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Pickin’ and a Grinnin’

Andy Whitcomb

4/24/2012

“How do you feel about frilly toothpicks? Well, I’m for ‘em.” – Mitch Hedburg

Everything ready for your fishing trip?

Hooks? Check.

Weights? Check.

Toothpicks? Ch… Wha?

A bullet weight is a cone-shaped staple of bass anglers. It is heavier, punches through vegetation better, and hangs up less than a split shot sinker.

To rig, the fishing line threads through the hole in the center of the weight, then the hook is tied to the end of the line. Gravity usually keeps the weight against the hook and the accompanying soft plastic lure (Texas rig). But sometimes conditions call for some separation between lure and weight (Carolina rig).

Here, a wooden toothpick comes in handy. Insert it into the weight hole with the line and break off the tip. Now the weight is secured where you, and hopefully the fish, want it.

Bassmaster Elite Pro Denny Brauer always pegs his weight when flipping. Terry Scroggins uses toothpicks to help secure rubber worms to the eye of his hooks to help with longer casts. FLW Pro Mike Wurm (great name!) recommends flat toothpicks because they cause less damage to the line.

I don’t have a toothpick dispenser on my boat yet, but I don’t let a frilly toothpick from a club sandwich go to waste any more either.

Fishing, Bass

Andy Whitcomb

Andy is an outdoor writer (http://www.justkeepreeling.com/) and stressed-out Dad has contributed over 380 blogs to takemefishing.org since 2011. Born in Florida, but raised on banks of Oklahoma farm ponds, he now chases pike, smallmouth bass, and steelhead in Pennsylvania. After earning a B.S. in Zoology from OSU, he worked in fish hatcheries and as a fisheries research technician at OSU, Iowa State, and Michigan State.

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