Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
Children can’t wait for the feeling of a fish pulling on their line and the thrill of reeling in their first “big one” when they go fishing. While a kid dreams of casting his rod, mom and dad are just hoping he does not snag himself or his brother with the hook. The combination of proper fishing gear with encouraging instructions may be all your child needs to start off on the right foot with this lifelong sport.
Glass fishing floats are really fun to decorate with if you know how to utilize them properly. Decorate with glass fishing floats with help from a florist, interior decorator and party planner in this free video clip.
The only thing better than fish curry is fish curry with delicious butternut squash. Make fish curry with butter squash with help from an award-winning journalist, foodie and author in this free video clip.
You can spend $90 and up on a commercial stair tread jig or make your own out of scrap plywood. Some woodworkers swear that a homemade stair works better than the store-bought alternative. If you have luan or masonite boards lying around, you can substitute these for the plywood. In its shape, the completed jig resembles a small bed headboard, with two tabs or feet on its bottom outside corners and circular notches on its top outside corners.
Pole barns are easier to build than other methods of wood building construction. Pole buildings also are relatively easy to adapt for use as a garage. Building a pole barn garage uses basic pole-building construction techniques similar to those for any other type of pole construction. Pole buildings are sturdy despite having no foundations. There are many sources of building plans for pole barn garages.
The lifelike twisting and turning of jigging spoons enable you to entice fish to your line, even with exposed hooks. Artificial bait and attractive pheromones also make jigging spoons irresistible to fish. Jigging spoons are perfect for ice fishing. The weight of the jigging spoon works as a sinker, which helps to keep your hooks at the perfect depth for your location and makes your bait available to fish that are hundreds of feet below the ice. Combining your jigging spoons with real minnows makes it even harder for fish to resist your line and helps to ensure that your…
The fact that your fishing rod bends when you get a bite is very important. Learn why it is important that a fishing rod bends with help from a public speaker and the Executive Director of Recycled Fish in this free video clip.
Even master fisherman will occasionally drop their rod in the lake every once and awhile. Get a dropped fishing rod out of a lake with help from a public speaker and the Executive Director of Recycled Fish in this free video clip.
You don't need to run out to the sporting goods store toget a new rod - you can build your own with the right tools. Build a fishing pole using a stick with help from a public speaker and the Executive Director of Recycled Fish in this free video clip.
Smelt fish belong to the Osmeridae family, and there are 15 species of smelt. The average smelt fish grows to around 7.9 inches although some species of smelt can grow as long as 28 inches. Smelt fish resemble salmon in shape but come in a variety of colors. Although smelt fish are eaten by a variety of sea fish, including salmon, they are also smoked, grilled, sautéed or baked for human consumption. Using a quick strike rig is one of the best ways to rig a smelt fish for ice fishing.
Ice fishermen know that certain fish congregate at certain depths under the water. Smelt are no exception to that rule. These small, deep-water delicacies challenge fishermen to lure their bait to just the right depth. Because of the considerable depth, reeling in smelt with a normal rod and reel can be quite time-consuming. Some fishing accessory manufacturers offer speed reels to overcome this problem. Rather than invest in this specialty equipment, however, you can make your own custom speed reel.
A practice flying stand is a gear used to protect radio-controlled helicopters from damage when they jam into the ground while you learn to fly and land them. The accessory is attached to the base of your helicopter to cushion your vehicle from imperfect landing. Essentially, it consists of wooden, carbon fiber or fiberglass sticks arranged in a cross pattern with plastic or rubber balls on each end of the stick. When all your wood pieces are connected, your practice flying stand should look like an X when viewed from the top or side. It in addition should have a…
When lake fishing, your technique may depend on the type of fish you are going after, weather conditions or simply what makes you the most comfortable. In the end, there is no right or wrong way to set up your fishing pole. It's all about feeling comfortable and relaxed so you can have an enjoyable and productive day on the lake.
Applique is a craft technique that involves sewing, gluing or otherwise attaching small, decorative pieces of material to a larger piece of material for use in items such as quilts, potholders and pillowcases. In more elaborate, advanced types of applique, embroidery can also be used to add texture and additional design elements. When stitching fabric together with a sewing machine, there are a variety of techniques that can be used.
Yo-yo fishing rigs were developed by survivalists to catch fish automatically. They consist of a spring that is loaded into a sheet metal spool. The spool is then strung with hook, line and bait and hung onto tree limbs or floats and left unattended. When the fish takes the bait, the spool begins automatically pulling the line up. The fisherman comes back the next day and gathers the fish. You can make your own yo-yo rig setup if you have a spring-loaded spool. The spool part of the yo yo rig is cheap. You can't make one cheaper.
