Piscivorous Pike

thank you will keep that address close at hand.

I needed a stripping basket to handle the bushels of line laying on the bottom of my meager 15 footer. Not my idea but I made two that work great for me. I saw a YouTube video whereas the poor fellow opened up a collapsible hamper to use as basket. It popped open and "skirred 'im bad! He done fell overboard" Great laugh! With pity for him, I took his idea to a sweet end this time. For those that may not know, when fly fishing often you have a pile of line that you use in casting at your feet. In wading waters or cluttered boats it aint a good situation as it will tangle, Murphy's law. Some type of line creel or basket is often worn around the waist to catch that working line. The manufacturers charge big money for them. For the DIY'er a basket can be made form a plastic dish pan, however in Wal-Mart's baby section is a stepping stool for toddlers that when turned upside down is then a basket with contoured sides that fit ageing fattening bodies well. Often adding pins or pylons to the baskets keep the line from shifting around when using it. In this one I first took 1/4 inch water tubing and made a U, from under the basket I fed a cable tie through the U and locked it off with a buckle from a second tie. That was too "busy" of a project so I settled on just using 4 inches of the cable tie sticking up and locked off with a buckle put on it. Some folks drill two holes in the container for each cable tie and bend it around through its own buckle. That will work for one season because they are made of nylon and age and fatigue and will break at that sharp turn, It is far better just to take a buckle from another tie. The best and cheapest basket is a round collapsible hamper, they come is sizes. Strap it on a belt or just put it on the floor of the boat, You can leave it on your belt folded up. But the neat trick from it is that is has two ties that lock it close and when only one tie is used it opens on an angle and lies comfortably on your leg and out of the way. This basket keeps the line out of the way. After a 30+ year hiatus fly fishing, my home remedy for nerve damage rehabilitation is to take up fly fishing (again,,,) . Like roller skating or swimming, it's all coming back to me and now that I am forced into retirement, I have a new avenue in fishing to look into and spend all my money on! LOOK OUT MR. NORTHERN PIKE click on the thumbnails to see bigger.

Upon researching my library afater I posted I found the root history of this idea seems to be: mono leader to braid : The Tony Pefia Knot (- Lemire Modified - Kramer Modified) I would like to call it the BUMPERED ALBRIGHT KNOT Google the key words: The Tony Pefia Knot - Lemire Modified , and you can find articles on its roots too!

As a hobby I collect fishing knots, and you may remember invented one that saw two episodes of Knot Wars and one issue of In-Fisherman. After three years wrestling another knot problem I have come up with a useful solution to attaching mono nylon (aka: monofilament) and mono flourocarbon leaders to braid. I did not invent a new knot this time but combined three old standards that solve a connection problem. When a leader clicks through the guides it is annoying and will eventually fail due to wear and fracturing of the leader. I now know of only two methods to directly connect the mono leader, regardless of the material to braid in a way that the hard mono does not either click when it contacts the guide on the way in or way out, and sometimes both. To get a smooth pass through the guides the mono leader cannot have any bends or knots that contact a rod guide. The best method is very labor and money intensive. So much so that it may be impracticle however I have used it and it works very well. A top shot wind-on leader uses a loop-to-loop connection like a fly leader, by burying the mono leader inside a length of hollow braid which has a loop on one end and the mono entering the hollow core on the other. With the wind-on the hollow braid is attached to the mono where it enters the hollow core by the use of a serving. Putting tension on the line causes the hollow braid to shrink down like those straw woven "Chinese Handcuffs" you played with as a kid. So here is my latest "invention". I use flourocarbon leaders on braid because they improve hook ups as fish cannot see the leader and it is bite-off resistant, (I fish pike). The leader must pass through the guides without touching the guides. The Albright knot is the core of this technique. You should use a double line but heavy test braid can be used single strand. For double strand tie a loop about 8" long (16" of line). I have a quick way to tie a Bimini twist loop but a Sugeon's knot (3 to 5 overhand passes on a overhand knot) or a Spider Hitch will work too. Make a loop in main braid line and use the double line as one. Lay the loop so that the tag end of the mono nylon or mono fluorocarbon lies at the loop knot juncture. On the leader at the point below where the tag will leave the Albright knot wraps, wrap down about 6 wraps (20# line)and up over crossing the down wraps, 6 up. Bend the leader tag over forming the Albright loop, leaving the main line positioned to exit the loop, wrap across both legs of the loop about 10 to 15 wraps (20-30 line). Pull the Albright knot down, the tag exits parallel to the main line, through the same side of the loop; close the wraps below the loop & butt them against the Albright wraps, pull the Albright loop so it buries itself under the wraps. Above the Albright on the main line take the double line tag end and make a Uni knot , start above and wrap 6 turns across the main line down to the top of the loop. The tag exits the Uni loop just above the top of the Albright, pull it down tight. Now there is a braid bumper above and below the Albright knot and the leader loop is totally enclosed in soft braid. Tack with super glue.

