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Tips and Tricks I

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Tips and Tricks I

All bass anglers should enjoy "Tips and Tricks I" as Richie White talks about how to get baits unhung, fill a baitcasting reel, and how to tie a good knot.
Tips and Tricks I

How to get baits unhung

The most important factor in getting unhung is to get over the top of whatever you are hung on. You want to make sure you keep your line high enough that it won't get wrapped around a different tree on the way to the tree that you are hung on. Once you get over the bait, there are several ways you can get unhung. If you can reach the lure with the rod, simple reel the rod down to the bait until the rod tip touches the bait. Then give it a quick jab downward and it will usually pop off on the first try.

If you can't reach the lure with the rod and you have a weight near the hook, such as on a jigging spoon or pegged Texas rigged worm, you can use the weight of the bait to get it off. Simply get over the bait (try to go over it on the same side that it hooked on) and lift the bait slowly and let the bait fall fast. You may have to do this several times, but if you have a heavy enough weight it will normally get free. I often amaze my clients when I lift my rod up and down 50 to 100 times and it eventually does get off. If it is hung in wood, it will usually get off. If it catches a trot line or some strong fishing line, you may not be so lucky. I can usually tell the difference, so I don't waste much time. If you can't reach the lure with the rod and you don't have enough weight to pop it off, you will need something heavy to do it. You can use a lure retriever, a heavy sinker, or even a spark plug. If you have a lure retriever or a spark plug, wrap it around your line and let it slide down and do the same as you would with the jigging spoon. If you don't have a lure retriever or a spark plug, cut your line and slide a heavy barrel weight down it. It will usually work, but you will loose some line. If I am using 15# test or less, it doesn't bother me to loose some line. However, if it is heavy line, loosing that much line could make a difference in how well the reel casts.

How to fill a baitcasting reel

One thing that makes filling reels easier is to use the biggest spools of line you can find. I carry one pound spools of Berkeley Big Game in 15# and 20#, since that is what I use the most. I carry smaller spools of other line strengths just to save space.

The first thing I do is take the reel off the rod. The 10 seconds you spend taking off the reel will save you several minutes. Next, I strip off the line. If I am using 25# or heavier, I strip the reel completely. If I am using 20#, I leave a very small amount on the reel. If I am using lighter line, I will leave even more line on the reel. The lighter the line, the more I leave on the reel. If I am using 12 pound test, I may leave half my line on my reel. I fill my reels so full that I should never see the knot.

Next, I run the line through the eye of the reel and tie to the old line or directly to the reel. Then I put my one pound spool of line in the bottom of the boat. I put my metal fish measuring stick under the spool, so it can turn on it. I sit over the top of the spool with the spool of line coming over the top from the backside. When I start reeling the spool spins toward the carpeted sides of my boat underneath me and spins on the measuring stick and the side of my boat. I can then fill the reel in a few seconds without the help of anyone. Be sure to fill it full!

It takes me less than 5 minutes to do the whole process. I've seen people spend 30 minutes trying to get out a backlash and if they are lucky enough to get it out, they should now replace their line. I just start cutting if I (or a client) get a bad backlash in one of my reels.

How to tie a good knot

If you think you got broke off by a fish, but the end of your line is curled up, you probably just had a bad knot. You can avoid many of those "break offs" with a good knot. I use a polomer knot in almost all cases. It is extremely strong. It has the line wrapped around the eye twice. About the only time I don't use a polomer is when I have a bait (such as a Pop-R) that either is hard to put a double line through or I think it may have better action if it isn't doubled. In that case, I use the clinch knot.

To tie a polomer knot, double (fold) your line and put it through the eye of your lure. Then take the folded end and go over and back under the other lines and grab the folded end. Now, put your lure completely through the loop you just made. Then pull the tag end of the line to take out the excess. Now hold the lure and pull the line to tighten it. Cut off the excess and you should have a good polomer knot.

To tie a clinch knot, put your line through the eye of your lure and leave about 6 inches. Hold both lines together and twist your lure 5 or 6 full turns. Put the excess line through the loop close to your bait, then put it back through the loop you just made. Pull on the excess while pushing the knot toward the bait. Now hold the lure and pull the line to tighten it. Cut off the excess and you should have a good clinch knot.

Richie White