Honest Angler

Merwin: How to Clear a Backlash on a Baitcasting Reel

Online Editors — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:21:12 -0500

Every baitcaster gets a backlash once in while. Untangling the line can be a real pain, and many resort to a knife or scissors to cut away the tangle in frustration. No more. This quick video tip for clearing backlash snarls will help.

Reeling forward slightly while pressing on the tangled line with your thumb smooths the snarl and pushes those overlapping line loops free. It’s not a new idea. I first heard of this in an article by bass pro Shaw Grigsby maybe 10 years ago. But the video here by Maryland bass-blogger Kevin Scarselli is the first live demonstration I’ve seen.

Yes, it works. At least it works most of the time. The main thing in clearing a backlash by this or any other method is ...

Merwin: Enhance Your Brook Trout

Online Editors — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:10:37 -0500

Now about those sex ads. You know, the ads in the back of our print edition that tout various male-enhancement products. Some people complain about them. Others just smirk. But what if some of those things turned out to be great fishing products?

Cermele: My Final Post as an Unmarried Man

Joe_Cermele — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:12:51 -0500

Big day on Saturday. I tie the knot. So first and foremost, I just wanted to let everyone know not to expect to hear from me for a while. As of Tuesday, I'll be in Turks & Caicos for my honeymoon. I really look forward to romantic sunset strolls, frosty pina coladas, snorkeling, and...let me see...what else? Oh yeah. Bonefish. Lots and lots of bonefish.

Cermele: Turn Your Pick-Up Into a Fishing Machine

Joe_Cermele — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:21:08 -0500

So I’ve recently become a pick-up truck owner. I've only had SUVs in the past, but given the nature of my hobbies, I finally decided that a pick-up was more practical in many ways. I only had one problem: I couldn’t stand laying rods in the bed with them hanging over the tailgate. I’ve just seen too many sticks get snapped or lose guides that way. So I began to tinker.

Merwin: To Fish or "Tweet" About Fishing?

Joe_Cermele — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:34:46 -0500

Do you tweet? I’m laughing as I write this, provoked by the ridiculous mental image of a guy in waders saying “tweet, tweet!” under his breath while casting in a river. But as it turns out, a lot of people do tweet to the extent that they are fans of Twitter--the latest micro- blogging Internet phenomenon.

I asked my kids, who are of course up on all the latest, if there was any reason why I should try Twitter or get involved in Facebook or anything else resembling social media.

Merwin: Avoid Hypothermia With a Mustang Survival Jacket

Online Editors — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:07:42 -0400

Staying alive. Personal safety is high on my fall fishing list. The water temperature this morning on one of the big lakes I often fish is 51 degrees. Normally dressed, if I fall out of the boat there’s a good chance of death by hypothermia.

Merwin: Do Pro Bass Tournaments Promote the Sport of Fishing?

Online Editors — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:20:25 -0400

That’s a tough question, and some of the answers I’ve gotten over the years might surprise you.

There’s no question that all the media buzz around pro-bass anglers and their tournaments has made them hugely visible. Put really big bucks into a fishing contest, and the television cameras will roll. But is it the fish that count? Or is it the money?

Cermele: Fish Cannibalism and Half A Great White

Joe_Cermele — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:13:12 -0400

I clearly remember my first taste of cannibalism in the fish world. I was maybe 7 and reeling in a small bluefish when all of a sudden a bluefish five times the size of the one on my hook pounced on my catch and severed my line. This happens all the time. Big pike eat little pike. Giant brown trout eat little browns. So how big is a great white shark that cuts a 10-foot great white in half in two bites?

Merwin: Fishing in the Danger Zone

Joe_Cermele — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:50:00 -0400

While surfcasting in Rhode Island over the weekend, I stopped for a look at an old favorite spot where I no longer fish—off the aptly named Hazard Avenue in Narragansett. (As in “Hi, Neighbor! Have a ‘Gansett!” for those with a memory for old beers.) These rock ledges (pictured) are algae-covered and slicker than oil on ice.

Merwin: On Favorite Fishing Knives

Joe_Cermele — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:06:45 -0400

Let’s talk fishing knives. Everybody has at least one; many will have several. And it’s a sure bet these knives are as varied as fishermen themselves.

The idea for this topic came up last Wednesday, when I posted about the list of things I needed to bring on board my boat. One reader suggested a serious rescue-style knife to be carried on one’s person at all times. A good idea. The Spyderco Atlantic Salt shown here is one such--the heavy duty serrated blade will cut through ropes and lines quickly anytime a tangle means imminent disaster. One-hand opening is a plus.