Techniques for Snag-Less Fishing

Losing your favorite lure on the bottom of the lake is frustrating and expensive.  I ask Nick Teeters (www.rangernick.com), my favorite guide on Lake Monroe in southern Indiana, if he will back the boat up again in an attempt to retrieve my B-1 Bomber.  I imagine all the big bass that just left the area.   But Nick just grins and says, “If you’re not getting hooked up, you’re not casting where the fish are!”  I’m no longer embarrassed by my imperfect cast.
 
Ranger Nick is a naturalist that can provide information about the lake, techniques, fishing patterns and native wildlife. He calls turkeys and points out bald eagle nests.  Fishing with Nick is fun and educational.  He’s taught some of the best anglers new tricks, yet is patient and kind to my nervous 12 year old daughter. Nick taught me two methods that have reduced my fear of getting snagged.

The first is the bow string technique.  Simply hold the rod up high and with taught line, take the opposing hand and pull the line back much like a bow, bending the rod quite a bit.  Once you have it pulled back like a bow, releasing the line causes a shock wave to travel down the line, knocking the bait loose from simple snags such as rocks or limbs.  This works very well with lines that stretch such as monofilament, it does not work well with braids, as they do not stretch and offer no memory.

The second method is the Dehooker Pole.  Nick makes his own using an extendable paint pole from the local hardware store.  Get one that is at least 12-14 feet long.  Then purchase a paint roller, take a hammer and mash the roller part off.  Most are cheap plastic and break easily. Once you have removed the roller bend the paint roller shaft out to make it straight with a small propane torch and a vice.  Then take a 1 1/2″ metal pipe and while the vice holds both, heat up the metal shaft and wrap it around the 1 1/2″ pipe forming a screw type end. Once you have at least 3 wraps the remaining part of the shaft can be cut off.  Make sure that there are no sharp spots on the screw type part, as they will cut your line.  Now attach the reconfigured paint roller (dehooker) to the end of the adjustable paint roller and you have an excellent lure retriever.  If you lack the tools or are not that handy, Bass Pro Shops sells a similar pole for around $30 – $50 dollars.

With a dehooker pole and bow string in my de-snagging arsenal, I cast right up to the brush piles and rocks near the bank, catching more fish than I thought possible.  As for fishing with Nick, I recommend you book a trip regardless of your expertise. He will keep you out of trouble and in the fish.

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