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Fishing doesn’t have to drain the wallet

Rob Cryder
Rob's Fishing Line

I mentioned in my last column that since I came from a large family, we didn’t have much money to buy better fishing equipment. We just made due with what we had. But there are a few inexpensive items I recommend that will make your next fishing trip a little easier.

During my last fishing trip, the trout practically swallowed the bait every time. It can be a challenge to get the hook out, so it would be a good idea to have some long-nose or hemostat fishing pliers.

When you have kids with you, it is best if you can get each task completed as quickly as possible so you can help them to continue fishing. In times past, when the fish were really biting, I would stop fishing completely in order to help my daughters unhook the fish and bait their line.



Pliers can be of real assistance in times like these. The last time this happened, I was fishing with one of my daughters a couple years ago off one of the docks at Donner Lake. I would help her take the fish off, bait her line and within a few seconds of her casting her line in the water, she either missed the bite or she hooked another one. I finally just put my rod down and gladly accepted my new role as her fishing butler. We had a great time laughing about the event.

It’s also nice to have a pair of fingernail clippers on the top shelf of my tackle box, where it will be handy.



I am not proud of this, but during my whole life of fishing, I almost always bit off the fishing line when it was needed. During a fishing trip up the coast at Shelter Cove, a good friend of mine who is a dental hygienist told me that I was damaging my teeth biting the fishing line. So for five or six years now I have used the fingernail clippers on my fishing line, and it sure is easier and more accurate, too. They are well worth the minimal cost.

I may be old-fashioned, but, when fishing from shore, I like to use a five-gallon plastic bucket to hold my fish. I fill it about half full with lake water and then set it on the shore. When I catch fish, I put them in the bucket and it keeps them clean and alive for while.

So when you are ready to leave, you just drain the water and take it to where you will clean the fish. In this way, they will be free of dirt and debris. For me, the bucket just makes the whole process more manageable.

I can still make due without some of these conveniences, but they aren’t too expensive and they’re a big help.

Another tip: To have a more pleasant fishing trip, make sure you check the weather report first.

I hope my suggestions will help to make your fishing trips more enjoyable for you and your kids. Next time I will also address my favorite easy fishing knot.

– Rob Cryder is a nine-year Truckee resident and has been a health insurance agent for the past 24 years. He hopes to help others, especially children, catch fish through his column.


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