We all get excited when we see a sail chasing a bait under a kite or hear the clicker ripping on the deep line as a wahoo streaks off on its blistering first run. With plenty of healthy live baits on board, you might get the chance to experience both of these scenarios firsthand.
Every live-bait fisherman worth his or her salt owns at least one bait cage. Bait cages come in all shapes, sizes and materials; some float on the surface, while others are made to sink to the bottom. Anyone who has spent the predawn hours trying to scoop out the pen baits and transfer them to your onboard livewell knows how cumbersome it can be to get that last prized bait from the bottom of the cage. Instead of enlisting the help of the entire crew to lift the cage or taping extensions to the dip nets, we came up with a system on Reel Tight that makes it a lot easier to get the last jewel out of the cage.
The process starts long before the baits and cages get in the water. We attach zip-tie wraps at the corners of the cage, or in four equidistant spots on round cages, so they float levelly, using good-size loops. Adding several more ties at different heights on the cage allows us to adjust how high the cage floats in the water.
On Reel Tight we make up four floats with lines and clips attached. When it comes time to get the baits out of the cage, we simply clip the floats to the desired set of tie wrap loops. A single person can now adjust how much of the pen sits in the water, making it easy for a lone crewman to get the bait out of the cage without any trouble. You can also tilt the cage at different angles by attaching the floats to loops of different heights.
Eric Leech
Reel Tight
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
