We have all heard this in one form or another while fishing. If not, you need to fish more. This month we are touching on quick fixes to save the day.
Next time you go to the tackle shop spend a few bucks on assorted rod tips that would apply to your rods, but a little larger ones as well. Add a stick of hot glue and a cheap lighter to that ziplock bag and you can cure broken rod tips in a couple of minutes.
Another addition to your repair kit is one or two rod guides. A small light one and a heavier one. The ceramic pops out of a guide or the frame fails and your rod doesn’t serve you as well. A sharp knife will remove the old guide by cutting the threads where they pass over the broken guide’s foot. Then some electrical tape, heat shrink (and lighter) or even wrapping the guide on with light monofilament will save the day.
A couple of really heavy tie wraps or appropriate sized hose clamps can solve disasters with broken reel seats. Position the reel and lock it in place with either weapon.
Most tackle shops carry split rings and split ring pliers. With these items you can repair lures when the hooks get broken or too twisted to repair with a little bending back in place.
Small tie wraps and rubber skirts can rebuild bucktail or nylon jigs when one too many toothy fish make your jig or even trolling lures bald. Small lengths of surgical tubing can make effective lures when added to jig heads as well.
I was 100 miles off South Pass Louisiana and we had run out of bait and lures. (That was a hot bite of huge mahi). I took T shirts and tore them in strips and tied them on lure heads to keep fishing. We caught over a hundred mahi, all over 20 pounds and a blue marlin that day back in 1971.
Capt. Bouncer
CaptBouncer@bellsouth.net
(305) 439-2475