Walker 'Stone Tools' Weren't Made By Humans, State Archaeologist Says

Star Tribune ^ | 3-5-2007 | Robert Franklin

[reagan_fanatic]

"Looks like somebody woke up on the wrong side of the rock."

[ApplegateRanch]

I used to live near the N. Cal & S. Or coasts, and would wade out at low tide to large rocks, and cast into the kelp beds. Lost a lot of tackle that way, until I was taught the sparkplug trick. Take a lunch & plenty to drink, so you can fish the incoming tide, and wait for the next low tide to leave.

Have to make certain the rocks are safe at high tide, and study your tide tables. On the slack & outgoing, you can fish from the seaward side or the flanks; on the incoming, stick to the shoreward side to avoid sneakers while you have less rock to protect you.

Close the sparkplug gap completely, and then attach to the end of your line with a snapswivel. Unlike the usual leader, use line as heavy as your spooled line. Start rigging your hooks a couple of feet above that in the normal manner. The whole rig ends up being about 6 or 7 feet long, so you need a long rod to cast it, and a bait that stay on the hooks...squid or mussles work good, as do a lot of the shelled stuff growing on & attached to, the rocks.

When (not if LOL) the plug (if the ocean is rough or the the plugs are small ones you may need two) get hung up on the bottom, then either the snap opens, or the bendable electrode opens the gap. Either way you're freed, and all you lost was a used sparkplug.

My favorite spot was S. Or, where a wide, flat ridge ran out about 100 yards to a rock about 30' high. The ridge formed a firm causeway that was mainly knee deep at low tide, so you could see where you were stepping.
Not deep enough for bottom fish, but mainly sea trout, cabazone,and the occasional 'sea bass' were pretty plentiful, among others.

[CJ Wolf]

Big thanks! and to think I used to throw those things away. Now I gotta make some room in my tackle box. That is a great idea and environmentally friendly (at least compared to the lead sinkers I always loose) :-)

[ApplegateRanch]

No problemo. Glad to help.

[Sam Ketcham]

nanana nanana - I hear the strains of music from ....... "The Twilight Zone." Who did make the tools?

[SunkenCiv]

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