Tackle/accessories you just can't get right!

[Brandon Khoo]

The thread on tackle bags, especially Nick's posts, got me thinking on the aspects of this sport I just can't get right. My two pet hates have been my tackle bag and my footwear.

The tackle bag has been easy on charters to places like New Caledonia as I just go with a big hard waterproof bag but on charters where space can be at a premium ( like in the Nomad dories), I can't take the big bag. The bag you use then has flow-on effects on everything else like whether you can have rigged lures in it.

My other pet hate is shoes because I have never been able to find the "right" pair.

On tackle and gear generally, that is easy. My lure bag gets filled without the need for much thinking these days. My only pet hate is when I am not allowed to use trebles as the baker and single combiation just plays havoc on the balance of stickbaits.

I know a lot of people worry like hell about the weight of luggage but I am fortunate to not have to worry about that generally.

Curious as to what other people struggle with the most.

[Andrew Susani]

Brandon, have you thought about carrying some heavy gauge lead wire with you to wind around the shank of the single hook to compensate for the lack of weight?  Just a thought...

I bought some of this wire in Hong Kong a few years back as it is hard to find here.  The fly tying stuff is too fine - this wire is about twice as thick.  I use it to help ballast lures when I am testing prototypes.  Even if it got ripped off by a fish, it is pretty cheap and it wouldn't interfere with the gape much.  Heavy gauge solder is another option, with not much less density than the lead wire.

I had a really awesome pair of wet surface shoes called Nike Amphibians but they don't make them anymore.     I like my Adidas Water Grips, and they have meshed holes through the sole so any water in your shoe drains straight out.  We will see how they hold up through the summer heat here, and beyond...

As far as tackle and accessories go... I am pretty happy with all my junk!  I keep stickbaits and poppers seperately, unrigged, in Systema containers - I prefer this to roll up bags.  Although I keep everything in the boat so space is not really a problem 

[Jay Burgess]

The tackle bag situation is something that I've never been able to get right and I've slowly been trying to refine it... without sucess. The recent thread has been a great source of inspiration however.

Can't say I've ever had a problem with footwear. I take one pair of shoes on trips and they are flip flops. I wear them out on the boat during the day, occasionally I'll fish in them but usually I'll kick them to one side and fish bare feet all day and I've never had an issue.

You're very lucky to not have to worry about luggage weight Brandon... this is my biggest concern and I usually worry like hell about it. It's almost cost me an extra $1000 or more onto the cost of a couple of my trips  It's a major hassle to travel to the south pacific.

[Brandon Khoo]

I have the heavy guage lead wire but it isn't really the weight at the tail perse. It's the balance and hook exposure. I have a pair of the Adidas like yours but I haven't warmed to hm.

Brandon, have you thought about carrying some heavy gauge lead wire with you to wind around the shank of the single hook to compensate for the lack of weight?  Just a thought...

I bought some of this wire in Hong Kong a few years back as it is hard to find here.  The fly tying stuff is too fine - this wire is about twice as thick.  I use it to help ballast lures when I am testing prototypes.  Even if it got ripped off by a fish, it is pretty cheap and it wouldn't interfere with the gape much.  Heavy gauge solder is another option, with not much less density than the lead wire.

I had a really awesome pair of wet surface shoes called Nike Amphibians but they don't make them anymore.     I like my Adidas Water Grips, and they have meshed holes through the sole so any water in your shoe drains straight out.  We will see how they hold up through the summer heat here, and beyond...

As far as tackle and accessories go... I am pretty happy with all my junk!  I keep stickbaits and poppers seperately, unrigged, in Systema containers - I prefer this to roll up bags.  Although I keep everything in the boat so space is not really a problem 

[Brandon Khoo]

Jay, I'm not sure where you're flying to but if it is New Cal, join up as a Qantas Club member. It gives you 10kg more immediately and a couple of trips a year already pays for it. I've been able to compensate for the guys when they need the additional baggage but I know full well what you mean. The Nomad floatplane has upset me to the point where I plan my trips to ensure we don't use it.

To me, there is something wrong about being hammered for the cost of that floatplane and then being told that I am limited to 20kg strictly.

The tackle bag situation is something that I've never been able to get right and I've slowly been trying to refine it... without sucess. The recent thread has been a great source of inspiration however.

Can't say I've ever had a problem with footwear. I take one pair of shoes on trips and they are flip flops. I wear them out on the boat during the day, occasionally I'll fish in them but usually I'll kick them to one side and fish bare feet all day and I've never had an issue.

You're very lucky to not have to worry about luggage weight Brandon... this is my biggest concern and I usually worry like hell about it. It's almost cost me an extra $1000 or more onto the cost of a couple of my trips  It's a major hassle to travel to the south pacific.

[Mark Harris]

I just wish airlines were consistent.  One set of rules for baggage size and weight would be great. In my dim and distant memory I seem to remember it used to be that way with internationally agreed baggage allowances and dimensions?

I suspect the perfect GT angler kit bag is yet to be invented. I do really like Malcolm's modified rod case which he talks about  in the tackle bag thread.

A bit like Jay, footwear does not bother me too much and more often than not on a boat I am barefoot (even after putting hooks through toe - old habits die hard!).  Footwear is a tricky issue when it comes to fishing off the stones though.

