# official fishing thread



## Pheonix

I looked and couldn't find a thread all about fishing exempt 1 in the pictures section that is more for bragging about your catch with pictures. and I kinda took it into fishing in general but I think a fishing thread belongs in the wilderness squatting section, so I'm starting this thread as a general fishing thread.

plz feel free to post your stories, tips & techniques, bragging pics, strategies, or questions here.

I plan on fishing my pond tomorrow and will take pics and post a story about it. my pond has some good bass and catfish fishing and I've read that hot dog pieces are great bait for catfish so thats what I'll be using tomorrow


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## 614 crust

if you have any questions feel free to ask.


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## wartomods

i have a spinning rod, with a little bobber and some plain hooks, what would be the best set up to add a little weight so i could cast it further away, i am not quite sure how to use lead weights.


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## Pheonix

using the typical pac-man looking sinkers you put the line in the mouth and squeeze it closed. these are the only sinkers I've ever used and they come in all different sizes. I like that you can take them off without cutting the line just use i pair of pliers to squeeze the back to open it back up. they also make weighted bobbers. hope that helps


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## wartomods

but how do you configure the sinker in the line, does it go after the hook or in between the hook and bober


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## Doobie_D

aww man i just stumbled onto the idea of using old dumpstered meat for bait the other week. Catfish love it around here. Plus the Winn dixies throw out tons of old chicken and steak every other day. Free bait for life. Make inedible food edible.


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## Doobie_D

wartomods said:


> but how do you configure the sinker in the line, does it go after the hook or in between the hook and bober


 
from top to bottom bobber, hook, sinker. Thats how i roll. but i dont use no bobbers usually.


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## 614 crust

sinker in between the bobber and hook. Usually bout a couple inches above the hook so that if you are using say live minnows they are able to move around freely.


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## Pheonix

for me it don't matter where I put the sinkers cause the crappy sinkers just get pulled down the line when they snag on all the seaweed and algae in my pond. also I don't use a bobber 












didn't catch nothing this morning does anybody know the best time of day the fish for catfish and bass. I just had a bad day with about 6 snags and the tip of my pole broke had to cut it right above the next eyelet


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## 614 crust

Damn for that pond I think I'd just use bank lines left out overnight


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## wartomods

from what i was told the sinker and the bobber give you the ability to cast and bait much further away from the shore.


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## Drunken Hearted Man

614 crust said:


> Damn for that pond I think I'd just use bank lines left out overnight


 
I hate doing that. such a pain getting the hook out when they swallow it.


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## Pheonix

I've found if I use plastic worms or some other lightweight bait and not much sinkers that it will skim the surface and avoid any hardcore snags and if it does snag the weeds it will just put them up and I'll reel them in. most of the snags today were from the high wind blowing my bait and hooks up into the trees. the problem with the algae and weeds is it makes it harder to tell if I got a bite or a snag.

hey babe you come to this log often


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## 614 crust

Drunken Hearted Man said:


> I hate doing that. such a pain getting the hook out when they swallow it.


 
I don't like doing it either. But if all you want is food and with a pond like that it just seems it would be easier


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## EastCoast315

Yeah, anyone ever run a trotline? The concept sounds like a good one
I just started eating fish again for the first time in 3 years. Vegetarian days were good, but pescatarian is where its at, I love salmon!


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## Doobie_D

EastCoast315 said:


> Yeah, anyone ever run a trotline? The concept sounds like a good one!


 
yeah man. grew up on the chesapeake bay. Crabs are stupid they'll hold on all the way into the boat.


