What line should I use? Braid, mono, or fluorocarbon?

    

Working in a tackle shop exposes you to a plethora of different opinions every day. One of the most polarizing is line preference for offshore fishing. Over the last couple of months there has been a surge in people wanting to go with a combination of braid, mono and fluorocarbon. While this definitely has its merits, there are a few other factors that come into play when choosing your line and leader combinations.

            

Let’s start out by discussing the different line and leader combinations. The first one that comes to mind is the classic, all monofilament. This is definitely the most cost effective option when it comes to spooling. It’s also great for beginners as mono tends to be much more forgiving when it comes to casting and line management. The drawback is that mono needs to be replaced fairly often as it loses strength every time it is fished. Sunlight and repeated exposure to water can also weaken it by breaking down the physical makeup of the line.  It also has a tremendous amount of stretch that can, in some instances, lead to missed hook-sets and lost fish.

   The next, and most popular, would be braided line(Power Pro, Jerry Brown, etc) to a short(3 feet to 25 yard) top shot of fluorocarbon or monofilament. This would be the most expensive option but in the long run, it's more cost effective due to the fact that the braid can last well beyond 5 years. This means you only have to replace the short top shot between fishing trips, which can cost next to nothing if you’re using mono. Also, the braid has virtually no stretch which can lead to excellent hook-sets and amazing sensitivity when bottom fishing.  When you get a bite at 200 feet down, you feel it incredibly well.  The same cannot be said if you were fishing straight monofilament.  

The less top shot you have to braid, the better your fly lined bait will swim.  This is also true if you are using egg sinkers, rubber core sinkers, or any inline weight to your bait.  If you have a very short top shot and are using brightly colored line, a fabric marker can darken the line so it's less visible, especially in low light.  We get the largest fabric pen available and use a razor blade to make a cut down the middle of the tip of the marker.  Then simply run your line inside the cut and color as much of the line you want.  We tend to color around 10 feet of it and find that a fabric marker keeps it's color longer than a sharpie.  If you are interested, we have fabric markers on our website.  

There are downsides to using braided line like it's abrasion on your fingers and lower quality rod guides.  Unless you are using an 8 carrier braided line that is relatively soft, regular 4 carrier braided line can be abrasive and cause cuts in the crevices of your fingers.  This can easily mitigated by using Flexx Wrap finger tape.  8 carrier braided lines are more expensive and may be made of Dyneema which won't last as long as Spectra.  Casting can also be a bit different with braided line as it comes off the spool different than monofilament.  If the braided line wasn't put back on with tension it can dig into the rest of the line causing a backlash.  With practice, lots of practice, most people can cast braided line better than mono because it has no memory and goes through the rod guides better.

Steven on a 20lb Yellowtail.  Shimano Terez 9' MH with braid to short top shot.

The third and final option would be the combination of all three lines. Anywhere from half to two thirds of the reel filled with braided line, topped with however much mono is needed to fill the remainder of the spool, and finished off with a short (3 feet to 10 feet) fluorocarbon leader. This would be middle of the road when it comes to cost. The theory behind this setup would be that it offers you much needed stretch while reducing pulled hooks or breaking off. This can be an issue with the no stretch properties of braided line. The rubber band effect of mono is like an insurance policy if the fish makes sudden changes in direction.  The downside is there are now three knots that can fail.  In the shop, we use a knot connecting the braid to top shot called the RP knot, which is very small and strong.  However, the knot from monofilament to fluorocarbon is much larger, not as strong, and bulky going through the guides.  The final knot to the lure or hook depends on which one you tie but we like the San Diego Jam or Palomar.  The best knot however is the knot you tie best and if that's a improved cinch knot, that's the one you should tie.  Now that we’ve covered line configurations, it is time to take into account another major factor that people often don't consider when choosing their line…rod selection.
Top - Uni to Uni Knot 25# Monofilament     Bottom - RP Knot 50# Braid 25# Monofilament