The Elite Fish Feeder lets you feed fish in a pond, lake or other setting at regularly scheduled times and in regular amounts. This precise machine can be programmed easily and accurately to feed fish automatically. If your machine isn't working properly, however, it is easy to troubleshoot some of the problems that might pop up. You'll want to methodically test several of the machine's features, and before long, you'll be ready to start feeding fish again.
When you're hunting for the perfect sound system, having the right speakers can make all the difference. While not all speakers are created equal, many incorporate a structure known as a "phase plug." This small structure is found deep within the speaker itself and is key to delivering crisp, clean and natural sound.
Angle finders, also known as angle finder protractors, are small hand-held tools that can be used to replicate almost any angle. They have two small arms on a swivel. One arm is positioned on the flat surface of any piece of wood. The other arm is swiveled out to match a corresponding angle and locked in place. You can use angle finders to set the angle on a miter saw when cutting baseboards to fit each other.
The basic tools of recreational fishing have stayed the same for many years. New gadgets and tools such as planer boards have been introduced to provide a more pleasant fishing experience. A planer board allows for more fishing lines to be trolled from a boat without them ending up in a tangled mess. The release refers to the release clip that is attached to the board and allows the fishing line to be released from the board when a fish bites. By updating the release, fish of different sizes and species can be caught.
Transducers are a key component in fish finder echolocation devices. Fish finders have three main parts, including the power cable, the monitor and the transducer. The transducer is the electronic device that "shoots" the electronic signal outward in a sonar-like fashion. When these waves hit on an object like a fish in the water, the waves bounce back to the transducer and are displayed on the monitor. There are several troubleshooting techniques to test sand measure whether the transducer is working properly. Transducers are commonly mounted in the bow of the boat.
If you want to chum for walleye, it's important to find out what types of foods they enjoy feeding on. When you make the chum, which is a type of fishing bait to lure fish to the boat, you can target particular species of fish by combining ingredients that are specific to the tastes of that species. Walleye are attracted to leeches, earthworms, crayfish and even frogs. Additionally, chumming for walleye should be done at night, dusk or dawn, because walleye are nocturnal feeders.
Attempting a rod set hairstyle allows you to revel in your natural hair and rely less on your hairstylist, saving you time and money. Rods are typically flexible, unlike rollers, and the size of curl depends on the size of the rod. Once your hair is curled in small ringlets or big, tousled waves, you can pin it up for a chic and trendy look, or leave it loose and flowing for a romantic look.
Southbend manufactures commercial-grade cooking equipment, including double convection ovens. These ovens are side by side and offer a temperature range of 140 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, which is achieved by operating an electronic control panel. If the ovens do not seem to be heating accurately despite adjustments in time and temperature, the oven may need to be calibrated to adjust the temperature for more accurate cooking.
Spiderwire is a brand of high-tech fishing line manufactured from spun polyethylene fibers. The name derives from the product's numerous similarities to spider silk, including the spinning method, and the line's combination of light weight and unusual strength. Because of its unorthodox construction, Spiderwire's handling characteristics are different from conventional fishing line. Even basic tasks such as spooling the line onto a reel require extra thought.
To make jewelry and craft items out of wire, it is frequently necessary to bend the wire into shapes you can't achieve with a pair of pliers. For complex shapes, tight spirals or for bending thick or stiff wire, a bending jig comes in handy. There are many types of fancy wire bending jigs available commercially. For impromptu or one-time projects, or if you would rather spend your money on crafting supplies, you can make a wire-shaping jig from items you might already have in your garage.
Even though many high quality fishing rods are available for purchase, some fishermen enjoy building their own rods from scratch. Very simple fishing rods can be made from a sapling branch with fishing line, a hook and a lure attached to the end. More complex rods are built from the basic pieces of a handle, a reel seat, a rod blank, guides and fishing line. Rod blanks come in single pieces or in multiple pieces that can be collapsed and carried in luggage.
Perch are freshwater fish that live in lakes, ponds and rivers. Common perch are long and oval in shape and sport scales in colors from green to golden brown. Perch are easiest to catch in the spring and fall when they migrate to shallow waters, but perch can also be caught during the summer and winter months. Use chum made of minnows and wax worms to attract the perch during the off-season for better success.
