Sportfishing Products

TheRodSock aka “The Rod Sock” is a cloth fishing rod cover built to protect fishing rods from inadvertent damage. As a fisherman myself, rods are also susceptible when not in use, and when underway. These covers also provide protection when rods are in storage and especially when being shipped. The Rod Sock is secured using a draw string. We make covers to fit fishing rods anywhere from 6 to 12 feet in length. We make our covers for spinning or conventional rods, and can be used on fresh or saltwater rods.

Rod tips tend to weaken or snap off on boats when hitting the sides of the boat due to motion. Although rod tips can be replaced, the rod is never the same again. We do not guarantee a rod covered by our product against breakage but we can protect it against damage caused by the elements or bulk heads.

When traveling to exotic locations, it’s always a good idea to pack rods away in hard sided cases and most anglers do. Having an extra layer of protection never hurt my feelings. Getting to the fish only to find out your expensive rods have been damaged is a real deal breaker.

TheRodSock is machine washable so when they get dirty, you can drop them in a washing machine. They come out as clean as new. They also stretch so if you have extra large eyes on your rods, not to worry, The Rod Sock will slip right over them. We make them in white or tan.

Fluorocarbon Leaders Are Like Discovering Fire

Today's one-two punch when out fishing is using braided line tied to fluorocarbon leaders. You have the best of both worlds. Those two worlds are the strength and smaller diameters of braid, tied to leaders that fish cannot see. Fluorocarbon is significantly more durable and resistant to wear and tear, making it ideal for fishing around rocks, vegetation, and other obstacles. On sunny days and in shallow clear water, fishing with fluorocarbon leaders has increased my hookup ratio.

I fish a lot in kelp forests off the left coast of California. When fly lining anchovies or sardines, they tend to swim straight towards the kelp and down. Fish hear the bait splash into the water and look up. This is where the fluorocarbon has an advantage with its low visibility. Breezing fish like yellowtail inhale live baits and take off like a rocket through the kelp. Here is where the braided line becomes your best friend. Braid saws through the kelp like a sharp knife. Clearly, this configuration has solved two problems, and both lines provide better assurance against line breakage.

Baits For Fishing With Fluorocarbon Leaders

Fluorocarbon fishing line suits a variety of lures, particularly those that anglers use in clear water or when they employ finesse techniques. It's effective for lures like jigs, soft plastics (especially when Texas-rigged), crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and various finesse rigs like drop shots, wacky rigs, Ned rigs, and Neko rigs. While manufacturers often tout fluorocarbon fishing line as nearly invisible to fish, it's not entirely "invisible." It's less visible than monofilament because its refractive index is closer to that of water. However, factors like light conditions, water clarity, and the fish's perspective can all influence how visible the line appears to them. Anglers often favor fluorocarbon for its near-invisibility in clear water and when targeting line-shy species because it is less visible than monofilament.

Depending on who you ask, fluorocarbon is the best option when tying Carolina rigs. There are many perturbations of this rig, but the one commonality is that they are drug across the bottom. The toughness of fluorocarbon resists chipping, scratching, etc., from foreign objects while being transparent in shallow water. Anglers use the Carolina rig for live and plastic baits in freshwater or saltwater, cut, and plastic baits in freshwater or saltwater.

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Suicide Mission

By definition, it's the willful act of throwing this bait into the drink and expecting it to come back unscathed. A suicide mission is a task so dangerous for the bait used that they are not expected to survive. Undercut banks, eddies, sunken trees, rocks and overhanging trees and bushes protect from the current and water predators.

Cutting to fishing, knowing which lure to choose for the day will decide whether you have a great day or a mediocre day. There are thousands of lures in different sizes and colors, and they all have a place for catching fish. A general term used to apply to any man-made lure used to catch fish, as opposed to using bait.

When you throw live bait in the water, you know it's not coming back in the same shape when cast out, if at all. That's not a suicide mission, that's offering up the bait for sacrifice. Artificials, that's another story. You expect to get them back but accept the risk that you might lose them to an obstruction or a hungry fish. These are all acceptable risks, and artificial baits we offer up the ante as it relates to catching fish. What I've found out is when fish are hungry, they will eat. They will also attack anything that annoys them. These baits are constructed to take a beating and as such, perform well in freshwater and saltwater.

On the surface, you may think some baits are for either freshwater or saltwater. I've thrown these baits in both and have received violent strikes in both environments. Throwing "odd" baits is not a bad idea for catching naturally curious fish looking for their next meal. I once threw a Zara Spook over the top of a kelp forest off the California coast. A very large Calico bass inhaled the bait and proceeded to straighten both treble hooks. Luckily, I got the bass to the net before releasing her (spawner), or she broke off the hooks. As you can imagine, the hooks were replaced with more durable hooks the next time it went into the water......

Suicide Mission Lure Color Selection

In saltwater, red, orange, blue and black work best early in the day. When the sun is bright, switch to white, green and chartreuse. Red, orange and blue are best when the water isn't clear. In freshwater, black suits dark conditions, white gives excellent visibility in stirred and dirty water. Red suits clear, shallow water, while in bright conditions flashy yellow and orange lures work well.

