Three Quick Fixes
If It Ain't Broke . . . It's Probably About to be Broke
September 12, 2008
Recently, Inside Line staff writer Mike Whitten wrote an article for this website entitled “Little Things That Work for Me,” in which he described ten readily available items that have increased his productivity and enjoyment on the water.
I don’t think I’m anywhere near the fisherman that Mike may be and I know for sure that I’m not quite as much of a gadget freak as he is. I can’t be – I’m too busy worrying about the things that are about to go wrong with my equipment. It’s not that I don’t take care of my stuff. I certainly do what I can to make sure that it stays in tip top condition. But sometimes I feel Mr. Murphy sent a black cloud to permanently hover over me.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard mechanics and technical support staffers say things like, “In 20 years of doing this, I’ve never seen that happen before.” So while I’m always looking for new lures, better rods and reels and the like, I have to be even more diligent about finding ways to combat future problems.
Duct tape works for some of ‘em, but here are three more products I’ve found that have enabled me to maximize my time on the water when something went wrong.
Rod Saver Trolling Motor Replacement Cable
http://www.rodsaver.net/04_trolling/tr.html
I had been in the boat when others broke their trolling motor pull ropes, but in nearly 15 years of boat ownership, it hadn’t happened to me until this past March. I went to release the motor, gave it a good yank, and promptly broke the rope. I managed to regain my balance, but now I was stuck without a quick and easy way to release the latch. Fortunately, I could get it undone with a large screwdriver, which was fine for that day, but that took more time than necessary and for a runner and gunner like me, it just wouldn’t fly during an upcoming tournament.
I had a spare rope at home, and it took me the better part of an hour (along with a lot of cursing) to get it threaded through the mount and tied to the release pin, but when it was done I thought my problems were over…..NOT. A few months later, while fishing a tournament, I noticed that the rope was starting to fray and it got worse as the day went on. I used some 60 pound braid to connect the two soon-to-be-separated ends, and treated it with kid gloves the rest of the day, but I had to find a better solution.
Fortunately, I saw this Rod Saver product at Northern Bass Supply in New Hampshire and bought one. Not only is the cable made of vinyl-coated stainless steel, but instead of tying a knot it had a metal clevis to secure the end of your rope. It wasn’t easy to put on, but now that it’s there hopefully I won’t have to undertake that process again any time soon.
I’m not going to say that it’ll never break, because that’s an invitation for disaster, but so far it has been well worth the 20 bucks I spent on it. I no longer live in fear of yanking the rope and falling backwards into the floor of the boat when it breaks.
Prop Block
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_84037____SearchResults
Changing a prop isn’t hard, but if done improperly it can harm your outboard and be hazardous to your health. One slip when tightening the nut and you can really mess up your hand on one of the propeller’s sharp edges.
For years, many of us have carried a 2x4 to immobilize the prop while getting it situated. Others have made do with whatever they could find when the need to change it occurred. But this small grooved plastic block can fit in the smallest storage space and still packs the power of a larger prop-stopping device. Just clip it to the cavitation plate and your prop won’t be able to turn beyond it as you work to tighten the nut.
This may be the greatest bargain in fishing. Currently marked down from $9.99 to $4.88 at Bass Pro Shops, my only advice is to invest in two of them, one for in the boat and one for in your truck. You could make your own, but with this product so inexpensive, there’s really no need to do so.
D-Barb
http://www.dbarb.com/
No matter how quickly you set the hook, there are times when fish are going to take your soft plastic baits deep in their throats. It’s part of the game and happens to everyone. Most of us carry pliers or hemostats to remove hooks that are in the back of the throat, but sometimes barbed hooks can’t be backed out without damaging delicate parts and causing excessive bleeding.
For years many of us have left hooks in some of the bass we’ve caught under the assumption that they’ll rust out or that the fish will get somehow get rid of them. Clearly an embedded hook doesn’t stop them from feeding, as most of us have caught fish with another hook in them but it’s not the ideal situation.
Now we have a better hook remover, the D-Barb. I was introduced to it by a friend who fishes a lot of lightly weighted soft plastics on a slack line. As a result, he gut hooks more than his share of fish, but since he got the D-Barb a few months ago, he’s saved a number of fish that otherwise would not have survived.
The design is ingenious, with blades that retract the flesh around the hook and a razor-sharp blade that can cut even thick shanked steel hooks. Even the remains are accounted for – a magnet grabs onto the newly-cut barb so it doesn’t remain in the fish to do further damage.
At just over twenty bucks, it pays for itself not only in peace of mind, but also may boost your tournament winnings by saving you a costly dead fish penalty. This tool is an investment in preserving the resource that gives us all so much pleasure.