Lure Retrievers: How to Save Money

Nearly every bass boat I've ever climbed aboard has had some kind of lure retriever laying in the back of a locker or under a console. They're usually covered in dust and it seems that every guy has a different name for them. Whether you own a hound dog, bait knocker, plug knocker, pocket knocker, an extendable pole, or just a plain old lure retriever, its time to learn how to use it.

We all own retrievers but I almost never see guys use them. What is it that compels us to break off jigs, crankbaits, texas rigs, even swimbaits, without so much as a second thought? I think the answer lies in a lack of education.

A lure retriever is one of those contraptions that really ought to come with an owner's manual. Between the pretty pictures and your choice of 8 languages we could all start saving money on baits! Until that happens, this video is going to have to suffice.

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Matt Shows off a Jewel Baits Hound Dog, an $8 contraption that has single-handedly saved nearly $1000 dollars in swimbaits in the past two years alone.  

We've broken the video down in to sections and will show how/when to use the traditional bait knocker (with or without chains), the extendable pole style, and the pocket knocker style retrievers.

Once you've seen the proper technique it becomes very simple to get your baits out of snags. At the very least, start carrying the pocket knockers with you when you fish. It takes an extra 10 seconds to slide one down the line and it gets the vast majority of your baits out of snags with just a shake of the rod tip. Its not a silver bullet but these techniques save us thousands of dollars every year. If you're not putting a retriever to work for you, you're throwing money down the drain.

Choosing the Right Rod

It seems that everywhere we turn someone is trying to sell us some new piece of tackle. We’re all jaded enough to drown out the advertisements during the Sunday morning fishing shows but now its in the forums, blogs, and even in the headers above our private emails. That said, its not really the advertisements that get me. If they were handled differently I might not be so put off.
I don’t mind being shown new product or concepts but I hate to be told what I need. I’m part of the generation that wants to be shown why, how, and when things work so that I can make an educated decision about what is right for my style.
I get emails daily asking questions about swimbait rods. I thought that perhaps instead of constantly telling people what they should get I would simply show the differences amongst the rods. What you see in this video are 3 of my all-time favorite swimbait rods. There is a 4th rod but I won’t be answering any questions about that one, not yet anyway. When its ready you’ll be the first to know and then you can decide if its right for you.

Its important to understand that we don’t all have the exact same style. These are the rods that perfectly fit my style. I’m not telling you that the rods you use are wrong, but if you’re losing fish, not feeling bites, or uncomfortable while throwing swimbaits for long hours it may be time to take a look at what I’m talking about.
The 3 rods discussed can all be found on this page at tackle warehouse.

How to Properly Cast Big Baits

When people first started discussing the topic of “properly” casting baits to avoid injury I didn’t think anything of it. Even when the requests started coming in to get my opinion on the topic I really wasn’t interested. That is, until I woke up one day with a shoulder injury.
No, don’t worry about me. I’ve since recovered and am catching more than my fair share of fish but the whole incident got me thinking. I started looking at how I throw big baits, how other people throw them, and how much of a difference it makes by the end of the day. Just like there is a science to catching big bass, there is a science to keeping your joints functioning year after year.

There may be people who watch this video and think its ridiculous (I would have) and that’s okay. But for those of you with open minds who want to start taking care of yourself, pay attention. HOW you cast is as important as the bait you choose to throw. Feel free to chime in on this one, I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts.