Has anone ever noticed that at the tip of your rod--where the line comes through--there is a divet/indention/groove in the line where you have kept the lure on the rod and stored the lure on the hook keeper?  It happens all the time to me.  So, will this little divet in the line weaken the line in that particular area?

switz,

As a custom rod builder, may I make a suggestion. Don't store your rod with the lure attached, and the kink in the line won't happen. Also with the lure hooked to your hook keeper, you are putting some stress onto the rods tip section, and can cause it to set a bend in the rod blank at that point.

Just my .02¢

Tight Lines !!!

Thanks ReelMech I never thought about the blank and the stress caused by the holder. But yes switz that can weaken your line. It can create a rough spot.

bassdocktor

Also if the angler must store the rod with a lure attached and hooked to the keeper, then I would suggest backing off on the line tension to ease it on the tip, and the line won't kink.

Tight Lines All!!!

Thanks ReelMech---never thought about it weakening the blank.  I do back off the drag b/c of the kink in the line that has been occuring.  Next question then is--do you tie on the night before or wait until you get to your spot? Also, when fishing during the day do you ever put the lure back on the hook keeper?

switz,

Next question then is--do you tie on the night before or wait until you get to your spot?

If your fishing in tournaments then I would ready my rigs the night before and recheck in the morning.

If your just angling for pleasure then take the time to check your rigs and retie in the morning or at your spot.

Also, when fishing during the day do you ever put the lure back on the hook keeper?

If you are making a power run (boat) to your next spot no treble hooks are exposed (see the tip below), or if your bank fishing and walking to your next spot.  

I have seen to many treble hook baits work out of the keepers and into the angler..

If i'm slow trolling to my next spot in a boat, or bank fishing and not moving all that much I tend to leave my t-rig, and jigs, hanging lose (until i decide to move) then they are in the hook keeper.

But none of my treble hook baits (popr's, chugbugs, cranks, etc.) are in the hook keeper.

Tip: I like to use a quick change system for my trebled baits, I tie on a cross lock and keep it locked to the hook keeper, and when i'm ready to use one of my treble hook baits, I just clip it onto the cross lock and I'm ready. This way I only have to tie one knot and can quick change the lure when needed and travel with the trebled baits secure in a box.

Tight Lines !!!

ReelMech, a couple of my custom rods came with a hole drilled at the trigger as a  hook keeper, I have done it in a couple of my chepo rods with so far no harm but I'm afraid to do it  on a good one,   what is your opinion ?

lubina,

I drilled a hole in the trigger of one of my spinnerbait rods thinking it would be a good idea. (read it on the robuilding.org forum)

But the first time I picked it up with the spinnerbait hook in it, it nailed me in the side of hand right up to the barb. I took the rod and cut it into 4 pieces, and rebuilt another without any hook keeper...

This is the way I prefer all of my rods now, without. ..

Now don't get me wrong here, I build according to what the client wants, and any that I have placed on-line for sale, some had them and some didn't, but none of them had the hole in the trigger. I try to keep the bait hooks as far away from the hands while carrying the rod as possible.

All of mine that I do use a hook keeper on, have the Fuji® EZ-Keeper system. I can place it anywhere I want, and, that way if I want to sell the rod I just take the keeper off, and sell it, if the customer wants a keeper i'll leave it on.

Hope all of that makes sense to you...

Tight Lines !!!

Thanks a lot RM.