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## CanoeTramp

Thank you Pheonix for starting a fishing thread. That's one weedy pond you got. I've always used weedless top water lures like grass frogs or scum frogs in slop like that. A Texas rigged soft plastic worm is a good rig for fishing in heavy weeds. I usally shove a round toothpick in the hole of the worm weight and cut it off near flush w/ the front of the weight,- keeps it in place tight against the worm-hook, and not sliding up and down the line. Favorite lures are, Beatle Spin w/ twister tail plastic grub,- tiny ones for panfish, and larger ones for larger fish. shallow running stick baits like Rapalas or Smitwicks,- great for both bass and northern in shallow, not so weedy lakes and ponds. Salted white Tube bait,- aka gitzit, - great for bass. Deep running crank baits that rattle,- Hot & Tots. are good for river and lake walley and bass. Also Hofmann's frizz's spoon or a tiny trout jig baited w/ a small minnow or a wax morm fished under a slip float,-great for crappies large bluegils and bass. The frizzs I'll real up the line to the bottom of the slipfloat or the slit shot , and then let if fall, letting it rest for only a few seconds before I real it up again , doing this until I reach the side of the boat or dock. - If a fish bites it's almost always on the fall. - works best in clear water. Try fishing on over cast days , early mornings , just before sun down , and at night. - you should catch more fish.


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## 614 crust

Well I'm going fishing in the morning. Wish me luck.


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## Pheonix

good luck angel I think I will be fishing tomorrow too. the heavy rains on monday separated the algae so from now on I'm gonna try to fish the day after a heavy rain. ohh wait its a pain in the ass to use my fishing pole now that the tip broke off, I guess I won't be fishing till I buy a new rod and reel. any ideas on what tackle to get for bass and catfish?


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## Detrivore

spinner bait for bass, its more fun to use to. In am not sure I should be giving advice since i have been fishing every week for 6 months and have only caught 2 fish. Too many goddamn "sportsman" overfishing everything.


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## 614 crust

Live crawdads work well for bass too. Here are a few pics of an 18 inch 4 pound bass i caught a few days ago on a crawdad.


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## Pheonix

nice catch angel, did you catch it in the marina or did you go out on a boat?


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## 614 crust

in the marina


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## 614 crust

just caught this a few nights ago at deer creek lake


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## Wolfeyes

For catfish, best time to go out is at night. Rotting meat and/or chicken livers work wonders, but just about anything smelly and food like will work. Use a treble hook big enough that you can fit your thumb between the barb and the shank. Run at least three setups if you want results, two cane poles with bells, and your spinning rig.


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## Dustin

I mostly use chicken liver for catfish. Worms work well and are easy to find in rich soil after it rains. Cheese actually works pretty good, too. I usually use a 1/0 or 2/0 circle hook and 12lb mono with a lead splitshot weight about 8 to 12 inches above the hook. Sometimes I'll use dog food, old cereal or cornmeal to chum the water. The good thing about catfish is they're bottom feeders, so you just let your bait sink and forget about it. You don't even need a fishing pole, you can just wind your line around a beer can. Learning how to rig up a trot line is an easy way to catch a shit load of catfish to feed a shitload of people or just stock up the freezer. They're a pain in the ass to clean in the field, though, especially if you don't have a good sharp fillet knife. 

Beetle spins are good lures for all kinds of shit all over the country. Bass, walleye, pike, crappie, bluegill, perch, etc..

For bass I like to use a spinning lure to cover large portions of water and if I get any hits I'll run a plastic worm on a texas or carolina rig in that area. Morning is the best time for large mouths. Bass chill out where there's cover. They're predatory fuckers that hide in the shadows right where the shade meets light and attack other fish. They're aggressive bastards, when you get a strike it's often not because the fish views it as a food source, but just because it was moving around in front of him and pissing him of. If it's been a really hot day they'll usually be dormant as soon as the sun has been up for a few hours and begin feeding again in the late afternoon once it's cooled down. I've never caught a bass on live bait, but I've heard crawdads and worms are good, too.

Also, if you've got foodstamps a lot of states don't require you to have a fishing license. If you're approached by a game warden in a lot of states you can just flash your EBT card.


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## outskirts

Yeah I like chicken livers for catfish bait too.
Thanks for that tip about the EBT card, I wonder if that works here, the game wardens are real pricks here!
They don't bother me though because I'm usually fishing late at night out in the dark, besides I swear I
catch more catfish and eels at that time.


