5 Fishing Products You Might Not Know About… But Should

Let me share with you some absolutely invaluable fishing and boating products that I’ve discovered over the years that a lot of anglers either don’t know about or haven’t used. None of the items I list in this post are over $20, so I hope this encourages you to give them a try and really see for yourself how indispensable they are for an angler. They are in no particular order.

BPS Sinker Stops $1.69

If you fish weighted texas-rigged plastics (and I’m sure you do), then you’ve probably pegged your sinkers using either “screw-in” sinkers, toothpicks, or some other method. While I still use the “screw-in” sinkers for lighter weights, I really like these BPS Sinker Stops for pegging heavier flipping weights. These small rubber pieces slide on and grip your line just like a bobber stop does, but you can push the sinker stop down onto your weight so the weight doesn’t slide up and down your line.

Sinker stops are especially useful for anglers fishing thick grass, where you often have to use heavier (tungsten) flipping weights from 3/4 oz all the way to 1.5 oz or more. Because of the sheer size of these big tungsten weights and the bigger hooks you use for such applications, screw-in sinkers really under perform and often impossible to use. You will not find a better pegging method for heavier flipping weights than using a rubber sinker stop.

We have an Instructional Short fishing video all about sinker stops where we show you how to put it on your line and how it works, so check it out to see for yourself.

PRO’s Soft~Bait Glue $10.29

Okay gang, listen up. This isn’t super glue. So forget about Krazy Glue and all those other glues you can buy at Wal-Mart or Home Depot… they don’t work nearly as well. PRO’s Soft~Bait Glue works entirely different, and the benefits of using it are endless. Let me tell you a few of the most useful applications you can use it for.

Do you fish Jigs? Well, if you’re like me, you probably thread your plastic jig trailers onto the hook for that more “compact” look. If so, then you know how annoying it can be to constantly have your jig trailer sliding down the shank of the hook, balling up at the bend and keeping your jig from looking its best. And it’s a pain to have to fix!

So to prevent all this, after I put on a new jig trailer, I’ll just put a drop of PRO’s Soft~Bait Glue where the hook comes out of the top of the trailer. Just one drop. That drop will wick into the plastic and bond the hook to the trailer, preventing it from moving. No need to put the glue on the hook first and then slide the trailer over the glue. It wicks in!

And do you “Texpose” your texas-rigged baits? In other words, do you skin hook the hook point back into the plastic instead of leaving the hook point embedded in the middle of the bait? If you do, then you know how after awhile, that “texposed” skin layer that you want your hook point to rest under, eventually rips and tears, leaving you unable to keep the hook point in the plastic. Well here is the coolest little tip for using this glue. Simply put a small drop over the torn or ripped area where you texpose, and lightly dab it back and forth with your finger. Don’t worry, if you do it somewhat quickly you won’t stick yourself to the plastic. In fact, you won’t even get glue on your fingers. Doing this seals up the ripped area and leaves the perfect layer of skin for texposing. I show this to other anglers all the time and their eyes always light up when they see how effective it is.

There are endless uses for PRO’s Soft~Bait Glue, and is something I don’t go fishing without. Just don’t think that super glue is just as good. It doesn’t even come close.

Falcon FTO 501 Terminal Tackle Organizer $11.99

I really don’t know how I managed before I started using this terminal tackle organizer. It is especially designed for hooks, sinkers and other terminal accessories. The compartments are sized perfectly for various size hooks and sinkers and the nicest feature is it’s “tight” design. When you latch this box closed, the lid sits very tight to the compartment dividers. Why is this important? Your small and think hooks and swivels won’t wiggle their way into other compartments when the box is set on it’s side or jostled around in travel. It has happened slightly a couple times, but it’s been a rare occurrence and not a big deal when it has happened. So I can’t recommend this box more.

Bass Boat Saver $12.00

Everyone knows keeping your bass boat super clean and shiny catches more fish (right?). The problem people have is that they are exhausted after a 10 hour day on the water and the last thing they want to do is wash the boat when they get home. So if you’re Scum Line Larry and trailer home a boat looking like you were fishing the river in Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be this way!

Bass Boat Saver is a liquid cleaner/protectant that you spray on your boat after you pull out of the water. Just spray it on and wipe off all the scum lines and muck with some cloths or paper towels. It cuts right through the mud and dirt and takes it right off, leaving a glitter shine that would make any redneck proud.

But in all seriousness.. I’ve tried other similar products that were marketed more for RV’s and Car’s, some of them being $60+ for the same size bottle, and they just don’t compare to Bass Boat Saver. I can do my 21′ rig in less than 10 minutes and have it looking like it was just washed and waxed. Best of all, it has UV protection in it so your boat will be protected from the sun.

For how good the product is, the price is very affordable. In fact, the price is the best part.. it’s only $12.00 for a 24 oz bottle.

Paycheck Baits Punch Hook $7.49

This hook was formerly sold via Reaction Innovations as the BMF (Bad Mother Flipping) Hook. While this hook has always been manufactured by Gamakatsu, it is now being sold by Paycheck Baits as the Punch Hook. They are the same hook.

I have to admit, the first couple times I tested out this hook, I didn’t like it. I’m a big time heavy-cover fisherman and use flipping baits all the time, so I was really excited when this hook hit the market and bought a couple packs immediately to try out. At the time, I wasn’t a fan of using straight-shank flipping hooks. I was still using my Gammy Superline EWG’s in 4/0 and 5/0.

So the first couple times I tested this hook for flipping baits, I don’t know what it was, but I missed and lost some fish, had problems keeping my baits inline with my weights, and stuff like that. I was just about ready to say forget it and go back to my EWG’s. But a close friend of mine I was discussing this hook with told me to stick it out with the BMF Hook (now ‘Punch Hook’) a little longer. He hadn’t used it much either, but he was still optimistic even after hearing my initial results. I took his advice and continued rigging with the BMF hook. Little did I know everything would change from that point on.

Ever since, I’ve found the Punch Hook (formerly BMF Hook) to be far more effective with thicker flipping-style plastics than my former EWG’s (Extra Wide Gaps). The single biggest difference is the quality off the hookset using the straight-shank hook. The difference between the EWG’s and the straight shanks are very noticeable, I get many more “roof of the mouth” hooksets with the Punch Hook than I did with EWG’s.

The Punch Hook is also very strong. It’s definitely not a thin-wire hook, so you can really crank those big fish out of cover quickly without fear of bending your hook. I’ve never straightened a hook on a bass… but I’ve pulled bass out of weeds so thick with the Punch Hook, that the strength I needed to get the fish to come out could have easily bent a lesser hook. At those times, I feel safe knowing I have a heavy-gauge hook on my line.

Another fabulous feature is the welded shut eye. The eye on most hooks is simply curled over, leaving a small (and sometimes sharp) gap between the shank and clipped end. Guys like me who flip with braided lines often have problems with our knot or line getting wedged in that gap, often having the line slip through and come loose from the hook when setting the hook. Trust me, it happens. Well the Punch Hook’s eye is welded shut from the factory… so that’s no longer a worry.