Nice talking to you the other day Paul, and great thread. I am definitely going to implement the super spreader and the crescent pliers thats a great idea. I made the mistake early on of not having a knipex and getting a cheap bolt cutter. Dont do it!! There is no substitute for Knipex they cut hooks like butter and are worth every penny.
One thing i can add that i also thought was pretty handy i learned from another guide, is that since the spreaders and whatnot tend to fall prey to thrashing fish and end up at the bottom of the lake, its good to rope them off.
What i did was take some small diameter nylon cord and cut it a couple of feet long then tie that to the tool . Then the other end of the cord gets a dog leash clip tied to it. (one of those spring loaded ones) THis allows you to quickly clip one end of the tool rope to the top of the net bag and the other is attached to the tool so if they get shaken loose or fall over no lost tools!! It takes about two seconds to clip on and off and saves your tools. Instead of worrying about tools flying overboard you can concentrate on getting the fish unhooked quickly. If you have a knipex like i do without the ring on the end of the handle ,you can tightly wrap electrical tape around the nylon cord running along one of the handles about 3 or four inches long. You cant pull the cord out so no worries.
Dan B.
Reply With Quote