           Rod selection is a critical piece of the puzzle and should be used with the correct line. Two types of rods come time mind. The first would be the old school graphite rod or composite of graphite and glass. That would include rods like the Calstar Grafighter and the Seeker Super Seeker series. Under load these rod tends to “shut off” very fast. This means that the tip of the rod is softer than the rest of the rod but that softer area turns to a heavy action fairly quickly.  A "fast" rod generally has more of heavier tip section and an "extra fast" rod has a softer tip. These types of rods are excellent for fishing monofilament. The stiffer action of the rod helps to pull the stretch out of the monofilament much faster, thus leading to a better hook-set. Conversely, if one decided to fish braided line with a short mono or fluoro top shot, the stiffness of these more traditional rods can actually work against you. Since the braid has virtually no stretch, when fished on a stiffer rod it becomes much easier to pull hooks and break line. It is a much less forgiving setup. With that being said, it is still possible to fish a braid setup on these rods by simply backing your drag down a little more than usual. The lighter drag will somewhat compensate for the lack of stretch in the setup.  In the end though, having the correct rod with the correct line is crucial.

 

The second type of rod is a more modern, parabolic rod such as the Shimano Terez or the Phenix Axis. A parabolic rod tends to have much more “bend” to it than a traditional graphite rod. It can, at times, bend all the way through the handle. Despite having this bend, these rods have a tremendous amount of backbone and lifting power. These rods were designed specifically for fishing braided line since they take into account the lack of stretch. That is where the parabolic nature of the rod becomes important.  When a fish runs, the rod bends deeper into the blank, making up for the lack of stretch in the line. The second benefit to these rods is that, due to the bend of the rod, a lot of the strain is taken out of the anglers back and arms and makes it more difficult for the fish.  Instead of fighting part of the rod, the fish has to fight the entire rod because it's bending further down toward the handle. 

With all of that taken into consideration, there really is no wrong way. Each person has a preference and the important thing is having confidence in your rig.  Confidence is key in fishing and you'll fish different if you're not sure about your gear. If you have no confidence in what you are fishing then you’re fighting a losing battle from the get-go. My preference is braided line with a short (3 feet to 10 yards) fluorocarbon top shot using a Shimano Terez rod 8 feet to 9 feet long. I have friends that swear by straight mono and I’ve been out fished by them as many times as they've been out fished by me. If you are new to offshore fishing and you don't know what you like, try different setups and see what works best for you.     

What did I get myself into?

For years, 20 to be exact, I was in the landscape industry.  I started out gardening with a friend I met at college in San Luis Obispo, CA whenever he needed help.  We cut lawns, trimmed bushes, pulled weeds, all the normal gardening stuff.  At some point, he decided he wanted to sell his business which had around 40 houses plus some side jobs here and there.  I borrowed $3000 from my grandparents, bought the business, and worked my butt off to grow it to around 80 houses.

For some reason I got the bright idea to sell it and move from the awesome California Central Coast and move back home to Southern California where there is 20 times as many people, hotter than hell in the summertime, and 45 miles from the beach.  In SLO, I surfed almost everyday at places like Morro Bay, Hazard Canyon, and Shell Beach.  I loved the life I had and I still question why I moved, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.  I started another landscape business in Santa Clarita, CA, where I grew up.  Again, I worked 15 hour days and managed up to 14 employees from Castaic to Beverly Hills.  It was fun, but after 20 years in the landscape business, I was burnt out.

I was an avid fresh and saltwater fisherman and got the idea to start a tackle shop and Santa Clarita didn't have one.  We have famous Castaic Lake where some monster fish are known to hang out along with some lesser known lakes like Piru and Pyramid.  The ocean wasn't far and San Diego, the offshore capital of the west coast, was only 2 hours away.  The Sierra Nevada mountains are 5 hours away and has some of the best high mountain trout fishing you could ask for.  It was a no brainer that with over 200,000 people in Santa Clarita that a tackle shop should do well.

Starting a business is always risky and a tackle shop had never lasted in this valley for more than a few years.  I was confident that it would work, but you just never know.  What did I know about the tackle business?  I knew how to fish but that doesn't mean I can run a successful tackle shop.  I figured no risk, no reward and I hit the ground running.

I spent hours learning knots that I had never done before, learned how to use the line machine, researched how to run a retail store, read up on the newest techniques, picked the brains of every person in the industry that was willing to help me.  Some were very helpful and others could care less.  Few thought it would work and fewer were even willing to help me.  I'm still very grateful for the ones who did even though the chips were stacked against me.

