Looking for some simple ways to reuse, replenish, and repair? When it comes to fishing gear the possibilities are virtually endless — check out these 20 fishing hacks.
Put silica packets in your tackle trays to absorb moisture and prevent rust.Place a rubber band around spools of line to keep the line from spilling off.Put strips of magnetic tape in your terminal tackle trays to secure hooks in place.Use reel oil on lure joints on Whopper Ploppers and jointed swimbaits to keep ‘em spinning and swimming freely.Buy your hooks in bulk — most companies offer bulk sizes which saves you a ton of money.Use an electric drill with a wood dowel or stick to strip your reel of the old line in seconds.Save the twist-ties from bread bags, and they can be used to keep leader coils neat.Use nail clippers to cut line; they are cheap and cut well, including cutting braid.Instead of throwing out old braid that’s worn and/or no longer quite fills your reel, flip it from end to end and boom — it’s good as new! To flip it simply crank it onto another, slightly smaller reel.Make your own rod socks with braided sleeve material; there are many YouTube videos with instructions on how to do it.If your cast net or seine net rips, salvage the weights. They’re perfect for catfish fishing.Instead of discarding torn-up Gulp! Alive baits, put them back in the bag of juice and then use them to tip your Chesapeake Sabiki rigs.When using scent on soft plastics, put a few drops into the hook slot.Use elastic thread to hold delicate baits like soft crab on the hook; just take a few winds around the bait and the thread grips itself and holds fast.If you suspect a rod guide is causing line wear pull an old pantyhose through. It will catch or rip if the guide is chipped or has a burr.Use a regular hairbrush to comb out parachutes and bucktails. It will remove the dirt and re-fluff the filaments.Cut regular two-inch PVC pipe to make your own sand spikes (just be sure to cut a point in the end, and run a bolt through two thirds of the way down to the rod butt to rest against). Added Bonus: they work for doggie leash holders, too.Cut old foam pool noodles into small sections to serve as hook and rig holders.Four pieces of wood and a piece of old quarter-inch mesh can be easily fashioned into a sand flea strainer.We’ve shown you this one before, but we think it bears repeating: a deer stand can be repurposed and strapped in place as a cobia spotting station.
