gshaw

Is 30-40# more reasonable?

I'm sure this topic has been done to death, but I did a search and couldn't find quite what I was looking for. At my normal fishing holes in the BWCA I target walleye and smallies, but pike are VERY abundant. I'm altering my approach this spring and am concentrating on using cranks. So, instead of going leader-less, and instead of going with the traditional steel or super leader, I plan on simply making my own leaders out of barrel swivels and 20# Spiderwire. That way I can continue to use my normal 10#test, have some pike protection, and retain the crank action as if i were using no leader at all. Does anyone have any advice as to why I should or shouldn't pursue this approach? Possible alternatives? Thanks in advance. g

Moss boss. Two of 'em - dark. Fo' sho'!

I'm fairly inexperienced with, I'll call it "hook fishing". Typically I've tied a leader or a swivel onto my line and use cranks or jigs. If using a technique utilizing tieing a hook on (eg. slip bobber), how adverse are fish to a rig that has a hook cliped on a swivel? Am I better off just tieing the hook straight onto the line without a swivel? I just love the quickness and ease of clips/swivels and I don't want to remove them if I don't need to.

In the first photo, something just looks goofy, not necessarily about the fish, but about the man's hand. It looks abnormally large compared to his body, suggesting to me that the photo was doctored in the fish respect as well as the background. I would think that in relation to the rest of his body (shoulders and face, specifically), his hand should be smaller. I have nothing to gain or lose from ratting out a fake, it's just remarkable how the eye can pick up such subtlties and decide something isn't kosher.

So then my next question is related, and has to do with a scale i just purchased. I got one that goes up to 28lbs. and the interface is simply a metal 3/4in. square-ish "U" shaped hook. If i were to weigh a fish - any fish - where do i hook this hook to without ripping or tearing any fish parts?

I know the best thing is to minimize a fish's time out of the water, but in holding a fish for a photo, what do you all think is the best way to grip/hold? Under the jaw/gillplate for the lunkers? Vertical, horizontal? Does the "by the lip" method fly for smaller, non-toothed fish in your opinions?

Why is heavy line needed for the "line trick"? Wouldn't 8lb. do the trick if it's only used for pulling (especially if it's doubled up)?