One of many hurdles was opening up new accounts with vendors.  You see, I had been going to a shop not too far from Santa Clarita for years.  I had discussed opening a shop in Santa Clarita with the owner several times and he seemed to be positive in thinking it would work.  He seemed genuinely interested in my success which relieved some of my angst about opening the shop.  When I started getting serious about it and began opening accounts with vendors, the gloves came off.

I understand now why he was upset, there was a chance I could take business away from him.  He was so established and had a significant inventory, I'm not sure how much influence I would have over his business considering the distance between us.  That didn't matter much though, he was not happy about it.

The shop that I had loved so much started calling multiple vendors telling them not to sell to me.  A big big vendor, one that I absolutely needed, met with me and told me "We can't sell to you."  When I asked why, he said I have to be 45 miles from the nearest shop.  45 miles!!!!  I couldn't believe what he was telling me. There are shops closer than that all over Southern California.  I was at a loss and didn't know what to do.  I wasn't sleeping at night, I no longer had the landscape business to fall back on, and I had already invested a significant amount of money into my dream of owning a shop.  I started calling people higher up in the company and again I was told "we can't sell to you."  Not having this vendor would be like a tire shop not being able to sell tires, I needed it and I needed it bad.

How could one guy have so much power over an international company and what the heck did he say to them that would make them not sell to me, an extremely small, independent, new tackle shop?  I'm small time, why was he so concerned about my shop opening up that he would go to such measures to stop me?  He even went as far as to fire a salesmen that was helping me through the battle.  I kept wondering, "what did I get myself into?"

Finally I got in touch with the right person and told them what was going on.  What had happened was the rep for the big company was telling everyone I was internet only.  This wasn't the case and was never my intention to only sell on the internet.  Most vendors won't sell to someone who is just selling on the internet because they want to support brick-and-mortar businesses.  When I finally spoke to the head honcho, he said "so you have a shop and you are open?"  My response was "yes, I have a retail store front and I carry most of your competitors already."  He seemed stunned and just said, "ok, I'll call you back soon."

The head guy at this company knew something was wrong and I could tell in his voice that I was going to get the account, and I did.  Woohoo!!!   I got a call from my rep soon after and he said "your account has been opened, I just need to come take pictures and give you a catalog."  It was short but oh soooooo sweet to hear him say that.  After all the back and forth about how I had to open miles away, and there is no way I can sell to you, and blah blah blah.  I finally got the account and I was on my way to having the shop I dreamed of.

This was such sweet victory for me on so many levels.  The other shop owner had to have heard fairly quickly that his sabotage didn't work and I got the account.  I'm not sure why the other shop owner was so angry and out to get me.  If it were me, I would simply make my business the best I could instead of being vindictive.  That's what we do now and we will continue to do.

Over time, I slowly was able to open all the other accounts that had blackballed me.  They have all forgotten about his strange demands not to sell to me.  I have become friends with many of the vendors and we talk about bites that are going on and pass knowledge back and forth.

Now, things are going well with the shop and we are on our 5th year. Our product line is growing with over 10,000 SKU's and  we continue to earn new customers all the time.  The website is up and running and sales are increasing every month.  We do our best to make the experience here the best it can be.  We aren't as big as some other shops, but we guarantee you we will give you the best customer service at a fair price.

I don't have any hard feelings for the guy.  I'd gladly shake his hand if I ever see him again.  In no way am trying to make anyone look bad, that's why I've left out names.  I'm just telling my story, hopefully it's somewhat interesting.   Looking back, I'm glad it was difficult, it makes me appreciate Tackle Express even more.

Swimbait Fishing Tactics with the Roman Made Negotiator

Hand carved, hand tuned and ready to target big bass, the Roman Made Negotiator is the staple in the line-up.  This wooden swimbait is ideal when bigger fish are targeting larger bait fish or trout.  The subtle "S" pattern entices fish from deeper water and gets them to strike violently.   

At 7 inches and 3 ounces, it's perfect for throwing on lighter swimbait rods or flipping/punching rods.  Here at Tackle Express, we use 15 pound Seaguar Abrazx fluorocarbon because it's strong and very abrasion resistant.  15 pound line allows the bait to move freely and has the perfect sink rate to enhance the lures big bass capability.

