low cost DIY fishing stuff

[wildthing]

for people on a budget or just plain inventive

here is a section to post items that don't break the bank and do just as good a job

may not be made as an angling product but if it works

mostly found in dollar stores or your local building supplies



i'll start the ball rolling with two items


that only cost less than a dollar each


push on fish fighting butt similar to a well know brand?

of all things in the building store is a product for putting over the end of re-bar so you don't impale your self cost less than a buck. ream out use a sharp wood chisel to fit the end of your rod butts

works a charm .......







trolling speed gauge
------------------------

was going to get a downrigger company to produce this but they declined the idea ????


dollar store garden section , white plastic plant markers

two ss screws and a couple of zap straps(electrical ties).

one tag strip screw in place so lines up with the downrigger wire/braid

the other tag strip
zap strap to boom put a kink in it so kicks up on an angle and have it so it does not touch the other adjust as needs be

this is your one.... that you adjust the to suit your trolling speed and lure action

 

[JAC]

good call on the butt end I spent a lot more then that for my scotty butt end, and it looks to be the same thing.

 

[Dr Lunk]

great idea for a thread ... i thought of this awhile back and forgot to put it up

1) how about using driveway de-icer for brining anchovies instead of salt? does it work ?

 

[adrianna3]

Those long plastic window flower boxes make good fish trays for storage in your boat.

Dave

 

[wildthing]

another one for the crabbers out there

i use a couple of plastic tray's back to back to form a bait basket to put in the traps saves
having to mess around with the raw chicken that sometimes use

again use zap straps on one side to from the hinge and just use one or two the other side to keep it closed
use a ss rope snap to keep place in the trap

one tip when buying get the soft bendy plastic as the hard stuff cracks and snaps.

 

[lordofthesprings]

this is an excellent thread very impressed!!

 

[casper5280]

Small plastic dish rack for all your flashers and lures. Keeps things organized and easy to rinse off.

 

[hambone]

Search for the "downrigger tips" thread on this forum, I found it really useful for do it yourself stuff.

I've saved a few dollars on flashers by replacing the peeling ones with the reflective or glow tape found in most tackle stores. Trotac had them cut to size so you don't have to mess around trying to cut out the right shape. Considering there price, I find it amazing how fast all flasher brands fall apart .

I also convert most of my flashers to the Farr better breakaway style. Very easy to do with a size 9 split ring, a bag of large beads (big enough so they cant fit through the split ring), herring teaser head pins, some barrel swivels and a drill bit to match the diameter of the pin. Making your own doesn't limit you to the small "farr better" selection found in stores. No need to comment for those that hate the breakaway flashers lol.

 

[spring fever]

Driveway salt doesn't always work as it is often Calcium chloride not sodium chloride-stick to the real thing!! Great thread though!

 

[adrianna3]

I always use driveway salt for my anchovy brine. I just has to be pure salt. I've had good luck with the Sifto brand in the white, blue and red bag. Cheap too.

Dave

 

[JAC]

more boating then fishing but I use pledge on my plastic windows for cleaning and keeping them soft. If you have plastic windows on your soft top that are scratched up and hard to see through you can polish them back into shape. You use a wax or polish and a good buffer and in half and hour I took a bad window to the point of looking brand new. there are videos on you tube on how to do it.

 

[Dave S]

Fill the hollow handle of gaff and net with spray foam to make them float.
Grip tape from skate shop is much cheaper than the small pieces they sell at marine stores.
If your release clips are getting old and don't seem to hold as well, instead of buying new friction pads, just give them a sand with fine sandpaper.

 

[Big Green Machine]

there are videos on you tube on how to do it.

I tried searching and couldn't find em, do you have a link?

 

[Cuba Libre]

I tried 30 seconds a month ago to try to get rid of moss and mildew on my house steps.......I guess I just have tougher moss than Holmes-- it didnt work... :-(

 

[casper5280]

I tried 30 seconds a month ago to try to get rid of moss and mildew on my house steps.......I guess I just have tougher moss than Holmes-- it didnt work... :-(

Try TIDE powdered soap works great. For steps just scrap off what you can and than sprinkle some TIDE on it and scrub it in and leave it. Than rinse off. Works great for the moss on the roof too. I sprinkle a bit on every year and no moss on the roof.

 

[Cuba Libre]

Thanks Casper... Will give it a try

 

[Hookin'up]

Baking soda is a natural moss killer just sprinkle some on and leave it, it will turn black and fall off works good on roofs

 

[Sea Ranger]

Fishing on a budget was how I learned to fish. Many years ago the police put on a kids fishing derby at the breakwater. When I heard about it I told my son who was 8 years old at the time that if we entered it we would be sure to win. I know I shouldn't get my sons hopes up but you see.... when I was growing up I use to travel to the breakwater and fish as often as I could and over the years I got to know the breakwater like it was in my own back yard. Is it cheating just because you know the area better then any one else? There were about 200 families all fishing off the breakwater. Most casting buzz bombs and losing tons of gear. I knew where to cast to catch either cod or perch or sea bass and figured I'd have more of a chance if I targeted cod... but not with a jig. I grabbed an old used sparkplug that I picked up from a gas station grabbed a big old treble hook, got myself some pileworms from under the docks near by and casted out. That was a day I will always remember and so will my son. At the end of the derby we won first place.... we caught 7 of the 21 fish weighed in, we caught the first fish and the biggest fish and it was all caught with a sparkplug and and old hook with some sea worms.... pennies spent instead of tons of money on gear. Now if I could figure out a way to go salmon fishing for just as cheap.

 

[Labman2]

I used to really enjoy those days fishing the breakwater when I was a kid!
Like you, nothing but pileworms, but I used old wheel weights the little metal tabs were just right for tieing to a drop line!
There used to be quite the social gathering out there, good old boys and girls!

Sorry off topic, my mind was wondering back in time again!

 

[Dave S]

A cheap upgrade I recently did for my boat was a couple rod holders on my canvas frame. Picked up the rod holders from a member up in Duncan. Got longer hardware for the top screw to mount into frame clamp. Pictures say a thousand words........