Release your anchor quickly It can be difficult to land large fish from a boat anchored in strong current if you can't slip anchor quickly. To make a quick-release system, tie a loop in the anchor line and attach a buoy or plastic jug to the loop, which you will place around the bow anchor cleat. When you hook up, slip it off the cleat and toss it overboard. After you've landed the fish, retrieve the anchor and buoy. Field & Stream Online Editors
To smoothly back a boat trailer down a launching ramp, use your sideview mirrors instead of twisting around and trying to see out the back. Grip the steering wheel at the bottom with one hand and watch the back end of the trailer in the mirrors. Simply move the hand gripping the steering wheel in the direction you want the trailer to go. Field & Stream Online Editors
Predict Approaching Rain Using Moon and Sun Halos
Unhooking a wriggling fish bec omes much easier when you hold the fish on its back with one hand gently cupping its dorsal fin. All fish immediately relax and lie still when held in this position, allowing you to remove the hook without having to squeeze, thereby causing less stress and injury. Always remember to wet your hands before handling any fish. Field & Stream Online Editors
Erect a 6-foot pole in a field of shin-deep grass and attach 100 feet of strong fishing line to the top. Connect the loose end to a harnessed pigeon. With your dog on a check cord, approach from downwind until he goes on point. Use the cord to prevent him from chasing when you flush the bird. The pigeon will fly to the end of the line and fall to the ground. Repeat the lesson. Field & Stream Online Editors
Use a safety pin-“style shower curtain hook to hang a terry washcloth from your belt when you are fishing. Wet the cloth and use it to grip any fish you intend to release. This allows you to get a firm grip on the fish without applying excessive pressure that can damage the fish’s internal organs. Moistening the cloth minimizes the amount of protective coating the fish loses. Field & Stream Online Editors
Spinfishermen and baitcasters can throw their line with greater distance and accuracy by leaving half a rod’s length of line hanging from the rod tip when casting. This extra length causes the rod tip to flex deeper when the cast is made, generating more power from the rod with less effort from the wrist and arm. The reduced physical exertion permits better hand-eye coordination. Field & Stream Online Editors
If a turkey that has been answering your calls suddenly goes silent, he may be trying to sneak in on you. Sit very still and make soft, contented hen clucks. Keep your eyes peeled, but don’t move your head. Gobblers that sneak in will use cover to their advantage and watch carefully for movement. They often approach from behind and remain unseen until they are very close. Field & Stream Online Editors
There is a burst of good fishing on northern lakes about three weeks after ice-out, when the water at the surface reaches 39 degrees. At that temperature, water reaches its greatest density and sinks to the bottom. This turnover of oxygen-laden surface water has a homogenizing effect throughout the water column, and fish at all levels are activated by the extra oxygen available. Field & Stream Online Editors
Use a Tool Belt to Organize Your Camp’s Cooking Site
Flyfishermen who cast sinking lines hook more fish when they limit leader length to 2 or 3 feet. With a longer leader, the fly tends to ride above the sunken line, causing a sag that can delay hookset. Long leaders combined with floating lines separate the impact of the heavy line from a delicate surface presentation, but they offer no such advantage when you’re fishing deep. Field & Stream Online Editors
Avoid contaminating your outboard’s fuel system by purging the gas line before you start a motor that hasn’t been run recently. Disconnect the fuel line from the engine and hold the connector over an empty container. Use a screwdriver to depress the plunger in the connector and squeeze the primer bulb repeatedly to pump out contaminated fuel that has been lying in the line. Field & Stream Online Editors
Instead of digging down to the bottom of your bait can to find worms, replace the metal end of the can with another plastic lid in which you’ve punched a dozen tiny airholes. When the worms burrow down to the bottom, simply turn the can over and open the other end. The worms will always be on top and easy to see. Field & Stream Online Editors
When chumming with live minnows, hold them out of the water for a minute or two before throwing them in. The disoriented fish will be easy prey. Once gamefish begin feeding on the easy-to-catch bait, they will eagerly hit similar flies, lures, or a baited hook cast into the same area. Make sure you only use native bait trapped from the water you plan to fish. Field & Stream Online Editors
Make an excellent tool for unraveling backlashes from a No. 2 fishing hook. Using pliers, straighten the hook and flatten the barb, then use a file to dull the point slightly. Push the eye of the hook deep into a wine cork and glue it in place. Use this cork-handled tool to pick loops of line out of the tangle until it clears. Field & Stream Online Editors
