Slow Death Hooks what they are and what they can do.

I get this question from my fishing buddies sometimes, what are Slow Death hooks, or what is this weird hook? It's simple, they are hooks who's shafts have been bent on purpose in a zig-zag. Why? Because hooks bent like these impart a certain action to worms put on them and this action is irresistible to Walleye and just about any other fish that glances it going by. The hook does most of the work for you, but there are some things you need to know about technique too. First off, these hooks NEED a spinner in front of them, for the proper spinning action. Second is baiting, you thread the worm on head first down the shaft of the hook and trail it off from the shaft, BUT you don't leave the whole rest of the worm hanging off, just about a quarter inch hanging off the shaft, this is to make sure the spinning action is perfect. Leave the whole worm on and it screws up the weight and action. This spinning worm is the key to the success of the rig, otherwise it's just a worm on a hook. The spinning worm for some reason, looks distressed enough to fish and they can't help but chase it down and take it. How successful is it? It was patented by Mustad because fisherman from the East Coast of the U.S. were cleaning up at Walleye tournaments all over the country and it turns out their secret were these funky bent hooks! They're ugly, stupid looking, crazy hooks and, yes, they do work!

What is the best knot?

Let's face it, if you know anything about fishing line and knots, you know that the knot is the weakest part of the your setup/rig. Why is this? With each loop and tie your creating bends such in the line, effectively weakening it, but you gotta tie your stuff on there right? So, in return we as society have come up with many different knots to tie with. The question now becomes, which knot is the best knot for securing something with the least amount of bends and such, which weaken the line. The answer, without a doubt, is the Palomar Knot. The reason is simple, it is the strongest knot in the world! The Palomar retains 95% of the line's original strength. That's about as good as it gets. Does it slip? No. You can use a Palomar Knot on any type of line (yes, even slippery monos/flourocarbons or specially coated braids) the Palomar will not slip and unravel itself. I have snapped 30lb braid in the middle of the line on a snag, but not the knot. Ever since I started tying Palomars I have never had a lure lost to unraveled or snapped knots. What does that tell you? This is one strong knot! So here is a link to an awesome animation of how to tie these things.

http://www.netknots.com/html/palomar_knot.html

Happy Holidays!

Well, another year has come to an end and I hope it has been good to everyone. Mine was O.K. pretty quiet. Nice to eat turkey and nap it off! Have a good New Year and Happy Holidays all!

A few notes about the Walleye.

Walleye are not Pickerel first of all! Many people especially in Canada but even in some States in the U.S. refer to Walleye as Pickerel, even restaurants! They are not even the same species of fish. A real Pickerel or Chain Pickerel is more closely related to a Pike than a Walleye. Walleye, by comparison are more closely related to Perch than Pike. Catching Walleye is a whole other story. They are sometimes difficult to catch. This is especially true of Northern Walleye in Canada. Southern Walleye (Michigan) are easier to catch because they hit hard, but the further north you go, the softer the bit gets until it's nothing more than an inhalation. Many experienced Anglers can miss Walleye hits because they can feel like a snag or a light thud. A good tip for Walleye fishing is to set the hook on every snag and you WILL get more fish, that's how subtle the bit is and when they do finally take it, they play with it in their mouth before committing to swallow it. Very fussy fish! Another good tip and this is more of an ice fishing tip is that Walleye are schooling fish, and when one hits, chances are that you'll get more hits on other holes close by, so be ready! Don't go back in the hut just yet!
Happy fishing all!

Ice fishing season will soon be upon us!

O.k. anglers! The season is upon us and the evidence is at Wal-Marts all around the country and outside it's cold as hell right now. Ice fishing is almost here and like I said Wal-Mart is right on top of it. Earlier than ever this year I noticed the little rods, tip-ups and ice scoops gradually replacing the summer fishing gear and now it's out full  force. The biggest change I've noticed this year is lines. Lots more Ice lines than ever before. Is there a good reason to use it? In a word yes. Is there a difference? Yes. Normal mono line when exposed to cold, tends to curl up bad and is hard to manage. Regular mono line gets ice buildup on it as well, whereas, ice mono does not and remains supple in the cold and therefore is easier to manage. Want another tip for ice fishing as well as special line? Use glowing lures and jigs. It's dark under the ice, even in daytime so using more visual cues for fish will yield better results. Keep you stick on the ice, and have fun!

How much movement matters.

This summer I had an interesting experience fishing at night. One thing I learned very quickly was how much fish's hunting behavior changes. All day I had been fishing with everything under the sun and getting the odd nibble, but nothing solid, hour after hour, nothing. Night fell and I decided to make a few last casts into the water (it was pitch black by now) and I was throwing a spoon, nothing special, just a Red Devil spoon and then BAM!
A big 12lb pike attacks it with a vengeance, jumping out of the water and thrashing wildly, so much so that he threw the hook and got away just before I landed him! I know he was around the 10-12lbs range judging by size and if he was more he would have snapped the 12lb mono I was using and he didn't, he threw the hook. Awesome though, regardless. Anyway, I learned a valuable lesson though. Movement in the water means a whole lot, especially at night. Most fish have lateral lines down each side of their body. What the lines are is a series of pores that pick even the slightest change in water movement or current and assists them in hunting. Muskie are even more blessed in this department as they also have a series of 3 pores on each side of their jaw too, which makes them even better hunters, the ultimate hunters among fish. Can't tell a Muskie from a Northern Pike? Now you can. Pike don't have the extra pores. I guess that night I must have passed my spoon right past his body and he struck, so movement is very important! Try to pick lures that have spinners or blades on them, this not only creates noise to some degree, but also creates a pulse as it moves and spins through the water and fish WILL feel this if it's close by.

Making the most of your braided fishing line.

As most of us anglers know, braided line can be considerably more expensive than mono. Here's a trick to get some more life out of your braided line. When you fish your casting out about the first 50 or so yards or line, but there is 110 yards on most peoples spools. The other 50-60 yards is under the first 50 and is usually in perfect shape because it never gets used. So when your first 50 yards get a little rough looking, unspool all your line (keeping track where the worn end is). Once unspooled, reverse the line so that the worn end is the first thing going back onto the spool. Once your done respooling, your worn line will be the stuff underneath and the new, good line will be what you casting. This essentially doubles the life of your line and saves you loads of money, which you can use to buy other tackle! This can be done with Fluorocarbon as well because it is tough stuff too. I wouldn't recommend this trick for mono though as there are many other factors that can affect mono (ie: sunlight, stretching, heat etc.) and mono is dirt cheap anyway. Anyway, keep you stick on the ice and have fun!