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Bait Hacks for Today’s Angler
Bait Hacks for Today’s Angler
gearweare.net
Some of life’s most entertaining moments happen when you scroll across the “Life Hacks” post on your social media. “Life Hack” is defined as “a strategy or technique adopted in order to manage one’s time and daily activities in a more efficient way.” (Oxford Dictionary) To most of us, these strategies for life’s simpler moments provoke a similar response… “Why didn’t I think of that?”
The creative ideas fashioned by an imagination one day, and quickly sweeps across the world through the universe-connecting internet the next. You will find some of the simplest, least-expensive problem solvers that seem too obvious to have even considered… but someone, somewhere, did.
We can find life hacks for just about everything, from marking your luggage to make it distinguishable, to filling up a bucket with water that doesn’t fit in the sink . So, as an angler, rest assured there are life hacks for fishing that we can use to experience our own “aha” moments. Try these Bait Hacks next time you hit the water.
Table of Contents
Organized Chaos
It seems that every tackle box, no matter how much time is spent organizing and cleaning, end up looking the same. As if having gone through a hurricane, your precisely sorted equipment ultimately finds itself out of place and all over the bottom of your tackle box. Use these hacks to clean up and maintain the organization of your tackle box:
- Safety Pins – Simply thread the eye of the hook over the pointed end of a safety pin and clasp the pin together… the result? A fully organized hook storage system. You can also do this with your lures.
- Corks – Using a cork, place your hooks into the cork and keep them all in one place for easy location and retrieval.
- Capris Sun Pouches – No longer just for child’s play anymore, put your used drink pouches to good use by storing your stink bait in them. You can minimize the odors you are exposed to by resealing the pouch using a chip clip, clothes pin, or even a paper clip.
- Wet Wipe Containers – Needing to keep your bait on ice for your expedition to the water, but not interested in hauling a cooler on your hike in? Take an old wet wipes container and turn it into a pint sized, water-resistant cooler.
- Mini Tackle Box – If you are not in the mood to lug around a large tackle box full of equipment you know you won’t be using, or want to stay in the river without having to come back out for more tackle, utilize an old plastic Tic-Tac mint container, or a metal Altoids breath mint container, as a stand by pocket tackle box. These are great for your lead sinkers, split shot, and egg weights. You can also use these containers to keep your swivels separate and in one place.
- Egg Cartons – Instead of allowing your bobbers to roll around your tackle box, utilize an old egg carton and keep them secure and in order. You can access them quickly without searching, plus the carton will add an additional layer of protection to keep damage to a minimum.
- Hair Ties/Bracelet Bands – If you are trying to find a use for the thousands of hair ties and bracelet bands lying around your house, consider grabbing a few and putting them into your tackle box. These little items are multi-purpose when it comes to helping you organize your tackle box. Use them to tie unused lures and hooks together to avoid tangling.
- Hair Scrunchies – These pony tail holders can help you maintain order when you disassemble your pole for the day and are looking to keep the pieces organized. Simply wrap a hair scrunchie around both ends of the pole lengths and they will stay together until it is time to use them again.
Get a Bite
There are times when it seems the fish are just not going to bite, regardless of the enticements you send them. After a while, frustration can build. However, before you call it a day, consider some of these bait hacks and see if they increase your luck.
- Table Salt – Tired of your salmon eggs falling off your hook on the first cast and reel? Try sprinkling a layer of table salt over the eggs before you head out. The salt decreases the frailty of the eggs and makes them more rubberized and sturdy while on your hook.
- Marshmallows – Use a marshmallow as a flotation device… for your worm. Tired of losing your worm to the rocky bottom of the river, try sliding a marshmallow up to the eye of the hook and allow it to keep your worm up off the bottom and away from the snags. Not only will the marshmallow act as a bobber, but the sweetness of the treat may be an attractor for a bite if the fish has a sweet tooth.
- Go RED! – Just like Jaws, fish of all types will be drawn to what they perceive as being wounded prey. A wounded prey makes for an easier prey, so why not play into that mentality for your advantage. Using red around your selected bait will create an illusion of a bleeding piece of bait. Consider using red hooks or use a marker to decorate your lures and plugs with red.
- Hammer and Nails – Want more natural movement out of your plastic bait worms? Take a nail and put it through the head of your worm and allow the weight differential to activate the realistic movement of a submerged worm.
Come Clean!
After the day is done and your head home, unfortunately the odors from a day fishing doesn’t stay water side. To rid yourself of the odor you accumulated throughout the day, use your toothpaste for a little cleansing. Simply mix a little toothpaste with some dish soap and scrub away those lingering fishing odors.