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## Deleted member 2626

Hell yeah awesome thread. Here I use a lot of worms or powerbait for trout. Also some spinners work or crawfish lure. Crawfish lure also works well for bass too. On a scummy pond like that if it's hot the fish arent as active usually. Night might be better. Night fishin with a fire and some food waitin for a bite is fun as shit


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## dharma bum

i used to hang trotlines out on this river that i lived on for a couple months on an island. i would usually get shoal bass and gar. but when i always fished for catfish i would use chicken liver EVERYTIME. PUT SALT ON IT. they love that shit! i never was able to catch a catfish with the heart in the cup of chicken livers... but other fish like it. 

i also love to fly fish, just don't have a reel right now. anyone else a fly-fishing fan?


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## Deleted member 2626

Have fun fishin with just worms or tryin to find them at all times ain't always easy either


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## Deleted member 2626

I agree, I'm just carrying line- wrapped around a small piece of wood. shot, and hooks on the road I've got these put into a small altoids tin but worms are less affective and I
Mite carry a bright colored lure or somthing


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## LeeevinKansas

Im not gonna get into the hubbub about chemicals and bait, but when a mans hungry a mans hungry.

If you have an overabundance of flying buzzies but not enough worms.... get HAIRSPRAY.
A few short bursts and said insect will drop out of the sky. then you got yourself yer bait.

Forget Flyswatters, bc they squish your bait anyways.

second, a short guide on easy to make fishing rods.
What you need:

1. Get fishing string. 8-12 lb line is the best since we are using branches.
2. Get 1 inch hooks. I find these work best in most situations. (or make them out of fence wire watever)
3. Get knife/blade
4. Trees

Step One
Proceed to finding yourself a good strong wood for the pole. Oak or Black Oak, Honeylocust (if you can avoid the thorns and get to the inner bark) any Maple tree, and red cedar if you got a strong enough arm and blade (as cedar is a pain to carve fresh), are all good common trees to use for poles. I dont know what experts use but I know these are fine replacements in the wild.

Get a branch in legth according to terrain. If you are fishing off a riverbank, 6 ft max should suffice. If you are fishing off a bridge or ledge, etc, 7 or 8 ft is better suitable, as the weight from realing in the line/bait or letting it hang really will break off the end of a shorter pole.

Keep in mind it is best that at least the first 1 - 2 ft of the end of the branch (opposite the part you hold), is curved moderately downwards. Avoid using branches that curve downwards by mean of a seperate attached branch to the main body of the pole.

CARVE IT DOWN AS SMOOTHLY AS POSSIBLE. No exp needed to carve. With common logic use your blade to smooth the woody bark off. Youll know when its doen bc you will be able to see the newer oranger redder bark underneath. Your hand should be able to run along th epole without getting a splinter.

Step Two
Using common sense geustimate how much string will be needed. Remember to include the length of your pole twice (onece for stringing, once for hanging down the length of the pole while fishing), and also the distance youd like to reach your bait in the water (cast)

Step Three
When you have cut off the string (usually between 15-30 ft), tie one end repeatedly to the Handle part of the pole, about 8 inches - to 12 inches up the pole from the base of the handle. adjust to comfortable ness .

Step Four

Now that you have one end of the line attached securely to the pole, you should have the trailing other 20 ft of string etc. Be careful to keep this from getting tangled. It is a nightmare otherwise.

Take the end of the string closest to the pole, and make half knots every 3 to inches up the pole. 3 inches for short poles, 6 inches for big poles. the closer the halfknots are to each other, the easier your rod will break. Space the halfknots out evenly across the pole.

Step Five
at the end of the rod, the part that should be curved, use your knife to make 2 notches in the pole, one about 1 inch past the last halfknot, and try to make it as deep as possible, without going halfway through the pole bark. Make the 2nd notch on the actual end, of the pole, and string the rest of the line through this when fishing. When your not fishing, the string should be kept wrapped around the first notch you made. Most hooks can be pressed into the pole and they will stay when being unused.