A floating indicator like the Polaris helps anglers determine when a fish has struck their line. The float, as the name suggests, sits on (or near) the surface of the water, and reacts to the motion of the line, so when a fish takes the bait, the float tips off the fisherman. In addition, by using a float, a fisherman can run his hook the entire depth of the body of water he is fishing.
Fishing from a boat puts you where the fish are. Fishing from dry land or a pier, however, requires special casting techniques to put your lure where the fish are. At well-fished spots where fish frequently congregate out of harm's way, that often means hitting distances beyond the typical fisherman's 80-yard casting range. Larger fish such as carp may persistently stay 300 to 400 feet from shore. Since the fish aren't coming closer, you've got to cast farther. Effective long-range casting is a combination of the right equipment and a few skills.
Rapala manufactures freshwater jigs for lake and stream fishing. In the warmer months, fishermen cast floating or diving Rapalas from the banks and boats. When the surface freezes, it’s time to opt for a weighted jig that you drop through cored holes in the ice. The type and color of jig depends on the species you're targeting, such as walleye or trout. Although a rod and reel combo is a matter of personal preference, more is involved than selecting a jig. The way you present a Rapala ice jig can make the difference between a nice catch and an empty…
Whether using a large saltwater rod or a smaller one for fresh water, wrapping your own eye guides to a blank rod is a simple process. The size of guides and wrapping thread is determined by the size of the blank. Take the blank rod with you when you purchase the guides and make sure they seat properly. Size B wrapping thread is strong enough for lightweight freshwater poles. Size C is a bit heavier and works well for medium-size poles. Use Size D or E for large saltwater rods. Choose the thickness of thread based on the size of…
Downriggers function as adjustable trolling devices for different depths and fishing applications. They consist of a spool loaded with cable wire, along with a ball weight that attaches to the end of the cable wire to hold it at a certain depth. A fishing line is attached to the cable via a quick release mechanism. The cable weight can be lowered or raised to any depth, via a mechanical crank or electric motor. Downriggers come in kits, and it is important to know the different methods for mounting downriggers, since they vary in shape, design and function.
Crab is a sweet seafood delicacy enjoyed in a variety of preparations, most famously pan-fried crab cakes. These prehistoric-looking creatures live in salty waters around the world, such as the Chesapeake and San Francisco Bays on the American coasts. Typically, fishermen trap the crustaceans using bait placed inside a net, also called a "pot." Crabbers pull the contraption back to the surface by winding a rope attached to the top of the pot. While commercial fishing operations make use of motorized devices, an amateur can build a hand crank to serve as a crab pot puller.
Fish finders are sonar devices that aid anglers in locating schools of fish, reducing the amount of time they must spend on the water. These devices come in two varieties: hand-held and on-board. An on-board fish finder is clipped to the side of a boat and wired to the boat’s battery. If you want to make an on-board fish finder portable, you can wire it to a stand-alone battery so that you can carry it from one location to another.
Of the approximately 87,000 two-winged insect species in the Diptera order, Musca domestica, or the house fly, is most likely to infiltrate your home. However, fruit flies, drain flies, cluster flies and gnats also tend to bug humans around the house, depending on the season. These buzzing pests are attracted to decaying organic matter, like dead animals or manure, as well as garbage. The reasons for this behavior involve every aspect of their biology, and also hold the key to getting rid of them.
Since 1986, Bowflex has built a reputation for developing quality home physical fitness equipment, and the company sells more than two dozen models of home gym equipment. Quality is the good news. The bad news is home fitness equipment means that the chore of setting up the equipment falls on your shoulders, but the process is easily accomplished for the Bowflex Elite Home Gym set up.
Fish attractor structures made of PVC pipe are durable and do not snag your hooks when you fish over them. In time, algae grow on the PVC surface, which attracts insects and baitfish. Larger fish are attracted to the food source and cover. Unlike wood, PVC does not rot away or tangle your gear. You can easily create a 3-foot by 3-foot grid of PVC pipes to attract fish.
With a pole and a bit of paint, you can make colorful stripes on a barber pole. Barber poles can have red stripes or red and blue alternating stripes. The stripes on the pole have an important significance. Red stripes represent the blood work that barbers would perform in ancient times when a barber would also work as a surgeon. Blue stripes were later added in to represent a body's veins.