As with any swimbait technique, there are several approaches one can take to fish this lure correctly. Try out each technique at different times of day and rotate through them until you find out what makes them strike.  Here are some basic techniques we recommend.  

When you get a fish on, wind wind wind!!  You don't want to let the fish shake it's head or break the water's surface.  Most of the time that's when the fish will throw the bait.  The heavier the bait, the easier it is for them to throw the hook.  Get it to the boat now and I strongly recommend you have a net ready.  If it's a smaller fish, you can boat flip it but it's best not to take a chance on loosing the fish and the bait.  

Swimbait Basics: We do better on a steady retrieve.  You can work the bait with the handle a little bit or the rod tip, but in general a steady retrieve works best. If you have a bass following the bait and you are running out of room, stop the bait and twitch the handle to make it turn 180 degrees.  Often times this will evoke a strike, after all, you are almost out of water to work the lure and as soon as the fish sees the boat, it's gone!

It's best with all the techniques not to let is sink out for a long time.  As soon as it hits the water, start turning the handle.  Keep your rod tip down close to the water and pay attention.  Visualize in your mind what you're going to do when you get bit.  When you do get bit, start winding fast and set the hook with force, but not so much that you break off.

Parallel:  While in a boat or from shore, make as long a cast as you can while maintaining proper distance from the shore.  Proper distance from the shore is within 5 to 7 feet.  On a beach or sandy flat area, you may need to throw further out, just pay attention to the bottom topography.  Here in California, we have steep walls and at times throw the lure within a foot or two of the bank.  It may be 30 feet deep or several feet deep, just try to keep it shallow and run it slowly along the bank.

Pulling into Deeper Water:  One of our favorite techniques is pulling the fish off structure and out into deeper water.  We have pulled fish 25-30 feet of the bank and still had them hit it.  Sometimes they will bump it a few times on the way but that's when the 180 degree turn of the bait comes into play.  They usually will chase a bait into deeper water when they are really fired up and ready to go! Usually the fish are on rocky deep water access areas and especially like to ambush on points.  

For points, throw to the left or right of the point as far down the line past the point as you can.  Pull that bait as close to the shore as possible and keep it in line with the point as you enter deeper water.  Steady retrieve is a must, you want the lure to look unthreatened and just chill.  If a bass ready to pounce is there, it will attack it.  Try one side and then the other side of the point with only one cast per side.  Multiple casts will not help the situation, if they are gonna hit it, they will the first time.

Crossing a Point or Submerged Hump:  This technique works for both crossing a point and working the bait over a submerged hump.  I work it in two or three different angles and bring it over the hight spot but not in very deep water.  The depth you want the bait to be in is 3-10 feet and cast across the point or hump keeping the splash from the bait as far away from the strike area as possible.  By keeping the splash at a distance and working the lure into the strike area, you can make multiple casts without spooking the fish.  Often times we let it sink out before we retrieve and put the rod tip in the water to keep it a little deeper.  On deeper areas around 10 feet, I'll put half the rod in the water to keep it in the strike zone.  When you get bit with your rod in the water, wind fast and keep winding while you bring your rod tip up.

Roman Made is one of the best swimbaits on the market and I strongly suggest you put some time in with it.  I guarantee you the numbers of fish won't be high, but the fish you catch will be bigger and the thrill of catching a fish on a swimbait is unmatched.

Fishing Live Bait Offshore - How to hook a live bait.

Fishing live bait is one of the most productive and easiest ways to catch a variety of different fish where I am in Southern California.  Finding out which bait to fish, how to hook it, and how to fish it can be difficult for anglers to understand.  I'll explain some of the methods we use to hook live bait and how the different hook placements changes the way the bait swims.  The location of the hook guides the bait to do different things.

 One of the most popular methods is to nose hook.  Going through the nostrils of the nose is great for most fishing conditions and the hook stays in the bait well.  The nostrils of the bait are surrounded by bone or cartilage that keeps the hook from pulling through.  

Nose Hook

It also allows the bait to swim freely if given light tension by the angler.  With a nose hook flylined (just the hook, no weight) the bait will tend to stay in the upper part of the water column.  This is generally the best way to hook a bait if the fish are in the upper part of the column and feeding on or near the surface, but the bait tends to do what it wants to do.

