Fishing equipment

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by Dustymc

"Oil" is necessary for casting, where things need to freely turn. There are absolutely no drawback to using grease for a trolling reel, and grease will provide very noticeable corrosion resistance benefits.

The soapy water thing is standard practice amongst those who regularly fish expensive reels in saltwater, and I've personally never had any problems that I could attribute to too much soap - I've certainly had corrosion issues attributable to not enough. If a dunk in soapy water is affecting your lubrication, you're using the wrong lubricant (or maybe the wrong soap - I use a very small amount of dishwashing liquid). If you can make a bearing last for "a few months" of hard saltwater use with oil, you should be able to make a fortune selling that oil. I'll take the first batch!

It's also important to use low-pressure water when rinsing a reel - you don't want to blast a bunch of salt into the innards.

As I said grease stands up to detergent/soap a bit better than oil. The primary purpose of soap or detergent is to make non-polar molecules (oil/grease) soluble in a polar solvent (water). Salt, the primary contaminant on a pole/reel is already highly soluble in water because it is a polar solid. If you are primarily trying to remove salt from your reel plain water is the best thing you can use. Distilled water would be the absolute best, but it's probably overkill. Using soap will only remove protective oils and lubricants which are things you want to keep on/in your equipment. If I'm wrong about this I'm going to ask my university for my money back on all those chemistry courses I paid for. By the way you can get the recommended lube for a Shimano from Shimano. It is specifically recommended so that their lever drag mechanism works properly. I'm not sure how it would work with grease that has dramatically different properties. Of course you are absolutely free to do what you think best with your reels.

[rebel heart]

I've gotten a lot of mileage out of thoroughly rinsing my reel, rod guides (rollers), and lures with copious amounts of fresh water.

- Lures get rinsed before they go back in the tackle box.
- Rod and reel get rinsed before the end of the day (even if being used through the night).
- Rod and reel go below when not being used for a while.
- Reel is covered in a cloth when left out for a while unused but not brought down below.

A little $5 spray bottle.

[Dustymc]

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

If I'm wrong about this I'm going to ask my university for my money back on all those chemistry courses I paid for.

Did you happen to pay for any "practical applications" types of classes?

[captain58sailin]

A little fresh water on your reel will add greatly to the time interval between rebuilds. I always tear my reels down at the far end of a passage and clean them, relube and put them back together. Most people use too much lube on their reels and they get gummed up pretty quick. I use a mixture of powdered graphite and vaseline, in very sparing amounts with a small acid brush. It is a good idea to pay attention to how your reel is operating, usually it will give you small signs that it needs attention before it really craps out.

[captain58sailin]

Something the commercial salmon trollers do with their lures is store them in a tub of acetone. I have not employed that practice. Too much contact with acetone in my younger years has made me leery of it.

[NahanniV]

Question:

I've always used a handline, but was thinking of switching to a downrigger reel and all stainless line with a snubber. I picked up the downrigger reel at a garage sale for a couple of bucks. Planning to leave it attached so it's easy to deploy.

Will the stainless line scare away the fish ? Any other problem with this ?

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by Dustymc

Did you happen to pay for any "practical applications" types of classes?

When you have oil or grease on your hands do you use plain water or water with soap or detergent to remove it? It's doing the same thing to the oils and grease in your reels. Plain water does little to remove oil and grease but it does remove salt quite well. Since I have had lots of experience cleaning things to laboratory standards, I don't think I'll be taking practical cleaning lessons from mates on charter fishing boats, though they do seem to keep their decks nice and white.

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by captain58sailin

Something the commercial salmon trollers do with their lures is store them in a tub of acetone. I have not employed that practice. Too much contact with acetone in my younger years has made me leery of it.

I guess it depends on what your lures are made of. Some plastic lure are likely to dssolve in acetone, and many paints will as well. I would not recommend this practice for most plastic or painted lures.

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by NahanniV

Question:

I've always used a handline, but was thinking of switching to a downrigger reel and all stainless line with a snubber. I picked up the downrigger reel at a garage sale for a couple of bucks. Planning to leave it attached so it's easy to deploy.

Will the stainless line scare away the fish ? Any other problem with this ?

I think it dependss on what you are trying to catch. I've caught a lot of king mackeral with steel leader and wahoo. They don't seem to be bothered by it. Mahi on the other hand do in my experience. I've had the same lures out with one on steel and one on heavy mono and almost always catch them on the mono. Just my observation, not a systematic study. You do lose less lures on the steel. It just seems to hold up better to the real toothy fish like king mackeral, wahoo, and barracuda. II also check the mono every time I catch a fish. If there are any nicks or cuts in it I cut it off and retie it or replace it.

[captain58sailin]

The trollers use metal spoons.

[Bestathook]

I used to work with a towing company who encouraged fishing, even awarded prizes. We carried all kinds of gear aboard our tugs. Because a 600' barge has a bit of momentum, we brought fish in as we moved. At 10 knots, the fish feels about 5 times as big. Really big ones are difficult or impossible to handle. We caught, photographed, and released, except for food as needed.

I prefer a yoyo and hand line on a sailboat. Trying to pass a rod around stays as a big fish runs can be troublesome. Sailing solo you face fighting a fish with no captain to maneuver the boat to your advantage, like in a charter situation. You fight as the autopilot continues to steer along.

I prefer braided (no twist) net twine around 400+ pounds, then a mono shock line, then a wire leader, then a large, very sharp hook. Because big fish just break off with your gear, I make lures with a hook and unbraided, frazzled, yellow poly tied as a skirt to cover it. They are a minimal loss if lost. A snubber is essential, and a bungee with the hooks closed works well. Deep water fish don't seem to be too picky, and I only need one to eat.

Technique is important. You pull the yoyo with the right hand, then take a turn with your left as you push the yoyo away from you to get slack. Repeat as needed. A piece of bicycle inner tube on the index and middle fingers of the left hand helps, even better than a glove to keep the mono and wire from cutting your fingers.

Have something ready to calm the fish. He will "tap-dance" about the cockpit, smashing what he can, biting what he can, and painting things red.

I lose a lot of lures. A twisted strip of computer CD, a swivel, leader wire, and a hook make a flashy lure. A strip of beer can, or anything shiny, has worked. Carnival beads tied to a hook undulate and "swim" nicely. Chartreuse or yellow work best for me. Really, the hook is all you have to buy. I like to experiment. If you and the fish are ever both hooked on the treble hook at the same time, you will use single hooks ever after. With homemade lures, it is easier to just cut off, when safety makes that the best path.

At anchor, it is easier to fish with a mono net. If you get a piece as long as your boat, with a lead line on the bottom and a float line on top, and hang it from bow to stern, it will catch the fish your lights attract. I like 2 1/2 " stretched mesh (1 1/4" side of square mesh), that will gill about a 12 " fish. Sharks like those fish too, so it is best to tend your net to avoid a lot of mending.

Check local legal requirements.

There are a lot of styles of nets to use, and if anyone is interested I will mention some favorites. But that, as Kipling said, is another story.