A Fishing Milestone?

With a cold front coming through I spent most of the day telling and listening to war stories about fishing trips down here in the Keys. You know stuff like nasty weather we got caught in and pretending that everything is just fine for the customer's while you are hoping like hell that you can keep the shiny side up on the boat or avoid getting nailed by lightning.

Since this season is starting a little slow I started thinking about how many trips I am running versus how many I have run in the past. I have run a lot of trips. For a couple years I ran mainly two half days a day for nearly three hundred days a year. That is a lot of trips so I started estimating how many trips I have run in the past ten years. My best guess is three thousand trips. That is a good number of trips for ten years.

Then I started thinking about how many of those trips sucked. The best I can figure is that about ninety sucked. That is three percent. That is not a bad percentage. Every trip that sucked is burned into my mind because I hate disappointing people. When I starting thinking about trips that were great it got difficult. I have had a lot of trips I felt were great, but there are a lot more that the customers felt were great that I thought were so so. Splitting the difference I estimate 700 trips could be considered great. That's about 25% of my trips. That sounds good to me.

Then I had to think about the 72% of the trips that were just average. I don't care much for average. To me average sucks, but when I compare average trips to trips that really sucked, average starts looking better. Getting skunked sucks. Catching thirty to fifty fish or more in shore but not getting a big one is average. Offshore ten fish can be closer to average. The trips I feel that sucked were not all skunks but dang close.

So without rambling on too much you have a 25% change of having a great trip fishing with me. I haven't talked to many other guides about this, but that may be a good percentage to keep in mind. Since I am going to be blown out for the next two days with this front, I may just have to put together something about trips I thought were great and trips my customers thought were great.

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

Tight lines,

Capt. Dallas

Kelly and the Box Cutter

I have good trips bad trips average trips and some times weird trips. Today was a weird trip. My angler Kelly from the great white north is vacationing in the Keys for a couple months. Smart guy. He rented a boat and wanted a little fishing 101 trip. His rods and reels are perfect for brim and crappie, but just a touch light for saltwater. Since we were doing a Bayside Spanish Mackerel and usual suspects trip I brought along one of my 12 pound spinning outfits just to make sure something came to the boat.

The first spot we hit was a bit closer in than I normally fish. Nice spot, plenty of bait and we saw mackerel but they were not feeding very actively. So we relocated a little further out and started over. Despite the wind against the current there were plenty of mackerel there. Kelly had lost a few with his light rod so I had him fishing my outfit. No mackerel bites at all.

I am beginning to get a little ticked off. I tell Kelly that if I put out his ultra light outfit I guarantee a mack will hit and since his line is old and the drag (it was a rear adjust drag reel) it will break the line. Sure enough, four casts four hits four lost fish. Luckily, the fish ripping line off his reel cleaned the drag washers enough the I could set a fairly reliable drag. After that the light rod got hit every cast and we actually boat good size fish.

So what is the moral of this story? Murphy's law of tackle: The biggest fish will always hit the weakest, lightest and most neglected rod. An old customer of mine used to bring a high end ultralight outfit down. After he got his butt handed to him a few dozen times I told him that he had brought a knife to a gun fight. He responded that he didn't even have a knife, only a box cutter. Kelly brought a box cutter too.


Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

Tight lines,

Capt. Dallas

Fridged Weather Gone Finally!

The last couple of days have been as cold as a witch's tatas in a brass bra! Now things are getting back to normal and we should have a great week or so for fishing. Not much to report this week because the front kept most of the boats close to home. Monday the reef bite was pretty good despite the west wind and the dolphin were still biting offshore. Sailfishing has been slow, but the front should change that.

Business is a little off from last year but starting to pick up a little. That is good for you guys that want to plan a fast trip to take advantage of the good weather between fronts.

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

Tight lines,

Capt. Dallas

Double Line and Leader using the Spider Hitch and Noname Knots

Here is a video by another captain showing how to tie the Spider Hitch.



