Looking for a billfish teaser rod ? There was a thread recently on Dan Blanton's bulletin board that suggested using the specialized Sabiki bait-catching rods for a teaser rod.

These rods are 7 - 8 feet long, pretty stiff, and have no external guides (the line runs thru the center of the blank). This leaves a smooth surface on the rod, so that if you accidentally toss a loop of line over the rod blank while working the teaser, there are no guides to catch the line.

One of the more common items to fail on a boat is the bait tank pump. You should carry a spare, but how will you remove the old pump, and wire in the new one? In TB2 we were very concerned about the wiring getting wet, since everything is below the waterline in the bilge. But we couldn't find a good waterproof connector.

We decided to make use of some extra watertight fuse holders we had. Check the picture to the left. The fuse holder is opened, and each lead from the bait pump is fed through one half of the fuse holder, and the fuse sockets attached.

A similar process is done on the battery leads, but the halves of the fuse holder are reversed. This allows us to connect the two systems using the watertight fuse holders to protect the connection. Fuses are inserted prior to connecting the fuse holders to establish electrical continuity. With this system, as long as you wire the pump leads correctly at home, it is impossible to reverse the polarity in the field.

Ever have trouble getting the cap off your fuel filler? Check out the Key Wiz It's an adjustable fuel cap key (1 1/8 - 1 7/8") that accepts a 3/8" rachet extension in the top. That ought to get you enough leverage! The unit floats as well (without the rachet, natch).

Superbraids (like PowerPro or Bionic Braid) are becoming increasingly popular offshore. But superbraids are also notorious for poor knot strength. For example, in order to achieve 100 percent knot strength in a superbraid, a Bimini Twist must use 70 - 100 twists, versus the 20 - 30 required for nylon monofilament.

Since a good double line is the starting point for most offshore rigs, a simple way to make a 100 percent double line in a superbraid is worthy of note. Max Garth's coaxial splice falls into this category. To make the splice in 50 lb superbraid:

• Take a short ( 4 - 8 inches) section of 20 lb braided monofilament, and thread the superbraid up thru the center. To do this, you can use a folded-over section of #3 or #5 wire or a bait rigging needle as a threading tool.
• Once you have the superbraid threaded through the braided mono, simply use the same threading tool to splice the braided mono / superbraid back into the braided mono. Only a couple of inches of embedded tag end are required.
• Pull tight, and trim the braided mono back to within an inch of the embedded tag end of the spliced line. Put a drop of Loctite 406 on the end of the braided mono to lock it to the superbraid.

Offshore fishermen in Southern California often catch fish from patches of floating kelp that have broken away from shore. Landing big fish can be a problem, as they often run back into the kelp paddy and break the line. In one recent thread on BloodyDecks.com, it was pointed out that if you are using one of the new GSP "super lines" like PowerPro or Bionic Braid, the super-skinny line will often cut right thru the kelp stringers. Use a short mono or fluorocarbon leader if the fish are spooky.

Salt-Away is a mild detergent that removes salt on contact. Chris Smith , former Inside Sportfishing pro-staffer, clued me in to this product. A dilute solution can be used to easily clean tackle - just spray it on, let it air dry. You can rinse it off with fresh water, but it's not necessary. I've been using it for a year now in this manner without any problems. Also useful for rinsing the boat and trailer, and flushing the motor. It seems expensive, but it is very concentrated, so the actual cost per use is OK.