stripping basket

[Fly Fanatic]

I was wondering if any of you use a stipping basket for line management when fishing the sound? If so...what are some good brands out there, or decent cheap alternatives. Thanks!

[ibn]

I like the orvis stripping basket, it's a little spendy but it works great and fits even the portliest of fellows (I should know).

I would avoid the collapsable william/joseph model, or any other mesh/collapsable modesl, as I find they're too collapsable and tend to sag after a while. Stick with something rigid.

If you're a cheapo type of person make your own out of a shopping basket or small laundry basket and a belt or a bungee cord. Use the search function to find out more info, baskets have been discussed many times.

[Ringlee]

I have the Orvis stripping backst as well. I really like it. I was reluctant to get one for awhile, but once I got one it solved all my problems.
I have seen people use shopping baskets as well. I think they would work,
but you have to "make it."
Chris

[ibn]

One thing I forgot to mention in my post, a stripping basket is a must have item for fishing from the beach.

[gt]

william joseph, way cool invention. you can collapse the basket while you walk along and deploy when your are ready.

[Fly Fanatic]

Thanks for the input guys...as you can tell I'm pretty new at fishing saltwater.....I went down to the narrows today to practice casting my new 6 wt. and noticed line management was a serious issue. A stripping basket should allow me to get some longer casts. Has anyone used the LLBean stripping basket? Looks like a pretty good deal for $20

http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=1&langId=-1&catalogId=1&categoryId=36030&qs=5090274%2DPrfmcsInktomi_71892530

Thanks again,
Matt

[chadk]

When I was beach fishing I tried it a few days with and a few days without a basket (home made kind). I had a few more problems with the line coiling or getting tangled on itself with the basket, but when everything was working smoothly, it really helped get some distance on the cast.

A few other areas I noticed helping in were when there is a lot of seaweed to deal with. Sometimes the stuff with drift down to you and you wouldn't see it coming until your line was coated in it. I ended up breaking the tip of my rod trying to shake some of that sea weed off. The other time I was wishing for the basket is when I was walking on rocky beaches with lots of barnacles. That stuff will eat your line in no time...

[Scott Behn]

I'm one of those "cheapskates" I found a local grocery store shopping basket and put a pattern of zip ties poking up from the bottom of the basket...works like a charm even use it when I'm fishing the rivers. It's amazing how much distance you can get from using one, plus mine doubles as a "work bench"

:cool:

[Jim Wallace]

You can make a really good one easily for less than $5.
The first one I made was a little too small, so I made one a little bigger, out of a $4 rubbermaid container with inner dimensions of 14" X 9.5" X 6" deep. This is the smallest size I have found that works without the coils of line spilling over the sides...most stipping baskets i've seen are bigger. Cut a couple of small holes in the near-to-body corners to attach your bungee or strap to (I scavenged a strap off an old life preserver that had a snap-clip buckle on it...coincidentally it was just the right size for me). It took me about 10 minutes from start to finish to make once I had purchased the container.

My container came with a snap-on lid, which makes it a useful container for your gear when not being used as a stripping basket.

Jimbo

[D3Smartie]

never use one... deffinately NOT a must have...
The only time i used one was surf fishing in CA, but for me they are more of a hinderance than a help.

[Jim Wallace]

Depends on where you fish...I have found what chadk said in his post about barnacles eating your line and salad hanging up on your drifting line to be true. The salad hanging on your drifting coils of line will wreck your cast.

Jimbo

[Sterling silver]

I have found that it makes a difference what line you're using and where you're fishing. A sinking or intermediate line will definitely find more debris in the water, to say nothing of being affected by the current and a basket makes all the difference in the world in managing your line. Floating lines are not nearly as much of a problem in the winter, but in the summer with all the floating seaweed the basket will definitely be a help. Of course, ina boat, a basket isn't as necessary. But it would probably help to reduce the number of times you get to do the "standing on my line hop."

Sterling

[Richard]

Let's consider this . . .

Debris in the water. Sometimes a pretty fast current running. If you are using floating line, stripping it in to the water, it will find debris to grab and willl float away from you with the tide. Tough to cast and shoot line under those conditions,

If you're using sinking line, the line will collect around your feet, grabbing rocks and or debris floating by, and still will move away from you with the tide, though not as readily as the floating line.

If you fish beaches, like to or want to bust big casts, like to control your line, and prefer fishing instead of cussing, then you absolutlely need a stripping basket.

I own a couple of the collapsible (which I only take, occasionally, on trips because they pack well, but I have since started taking the hard basket), and as ibn said, don't buy 'em. The LLBean is the best deal out there, hands down. Bean let Orvis come up with the design, and then copied it, selling it for less than 1/2 of the Orvis version.

Should you have a stripping basket? Fish once or twice with one, fish once or twice without one, and after that you will never leave home without it. :thumb:

[kodiaksalmon]

I use a stripping basket often. I made my own with a little crate/basket type thing and a bungy chord. Thing is, it loos professional. I've have more people than I can count ask me where I bought it. They ask me if it's from Cabela's, Orvis, the fly shop in town and so on. And I'm like, "Are you serious?" Uh yeah, I got it at Wal Mart for about $5. Do a search, I think I've got a picture of it posted on here somewhere.