The video did not show the Hitch being lubricated before tightening. That is important to get the maximum knot strength. Watch closely how the small loop is formed and the direction the main loop is passed through the small loop. Five wraps is my recommendation, though for light lines (under 15 pounds) six is a good idea. There is some dispute over the strength of the knot since some people use four or even three wraps. With five wraps, well lubricated and very tightly snugged, my tests came out to nearly 96% of the main line. Of course I didn't have any fancy testing equipment, just a spring scale and my eyeballs.

Now the only reason I tie a Spider Hitch is to allow me to tie a heavier leader to the double line. The knot I use for that is the Bristol or Noname Knot. I may have to make my own diagram for the Bristol Knot I tie because it is a little different than the standard and a little easier to tie. Check back later.



Okay, the diagram is pretty crappy, but will have to do for now. The loop of the double line is pretty clear. The leader line requires a little explanation. From the left, the first hump is the leader line coming up through and back down through the double line. I use my left thumb to hold that loop in place. The next seven humps are wraps around the double line then the tag end of the leader goes through the loop held in place by my thumb. Holding the tag end and the leader draw the knot snug after lubrication. Finish by tugging the leader tight and then the tag end tight. Clip the tag end close to the finished knot.

The length of the leader and double line depends on what you are doing. For spinning rods and casting, I limit the double line to five feet and the leader to about six feet. For trolling I extend the leader to 10 to 15 feet.

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

Tight lines,

Capt. Dallas

Back to the uni-knot

The diagram of the uniknot is borrowed from Paul's fishing kites website. As you can see a loop is made in the tag end then the tag end passed trough the loop and around the object to be tied. In this case the main line to attach a swivel. The reason I said it that way is to show you the versatility of the knot with words.

Snelling a hook with the uniknot you would pass the tag end through the hook eye make the loop and pass the tag end through the loop and around the object, the hook shank.

Line to leader with the uniknot your object is first the leader line then you make another uniknot with the leader around the second object the main line. Snug both lightly, pull the knots together then snug tight. That is a back to back uniknot.

You can make a double line with the uniknot by doubling a length of the your main line then using a back to back uniknot just like the line to leader.

You can even tie wire directly to your main line with a minor modification. Make two wraps around The wire, then fold the wire end running up your main line back on itself, then pass the main line tag end through the loop and around the both the wire and the folded back wire tag end. This is called a dog knot and is quite useful for fly fishermen targeting toothy critters.

Depending on the line size and type you should adjust the number of passes through the loop. For 15 to 30 pound six passes. Under 15 pound and thin braided lines, seven or eight passes as the line gets smaller. For over 50 pound, five passes decreasing to four passes as the line size goes up. Lubricate the knot with spit before snugging to prevent chaffing and help it draw tight especially with the heavier leaders.

The uniknot was invented by Vic Dunaway and is included in his book Baits, Tackle and Rigging. If you are serious about learning to fish that is a must for your reading room.

All of the uses mentioned are in Vic's book except for the dog knot which is a bit rare in fishing circles. Now go practice your uniknots.

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

Tight lines,

Capt. Dallas

More Fish Cleaning Table Stuff

Just to show you guys that I do more than fish here is the basic Conch Concepts fish cleaning table base. It is made of pressure treated 2x4 and 1x6. Some people were concerned that 2x4 was not sturdy enough for building the table base. This sucker is solid. The secret is the 1x6 frame under the table top. This is glued and screwed into the 2x4 legs to prevent racking. Also the bottom 2x4 frame is cut to get the maximum bite into the legs. The materials for the pressure treated base cost less than 25 bucks for you do it yourselfers if you spend the time digging for straight lumber at the Home Depot.

Our plans are to include the drawings for the basic base with the top which will retail for $399. We also are working on a powder coated square aluminum base, round pipe stainless or aluminum base, the two leg bent aluminum light travel base and of course the ultimate Tiki cleaning station.