On a more technical tackle note, my single biggest wish would be an innovation in braided line which prevented wind-knots.  Wouldn't that be just brilliant?

[Ben Rivers]

I've always found Crocs or Shimano Evair's to be good footwear for boating etc. Good in all weather conditions. I also bring wetsuit socks if I know it's going to be particularly wet, to avoid blisters from wet skin rubbing.

[Jay Burgess]

On a more technical tackle note, my single biggest wish would be an innovation in braided line which prevented wind-knots.  Wouldn't that be just brilliant?

I'm with you on that... how annoying are they!!

And tip wrap...   right on that crucial cast and your lure only goes half as far as it needs to 

[Nick Bowles]

Hi Brandon, totally agree, the earlier posts and threads have had me thinking and searching around the web for new gear and solutions. It has been really great to read what everyone does and also to learn a few new possibilities. I think through this season I'm going to see what clients bring and try figure out as close as possible to the perfect set up, but I fear this will never happen! I'm luckily about to move into a bigger place so will have more room for failed gear!

I always have a problem with luggage and shoes. I always seem to take way to much and end up feeling like a sherpa carrying way to much gear and actually ruining the trip a bit! I think Malcolms rod tube idea is a very good one and might give it a try, for bags I'm still all over the show. But I'm going to try the Shout Gear to see if this can work but hope to read a few more ideas!

I generally don't use shoes on the boat as this is how I was brought up fishing but it is not safe and I have had some spectacular wipe outs which lucky has not left any damage except for the ego. But I always recommend clients wear shoes for a couple of reason, mainly safety when moving around the boat with swell, currents and a wet deck. then there is the obvious hazard of hooks and sharp objects but mostly also went clients are fighting fish to enable them to grip and be secure when fighting fish with high drag and not slipping under the pressure which has happened and resulted in broken knee cap, dislocated shoulder, broken nose and worst case going overboard loosing gear!

I only really started wearing shoes when i fished in the USA and in Japan were the sea is big and you get bashed around a lot so you need to have the grip when casting and fighting not to fall out of the boat! I have tried the Columbia Powerdrain shoes and they have worked well, but be warned wear some secret socks otherwise when you take your shoes off after a couple of days the rest of your team might linch you, they get smelly without socks! On most trips the most popular foot wear is by far Crocs and they work very well and very cheap but you need to be careful that they have still got grip and not worn down as they do become very slippery after a while and become more of a hazard on the boat.

Mark, totally agree on the wind knots! I had a big problem in the US. I think the braid I use for our hot weather and high salinity over here is great but when I got to the US with colder water and conditions everything went haywire!! I think I even threw a bit of a tantrum at one stage!! Also the type of braid for the location you fish seems to work, for us here something like Verivas SMP does not work well and has more problems than something like Sunline Monster, but in colder water I noticed the Verivas SMP worked very well and had less problems than the Sunline Monster I was using? Just a thought might be a case to match the braid to the conditions and temp?? A bit more of a waxier line and thicker diameter for hot conditions and thinner less waxier lines for cold conditions? Just a thought?

Cheers,
Nick

[Luke Wyrsta]

Giant treble hook management    I'm never happy with how I store them (Sistema containers). They just become a mess and surely, their points become dull.

Another hate, is the actual cleaning and storing of used trebles whilst on the fishing trip. Still can't get it right and discard questionable hooks.

[Jay Burgess]

Giant treble hook management    I'm never happy with how I store them (Sistema containers). They just become a mess and surely, their points become dull.

Another hate, is the actual cleaning and storing of used trebles whilst on the fishing trip. Still can't get it right and discard questionable hooks.

Good points there Luke (why didn't I think of treble management)... I use the sistema containers as well.

I'm a bit OCD when it comes to my hooks and usually discard them as soon as they get a noticeable amount of rust on them, even if it's just cosmetic, it frustrates the hell out of me.

[Brandon Khoo]

I use those containers too for my trebles!

[Nathan Tsao]

Wow, please send any discarded rusty treble hooks directly to me, i will gladly recycle them!

[Mark Harris]

Jay, you would be amazed how easy it is to remove surface corrosion from those expensive trebles with a bit of WD40 and a scouring paid.  These days I tend to clean mine up a lot as I was going through far too many dollars on hooks. Now I only discard them when the points have noticeably dulled or the corrosion is really serious  As an aside I have been really impressed with performance of the Shogun trebles on this front - they stay sharp and seem to be as corrosion resistant as any of the much more expensive Japanese offerings.

Nick, you might have hit on something there. Certainly in hot humid Asian conditions, I have found soft, waxy lines like Varivas GT Max (not SMP) and original YGK Castman to be the best on the wind-knot front. I am wondering if geo-climactic differences might be one reason why "stiffer" spectra lines (eg Tufline, Jerry Brown and even PowerPro) seem to dominate in cooler northern hemisphere climes?  Interesting line of thought this and thanks for highlighting it.

One option on shoes guys are surf reef-walkers. They are obviously good in salt water, have tough soles and have some ankle support for those who need that.   When I am doing land-based casting which involves walking over sharp rock I use the Rip Curl reef-walkers.  They would suitable for a boat as well if you want something more than the usual rubber sandles or Croc-type things.

Excellent thread this.

[Graham Blackmore]

Vibram five fingers - allow you to get that barefoot feel with shoes on.  No more burnt feet or slipping over for me on boats