Shoulder Hook

A shoulder hooked bait will tend to stay on or just below the surface while throat hooked baits tend to go down in the column.  If you need it to go deeper or birds are attacking your bait before you can get bit, use a sliding egg sinker to get down.  In order to know what method to employ, you have to know the conditions.  

Butt Hook

If you just need it to get out of range of the birds, try an 1/8oz egg sinker.  Slide it onto your line without a swivel, tie on the hook, and let it slide right up to the hook.  When you pin your bait on and it starts swimming, the weight will slide away from the bait keeping it down, but won't impair the action of the bait too much because now it's a few feet away on your line.  The sinker pulls the line down and the bait tends to swim up so it creates a sag in the line.

If you need to get down deeper into the lower upper half of the column, put on a little heavier sinker.  I tend to use 3/8oz and sometimes half but normally not more than 1/2oz for a regular sardine.  If you're using big mackerel, you may need to put on heavier egg sinkers and long range guys will even use up to 6 or 8 oz egg sinkers on bigger baits for bigger tuna.

 When fishing a bait, if you reach into the tank and grab the liveliest bait you can see, pin it on, and it swims horrible, take it off and throw it back.  When you put the bait on and it hits the water, it should swim hard and fast.  Let it go and don't thumb the spool too hard. You should let it swim as free as you can without getting a backlash.  Some baits just don't swim well with a hook in them even though they looked great in the tank.  Having a good strong hooked bait is one of the keys to getting bit more often.  If it starts out good but then tires out in a few minutes, take it off and put another one on.

Often times I hear about guys saying they get backlashes when letting a strong bait swim. They blame it on the line or the reel but often times it's just the spool tensioner (cast control) needs to be tightened a little.  The way it works is as you turn it clockwise, it moves the knob closer to a pin that is attached to the spool.  The knob has a little pad inside to help create friction on the spool pin.  The more you tighten, the more tension on the spool and the slower it spins.  Put just enough tension on the spool to slow it a little, this will reduce backlashes while fishing live bait, throwing lures, or free spooling a dropper loop to the bottom.  

Knowing how to fish a live bait can make the difference between getting bit and not.  When you're on the water try hooking your bait different ways to see how it makes a difference.  Learning what the bait does with each method and understanding when to use those methods is key to being a better fisherman.  

Being a better fisherman and catching more and bigger fish is about understanding the little details.  It's the little things that matter the most and translate into the biggest rewards.

www.TackleExpress.com

Trout Stockings For Christmas 2014

Castaic Lake and pyramid lakes got trout!  It's Christmas week and the DFW gave us locals one of the best presents possible.  Pyramid Lake got 2 trucks of trout which is nearly unheard of. I don't quite understand why they usually give us these very small stockings but all of a sudden give us two trucks, but I'm not complaining.  There has to be a reason for it and I plan to visit the hatchery sometime to ask lots of questions.

Castaic Lake got a stocking too and it sounded a little bigger than usual.  Since the West Ramp is 130 feet out of water, it's obvious that the main ramp got the stocking.  Still waiting to hear about the lagoon getting trout, I have a feeling it will be soon.  

So tie on your swimbait and get your heavy gear out, it's time to start chucking big baits.  January can be one of the best months to hook into a double digit!!

Gifts for Fishermen for the Holidays, What to Buy and Not Buy for that Matter.

Buying gifts for people who fish can be difficult and cause panic attacks on an epic scale.  There are a million things to buy considering all the rods, reels, line, lures, clips, swivels, waders, boots, and the list goes on and on.  You could end up in the funny farm if you think about it too much or spend countless hours on the internet trying to come up with a handful of things they might want, need, or don't know they need yet.  Here are some tips on what to buy that most fishermen need, but equally important here are the things you shouldn't buy.

1.  Essentials:  There are some basic items that no matter what, everyone who fishes will need.  It doesn't matter if they are fly fishermen in Montana or going on a trip to Nicaragua for Tarpon, he or she will need these few simple items.  You can't go wrong if you gift these little gadgets.

Do Buy Pliers:  There are many types of pliers and some are better for freshwater and others better for saltwater.  In general, anyone would love to get a pair of Calcutta lightweight aluminum pliers regardless of where they fish.  Some have replaceable cutting blades while others are fixed and would need to be sharpened.  We prefer ones with soft rubber handles for freshwater but they are fine in saltwater applications as well.