My next project is to enclose the basic pressure treated base to add two drawers for knives, baggies etc, and two doors for storage under the table. The basic pressure treated base won't blow wind up many skirts, but enclosed with some nice cedar or other material it will look hot. Once that design is complete we should have a product sexy enough to impress any fisherman.

Fishing wise it was a good day for the few boats that were booked. The only down side was that sailfish were slow today.

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

Tight lines,

Capt. Dallas

Fishing the Florida Keys Fishing Tips: My Knots

I teach a lot of people to fish here in the Keys. Since most are new to saltwater fishing I keep it simple and teach basic stuff that works. There are a good number of repeat customers that I teach the more advanced stuff. Even the more advanced techniques I try to keep simple. The way I do things often varies from the way other captains do things, but there is a method to my madness.

Knots to know: The Uni-knot, Spider Hitch, Haywire Twist and Bristol or No Name knot.

With that short list of knots you can tie any rig or leader system for any type of fishing in the world. Actually, the uni-knot alone can do almost everything, it is the most versatile fishing knot ever invented. Most captains have no problem with the uni-knot but a few do. So the reason I prefer the Uni is its versatility and its 98% break strength. There are 100% knots that many captains prefer so here is why I would rather use a weaker knot. I know where the line will break.

Imagine hooking a huge fish and getting spooled. That is a regular occurrence here in the Keys. The uni-knot will break when you run out of line so you don’t lose your whole spool. That’s a good thing for you but a better thing for the fish you lost. A fish dragging a few hundred yards of line probably is going to die. That’s bad. Those fish that whip your butt are valuable. They bring people back for a potential rematch.

The Spider Hitch is used for the same reason as the Uni-knot. It is a 96% strength knot used to make a double line. Most captains prefer a Bimini Twist that is 100% strength for making double lines. I like knowing where the line is going to break for the fish and my wallet’s sake. Another reason I don’t use the Bimini Twist for everyday fishing is the size if the knot. There are a lot of small fish with sharp teeth in the Keys. They will often mistake the Bimini Twist for a small minnow and cut you off. The small size of the Spider Hitch saves you money by reducing lost trolling lures. The Spider Hitch also is less likely to catch on the spool when casting and goes through the rod guides more freely.

The Bristol or No Name knot is a leader to double line knot. It is a good knot used by many captains so I don’t get much argument here. Same with the Haywire Twist, which is the most common solid wire knot used in the world.

Some captains question the way I use these knots. For example, my leaders on spinning rods are a lot shorter than most captains use. I use about five feet of double line and about six feet of leader. The shorter double line/leader makes it easier for my customers to cast. Since I don’t have a mate to blame I want to make it easy for my customers . Also the shorter leader is fish friendly for the ones that get away. My wire leaders are also shorter than most for the same reason.

My next post will be about how to tie these knots and different rigs I use in the Keys.

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

Tight lines,

Capt. Dallas

When Nature Calls

Marine heads or toilets are not built like your home facilities. To maintain the respect of your captain and crew learning the subtle differences in procedure is a must. Following a crisis of epic proportion I wrote the following article.

The Art of Butt Wiping: Hiney Hygiene
One of the biggest parts of proper hiney hygiene is the etiquette of maintaining the integrity of the throne. Following these basic tips will endear your with the community.
Read more

Enjoy

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

Tight lines,

Capt. Dallas

Chicago Joe and Crew Fishing Vacation

Just got finished with Chicago Joe and Crew. On the whole it was pretty good fishing. We had two real good days, four good but not spectacular days and one that just plain sucked due to wind. The crew wanted action and some eating fish. Jacks like those in the picture and mackerel provided plenty of action.



Lane snapper like the one above, mangrove snapper, nice porgies and on the last day a nice red grouper provided dinner. I was disappointed that I could not get them on a few sailfish. We raised one and had it spooking our baits on day six, but couldn't get it to eat. That kinda sums up the trip. Plenty of action, lots of nice fish but a lot of missed opportunities.

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

Tight lines,

Capt. Dallas

ETA Joe sent me some more of your pictures.