Monthly Archives: May 2017

DIY Knife Sheath

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I have a knife on my surf belt. But, when I am chunking, I like to keep my bait knife in my cooler next to my bait. Time is fish! A naked knife in your cooler will cause punctures. But! With some simple tools and inexpensive materials, you can make a bait knife sheath.

Fish3

Materials

  • 1″ PVC Pipe
  • Two 1″ PVC Cap Fittings
  • PVC Primer
  • PVC Glue
  • 60 Grit Sand Paper
  • 120 Grit Sand Paper
  • 1/8″ Bungie Cord

Tools

  • Safety Glass
  • Power Drill
  • 1/8″ Drill Bit
  • Plastic Gloves
  • Miter Saw
  • Tape Measure
  • Fine Point Permanent Marker
  • Utility Knife

Measure and cut the PVC pipe to the length of your knife.

Fish360 DIY Knife Sheath

Drill two holes into the top of each PCV end cap.

Fish360 DIY Knife Sheath

Prime one end of the cut PVC pipe. Glue a PVC cap to this end.

Fish360 DIY Knife Sheath

Draw a line around the other end to mark a 1″ section.

Fish360 DIY Knife Sheath

Using a 1″ wide strip of 60 grit sand paper, grind down the marked 1″ section of the pipe until a cap goes on and off with ease. Then smoothed the marked section with 120 grit sand paper.

Fish360 DIY Knife Sheath

Pass one end of the bungee cord through one hole on the glued PVC cap. Tie two overhand knots to keep the cord from pulling free.

Fish360 DIY Knife Sheath

Pass the other end of the cord through the same hole in the other PVC cap such that it’s pulled onto the pipe. Tie two overhand knots to keep the cord from pulling free. Repeat for the other two holes on the PVC caps.

Fish360 DIY Knife Sheath

This simple knife sheath has several advantages. First, it’s 100% corrosion resistant. Second, it will work with a variety of knives. Third, it’s inexpensive. And most importantly, it will protect your cooler from punctures!

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Striper Wars

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I started fishing for striped bass after the moratorium (1985 – 1990). All that I knew of the moratorium was based on second hand information. Having now read Striper Wars, I can say that I was ignorant. I am now educated. The breath and depth of political, legislative, and scientific information in this book is extensive. Exemplary journalism!

Fish360 Striper Wars

In his 368 page book, Dick Russell illustrates that striped bass management is a multi-dimensional problem:

  1. Dams, Pumps, and Turbines
  2. Commercial Harvest
  3. Recreational Harvest
  4. Illegal Harvest (Black Market)
  5. Disease (e.g. mycobacterium)
  6. Bait Fish Depletion (e.g. Menhaden and American Eels)
  7. Pollution (e.g. PCBs, PDBEs, and Pesticides)
  8. Climate Change
  9. By Catch

Hypothetically speaking, if striped bass were to become a game fish and therefore would only be harvested by recreational anglers, then the population could go up because two of the parameters are removed from the equation: commercial harvest and illegal harvest. However, if the population does not have sufficient food (i.e. bait fish), then the increased population will starve to death. In addition, if recreational anglers, who greatly out number commercial anglers, can harvest large breading fish (30, 40, 50+ pound fish), then the population may still increase, but at a much slower rate than then model would forecast. Hence, each parameter itself is multi-dimensional.

The Striper Wars is not something that happened. Striper Wars are still happening today! We must learn from warriors of past Striper Wars and apply a systematic approach to win the current Striper Wars and save America’s fish: Morone saxitilis.

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Custom Bucktail Jigs

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Bucktail jigs (a.k.a. “hair jigs”) catch fish in freshwater and saltwater. In fact, they are exploited by professional anglers when they compete in tournaments. I started tying my own bucktail jigs because I could not find commercial bucktails in the color profiles, sizes, or shapes that I wanted.

Fish360 Bucktail Jigs / Hair Jigs)

You do not need a phD to tie your own bucktail jigs. All you need is some basic tools: vice, scizzors, bobbin, and bobbin threader. I use the Renzettie traveler 2000 cam vice; great vice at a good price. I recommend a sharp pair of scissors like the Dr. Slick’s tungsten carbide scissors.

Fish360 Bucktail Jigs / Hair Jigs)

The materials you will need are:

  1. Jig heads
  2. Bucktails
  3. Hackle Feathers (optional)
  4. Flashabou (optional)
  5. Uni thread 3/0
  6. Epoxy

There are three things to consider when selecting a jig head:

  1. Head Geometry
  2. Head Material (e.g.: Lead, Tin, Pewter, Tungsten)
  3. Hook

The geometry and size of the jig head depends on what structure and depth you are fishing. Each state has its own recreational fishing laws on lead. I fish in different states. So, I keep it simple. I tie non-lead jigs for freshwater and lead jigs for saltwater. I go with strong and bleeding sharp hooks, no exceptions.

Fish360 Bucktail Jigs / Hair Jigs)

Not all bucktails are equal. First, bucktails vary in hair length. I like long haired Bucktails because they allow me to tie long, medium, or short hair gigs. Second, colors vary across manufactures. Kittery Trading Post in Maine carries a great selection of bucktails from various manufactures. I buy some whenever I am in Kittery, if I need then, or not. 😉

Fish360 Bucktail Jigs / Hair Jigs)

For expoy, I use the Loon Outdoors Hard Head. This odorless and non-toxic thick head cement is available in 13 colors. I select the expoxy color based on the thread color. For example, blue pearlescent on black thread for black/blue hair jigs and green pearlescent on black thread for black/chartresuse hair jigs.

Fish360 Bass Hair Jig

There are various thread colors commercially available. I primarily use black and white 3/0 UNI-thread for my jigs. If I cannot find the thread color that I need, then I use white thread and a permanent marker! 😉

Fish360 Bucktail Jigs / Hair Jigs

Tying your own bucktail jigs can $ave you money. Custom bucktail jigs give you a competitive advantage. More money. More fish. Custom bucktails are are win/win!!!

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Fishing the Cape Cod Canal

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While trolling through the isles at the New England Saltwater Fishing Show this past March, I hooked a new book by DJ Muller: “Fishing the Cape Cod Canal”.

Fish360 DJ Muller Fishing the Cape Cod Canal

First, this book is the only guide book for fishing the Cape Cod Canal. Second, this book is comprehensive: plugs, jigs, chunking, rods, reels, lines, terminal tackle, traction control, transportation, spots, and tides. The explanation of breaking tides is the simplest and clearest I have ever read! I found the short history of the Cape Cod Canal enlightening.

Do you fish the Cap Cod Canal? If you want to land a trophy striped bass, then you should be! Before your next trip, buy and read DJ Muller‘s must read book! 😉

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