To cast simply bait your hook, and throw the bait by hand out into the water.
For weights you can tie a rock around the line near the hook, allthough it is tricky. A leave can be used for a bobber. Etc.


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## Vonuist

Just posted this in the media section, it's one of the best primitive fishing videos I have ever watched.
[medio]263[/medio]

And there's another one in which he shows you his kit.
[medio]262[/medio]


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## wizehop

Ait, so I'm winter riding/camping and I have a strong urge to try my luck at ice fishing. Thing is it will be done with the bare min. I've never ice fished before (cant say I've fished all that much) so any advice would be nice.
I will literally have fishing line and a hook which I will tie to a stick. I am planning on stopping at a CC in a town that has a bait shop so I can get minos ( I hear that's best). I'm also hoping they dont ask if I have a fishing licence..but that's besides the point.
My other issue is making a hole without any hardcore tools but that's a straight forward problem..aside from that anyone on here ever ice fish? Any tips?


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## Unslap

Were you high when you wrore this? I am baked right now and can really understand the desire to go ice fishing. 
Ive never been asked for a license buying bait. 
I doubt if you will be able to get a hole in the ice, but canadians can do tons of crazy shit. Tell us how it went


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## Pheonix

wizehop said:


> Ait, so I'm winter riding/camping and I have a strong urge to try my luck at ice fishing. Thing is it will be done with the bare min. I've never ice fished before (cant say I've fished all that much) so any advice would be nice.
> I will literally have fishing line and a hook which I will tie to a stick. I am planning on stopping at a CC in a town that has a bait shop so I can get minos ( I hear that's best). I'm also hoping they dont ask if I have a fishing licence..but that's besides the point.
> My other issue is making a hole without any hardcore tools but that's a straight forward problem..aside from that anyone on here ever ice fish? Any tips?


 
they make manual hand augers (or ground score an old auger bit somewhere and put a lever on it so you can twist it) to put a hole through the ice. then have a saw of some sort that can fit down the hole and use it to make the hole bigger (if needed)

*ALWAYS USE CAUTION WHEN ICE FISHING*


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## wizehop

Unslap said:


> Were you high when you wrore this? I am baked right now and can really understand the desire to go ice fishing.
> Ive never been asked for a license buying bait.
> I doubt if you will be able to get a hole in the ice, but canadians can do tons of crazy shit. Tell us how it went


 
ahaha, no man sadly sober as fuck. Never got to give it a go this year. It was such a mild winter and by the time I got out (feb) the ice wasn't even thick enough to walk on..Did lots of drinking by the fire though, which is about as great as it gets........so next year I guess.


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## Dead horse

Explosives.... I got nothing good thread


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## Pheonix

Dead horse said:


> Explosives.... I got nothing good thread


 
fishing with explosives is stupid and any of us would be considered a terrorist if we were caught with explosives, if you want to go out like a terrorist on an awesome fishing trip then steal a Stun Boat from Department on Fish & Game.