Shimano Brutas steel pliers are good for freshwater lakes or streams.  They are durable and have a corrosion resistant finish.  However these steel pliers are not good for saltwater because they rust easily and will be trash in just a few weeks.  As with any plier, oiling is key to keep them working good.  Some pliers say they will cut braided line, but we have found that most do not work well.  We recommend special braid cutters for that.

Don't Buy Gimmicks:  We've all seen those infomercials with a new lure that catches everything no matter what body of water is being fished.  They are so convincing with all the pro staff guys and they show them hooking into fish left and right.  Don't fall into their trap, they might catch fish, but it's meant to catch the fishermen.  I don't care how many states it's illegal in, don't buy it.

Do Buy Braid Cutters: Braid is difficult to cut with normal pliers or scissors.  Actually, scissors can work well but they usually don't work well for too long.  Daiwa makes special scissors that are made for braid that work very well because of fine tolerances and teeth on the blade.  They are stainless steel and made of Japanese high quality steel.

Boomerang Co. makes a great braid cutter and will slice through it with ease every time.  They come with stainless steel teeth and screws so the won't rust out easily.  The cutting blades have been extended so the recipient can reach down inside spools, cut really close to the knot and just make it easier for low light conditions.  They also come with a split ring and retractable tether so they can be clipped on vests, shirts, pants, bags, or any other convenient spot.

Don't Buy Lures:  Unless you have a list from the giftee, don't buy lures.  There are so many different kinds of fish and ways to fish that you will never get it right.  What we use in Southern California may not work in Texas and vice versa.  Chances are if you buy lures as a gift, they will end up as a wind chime at best or thrown in the garbage at worst.

Everyone Needs Split Ring Pliers:  These are a must have for anyone who fishes.  The little rings that hold on hooks are a pain in the neck to open and close.  Often times fish will bend out your hook or the split ring and they need to be changed.  Here at the shop, we like to change hooks and split rings out to stronger ones and the Texas Tackle Split Ring Pliers are the best we've seen.  This patented design opens split rings with ease and won't bend them too much to where they have lost their shape.

2.  Clothing:  Winter or summer, we are out in the elements and the right clothes can make the difference between a comfortable trip and a miserable trip.  Have clothes that breathe in the summer and wick away moisture is key to staying cool even when it's HOT!  Winter brings on frigid temperatures but there is no way we're staying home.  Gloves, hats, and hoodies are a must but they need to allow us to fish at the same time.

Keep Cool for Summer:  For the past few years I've been wearing Buff's when I go outside.  I actually wear it year round when I'm fishing but it's great in the summer.  A Buff is a thin, breathable, sun protectant scarf type thing that blocks up to 95% of the suns UV rays.  It protects my face, neck, and ears from looking like a Canadian stranded in the Sahara Desert.  It's not only great for blocking the suns rays, but it keeps my hat on when we are moving at high speeds.  It's also great for keeping bugs out of my nose, ears, and mouth.

Stay Warm for Winter:  When it's cold and we know the fish are biting, we have to have gloves on.  If we can't feel our hands we can't fish right.  Buff also makes gloves and they are designed for fishing.  The tip of two fingers are removed so that a knot can still be tied or a lure can be changed without having to take your gloves off.  We know, not revolutionary, but it helps.  They have leather on the palm and the fingers but have a thinner material on the back of the hand so that they are not cumbersome.  After we have them on for a while, we forget we're even wearing them.

We don't always wear a hoodie, but when we do it's a G. Loomis hoodie.  Yeah I know, overused line but I still like it.  These are quality just like all G. Loomis products.  They have a very soft feel to them with high quality zippers on the pockets.  The cord that runs through the hood is strong so it won't break off inside.  We hate it when that happens. I'm not sure how to get the old cord out and put the new cord in.  Usually it sits in my closet for the next 4 years until my wife throws it out.

3.  Tackle Storage:  Everyone who fishes has way too much stuff and we all need somewhere to put it all.  We often tell ourselves that we don't need any more stuff, but somehow we can't help ourselves from buying that new lure or trying out a new technique that yes, requires more stuff.  It's an addiction and yes we need help from a professional, but in the mean time we need somewhere to put all our new goodies.