Keep your blue tick hounds safe and secure when riding through the woods to prepare to hunt. Blue tick rig boxes are metal boxes that fit in the back of a pickup truck. They are made with metal caging material to provide the dogs with proper ventilation. Build your own blue tick rig box using aluminum tubing and caging material. Aluminum is lightweight and it is also strong enough to provide a secure area for your hounds. A project like this is not highly complicated, although it will require knowledge of using a MIG welder.
Jigs are used primarily for fishing in the winter. You don’t have to be a fishing enthusiast to replace the jig eyes. You can do it with little hassle and minimal knowledge of the subject.
Burning coal leaves behind a substance known as coal fly ash, or simply fly ash. Coal-fired power plants produce tons of fly ash as a by-product of power generation. Fly ash contains lime, silicon oxide, iron oxide and aluminum oxide, as well as traces of other elements. The United States produces about 131 tons of fly ash annually, according to Andrew Jones, David Motzkus and Jason Outlaw of the University of South Carolina College of Engineering and Computing.
Dogfish, also known as spiny dogfish or smooth dogfish, are common to most large bodies of saltwater -- especially the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea. Dogfish are part of the shark family and noteworthy for having two dorsal fins, including a smaller fin located between the main dorsal fin and the tail. Spiny dogfish are typically found in deep, cold water, while smooth dogfish are usually caught in shallow water close to shore. Dogfish are known to be scavengers as well as prolific bait stealers.
Back in the day, "throwing a rod" in an automobile engine was far more common than now. In modern engines that are properly maintained and not abused, a thrown piston rod in normal driving conditions has become extremely uncommon. Nevertheless, when it happens, it's a catastrophic event that usually requires a major overhaul, if not an entirely new engine. A piston rod is "thrown" when it separates from its connection point, whether at the piston pin at the top of the rod or at the bottom of the rod where the rod bearing attaches to the crankshaft. Conditions leading to…
Fish species vary from environment to environment, so each fishing trip you take will require the appropriate fishing rod. For example, saltwater fishing requires heavier rods than the freshwater variety due to the ocean's harsh currents. However, some freshwater fishing rods need more flexibility due to various casting techniques, such as fly fishing. A fishing rod's casting distance and lifting capacity are factors to consider when choosing the right equipment.
Vintage and kitschy styles are having a moment as far as home decorating trends go. There is a movement towards re-purposing old or formerly unused objects into pieces of art or useful items. If you enjoy creating things and are willing to put in a bit of work, many of the expensive home decorations or furniture you covet can easily be turned into a do-it-yourself project. In New England, the lobster trap table has been a staple in beach homes and coastal cottages for a long time. You can buy one in a pricey furniture or antique shop, but it's…
The earliest clocks had wooden gears. Many of these clocks run after hundreds of years. Cutting each gear requires care. Each gear requires its own unique jig, or pattern. The diameter of the gear determines the speed of each particular gear. The grooves around the edges of the gear are not the teeth. Because the gear is circular while the grain of the wood is straight, strength differs between each groove. To provide uniform strength, insert small wood chips into each groove to act as teeth.
If the fish aren't biting, one method to try to find them is through an electronic fish-finder. Fish-finders are mounted on boats and use echolocation -- a type of sonar -- to locate objects under the water. Electronic fish-finders are made up of several pieces, including the monitor, the transducer and the power cables. The transducer is a device that sends out electronic pulses through the water that bounce back after finding or bouncing off an underwater object. There are two parts of the transducer: the transducer cable and the depth finder. The depth finder is at the head of…
Many anglers neglect to properly maintain spinning reels, which can cause damage to fishing gear and shorten the lifespan of your equipment. Proper maintenance includes regular lubrication of the spinning reel. To do this, carefully dissemble the reel and oil parts individually. A well-lubricated reel will greatly facilitate casting and retrieving lures as well as significantly extend the life of the device.
Prized by traditional anglers for its natural beauty and functionality, bamboo is a dense, grass-like fiber with a strong, springy action aptly suited to fishing rod construction. Traditionally coated with a clear protective varnish, bamboo fishing rods are also coated with lacquer when a deep, richer finish is desired. If a bamboo rod sees a lot of use, the protective finish will begin to wear out. In the event, the rod must be thoroughly refinished to properly protect the bamboo fibers from damaging dirt and moisture.
Dividing your closet into different areas allows you to make better use of the space. Your clothing and other items stored in the area are kept better organized and separated from one another. A closet system makes the division easier, but you are also able to separate and organize a basic closet with only a rod and a shelf. The key is finding an organizational system that works best for the items in your closet.
