what are the best tips... either you invented or you picked up along the way. They don't have to be completey new, just what tips would you give to a novice getting into it? I'll bet there will be some that you have that I won't know, and I'm not a novice.<br /><br />I'll start.<br /><br />1) go barbless. Way easier on fish to be thrown back. Keep tension on the line and you won't loose fish.<br /><br />2) especially if barbless, use a pea sized piece of plastic worm or twister body etc. to hold bait onto the hook. You can even try different colours.<br /><br />3) use clear 35 mm film cannisters to keep individual pickeral rigs, worm harnesses etc from getting tangled in your tackle box.<br /><br />4) long hemostats are way better than pliers for removing hooks.<br /><br />5) on deeply hooked fish, take it through the gills (carefully) see another thread on this<br /><br />6) learn how to fillet fish boneless so that everyone in your family likes eating it (= reason for more fishing 
)<br /><br />7) keep a sharpening stone in your tackle box<br /><br />8) an old, ugly, wide paddle makes a passable filleting board for working on shore.<br /><br />9) keep extra drive/sheer pins (if your motor is so equipped) in your tackle box<br /><br />10) if taking kids out, keep it short, busy and fun. Lots of small fish are better than one or two bigger ones.<br /><br />that's mine....
)<br /><br />7) keep a sharpening stone in your tackle box<br /><br />8) an old, ugly, wide paddle makes a passable filleting board for working on shore.<br /><br />9) keep extra drive/sheer pins (if your motor is so equipped) in your tackle box<br /><br />10) if taking kids out, keep it short, busy and fun. Lots of small fish are better than one or two bigger ones.<br /><br />that's mine....