Shimano Baraja Tackle Binders are great for storing hooks, plastic worms, weights, swimbaits, you name it.  They make 3 sizes depending on what needs to be stored.  We like the smaller one for hooks and weights, the medium size for worms, small swimbaits, and other plastics, and the larger one for bulky items like large swimbaits, pliers, trolling rigs, or anything that takes up a lot of space.

These quality binders come with very thick zip-lock bags.  These bags aren't thin like sandwich bags, they are meant to store tackle, hooks, etc, so they will stand the abuse of fishermen.  The zipper that closes the bag is also high quality and won't give out in one season.  We like using binders instead of boxes because it keeps everything organized.  Often times we have one binder that has weights, hooks, and worms for a certain technique like drop shot.  That way I'm not having to go to one box for hooks and another box for worms.  Plano boxes still have their place and we have more boxes than binders in our boat, but binders still have an important role in keeping all my crap(it's a love hate relationship) where I can find it.

For shore fishermen, the Shimano Blackmoon Backpack is the best we've ever seen.  This backpack is made for fishing and has some serious thought into it.  I've seen lots of packs that claim they are for fishing but it seems like the people who designed them haven't fished a day in their life.  This pack is streamlined without a bunch of unnecessary stuff hanging off of it.

This simple lightweight design has an internal frame so it won't collapse when a box is taken out.  It has storage for fishing line, pliers, binders, and even has a built in rain fly to keep everything from getting wet and rusting.  The ergonomic straps keep you comfortable if it's worm for long periods. Also, keep the Shimano Borona Tackle Bag in mind. Shimano always makes high quality items at a fair price that we use ourselves.

Stay away from buying very specific bags and boxes.  There are some very specific boxes and bags that are made for a very narrow type of fishing.  For instance, Shimano makes a bag called they Bluewave Surf Fishing Bag.  As you can tell, this bag is made for surf fishing only.  Although nice, 99% of people who fish will find little or no use for this bag.  If you know the person your buying the gift for is a surf fisher, than this may be the ticket.

Hopefully this helps you buy smarter for your loved one who fishes.  We know it can be daunting to buy that avid fisherman a cool gift and we don't think you can go wrong with any one of these suggestions.  If you are still too chicken to buy a tangible gift, there is always a gift card.

I'll Never Take a Trout Plant for Granted

A recent article from Jim Matthews from Outdoor News Service renewed my hope that someday we might hear the stocking truck backing down the ramp once again.  The two most important waters to us here at the shop are the Castaic Lake Lagoon and Piru Lake.  The lack of trout stockings has fundamentally changed how we fish, were we fish, and who fishes in our local waters.  I know lots of guys that loved to troll for trout at Piru but have since sold their boats and moved onto other things.

I took for granted that we got the trout and I never thought it could be stopped.  It is such an important part of fishing in Southern California and brings so much joy to so many. Why would anyone want to take that away?  When the environmentalists wacko's started their attack on trout stockings, there was little we could do to fight it.  I was amazed that their nonsense actually worked and they stopped planting trout at Castaic Lagoon, Casitas, Piru, Cachuma, and several more.  It's amazing how the few can affect the many with a good lawyer, lots of money, and bogus study.

Last year with the help of Brad Cox at Cornerstone Office Furniture, we started a petition at Castaic Lake Lagoon Trout Plants Petition to see if we could get some action from the state.  I'm not sure if our petition did any good, but I couldn't be happier that their is light at the end of the tunnel.  It also tells me that the chance of them stopping trout plants at our other lakes is unlikely.  I worry every year that the DFW is ending all trout stockings for one reason or another.  I imagined that they would come up with some excuse like we can't afford it, not enough people are catching trout, the water level is too low, or some other made up reason why they don't want the citizens of California to enjoy fishing.

If Casitas and Castaic Lagoon get stocked again, the impact may be greater than we imagined.  Think about it, we have the possibility of catching a world record in the Lagoon.  The strain of fish in that little lake is proven to get big, very big.  It may take a year or two but I'm confident they will return.  The trout just don't make the bass bigger, it helps the entire ecosystem.  Since the trout plants have stopped, the numbers of fish are down, the quality is down, and very few people even fish it anymore.  It opens all us locals to trophy sized bass if we put our time in.