I just traveled 1500 miles to be administratively thrown out of Glacier National Park. Boats cannot be allowed in the park waters if they have been launched in a state that has the zebra or quagga mussels in state waters somewhere for 30 days. I had been in Arizona waters that were not infested 26 days earlier. They acknowledged the circumstances of my AZ launching could not possibly be contaminated but unlike the position I recently retired from, they had no authority for making a discretionary exception. All water craft must be inspected and the highways are loaded with different agencies inspecting all towed watercraft, (maybe) (with many exceptions, rafts, kayaks,etc.) I learned from the biologist technician that all the ramps and access have been prepared in the park for permanent closure already, the biologists were just waiting for the trigger event. The gear,construction and monies have been spent and prepared to keep boats off the water. That event is that if any watercraft is found to have launched in Montana after being launched in waters of a state that has the mussels without inspection or before the 30 days is up it is considered to have initiated a risk of contamination to the park waters. I have stated before my educational background is wildlife management and obviously fisheries is a strong point of mine. I disagree with this over kill it is political not scientifically sound. They did not ban lead but this back door is closing. The problems with the procedures are: >The park waters were stocked with invasive fish species @ 150 years ago and natives are already displaced, the waters are basically supporting sport fishing not native species. So what will the exclusion protect? The Great Lakes actually have improved fishing conditions don't they? >It is inevitable that the "trigger event" will occur, why else have the all but closed the waters? Once closed there are no plans to reopen even if the mussels succeed in colonizing the park waters. >The inspections are not complete in there own right or by target watercraft. No one has thought of inspecting sea planes! As a matter of fact when I brought that up they crew I was discussing this with realized the oversight and will tackle the topic of aviation contamination on the next interest groups meeting. >inspections is not 24/7. >The weakness of the program suggest colonization by the mussel is ineluctable. >The program spends needlessly, we loose sporting waters and access by false pretenses. The government, does it lie to us, is it lying to us about these waters? Other parks likely have similar programs. Whose waters are it anyway? It belongs to the people in general, not anyone working in the park service. It irks me to see this happening because shutting down the waters also closes related programs, the stocking, hatcheries, commerce associated with the fishing. Invasive species, the sport fish, were stocked in the first place to develop the sport fishing so we are only attacking that part of our culture. The program will not save anything. The bull trout began to decline due to predation by the other invasive fish and siltation of breeding tributaries. Siltation came from logging and road building. Lake trout ate the west slope cutthroats and other trout species introduced cross bred to the native stock eliminating it in most places! I had an interesting conversation to say the least with the folks there. They were pleasant and knowledgeable following orders allowed no discretion of their own. They will be the ones that enforce the ban, we have to change and stop the policy makers. I have fished the Lake McDonald before, here are shots of "other invasive species". And now I have to turn around and leave, probably never again to fish these waters, damn politicians.

I have an Okuma line counter reel used for precision trolling and down rigging. After a missed season I put it to work and found the drag would not set and slipped terrible. First to say it is a simple cheap lousy drag. It consists of two flat concaved washer springs cupped against each other on the crank shaft. The disks ride on the shaft and turn with it. They are locked to the shaft by an elliptical center hole. They ride on a seat that is the reel body on the bottom of the drag recess. Tightening the star compresses the disks against the seat which is part of the body increasing the resistance by friction and therefor the shaft does not turn easily. The disks, shaft and spool are one system, connected and turn together. Summer heat in storage caused the factory grease to melt into the drag disks and of course it slipped. After cleaning and finally running it totally dry of lubricant I was still not satisfied with the braking. It needs better disks or a rosin of some sort to increase the friction. I lubed the mechanism with LPS 1 which forms a dray film so as to keep lubricant out of the drag disks. I solved the slipping. Remembering that sugar in the gas tank will carmalize on cylinder walls into a high friction coating I simply added a few grains of sugar between the two cupped washers and the drag seat on the reel and against the first spacer, keeping it away from the shaft bearing. IT is a success, it is a smooth tight drag now and even if it gets wet, maybe all the better to leave a uniform coating on the metal surfaces from the dissolved sugar.

Sorry to take so long to get back. Went fishing a few times with the alabama rig. Found this to be excellent in price and materials: http://www.123fishingrigs.com/ they make true alabama and other types of rigs. I am fishing lake # 24 in the bassmaster best 100 and got nothing on the A-rig in two trips with it. I fish 11 HMG rods both spin and casting so... The Husky Jerk 8, 10 and 12 in black/silver always works there even in cold fronts. Maybe I should rig the HJ onto the A-rig in stead of the arrays of swim baits I tried? Looking forward to using the A-rig on northern pike maybe in a month.

I will message you, I need them.

