baits.



Circle
Circle hooks - Specialized hooks designed to tackle toothy fishes. When using this hook, 90% of time, the hook locks onto the outer lips of the fish rather than the gut or mouth area. This hook also ensures a high rate of survival for CnR fishing. I normally use these hooks for Pacu fishing or when I know there are toothy fishes in the waters. This hook is also suitable for dead bait fishing for Toman & Haruans. With the hook point pointing toward the shank, it is less likely to snag in weedy waters where there are plenty of vegetation.



Long Shank
Long Shank hooks - These are another type of specialized hooks meant to tackle toothy fishes but can also be used for general fishing. It's got a long shank to prevent fish from biting on the line, instead, fish bites onto the long metal shank. I find that pellet fishing with this hook is best, especially the smaller, thinner sizes. I normally use this hook when float fishing as the narrow gap would fit small mouth fishes as they attack the bait from below.







EWG
EWG hooks (Extra Wide Gap) - This hook is part of the soft plastic bait fishing system. This hook is required for Texas & Carolina rigs as well as my favorite Spinner fishing lures. We can rig SP baits weedless using this hook. This is my choice of hook for Haruan fishing in snaggy waters.





Thickness - Some anglers want to catch big fish with big mouths but the fishes are easily spooked. So he uses a thin large hook which is more discreet. Some anglers know there are big fishes in the waters & would use thicker hooks to prevent hook bending or snapping altogether when fish fighting. It all depends on the situation. Some anglers prefers to use thick small hooks as the target fish has small mouths but is a brute. Generally, when fishing at new or unfamiliar waters, it is best to start with small thick hooks. This has the benefit of not spooking the fishes there & if you do! hook onto a brute, the thickness of the hook will hold. Most anglers make the mistake of using over-sized hooks in new waters as they assume it's a new unexplored water & there are big fishes here.

Coloration - There are believes that certain colors, eg. Red tends to entice or attract fish to bite. But in my experience, I've never hooked a fish with red colored hooks. Another consideration with colors is whether to use a really shinny hook, especially in sea fishing or to use a low shine or carbon coated black hook. I normally stick to carbon coated black hooks to minimize shine & be as discreet as possible. Especially for freshwater fishing in clear waters. Fishes like Tilapia & Lampam can easily be spooked by shinny tackles.
Red colored hook
           
Black colored hook
Normal hook with no paint coating


Freshwater Striped Bass

Category : , , , Off

In the 1940s, the Santee River in South Carolina was dammed as part of the Santee Cooper Reservoir project. Eventually, striped bass populations that had been landlocked during the project began reproducing successfully in the freshwater impoundment.

As a result, biologists began introducing freshwater striped bass in other locations. Descendents of landlocked Santee Cooper striped bass have been stocked in lakes, reservoirs, and rivers throughout North America.

Minnesota Fishing Piers

Category : , , Off

Anglers in Minnesota now have access to 20 new and improved fishing piers across the state, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Minnesota DNR replaced 15 fishing piers and installed five new ones in 2011, paid for with funding from the Parks and Trails Fund of the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.

New fishing piers are operational at Grant Lake (Beltrami County), Big Lake (Carlton County), Sylvan Bay on the Mississippi River (Itasca County), Lake Shetek at Lake Shetek State Park (in Murray County) and Albert Lea Lake at Myre-Big Island State Park (Freeborn County).

The new Legacy-funded fishing piers, ranging from 34 to 84 feet long, are all wheelchair accessible.

The DNR also replaced fishing piers at:

Long Lake (Otter Tail County), Fish Hook River (Hubbard County), Straight Lake (Becker County), Spirit Lake (Wadena County), Hill Lake (Aitkin County),Tilson Bay on Rainy Lake (Koochiching County), Lake Bennett and Silver Lake (Ramsey County), Buffalo Lake (Wright County), Middle Spunk Lake (Stearns County), Lake Charlotte (Todd County), Lake Andrew in Sibley State Park (Kandiyohi County), Madison Lake (Blue Earth County) and Swan Lake (McLeod County).

Work to replace the fishing pier at Boy Scout Landing on the St. Louis River (St. Louis County) was underway as of May.
  
According to Nancy Stewart, fishing pier coordinator for the DNR’s Parks and Trails Division: "Fishing piers provide a safe and convenient place to fish, instead of from bridges or steep embankments or fragile shoreland areas".

"They can be the heart of a community or a main component of a state, county or city park, and are often used to facilitate fishing clinics that help introduce new participants to fishing".

Since the Minnesota fishing pier grant program was created in 1984, DNR has provided more than 350 fishing piers, platforms or shore-fishing sites statewide, with one-third of them in the Twin Cities metro area. The overall goal of the program is to improve fishing opportunities, especially to meet the needs of children, older adults, people with disabilities, and those without a boat.

Anglers can locate a nearby fishing pier online or by calling the DNR Information Center at 651-296-6157 or toll-free 888-646-6367 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

What is Rock Snot?

Category : , , , , Off



Rock snot, also known as didymo, is an invasive algae that occurs in cold rivers and streams of Northeastern North America. Rock snot has been found in16 American states and Quebec, Canada. This invasive form of algae covers river and stream bottoms with dense mats and long strands.

Rock snot can be distinguished from other aquatic algae species by a number of characteristics:

 - coloration is brownish to white but not green

 - texture is similar wet wool

 - attaches firmly to rocks and stones

According to biologists, rock snot does not pose significant risks to humans but can have negative impacts on rivers and streams.

When rock snot blooms occur, the resulting mats are thought to be harmful to streams in a number of ways:

 - mats can entrap or block minnows, aquatic insects, crayfish, and other stream life such as caddis fly, may fly, stone fly, minnows

 - blooms make fly fishing difficult or impossible

 - rock snot is slippery

Powered by Blogger.