Best SFBC forum tips

[Stizzla]

Thanks. I thought the 'wade through the whole forum before asking questions' comments might put off newcomers. It may be a good education but I found the search system lacking in accuracy, when it works.
Now we can post the tips we know worked here and send newbies to this thread.

I started a thread last year called what makes you a better fisherman. It’s got a lot of helpful advice for all, rookies and veterans. Check it out

 

[bryce]

If at first you don’t succeed try doing what your guide told you to do in the first place

 

[Aces]

If at first you don’t succeed try doing what your guide told you to do in the first place

Yeah this.

 

[wildmanyeah]

In other words just use anchovies

 

[cracked_ribs]

If you like keeping hooks and knives sharp - and sharp hooks are critical for sharp hookups - the single best machine you can own is a belt sander. A simple 1x30 can be had from Cambodian Tire or Princess Auto relatively cheaply.

You order a couple of Trizact belts from Lee Valley, one 45 micron and one 6 micron. The 45 micron belt will give you the rough shape and a wicked filleting edge on any knife in seconds.

The 6 micron you use to polish the point of the hook at a shallow angle. Once you get the hang of this, you can make hooks sharp enough that you won't really feel them go through your finger - it's like a hypodermic needle. It's not that the tip is super fine so it would bend or break, it's that the surfaces are polished to such a mirror finish that they intersect with each other smoothly on a microscopic level. They push through tissue like a tiny scalpel.

This can be achieved a lot of different ways but the belt sander allows you to do it in a few seconds. Just don't use too much pressure! You will overheat the fine metal tip and wreck it.

Maybe this coming week I will do an instructional video if there is interest.

 

[Oly1]

If you like keeping hooks and knives sharp - and sharp hooks are critical for sharp hookups - the single best machine you can own is a belt sander. A simple 1x30 can be had from Cambodian Tire or Princess Auto relatively cheaply.

You order a couple of Trizact belts from Lee Valley, one 45 micron and one 6 micron. The 45 micron belt will give you the rough shape and a wicked filleting edge on any knife in seconds.

The 6 micron you use to polish the point of the hook at a shallow angle. Once you get the hang of this, you can make hooks sharp enough that you won't really feel them go through your finger - it's like a hypodermic needle. It's not that the tip is super fine so it would bend or break, it's that the surfaces are polished to such a mirror finish that they intersect with each other smoothly on a microscopic level. They push through tissue like a tiny scalpel.

This can be achieved a lot of different ways but the belt sander allows you to do it in a few seconds. Just don't use too much pressure! You will overheat the fine metal tip and wreck it.

Maybe this coming week I will do an instructional video if there is interest.

Instructional video away. I think there is more than enough interest. Love to see how you do it. Some people need to see instead of read.

Oly

 

[KCW]

If I catch a decent fish or suspect there's any kind of nick in the leader I change it .

 

[profisher]

Here is a good tip as I almost learned the hard way. Check the ball and receiver on the tow vehicle once in awhile. Case in point. I was up at Hartland getting rid of recycle stuff and I stepped up on top of the ball to reach over the top of the tailgate to grab something further forward in the box. As I leaned forward my foot rocked backwards. WTF. I jumped off and grabbed the ball. It was totally loose with the nut flush with the end of the bolt. I had just towed the boat out to Sooke a few days prior. I had helped a buddy pick up an Ausin Healey on Saltspring in the spring and had to switch to a smaller ball to mate up to the car trailer. I either never tightened it enough or forgot to when I put mine back on. Close call that I won’t repeat again.