We thought it would be a good idea to share with our readers one of the most important investments you can make when getting into the world of trophy trout hunting......... a Lure Retriever!  One of our most favorites quotes we have heard while being in tune with this type of fishing is "If you ain't bumpin stumps or dancin' with boulders, you ain't trophy trout huntin'!"  We all know that at $20 a pop, it hurts and hurts BAAAADDDDDD when you get hung up and lose a favorite lure.  Yet, at the same time, it pays huge dividends to fish that stickbait just off the bottom to entice the trophy of a lifetime that we all dream about.  For me personally, I love my "Snagmaster" lure retriever by Cabelas.  At just $11.99, I guarantee you it will pay for itself with the first lure you save off the bottom of the lake.  Here is a quick link to it:

Over my years of trial and error, I found that this little device needed some minor tweaking to make it ideal for my type of fishing.  I added a 6 oz cannonball lead sinker to the snagmaster's shackle with a piece of wire.  This made a drastic difference in sink rate for quickly getting the shackle down to the lure, especially during windy conditions which makes it hard to keep your boat over your line.  I also added a construction type of spool to the shackle so that I had more line to work with versus what is supplied straight out of the box.  This allows me to work up to 50 foot depths (if need be) versus the 30 feet of cord it came with.  You can see these retrofits I have made to my snagmaster from the picture below.

R.D.

"Browns - Coyotes of the Fishing World!"