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## Dead horse

I'll stick to more traditional methods


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## Tonkor

Good stuff. A few tips not mentioned yet are if you need a bobber you can use a blower up piece of bubble gum (if you don't have much weight) or a pop bottle. For the pop bottle you have to make sure you don't have too much boiancy (so you can see the bite), so if its not sensitive enough you just unscrew the cap, put water in and reseal. Keep testing it until you have the right balance. Just tie the line around the neck rim just under the cap or place it over the drinking hole and tighten the cap over it (this is easier to adjust your bait depth rather than untying it when you want to adjust depth). To fix a rod tip, get a paperclip , straighten one leg out about 1 inch, wrap around a small sticks couple times and then straighten the rest out in a straight leg parallel to the first one. Bend the loop up 90 degrees and trim the excess second leg to the same length as the first. Then just place it at the tip and tie it on tight with line, tape or super glue it. The action of the rod won't be quite the same but you will still be able to catch dinner. In the spring/summer when bass are bedding its usually impossible to get a bedding bass to bite. Try a salamander lure. Flip it past the bed and work it slowly onto the bed. The bass won't bite but they will defend the bed. With this in mind, once the lure is on the bed use your finger to tickle the line to make it look like its moving its head/eating eggs. The bass will dart down and smash the lure with its mouth... don't set the hook yet. keep wiggling the line just a bit. The bass might hit it a few more times but be patient. The bass just smashes the lure trying to kill it. stop wiggling it and the bass will suck up the lure to move it off the bed and "clean house". Let a little line out to give him slack so he can move it. Once you see your line move about a foot set the hook and hold on because your in for a fight! Most will toss a lure, feel the smash and mistake it for a hit, set the hook and never get a bedding bass because the bass never has it in their mouth. This is a top secret pro bass tournament tip that has won many a tournaments so use this wisdom wisely, Young Grasshopper ;0) Basics for most fish(ring), fish just before it rains or storms... the fish can feel the barometric pressure building and feed good to wait out the storm, fish at dusk and dawn when the weather will be warm, fish deep or in shade when its hot out, shallow in mild climate, get near logs/brush/lily pads to pull out bigger pan fish (crappir, blue gill, etc) or bass, look for beaks (where it goes from one depth to a deeper depth quickly) and fish along the edge or pull from the shallow across the break. When using spinnerbaits; crank baits and similar lures try to make it look like a hurt fish, make several passes alternating the speed/jerking techniques as well as the depth. Vary your lures color and style until you have luck and then work that bait all over. If you don't have a bobber or way of making one you can set your sinker at the bottom of the line and tie your hook from a short piece of line 5-15in above attached to the main line, then keep the line tight so you can feel the bite.. You can use this method to attach more than one baited lines as well, just space the lines apart so they don't get tangled. While river fishing with this set up use a large, FLAT object for a sinker so your line doesn't roll to the shoire line every few finutes. If you don't have a sinker, a washer or several washers work great. You can "chum" (scatter food in an area to draw fish in while having the same bait on in the same area) with all kinds of animal guts, corn, marshmallows, old stale food, (try everything you aren't going to eat). Also, you can dig for worms or larva. Look under rocks, stumps, logs and around fresh looking healthy plant roots. Pull up a plant and dig around the roots. Stick bugs on a hook and let it sit on top of water. To run a trout line get a long piece of rope, every couple feet tie a line down with a hook and sinker. Pick a creek or river,bait the hooks, tie each end to shot or one end to shore and the other with a jug for a bobber and a heavy weight on a piece of rope just long enough to reach bottom. Let it set and check it every so often. You can also get a jug with a heavy weight on a long enough rope to sit on bottom, put a line/sinker/hook setup on it, bait it, toss it out and wait for the jug to move around. To retrieve it you can use a boat, walk, swim or tie a string to it to pull it in but be careful as boat motors will get tangled in it. I put weights on the pull rope every several feet to help prevent that. Remember that noise/vibrations travel MUCH better through water than through the air so try to step softly and be quiet so as to not scare fish away or make them skid dish and lose their appetite/focus from being on high alert DEFCON Red. Fish are always feeding, sure certain times are better than others but they still have to eat so don't get discouraged... just vary up the bait, your technique, your depth and the area your fishing until you have some luck. I think that's about it. I hope this helps.-Tonkor


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## Tonkor

A few more things: For the jug fishing, I make a bunch of them and toss them all out baited up. Its best to have a boat or tube to check them or just get a few nylon rope bundles and tie them to shore. For catfish, they feed at all depths (but usually have better luck on the bottom and at night) so thge jugs will work for them too. When they hit the weight and pulling boiancy sets the hook for you and keeps it set but they can drag the jugs all over so either tie them to shore or be willing to chase it down. If you catch a small bluegill you can chop it up and use for bait. If you leave it out to rot it makes it even better, they can smell it better and will eat just about anything. You can also build traps made from fallen sticks with bait in the bottom . Make it so the fish swim in the top part of the inlet and they won't be clever enough to find their way out... simple, easy, effective and you don't have to babysit it, just set and check. There are many different types of traps so research which ones would best suit your fishing spot(s).Check you local and state laws to make sure you can use the above mentioned methods if your concerned about abiding by the laws.-Tonkor


