When fishing in places that require the use of live baits, you’ll often find yourself pulling plugs festooned with sticky-sharp treble hooks. While these trolling plugs wreak havoc on mackerel and small tunas, they can also be a pain in the butt to store. Ever reach into a tackle box to remove one plug and wind up pulling out 10 more that are stuck to it?
To eliminate this disastrous clumping, the boys in Australia hogtie the hooks on their trolling plugs after each use with a couple of small rubber bands. They align both hooks alongside the body of the plug and then wrap the band around the first hook and then back around the second, securing it over the back hook when snug. This little trick goes a long way toward eliminating sticks in the cockpit and makes the plugs much easier to store. Mates should also use a large, heavy de-hooking device to keep their hands away from flailing hooks and sharp, snapping teeth.
