Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3821 Sept 27, 2019 | Page 30

28 Sept 27 - Oct 11, 2019 SALTWATER VOL.38 • ISS. 21 Dog Whistles for Fish F ishing brings out the ingenuity of the curious mind and when that curiosity becomes a reality, I can only marvel at whomever came up with the idea. Take, for instance, salmon trolling as practiced here in Northern California. Aboard party boats, some method had to be devised where a group of people could troll their baits down deep and yet somehow not have any heavy weights interfere with a salmon’s bid for freedom. Some lever person came up with the spring loaded sinker release. The spring loaded sinker release consists of a copper tube with a swivel crimped on the front end, and encloses a spring loaded cotter pin. The loop end of the cotter pin sticks out the rear of the copper tube and encloses another swivel. These releases, which have been around for decades, are fondly known as “dog whistles” because they look very much like a ... well ... a dog whistle. This item was brought to mind, so late in the season, because of a text I received not long ago. Gary the G, an old fishing buddy wanted me to look over his salmon trolling rig because he was having “trouble” with it. He was saying the dog whistle wasn’t working properly, and was wondering if I could take a look at it. Gary the G came over to the house at my invitation, and I inspected his release. I noticed the two blades of the cotter pin were mashed FISH SNIFFER COUNTRY by Steve “Hippo”Lau New Easy Rider Sportfishing Departures from Berkeley Marina 3712 N ow B ookiNg SALMoN, HALiBUT, BASS LiVE BAiT TRiPS Rock & Ling Cod and Sturgeon Reservations & Information (707)422-2050 captainjgallia@neweasyrider.com www.neweasyrider.com together. “What happened here?” I asked. Gary the G said, “Aren’t they supposed to be like that? Don’t you need both pins to hold the weight?” No wonder why it wasn’t working correctly! I told Gary the G not to be embarrassed because I have seen this before. Breaking out a fresh dog whistle, I proceeded to show him that there are two different length pins inside of the dog whistle, a short one for a quick release, and a longer one when you don’t want the sinker to fall off as fast. I also told him the lengths weren’t designed such that the short pin was for small fish and the long pin was for big fish; just the opposite! In the beginning of the season, when one is nearly infested by short salmon, the longer pin, taking more effort to lose the sinker, keeps you from losing too many sinkers. Conversely, at the end of the season, where almost all salmon are fat little piggies, you want to rig the sinker with the short pin of the dog whistle, so that the salmon can drop the sinker with minimal effort. “I never knew that!” Gary the G said, a light bulb blinking above his head. Oh, yes, a couple more tips. The dog whistle is a tube, and as such, there is no harm in wrapping some hologram tape on the body of the release. Anything to catch the fish’s eye, right? The other tip is to remember to rinse off the dog whistle after you go home; it’s been in salt water, you know. And once it’s washed and dried, lube it with ... sssh- hhhhhh! ... garlic infused olive oil. Store it in a zipper-lock bag until the next trip. Experience The Grady-White Fisherman 216 & A Full Line Of Other Grady-White Models At Central Valley Marine! G rady-White’s Fisherman 216 sets the standard for a smaller premium coastal center console with its seating and access innovations and Grady’s signature rugged elegance. Fishing design expertise is clearly evident throughout the Fisherman 216. A room-to-move-around cockpit with impressive rod and tackle storage, plus just the right placement and angle for rod holders, begins the list of sturdy and highly functional fishing features. Two 81-quart insulated fish boxes are under the bow seating. 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