When it comes to fishing, there are many mistakes you can make that could end up with you losing your catch of the day. Budding anglers might be surprised to find out that many of these involve the fishing line. Without proper fishing line care, an angler might decrease their chances of securing that big catch.
While the fishing line might just seem like a string to you, you need to use the proper fishing knot tools and knot-tying techniques. To help your line better, here is a list of mistakes you need to avoid:
1. Keeping the lures in the bait holder for too long
Hook hangers have given many anglers the option of storing their rods with baits and lures already attached. Storing rods this way does come with an increased risk of causing kinks in the line. While using a hook hanger, the topmost eyelet might pinch the line too tightly, leading to these kinks. The longer the hook hanger remains in use, the more intense this kink or pinch might be.
Kinks like this can become a weak spot in the line, which might lead to snapping.
2. Missing an eyelet
Properly stringing your line through the eyelets seems like a basic task nobody should forget, but it happens more frequently than you might think, even in more experienced anglers. What people don’t realise, however, is that eyelets are designed to maintain fishing line integrity. They keep the line from scraping against corners and other sharp edges on the rod.
3. Not using fishing knot tools
There’s a reason that these tools have become so popular. They reduce the capacity for human error in tying and retying the line. While a more skilled angler can claim that their knot tying might be perfect, the task can be easier with a fishing knot tool.
These tools are designed to not only speed up the process; they are designed to create knots that do not cause too much friction in the line.
4. Not retying
When the fish aren’t biting, no matter how many times you cast, it might be tempting to forgo retying your line. Doing this can be a problem since your knot’s integrity is likely to weaken every time you cast. When you do finally get that bite, the line might just snap at the worst possible moment. As we’ve mentioned before, the right tools can help make this task easier.
Please also make sure to run the line through your fingers to check for kinks as you tie and retie.
5. Not replacing your lines
The fishing line, no matter its material, will expire and grow brittle eventually. Whether you’ve invested in expensive or cheap lines does not matter as none of these will last forever. You will need to replace them every few years, no matter how much you still have left.
Final thoughts
Avoiding mistakes like these is the key to making the most of your time with the rod. Fishing can take hours and hours; what if you finally get a bite only to have your line snap at the last instant? While fishing can be about the fun of being in nature, it is still better if you get your money’s worth out of your time and tools.
If you need a fishing knot tool on your next fishing trip, send us at Hook-Eze a message. We have a great selection of fishing tools to help you land that next big catch.