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## Genericdruid

Anyone from the UK here? It sounds like american float fishing is really basic. in England its a massive hobby and a sport. We use pole rods up to 12 meters long with a 6 foot long length of thin (2-6lb) mono-filament with a rubbered-on stick float, weighted with some No.8 shot, down to a size 18 hook baited with maggots, corn, pellets, boilies, anything really. Anyone have any experience with this method? Its very effective and cheap. Not only can you disassemble the rod down into one section of carbon fibre tube, but you can carry the rigs on tiny winders, my fishing box is tiny because I can carry twelve rigs in my vest pouches.


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## Neandertal

I just stopped commercial fishing about a month ago and here's some gear you can use that will guarantee you never go hungry (and make some money)!

*SALTWATER TROTLINES*:

Target Species: Black Drum, Gafftop Catfish, Stingray, Flounder, Golden Croaker, Skipjack.

Average catch: 3 to 15 drum per line (10 to 50 lbs, worth about $15 to $100)

Bait: Wooden buttons (Seriously!) in summer, salted shrimp disks in winter, live finger mullet for flounder, live pinperch or dead squid for gaftop.

The lines are each 600 feet long and consist of a braided nylon mainline (200 to 400 lb test). String 80 to 200 stainless or bronze swivels onto this all at once, then use a large shuttle to tie nots on one side of the swivel. The other strung swivels are held against the main spool and you tie a knot on the other side and repeat the process. Next, cut 6 to 8 inch droplines from 80 lb mono and tie #5 Lazer Sharp circle hooks to the swivels. After tying each hook on, hang the hook and dropline on the inside rim of a 5 gallon bucket and coil the mainline. A lot of guys use 11 stainless Mustad circle hooks, but these are much more expensive

For floats, cut THICK foam noodles into 8 pieces and cut a spiraling slot down each of these pieces. These are slipped onto the mainline at intervals of 6 to 10 hooks and can be secured with string or caution tape. The floats are critical to keep the hook about 4 inches off the bottom, and they also jerk the line up and down with the waves, which is what causes the wood buttons to attract the fish. I'm the only guy that used actual buttons -- everyone else drills holes down dowel rods and cuts them into disks with a saw -- much more time consuming!

The lines are secured on each end either with wood stakes or small anchors and set in water knee to waist deep. Bait the lines right as it is getting dark and run them ASAP when the sun starts coming up! Carry a "flipper" to flip off hardhead catfish (and anything else you don't want) and a landing net if you don't have a boat to flip the ones you want to keep into.

*PERCH TRAPS:*
I've caught up to 100 baitfish (worth about $40) with EACH of these in about 45 minutes:

Target Species: Perch, Mud Minnows, Mangrove Snapper (with larger version)

Three sections of 1/2 in galvanized hardware cloth held together with zip ties. Viewed from above, the trap has a shamrock shape with slots cut on all 4 sides. T





*CASTNET*: 

Target Species: EVERYTHING!!! (But mostly mullet, butter croaker, skipjack, perch and suckers)

My favorite is an 8 ft diameter nylon braid with lead weights. I hold the net in two spots with one hand, lift one edge of the leadline and place it in my mouth, and drape about 2 ft over my other outstretched arm. I then spin around 360 degrees and throw the net entirely with the hand that is holding most of the net. It should pop open through centrifugal force and become flat like a pancake (it takes a lot of practice to get it right every single time!).

This was my biggest money maker during mullet run -- I was getting up to 200 dozen finger mullet ($200 dead, $600 live) every day, and 50 to 100 lbs of ponies (big mullet) on the side ($25 to $50).

*Dipping Blue Crabs:*

Gear: Headlamp, fish basket and dipnet.

Go out on a calm night and just scoop 'em up! I would get about 70 crabs in 2 hours, worth over $100.

Shallow areas near deep channels with muddy bottoms and seagrass are best.


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## todd

anything stinky on a hook at night is going to attract catfish!


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