What do you re-use from an offshore trip?

Started by JasonGotaProblem, September 11, 2023, 06:06:03 PM

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JasonGotaProblem

After you go offshore, what gets tossed, what gets kept? I imagine your $100 jigging lure is getting kept, but what about its hooks? What about the swivels? Etc.

I'm sure to a certain extent it depends on how much the thing was used.

From this most recent trip I figure I'll be keeping the weights for sure, but tossing the used hooks, and my leaders.

What else?
Any machine is a smoke machine if you use it wrong enough.

MarkT

Good hooks are $3-4 each. I clean them and use them again. Most of my poppers are stored without hardware.
When I was your age Pluto was a planet!

steelfish

you will have many opinions about keeping terminal tackle, some times even personal finances will dictate what you can or should save for next trips  ;)

in my case I almost not toss anything  ::)
when fishing fresh cut bait for shore fishing or deep droop from a boat I toss the leaders but save the hooks and weights, I put all "saved" hooks in a different Plano plastic storage box to avoid contaminate with saltwater the rest of new hooks, when I arrive home, I clean my reels from saltwater splash, wash down the rods and clean the hooks and lures that I use that day with tapwater, then dry them down with a clothe, the lures and jigs go back to regular storage plastic boxes but I tend to keep the hooks separated from the rest on a zipzap bag or on a smaller plastic box, you can save them few times until they start to get rust on them.

if you try to use only new shiny hooks every time and you will find on random fishing trip that the next guy at your right is outfishing you with an old reel a fishing rod that is missing one eye/guide and using rusty hooks, thats priceless !! it happens every time.

same deal with swivels, snaps swivels, etc

also check the last 10yds of your line for any fried spots or zone that show any abrasion from the fish or rocks and cut that part or you might lose a nice fish on your next time.


** this apply if you are using hooks, swivels and other terminal tackle that is good quality and for use on saltwater like mustad, owner, gamakatsu, etc, the really cheap hooks even advertised for saltwater use get rusty pretty bad even if you take care of them, so, I normally toss those hooks but since few years ago I try to use only branded terminal tackle and fishing line
The Baja Guy

Brewcrafter

What Mark said.  Everything that gets used as terminal tackle gets cut off and tossed in a special pocket in the tackle bag.  After the trip, along with the rods and reels, all of the irons, jigs, hooks, weights etc also get a full washing after the trip, and yes, hooks also get inspected for damaged/touch up the points, and bagged for reuse.  Good hooks, swivels, etc are not inexpensive... about the only thing that I am not anal about reusing is sabiki rigs; we get to the end of the trip that is usually it, but I am reconsidering because Bill has a cool storage where he wraps them around a section of pool noodle to corral all those needle sharp hooks.- john

jurelometer

#4
Agree with everyone else.  I reuse everything to the extreme.  Even leader if it is not too scruffy.  I have a sabiki that I occasionally use for mackerel that I am taking into year 3.  I won't be broken hearted if I lose a mackerel.  Bill is right about those pool noodles.

Alex is right about the separate salty tackle box.  Cross contamination of your unused terminal tackle is the killer.

-J

thrasher


Bill B

This year I will be taking an old plastic coffee can to give my lures and irons a rinse at the end of the day.  Also a spray bottle to rinse everything down at days end.  Bill
It may not be very productive,
but it's sure going to be interesting!

Squidder Bidder

Any gear that is used for "groundfish" like wreck fishing or fluke fishing is generally just kept, rinsed with fresh water, and reused on the next trip.

For canyons gear, the mahi bailing rods get rinsed with fresh water, dried with microfiber, and generally I will leave the leaders and hooks if they're in good enough shape. The trolling leaders/lures/spreader bars get a good freshwater rinse. I inspect the leaders and hooks. I keep a sandwich bag full of cut sections of air tube (the stuff used in the aquarium hobby) to protect the hook points and barbs (remember to remove the airline tubing before deploying them on the next trip). I use stainless Mustad hooks on the trolling gear so rust isn't a huge problem. The Duratin coated hooks need more attention and they will eventually start to show rust with even the best care. Check the chafe tubing where it is used (i.e., looped through the hook eye and the loop into which the coastlock terminal swivel of the mono topshot goes). That swivel gets used for the season or beyond - I use the Diamond brand 200# Coastlock swivel which is a coated stainless and don't really show signs of wear.

Between seasons re-rig lures and the spreader bar stingers with fresh Momoi mono.


Crab Pot

Only thing I get rid of religiously are my top shots and floro.

Everything else gets a 24 hour Salt-X soak, including reels, when I get back.

I inspect my snap rings for deformities and separation.

Clean and lube my reels and put my tackle away dry.

Steve
Buy it nice or buy it twice.

boon

I fish too often to throw stuff away each trip. Everything gets a really good freshwater rinse after a day out and then hung to dry.

The key is inspection. Line/leader with any sign of damage is binned. Hooks with corrosion or any sign of deformation (especially the point) are chucked as well. Everything else continues in service until it fails inspection or is eventually donated involuntarily to the briny.

If I caught a really good fish that pushed the limits of the set I would probably snip the leader off and re-do it.

Wolfram M

Like others, I've been fishing gear til it shows signs of failure, and just wash it down with freshwater at the end of the day.

Freshwater gear just gets a wipe down and put away-unless I'm re-rigging, I just leave the hook in the hook keeper. I do normally take the bobber off if I'm using one, but if there is any squeeze on split shot I leave it in place-I'm probably putting it back on next time anyway.

thorhammer

sabiki no. As stated, everything used gets in a separate bucket for inspection and thorough cleaning. I go thru the bag too- it's "splashproof" with hard bottom, but I still look in the boxes...JIC. I use gasketed boxes where possible but have still opened up the next trip which may be next year, NOT GOOD. I check the leaders especially on bottom rigs, replace as necessary. Rarely discard a hook if intact; may hone the point or if anything offshore or surf gets a little rust like circle hooks, they get washed and put in the catfishing bag for the lake.

MarkT

I don't reuse Sabiki's. Too much of a hassle to store. I buy them a dozen at a time for about $1.50 so they aren't worth the bother. The pangueros at Cedros save them so ai give them mine if they want them.
When I was your age Pluto was a planet!

thrasher

If I could get Hayabusa #3's for $1.50 I might consider tossing it.....might ;D

sciaenops

I toss live bait hooks that saw saltwater at end of each trip - too much hassle to separate, rinse & dry. I've seen the disastrous results of returning used (uncleaned, corroded) ones back into the tray. and I don't have any that cost more than a buck a piece (or very, very few anyway).