Tensioning Knot - Boating Knots

The tensioning knot is less well known than many other popular marine knots, but it should be one that every keen boater learns and knows. This knot can be very useful for many different things and has saved countless people from sticky or dangerous situations because it is fast to tie and very reliable for when tentioning is required.

This knot can also be a fast alternative to the truckers knot for when speed is needed or the rope is too short. This knot can be used for anything from tying down the boat on the trailer to fast locking off the rope on a boat where tensioning is needed.

I found a great little video showing the process for tying this knot, which is easy to follow and should have you tying like a professional in no time!

Best Tides For Fishing

Which are the best tides for fishing?

I get asked this question a lot. Maybe more than seven times a week and I have a pretty standard answer - "that is a loaded question." If the person asking seems really serious I then go on to explain a few things that just might help them discover the best times for fishing.

What are tides
Tides are the movement of water (rise and fall) in the ocean caused by the tidal forces of the moon and sun acting on the oceans. Tides can move a lot (spring tides) or very little (neap tides) and in most parts of the world there are 2 low and 2 high tides each day. You don't need to understand the real specifics of it, but it helps to know that tides effect fish in various direct and indirect ways:

• Tidal current pushes food into different areas
• Tidal current can make it easier or more difficult for fish to swim/move into new areas.
  
• Tidal current creates new channels and gutters for fish to stalk their prey
  
• High tide exposes fish to new areas with potential food sources (eg. rock pools)

What tides are best for fishing
I am going to be a little vague here, but it really depends on what you are fishing for. Many anglers suggest the 2 hours before and after the high tide and other suggest the opposite. Some anglers suggest fishing big tidal movements (no run no fun - as the saying goes) and others prefer the littlest of tide movements.

Be sure to ask other anglers in your area for their advice, but don't be afraid to experiment yourself. If you do this it is a good idea to keep a fishing diary to look back over and work out the best tides that have been successful for your particular target species.

After keeping a dairy for years I now live by this motto - the best time to go fishing is when you have time to go fishing!

Connecting braid to monofilament - Fishing Knots

One of the most common questions I get asked is how to connect the braid main line to a monofilament (or even fluorocarbon) leader material. I usually respond with a double uni knot (uni to uni knot) which is suitable for most fishing situations, but if they are truly serious about fishing they should learn the bimini twist knot coupled together with a lesser known knot called the bristol knot. The reason the bimini twist is recommended is that is created a loop or doubled line, which gives tremendous strength to the connection.

To make it easier for all of you I found a great video demonstration which shows one of the best methods for attaching braid to a monofilament leader. In this method the instructor the video uses a bimini twist and a reverse albright (also called a worm knot), which provides a strong, worry free connection.

These knots are slightly more advanced and can seem very complicated, but it is certainly worth the trouble and time taken to learn these fishing knots.

Free Downloadable Fishing Games Guide

Fishing games can be a popular way of passing the time when the weather turns bad, you can't get on the water or you just want something to do in your free time at work - sorry boss! I myself have even been known to play fishing games on the odd (often) occasion!

There are many online fishing games that can be played directly through your web browser (generally flash games) or downloaded onto your computer and installed (like regular programs). There are advantages and disadvantages to both types of games such as availability, quality of the games, accessibility and more.

Online fishing games
Generally online flash games are simple games that are fun for a short time. They can be played with a mouse and are usually defined by their simple game play. However, these quick, easy games can be quite fun and addictive and are well worth a look. Another great advantage of online fishing games is that there are many available and they are easy to find with a quick web search. While doing the research of this post I found heaps of these games and some are really fun - and best of all free!

Downloadable Fishing Games
There are many downloadable fishing games available although there are less of these than online games. These games tend to be of better quality than the other variety, but most of them are only available as free trials with limited features (called demos) before you are asked to pay. However, there are some great free fishing games worth a look such as big mouth bass 3D and others.

Cleat Hitch - Boating Knots (with video)

The Cleat Hitch is an essential knot for all boaters to learn. This knot is used to attach your boat to the dock and if you want the boat to stay in place (which is pretty important when you think about it!) the cleat hitch is the knot you will want to use. It is strong, easy to tie, and even more importantly, easy to untie for when you want to leave the dock. Most, if not all, boaters will use this knot and if you are new to the boating scene make sure you have a practice run or two before leaving the dock.

Many boaters also use the cleat hitch to attach the anchor rope to the cleat on the boat, but personally I feel that there are better knots for this situation.

The video gives a very good demonstration on this important boating knot and is quite easy to follow.



I am planning on adding more boating knots in the future and if you found this post useful or want to make a suggestion please leave a comment.