I began using top shots for fresh water several years ago. I have seen some ads recently advertising wind-on leaders for fresh water. I am curious, is anyone besides me experimenting with them on TU? A wind-on or top shot basically is a flourocarbon leader that is inserted into a length of hollow braid and terminateds in a loop. This leader allows quick changes, loop to loop connections to your main line. All my braid spools end in a bimini twist loops but a surgeon's knot loop will work too. I never have to cut and tie, just change wind-ons by slipping the loops apart. It also stops that @#$% clicking of a knot going through you rod guides. Flourocarbon leader knots usually fail due to the hammering of the rod guides. I hate watching a $20 lure going down range with a cast trailing a 6 foot leader that snapped at the knot. The flourocarbon leader is inserted up a length of hollow braid. At the end of the hollow braid the inner and outer lines are connected by glue and usually wrapped in windings. These wraps connect the two lines only at that point and allow the two to slip over each other referenced only at that point and it allow when put under tension for the outer braid to slip over the inner flourocarbon and stretch. When the braid stretches it shrinks in diameter and thusly squeezes the inner leader material. This is how Chinese finger cuffs work, same principle. That is why you need no knot there. But if those windings are loose it will eventually part allowing a low test pound leader (thin line) to slip out. I find if I see the wrappings begining to loosen and fail I put one over hand knot at that point and pull it tight. It connects the inner to the outer parts that way. This small knot is all braid on the exterior and small and does not register going through the guides. Well, I will leave it here but if anyone is playing with these systems too, I will say my next exeriment with it is to replace the wrappings at the connection of the two layers with an overhand knot system. (Because wrapping the top shot wind-0n which is the heart of the leader, takes the most time in making it and requires a wrapping tool, wrapping line, a jig to hold it and other assorted tools. ) PP

I often thought about fishing Salt Umbrella rigs in Fresh. Well, now is has been done with many variations and what appears to be great sucess. Looks to be an ideal soft plastic presentation that should take all bass. What can you tell me about it? PP

I purchased a right hand reel and dog robbed the spool from it to fill my lefty needs. If it is reasonable, yes I need one to bring the parts reel back up to funcional.

My experience, as a biologist and crazed fisherman, is that there are too many variables to the question. The key, I believe is to first ask what is the intended species and then determine if that critter has a preference to eye spots. You have water clarity, and time in strike zone (reaction bites) to consider as to how the lure is presented. Look at nature for a clue here. Shad, peacock bass, red fish and many other species have false eye spots. General consensus of opinions is that these attrack the strike and stear the predator wrong allowing the intended prey an escape. Species that I know clue in on eyes and especially if I am fishing clear water have me making and using eyes on the lures many times larger than natural eyes. The anatomy of fish, especially predators, demonstrate a propensity to rely more on sound and pressure stimulii from the environment than eye sight. Most fish are loaded with these types of sensory orgons, e.g. lateral lines, pressure pores as in Esox, a body that is a "tongue" (catfish) and eyesight here falls off to the last resort sense for navigation. Fish have no imagination so most lures, even swim baits do not look like any prey in reality, obviously something else triggers the strike in most cases. Vibrations and pressure waves given off by artificial lures rarely are researched nor do they match what natural prey are doing. Pike for instance, eat things 1/2-1/3 their length and and a 1/4 their weight yet we all know how famously spring pike take a small silver spoon! What gives? The vibration of the spoon tell the fish something different than what it sees. In this case eye spots probably only help slightly. That is an excellent question that opens up big territory. It also gives a bait builder many things to consider and more opprotunities to build more types of lures, MORE FUN FOR SURE. Thank you for asking that... PP

What a dummy, me, I erased my post five times! Surehold makes PLASTIC SURGERY, a super glue that has a solvent that makes the glue penetrate and form a weld! Best plastic glue I have found, it does soft plastic, including plastisol. Walgreens carries SureHold but not Plastic Surgery locally for me so I get mine from Amazon for slightly more than a Dollar. I have seen it hawked at very high prices so be carefule if you buy on line. I glue eyes and skirts, even silicone skirts. I use it on all plastics and anything else, even stitched up flesh wounds with it! I make creatures too with it. Their site is: My linkhttp://www.surehold....urgery-302.html my work is: (click on thumb to enlarge) This glue belongs right along with duct tape and bailing wire!!

good idea. I ended up bidding up a right hand (I only use left because I find switching hands to reel up not to be ergonomic) and took the spool from. The entire purchase was less than a spool cost. Anyone need a right hand reel with no spool? Those reels were at least 20 years ahead of their time. Sure love 'em on a variety of HMG rods.

Both episodes where my knot went to war are now web posted. My knot is only designed for braid and it shows, mono it stinks. have fun... http://www.fishingclub.com/video-tv/articletype/articleview/articleid/2628/knot-wars-2011--episode-1-kramer-vs-centauri http://www.fishingclub.com/video-tv/articletype/articleview/articleid/2630/categoryid/1104/knot-wars-2011--episode-2-champ-vs-moore-knot