When customers come in to The Hook-Up! Bait & Tackle they are amazed by the photos on our "Wall of Shame".  Sure the pictures of 900 lb Bluefin Tuna demand respect, but "H-O-L-D--O-N", what are those pictures of 15 lb Broodstock Salmon, monster Brown Trout, fat Rainbows, 6 lb Largemouth Bass, huge Smallmouth and Yellow and White Perch that would make an ice fisherman's jigg'in finger twitch?  They are a snapshot of the GREAT FRESHWATER FISHING FOUND ON CAPE COD!

Dan is at the trade shows but that did not stop Winslow and I from taking advantage of a stellar Sunday (7th) afternoon!  I decided to pull the "SNARK" out of mothballs and do some sea trials on Cliff Pond.  The weather was cooperative and we got underway just after noon.  No Bait!  Just Trolling.  I decided to set-up with a spinner blade about three feet ahead of a shallow diving plug.  Winslow had his secret weapon in tow and it has been doing well lately.  You could sense spring in the air with fishermen lined up along the shore, warm temperatures and a light breeze.  The fishing was slow but we had a fair amount of hits with one brown and two rainbows caught and released.  Winslow caught two of the three.  He has been doing quite well with his secret weapon.  Can you tell what it is??? ;-)  Capt. Rich

          Capt. Corey with a nice Cliff Pond Brown Trout                      Capt. Rich with a hefty Sheep's Pond Salmon

                        Sunrise at Cliff Pond

                               What did Forest Gump say about where the sky ends and the earth begins?

                                            A TIP FROM CAPT RICH

Dan often mentions my SLIP BOBBER in his articles and asked me to describe it for you.  So here it comes.  The slip bobber is a bobber that allows you to place the bait at any depth, while still maintaining the ability to cast.  There are many variations of this set-up but this is my preference.  The secret to the slip bobber is the "BOBBER STOP"  the one I use is a tiny rubber stop, that you place on your line.  It grips the line and will not pass through the bead above the bobber but will pass through the rod guides when casting.  Here are the things needed and steps to putting a "SLIP BOBBER" together.

First - Run your line about 8 inches through the wire loop where the Bobber Stops are stored (see illustration below)

Second - Place a bead on the line

Third - Run line through the Slip Bobber.

Fourth - Tie on a swivel

Fifth - Add an 18" fluorocarbon leader and hook.
 

Once the Bobber Stop is on the line lubricate it and slide it a distance from the hook that represents the depth you want the bait.  After you cast, the line will slip through the bobber until the bobber stop hits the bead and your bait will be at the depth you want.  You can add a split shot down near the bait if you want to keep the bait down or let the bait swim.  This is my #1 set up for Broodstock Salmon.  Good Luck, Capt Rich

                             THE

I spoke a little about The Worm Blower a few weeks ago. It is an awesome tool to add to your arsenal of freshwater gear. For very short money ($3.69), it can definitely help you fill your limit or just add to the overall amount of fish caught. There are a few different ways to float a worm off the bottom. I like to thread a 1/4 to 1/2 ounce barrel sinker up the line. I prefer to use only 4 to 6 pound monofilament. Then place a split shot, to stop the egg sinker, at the distance above the bottom that you want the bait, and finally a circle hook.  Capt Rich likes to add a Fluorocarbon leader and uses a Spro Swivel as the stop for the egg sinker.  The Fluorocarbon is not only transparent below water but abrasion resistant to rocks, stumps, and the fish teeth.

When baiting the worm I start from the tail end hooking it 2 to 3 times close and exposing the remaining 3-4 inches to be filled with air. Just stick it in and squeeze some air in. Test it in the water before casting to be sure it floats. Casting the rig is a delicate procedure. You do not want to whip it out causing the worm to fly off and having to re-bait. Myself and the guys prefer to wear chest waders to allow for more casting distance. After casting, allow the worm to settle, place your rod in holder, and slowly reel in any slack line. Be careful not to drag the barrel sinker on the bottom. This will cause the sinker and bait to get snagged up in weeds. Your worm will now be floating about 15-18 inches off the bottom. We like to attach a type of strike indicator (a bobber attached to a paper clip). Hang the paper clip on your line between the first and second rod guides and when a fish strikes it will either go up or go down if the fish is swimming towards you. Raising the rod when the line is going out  will hook the fish, especially when using circle hooks. Circle hooks are designed to self hook the fish without you having to forcefully set the hook . Capt. Rich prefers another method similar to mine where he places a SPRO Swivel below the egg sinker as a stop instead of the split shot.  Both methods are shown below.

         Strike Indicator