When I was a 20 something year old insomniac, I would fish the Lagoon 3 times per week at night with 10" black Powerworms and it wasn't uncommon to catch 6-8 pounders with an occasional 10 mixed in.  My best lagoon bass is 15lbs that I caught on a hula grub.  A fiberglass replica still hangs in the shop as a reminder to me of the trout plant times.  With hope, the young sticks of today will have their opportunity to stick a double digit.

So many of our rights as fishermen/women get taken away in the state of California.  It's nice to know that the DFW still cares about our sport and they are working at getting the trout plants back.  I hope the article is right, I pray that I'm not jumping the gun, and I can't wait to hear the stocking truck back down that ramp again.  I'll make sure I'm there to take the picture when it does and I'll never take another trout stock for granted.

By JIM MATTHEWS
www.OutdoorNewsService.com

     Trout plants from the Department of Fish and Wildlife will resume soon on at least three major waters in Southern California -- Lake Skinner, Lake Casitas, and the Castaic Lagoon (afterbay) -- and the agency is working on environmental documentation that will also allow the state to again plant Cachuma Lake and Lake Piru at some time in the future.

     But “soon” is a relative term, and those plants could resume as “soon” as the end of the year or as “soon” as late next year for Skinner, Casitas, and the Castaic Lagoon. For Cachuma and Piru, the resumption of stocking may still be a year or more away.

     None of these waters had been planted with trout by the DFW since at least Jan., 2010, when the state finished its environmental impact report for the statewide hatchery program. This EIR was mandated by a lawsuit that shut down trout stocking in areas throughout the state because the state agency had never evaluated the possible threat of planted fish on native species. Without evaluation, the DFW stopped stocking at these five waters until it could be shown the plants were not creating a threat to native steelhead that exist or potentially exist in remnant numbers in drainages where these reservoirs are located.

     While the DFW staff was able to quickly produce biological evaluations on most Southern California waters that allowed for plants to continue, native steelhead became a bone of contention between state and scientists with the federal government for these five major fishing waters.

     The biggest concern for the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) scientists was the possibility that hatchery rainbow trout would wash downstream and hybridize with native steelhead, negatively impacting their genetic purity.

     By late 2012, the DFW had switched its entire rainbow trout stocking program over from planting fertile hatchery trout to planting triploid -- or sterile -- trout, making it impossible for the fish to interbreed with the native steelhead. Yet, the state was unable to get the federal agencies to back off on their objections to planting catchable trout in these major fishing waters.

     Stafford Lehr, the chief of the DFW fisheries branch, said there was finally “light now out at the end of the tunnel” in their “kerfuffles with the feds.” Lehr said the two federal agencies had finally provided some clarity “in the last couple of months” on what the state could and couldn’t do with regard to planting in Southern California steelhead watersheds. Lehr said the state agency decided to move forward with preparing pre-stocking evaluations on Skinner, Casitas, and Castaic Lagoon. These could be done very quickly, and the state could resume planting these waters before the end of the year. Lehr was unsure when plants would actually resume because the evaluations were not complete, and there has been no consultations with the hatchery system to see if fish would even be available for this winter. But he was confident the federal agencies would not object to the resumption of trout plants on these waters.

     Lehr said there were still some issues with Piru, where there is not consensus even within the DFW staff, and other issues exist. Cachuma will also take some additional time because of similar issues. (The Santa Ynez River was tremendous steelhead fishery up into the 1940s that attracted anglers from all over the state, but the construction of Bradbury Dam [Cachuma Dam] in 1953 spelled the final death knell for this river’s native steelhead run.)

     Casitas and Cachuma did receive private trout plants after 2010, paid for by the water district managers of these reservoirs, with both waters getting fish from private hatcheries each of the past three years. But the DFW did not renew the water agency stocking permits once they expired. That means Cachuma will not be planted with any trout this fall or winter. Casitas may or may not get fish -- private and/or DFW trout -- this fall-winter trout season, but it is likely trout will be planted here in the “near” future.

     END

http://www.outdoornewsservice.com/#!DFW-trout-stocking-to-resume-soon-at-three-major-SoCal-waters/c18sh/D8737306-7375-425E-ADFC-2D27C22B3F2A