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Searching for the perfect Stringer

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2.9K views 31 replies 24 participants last post by  cummins_man  
#1 ·
I lost a channel cat I had on a stringer yesterday while fishing at Ladue. I had pierced the metal stringer through the corner of its mouth since the lower jaw is too thick. I was using one of the standard stringers I usually pick up at Walmart, either by Eagle Claw or Ozark Trail.

Is there a better type of stringer than these? I've lost other fish using this kind as well, including a nice northern pike and a walleye.
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#2 ·
#3 · (Edited)
Yep the cheap metal stringers suck, hooks are too weak. My buddy lost a few Saugeye off his Walmart stringer a couple times.
Talked him into getting a Rapala stringer, hooks are really strong on them. I’ve never lost a fish off mine and it’s over 40 years old!
www.scheels.com

Rapala Metal Stringer

Rapala Metal Stringer
www.scheels.com www.scheels.com
Oh and Northern Pike on a metal/clip style stringer, bad idea……! 😎🤣
 
#7 ·
I have this style.....


....but mine has a nicer rope. Can't remember where i got it from though. The plastic clips lock together really good, but I will still double up with 2 clips on a really nice fish.
 
#8 ·
T
#9 ·
I buy old stringers at flea markets. Probably have close to 30 of them. My wife thinks that's too many. They are much better than what you can buy now. I haven't paid more than $5 for any of them.

This one has been my river walleye stringer for over 40 years. Bought it at Les's Bait at Berlin in the early 80's. No name on it. Never found another like it.

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#10 ·
you say you pierced a hole through the corner of it's mouth because the jaw was to thick. I don't know why you would need to pierce a hole, all you do is open the snap and feed the wire up through the gill and out the mouth and snap it back shut. I've never lost one yet this way and I've had some pretty chip ones.
 
#12 ·
Reminds me of the time my late fishing buddy and I were fishing at the mentor headlands lighthouse back in the mid 80's and we were catching some jumbo perch. I was putting my fish In my wire basket and he was using a clasp style stringer. All of a sudden I started seeing these nice perch floating by and he says "I wonder who's throwing these nice perch back, then after the second or third one floated by he pulled his stringer up and sure as $hit a clasp had come undone, or he forgot to close it. Hahaha!!! That's why I always use a basket...except for large fish like walleye. Then I use a nylon rope type stringer.
 
#14 ·
Sitting on a big root ball one night with a stringer full of nice bluegill and rock bass, I moved down a bit to another spot. Came back to that stringer that had nothing left on it but freshly chomped off heads. "Turtle action". Use a floating basket mostly nowadays. Can release anything later if ya don't want to keep 'em, unharmed.
 
#16 ·
I mainly fish for bluegill & use a floating fish basket, secured with a lengthy nylon rope stringer. If I get a big surprise, the big boy gets the rope skinner, up the rope from the basket. After I pierce his jaw, I tie a simple overhand knot in the rope. I have NEVER lost a fish off a stringer. BTW, I usually have an extra rope skinner with me.

Mike
 
#22 ·
Bigfillet said:
Sampo nylon stringer.

www.jannsnetcraft.com

SAMPO NYLON STRINGER 10'

DetailsSampo nylon fish stringers are the best stringer ever made! All nylon stringer design will not rust or rot. Patented locking action of the fish snaps hold fish securely. Sampo 10 foot stringer holds 8 fish.
www.jannsnetcraft.com www.jannsnetcraft.com
Click to expand...

I bet that is where i got mine!!!!!
 
#23 ·
Get the rapala metal wire one. It's hands down the best. Bought one 5 years ago for bleeding fish on erie since we don't have a live well we cut them and let them drag on the stringer for a little bit. Have had 10+ big eyes dragging on that thing and never lost one. Well unless one of the guys who had a few to many "pops" decided ot to close the clasp before tossing the stringer in!!! Speaking of someone didn't close the clasp on the hook that was holding on the boat. Needless to say the lost my stringer last trip when I wasn't there. Not happy
 
#24 ·
I’ve had the same happen with the turtles feasting on my stringer while bank fishing… also had a nice stringer of crappie, unlatched it from the side of the boat to get some pictures then threw it back over the side without reattaching clip🤷‍♂️ Doooohhhh!
I usually use a basket now for panfish.
 
H
#25 · (Edited)
About any catfish above 5lbs can (seen it too many times) roll and twist enough to get metal snaps open.
For channels under 5#, we use the stringers with metal snap that are on coated cable. @RodsInTheMud linked them. They slide freely and spin easily. Have some that are probably 30 years old and still work perfectly. Not cheap, but worth it.

Anything over 5# goes on a braided rope stringer. First fish goes on and rope is fed back through steel loop on end. The rest are just slid down. All fish, regardless of size, are poked through center of lower jaw between lip and tongue. There's a thin spot there and easy to poke through.
 
#27 ·
The problem with a Lindy Everlast stringer is the U-Shaped groove under the collar will break allowing fish to escape. I’ve tried to epoxy them to make it stronger, but they continue to fail.
Ended up using some of the pieces and parts from it coupled with a cheap Wal-Mart metal stringer to make a fairly decent one. Make sure you crimp down the closed end of the fish clip with needle nose pliers so it doesn’t pull out. The yellow rope is off an $.88 Wal-Mart rope stringer.
I use this in my kayak so didn’t want all the noise from a metal stringer. The oval quick link is attached to a 16” piece of nylon rope that is tied to the yak. The quick link is then attached below the water line so it can’t clang on the side, or top of the kayak.
Built a couple last fall and had quite few nights with 2 steelhead and 6 walleye on the same stinger. No signs of failure.
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