Whatever bait type or color you select, the best part of fishing is getting out on the water. We think baits carefully scrutinized and offered through our store will catch fish. We have tested most baits in our store, caught fish on many, and think you can catch fish using them, too. Click the link below and visit our online tackle store. We're constantly adding new items so if you don't see anything you need we ask you to come back, and come back often.

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Spooning for Surf Perch

Surf fishing is awesome, especially when spooning for surf perch. Fishing with spoons is nothing new. Spoons have been used for years and for every species you can imagine. Fresh water and salt water, surface, trolled, deep dropped, etc.

One of my newest passions is fishing in the surf with spoons. There are many types of fish lying in wait in the surf for an unsuspecting meal and that adds to the excitement. With variety comes sizes from small to large, to toothy. Sharks also spend time in the surf and that's where it gets interesting. You can also catch Halibut in the surf. Halibut are not line shy so if you wish to target them, scale your tackle up as you see fit.

I throw spoons from 1/8 of an ounce to 1 ounce and 10lb test. The rougher the water the better, but what that means is it may be windy or tides may be out. Rough water tosses spoons around in the surf and that's good for the flash. Spooning for surf perch involves standing in the waves so be prepared to get wet and fight waves as they come and go. This species will viciously attack a spoon so when retrieving the spoon hang on tight. It's not like they will take you down to spool but they barred surf perch on a spoon don't give up easy.

And keep in mind, there are many other species in the surf. Surf fish have a mild flavor, but connoisseurs agree that what makes the fish known is its texture more than its flavor. Many consider the texture of the surfperch too mushy, so brining the fish in cold water with salt and sugar for a few hours might help with the firmness of the flesh.

Tackle Suggestion Spooning for Surf Fishing

  • Rod: 8 - 12 Foot in length
  • Reel: Spinning
  • Line: 8 - 12lb Test
  • Baits: Spoons, soft plastics, sand crabs, blood worms, squid, hard baits
  • Hooks: Sizes 2, 4, or 6

The diets of barred and redtail surfperch consist primarily of invertebrates such as the Pacific mole crab, amphipods, skeleton shrimps, and polychaete worms. They also will consume smelt embryos and small fish such as Pacific sardine and northern anchovy. Barred Surf Perch grow up to 17 inches long and weigh 4.5 pounds. They are native to inshore waters from northern California and as far south as Baja California, Mexico. Most would say they are an acquired taste but everyone who fishes for them do so because they are a challenge and fun to land. While enjoying this fishery, please release pregnant females so they can spawn for another generation to enjoy.

Although surfperch are available year-round, the most productive time to fish for them is in the spring and early summer when they school up along sandy shorelines for spawning. The best fishing often occurs on an incoming tide, especially an hour or two before high tide.

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Left Coast Surf Fishing

Ocean Surf Fishing along the beautiful California coast is one of the most relaxing ways to spend a day or two. Hidden below the waves are fish ranging from Perch to Halibut to many other species looking for a meal. Surf fishing involves wading ankle-deep out into the incoming waves. Tossing your bait selection as far as you can into the deepening water. When heading out for an afternoon, I usually have 8-10 types of artificial baits and my trusty rake. The rake is for digging out sand crabs. What's fun about this type of fishing is that you can use freshwater tackle. Saltwater is corrosive and will devour tackle not saltwater specified even if you're meticulous about cleanup.

Call it suicide, but when I go out ocean surf fishing, my rig consists of a spinning reel loaded with 10 or 12-lb monofilament line. One would think I'm fishing for panfish but in the back of my mind is the potential for larger species. Those species include striped bass, white seabass, and halibut. Sharks are always in the water but nothing to worry about other than getting busted off.

Ocean Surf Fishing Bait(s) of Choice

Other than telling you what I use, you're on your own deciding what to throw into the drink, okay? Many surf fishermen use soft plastic baits, hard plastic baits, spoons, and live sand crabs. Live bait usually out fishes artificials but you never know what's lurking under the surface. Overall, plastic baits produce more bites across a wider number of species but having access to live bait reduces the risk of being skunked.

Fish caught in the surf is not bad table fare. For me, the real prize when ocean surf fishing is Halibut. When using larger bait in the surf, you must consider using heavier lines with fluorocarbon leaders. Halibut has sharp teeth, get large, and are mean making it a challenge to land anywhere. Stripped Bass can also be caught when surf fishing so tackle selection is important and centered around bait choice. There are many other flavorful species available so try what you catch and decide for yourself what you like to eat.

Ocean surf fishing is fun and good exercise. Being out on the water always makes me feel at peace whether I catch fish or not. Please take a moment to peruse our online store where you can see many of the baits I personally use. Most rigs the serious ocean surf fishing community uses are extremely long rods and the reels can get expensive. I started off with low-end tackle and graduated to the good stuff once I decided surf fishing is something I was interested in. And with all the walking I've managed to lose weight and improve my health. Ocean Surf Fishing is one of the best cardio exercises available.

PSA

Sharks are often caught in the surf so keep that in the back of your mind when tossing bait into the surf. I usually release the large "breeders" to keep the species safe so feel free to contribute to the next generation.

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