Red Line versus Red Hooks

I have always wondered how they can advertise red fishing line as being invisible to fish yet you always here that fish bite better on red hooks. How can this be? Someone must be lying.

Well today I learned the answer on the Huntcast podcast. The answer is that the red color in fishing line is translucent. This translucence will cause the red color to disappear in about 4 feet of water.

The red color of a fishing hook is opaque and reflects light which will make the red color visible down past 100 feet.

Now I feel better knowing that no one has been lying.

Controlling Your Scent With Chlorophyll

In the pursuit of eliminating human odor you may want to give Chlorophyll tablets a try. Chlorophyll has been used by doctors for years in treating patients with bad breath and body odors. Chlorophyll works on the inside of the human body at the source of the odors. If the right amount of Chlorophyll is taken your body will produce very few odors which is the goal we all want to achieve while hunting deer.

One hunter, I forgot his name, on a recent Podcast said that he stops eating meat prior to and during the hunting season. He also shaves his head and the rest of his body hair. Another thing he stated as being essential to his success was the use of Chlorophyll tablets. He said that you will know when you are taking enough of the tablets based on the odor of... well you know. He stated that when there was no odor left you are taking the right amount.

I don't want to get into how to take Chlorophyll, when to take it or how much to take. I also don't want to talk about any potential safety issues, even though I'm not aware of any. What I want to do is let you know that Chlorophyll is an option for scent control and to encourage you to check into on your own. I think you will be happy with the results. By the way, you can buy Chlorophyll tablets, without a prescription, from most pharmacies.

Don't Spoil Your Big Game

The #1 cause of spoiling wild game comes from washing out the carcass or icing down the carcass. I know this sounds strange and counter intuitive but believe me in this matter.

My Father and Brother operate a professional meat processing plant and each year deer are brought in that have spoiled because the hunter washed out the inside of the deer or iced it down thinking they were doing the right thing.

The bacteria that spoils meat needs water/moisture to grow and do its damage. Without the moisture there can be no bacteria growth.

After field dressing your big game, drain out all of the fluid and then using a clean rag wipe out the inside of the carcass as good as you can. Be sure to wipe in every nook and cranny, especially between the hind legs and up into the throat area. Prop open the chest to allow for drying and cooling.

Don't skin your animal until you are ready to process the meat. The skin will protect the meat and keep it from drying out. If the temperatures in your garage stays at or below 40 degrees you can hang your animal to age for 7-10 days. If temperatures in your garage get above the 40 degree mark because of a warmer fall you should take your animal to a meat processor or process the game animal yourself right away. Just be aware that if you do not allow your deer to age for a while you will not have as tender meat. If you are going to be making all of your deer into hamburger or sausage the aging process can be eliminated all together. Another option is to quarter your animal and age the meat in a refrigerator.

You owe it to yourself and to the animal to properly take care of the meat after the kill. Remember, wild game is the best organic protein that you can eat. Check the price of true organic beef and you'll see that venison is a bargain. At least that is my story and I'm sticking to it :)

Weighing Fish Without A Scale

Carrying a scale all of time can be a pain and using a scale can do damage to the fish. An alternate way to weigh a fish is by measuring it and doing some calculations. You can either do the calculations in the field or just take the measurements and do the math at home. It is surprising how accurate this method is.

The correct way to measure any fish for International Game and Fish Association (I.G.F. A.) rules is from the middle of the tail in the fork to the tip of the nose. Use the length and width to figure out the weight of the fish.

Here is the math needed to weigh a fish without the need of a scale. Calculate the size of the fish with the formula: length times girth squared, divided by eight hundred e.g. 33” x 21” x 21” /800 = 18.191 pounds. Anglers who don’t have a measuring device can use dollars for size comparison with photographs for later calculations. A dollar is almost exactly six inches long; take a photograph with the dollar bill in the same frame to get a near exact idea of how big the fish is. You can also make markings on your fishing rod or take a measurement of your arm. What works great though is to go to a sewing/fabric shop and buy a flexible measuring tape. The roll up to fit in your pocket, they are waterproof and they are cheap.

