Get ready to save time and money, learn how to make your buzzbait stand out, and be reminded of some of the things that we all easily forget with these 5 simple hacks.
Sharpie Wacky Rig Tool
Depending on where you shop, a wacky rig tool can be pricy.
If you happen to lose yours and don't feel like buying another just transform an old Sharpie permanent marker into a wacky rig tool.
The best thing about it... most stick worms fit perfectly inside a Sharpie!
Using your pliers, pull the writing portion and tip out of the Sharpie's outer casing and you've pretty much just created a wacky rig tool.
If you would prefer to keep your wacky O-rings with the tool you can do so by placing your rings on a 1 or 2" hardware screw and then partially thread the screw into the end of the Sharpie.
Snaps For Faster Lure Changes
Avoid the hassle of retying for every lure change by using a snap on your crankbait and jerkbait setups.
Most crankbaits and jerkbaits come with a split ring that gets tied to your main line.
Split rings are great at giving your lures free range of motion but come with their downfalls
You take the risk of the knot rubbing against the ends of the ring and degrading your knot
You have to retie for every lure change
Snaps provide free range of motion for lures, allow for faster lure changes, and avoid the knot degradation issue since having a rounded tip without sharp wire ends near your knot.
Time to ditch the split ring on each of your hard baits and start fishing with a snap!
Moisten Your Line Before Clinching the Knot
This should be second nature but many anglers forget to do this.
Ever had your line randomly snap when setting the hook on a fish? There's a good chance it was because you didn't moisten the line before finishing your knot.
There is A LOT of friction that takes place when clinching down your fishing knot.
All those loops and twists used to create the knot rub against each other producing a lot of heat due to friction.
This can lead to weakened knot integrity because of the line literally melting when being clinched.
This is especially true for thermoplastic fishing line such as monofilament and fluorocarbon.
Thankfully, this is all easily avoidable.
Right before clinching down your knot, stick the near-finished knot portion of the line in your mouth a give it a few licks.
Doing so puts just enough saliva on your knot to keep it cool and well lubricated for a proper tie down.
Make Your Buzz Bait Stand Out
We've talked about this before in both "3 Must Have Topwater Largemouth Bass Lures" and "Lures That Catch Bass in the Rain" because it works!
Most buzzbaits have a rivet collar right behind the blade that helps with holding the blade in place.
This collar can be modified to create a unique, squeaky noise to help generate more topwater bites.
Take a pair of pliers and slightly squeeze the shank of the collar down on the wire to the point of there being a little bit of rubbing, but not too much to where the collar can't spin.
This hack can be taken a step further by making a change to the flat end of the collar.
With your pliers again, make small squeezes around the flat part of the collar to create little plier teeth imprints.
When done right, you should hear a squeaky noise being produced on the retrieve from all the metal-to-metal points of contact that are a result of you modifying the rivet collar.
Lure and Rig Reminder
This is a self-reminder hack as much as it is a fishing hack.
If you're someone with a lot of tackle it's really easy to lose track of all the different options you have regarding lure and rig selection.
How many times have you had a tough day on the water just to look back and realize you never even considered all the different combinations of lures and rigs you could've thrown to trigger a bite?
To combat this, create a cheat sheet using a flash card or piece of printer paper that lists out your tackle.
It doesn't have to be complicated either - just something to remind you of all the different lure and rigging options you have when you're wondering what to try next.
Time to go catch em'!
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