Why should ice fishing anglers buy Hookmore Leaders premium leaders?
I’ve been ice fishing for over 30 years and have told many fishing stories to anyone who would listen. After all, any day fishing is a great day, and besides… there’s always a story to tell. Well, after listening to my stories for so many years, my close friend finally decided to give ice fishing a try. So one Friday, I loaned him some of my old equipment, played hooky from work, and hit one of the local lakes. Guess what???? He was completely and utterly hooked! HAHA – no pun intended. Um, well… maybe there is a bit of a pun there. Okay, so we have another angler that has been completely reeled in! Oh, the puns…
He couldn't wait to buy his own equipment. So on his way home, knowing how many years I’ve been at this, he asked for my opinion on equipment needs. I found some decent used stuff on one of the well-known online yard sale websites (sorry, but not going to name names here), and mentioned a few good makers of tip-up traps. He’s new at this ice fishing thing, so I gave him the choice of new or used. But basically, the purpose was to get him out on the ice as quickly as possible.
Well, he bought a few pieces of used equipment but really wanted brand new ice traps that would last him for many years. He settled on some nice, new traps and told me that he paid someone to rig them up. So proud of himself and ready to use his new traps, the next morning we went out to a popular lake filled with both toothy and non-toothy fish. Quickly, we discovered that all his traps had low-quality lines, leaders and hooks. You know the kind… the ones where the line snaps, bends and/or crimps after even one hookset. The kind where the hook is so tiny that even a minnow or goldfish wouldn't bite it - let alone allow for a hookset. Seriously, it's like they should be placed in a fishbowl. HA! That may not go over well with the kids. Hmmm….
Well, after seeing him lose 3 or 4 fish (we lost count) and snap 2 leaders, I took matters into my own hands. He was having a bad day fishing, and I wasn’t about to let that happen. Hey… what are friends for, right??? So, I took his traps (yes, all 5) and rigged them up properly with Hookmore Leaders' initial leader line and steel leaders with hooks.
What began as a bad day fishing, ready to throw all the traps down the hole, quickly turned around into a great day catching pike, largemouth bass, and even a few pickerel and perch. It made my day to see my close friend catch and land fish that would never have been done if he didn’t have the right equipment.
Quite possibly, the best part of all this is the many ice fishing stories he’s now telling to anyone and everyone. And let me just say… It's a thrill to listen and laugh through each one. I’m thankful to have another friend hooked on ice fishing! When it comes down to it: when spending your hard-earned money on traps, outfit them properly with premium leaders to ensure a great day fishing. Just think of all the fish stories you'll get to tell!
Tight lines, everyone!