Fishing Tips from the Experts

The more tips and tricks that you have the better luck you’ll bring to
your fishing. As a beginner you’ll want to try a variety of techniques
until you find what works best for you and the water that you’re fishing
in.

• Thick weeds: When you’re fishing in thick weeds the best lure
that you can use is a spinnerbait or a crankbait that is shallow
running. Make sure that you cast parallel to the edge of the weed
flow if you can. Remember look in the inside edges of weedbeds.
• Timber pileups: When you’re fishing in deep timber your main
focus will be to not get your line tangled up. Use a plastic worm
or a jigging spoon for the best results.
• Fishing from fallen trees: If you want to fish from a fallen tree
make sure that you pull back your bait so that it runs in parallel to
the tree limbs. This is because the water is very shallow and you
don’t want to disturb the area any more than you have to.
• Working the area: Make sure that you work the area that you’re
fishing as thoroughly as possible. Try a few different lures if the
first one doesn’t bring you success. You might want to think
about returning again at a different time of day.
• Keep a close eye on your lines: Make sure that you keep a
constant eye on your lines particularly when you’re retrieving
them. Remember that when the weather is cold the bass can strike
and completely miss the lures.
• Avoid excess noise: The more noise that you make the less the
bass will bite.
• Night fishing: Night fishing is a great option in the summer
months when the water temperature during the day is just too hot
for bass to swim high in the water.
• Creeks and coves: During the fall months make sure that you
check out creeks and coves since this is where baitfish tend to
hover...and this means the bass won’t be far behind.
• Using surface plugs: When you’re using surface plugs try to pay
as much attention as you can to the angle of your rod. You should
be holding the rod low when you have the lure close to you and
higher when the lure is further away.

Tree Stand Safety

The most common injury among deer hunters comes from falling while using a tree stand. Don't become a statistic this fall, no pun intended, follow these guidelines to stay safe.

• Always wear a safety harness when hunting from a stand, including when ascending and descending.
• Never climb into a permanent stand that you did not build yourself, or have not carefully checked out.
• Never hunt from tree limbs.
• Be sure the commercial stand you have is safe. Practice with it before using it in the woods.
• Never climb a tree that is too small or too large for your stand to fit safely.
• Be sure your stand is level at the height you wish to hunt.
• Always stand up slowly and be sure of your balance.
• Be sure you are steady and braced before shooting a firearm.
• Always use a haul line for your gun or bow. Don not attempt to climb a stand with your equipment.
• Never climb a dead tree, or one with dead limbs above your head.

Hopefully, everyone will follow this advice and have a safe and productive hunting season this year.

Deterring Thieves

Unfortunately, not everyone that will be in the woods this fall are upstanding citizens and ethical hunters. Each fall numerous ground blinds and tree stands are stolen. To help prevent your gear from being stolen try hanging a small sign on your ground blind or tree stand before you leave. It's amazing what a small sign that says "Smile, you are on hidden camera" will do. Most people know that deer trail cameras are widely used and the potential thief may think twice about stealing your gear if they think there is a chance of being caught on camera.

Early Season Pheasants

Early in the season, pheasants sit tighter, allowing the hunter and dogs to approach them in their resting areas. Since the birds haven't been pressured much at this point, shots are usually at close ranges, and a twelve gauge shotgun with modified or improved chokes and #6 shot make an excellent early season load. This is also the time of year to unlimber your 20 or 28 gauge gun for these early birds.

Tying Effective Knots

Very few knots will ever be at 100% of the rated strength of the line. However, if you moisten your knots before you pull them tight they will be much more effective. Other things that you can do to tie a better knot include: Tighten them very slowly, Keep an eye out for any weak frays and test every knot by making sure to pull it hard. These techniques will reduce the chance of knot failure occurring at that moment when you least want it.