Jeff

[Tony]

Most definately a must have, I made mine out of a rubbermaid tub with straps from some old waders with the easy clip kind of fasteners, fast on and off. I know someone with the LLBean basket and I've been thinking about getting one of those, I really like the built in molded rod holder that they have. I've forgotten mine a couple of times and boy there is a big difference between have and havenot, with a sinking line you are always having to make way too many false casts to get all of your line out of the water (unless you are really good at holding it while you retrieve) and with a floater it always seems to be drifting away and getting caught up with all kinds of junk.
tony

[Ron Crawford]

I have the LL Bean basket and It is GREAT. It has a curved side to it that makes it more comfortable that a shopping basket and the molded rod holder is nice. At $20 - you can't beat it.

I am a big advocate of a stripping basket. I use an intermediate sinker and I shoot it for distance. A typical cast will involve shooting 30+ ft of line (in addition to the line outside the rod tip). I have tried this without the basket and it really doesn't work. The intermediate line gets half sunk in the water and the shooting power of the cast can't pull all of it out of the water friction. When the line is sitting in the basket the shooting power has no problem pulling it right out and ZING! you've got a long cast. While this is usefull for SRC (but not necessary - they swim in close to shore), I found it to be very handy when fishing for pinks and silvers which hang out a ways out there.

Ron

[espja]

Yea I say it's pretty much Puget Sound beach fishing standard equipment. Keeps your line out of the current, away from your feet, out of rocks, out of barnacles, helps with sea weed not fouling your line and adds to your casting didtance. Lots of advantages I say. Almost everyone I fish with either uses the Ovis or LL Bean stripping basket.
I don't think you'll regret getting one.
Joe

[Dizane]

I like using a stripping basket too when wading the shore. Mine's a big red bastard that I made myself. All it takes is a bungy cord and some sort of crate or tube type thing.

The LL Bean basket looks cool, but if I got it I'd think about punching a few drain holes in the bottom of it. While there isn't really a surf in the Sound, I wouldn't want a sneaker barge wake to catch it and fill it up if wading a bit deep to reach some deep fish. It could throw you off balance and cause an unexpected swim. The Sound usually ranges from cold, to very cold.

[salt dog]

LL Bean basket for $20 can't be beat.
Like Dizane said though, drill a couple of (small) drain holes in the plastic bottom for drainage. The interior cones make a BIG difference in managing tangles over the collapsible mesh.

I have a collapsible mesh I take with me on airline trips, but prefer the rigid basket with cones when practical. With soft mesh the lines bunches at the bottom and tangles, and unless the rim is rigid, the wind and surf will blow it closed. You can buy insertable cone base into the bottom of the mesh basket, but then you might as well just buy the rigid bottomed basket from the outset.

You will get better distances when shooting line with a basket, and it keeps the line out of the seaweed and current.

[marcopolo]

The LL bean deal is tough to beat but if you insist on making your own look-alike, you can use a rubbermaid plastic basket (see above) and those plastic champagne flutes that come disassembled in the box. Glue/epoxy six or so of the cone shaped parts of the flutes upside down at the bottom of the basket and that should do the trick.
You'll then have the "seasonned", "custom made", "tough guy", ... look of a true Northwest salt water fly fisherman.

[Banzai]

Like some others, I have constructed one of my own from a $.99 plastic 14"x16" plastic tub with a bungee I found along the street during a morning walk. In the bottom I RTVd 6 small leftover pudding cups to control the line after I saw this done to a self-made one worn by a nice young lady at Chico Creek last fall. Very effective, very inexpensive. I haven't put any holes in the bottom as I have found that it will float my thermos jug that way.

[Dick Warnke]

I've got to throw my .02 in on the L L Bean basket. For the money it can't be beat. I think it came to a total of 24.95 including shipping. A great tool.

[Mingo]

Orvis's model = :thumb: I used to use one I made from a $3 IKEA dishwashing tub and an old nylon clip belt. My buddy uses that now...those Orvis gift certifiicates come in handy! ;)

[Wayne]

Once I started using a basket, I won't go back to beach fishing without one. I've also started taking a 15gal size kitchen waste basket with me when fishing from a boat. It is a great way to manage the lne, plus I can just put the rod down in it while I move to a different spot.

[barbless]

I've got to throw my .02 in on the L L Bean basket. For the money it can't be beat. I think it came to a total of 24.95 including shipping. A great tool.

iagree Another nice thing about the LL Bean model is the notches they put on either side to rest your rod in while tying on another clouser - don't know if anyone mentioned those yet. You could probably jerry rig something like that on a homemade model but it wouldn't be pretty.

barbless

[Banzai]

My solution was to cut a couple of raduised notches in the top of the tub and RTV in a couple of half round sections of PVC. One might use some rigid pipe foam insulation if you desire a padded rod rest.

[salt dog]

... One might use some rigid pipe foam insulation if you desire a padded rod rest.

Banzai, good idea, hadn't thought of that. I use the rod rest constantly to free up both hands when changing up flies, pulling out a flask, ;) etc.; it would be nice to have the notch padded with insulation to keep it more stable. Might even put in a couple of foam rubber rod holders I have laying around to completely secure it.:thumb:

[Grey-Sedge]

I use a rubbermade an drill the bottom and poke electrical ties thru the holes. It works great with a bungee cord. The real advantage is that I can pull the ties out, fill it with my reeels and lines and pack it in my luggage when traveling. The collapsables don't have this utility.

[chadk]

I just ordered the LL Bean for $19 and change. I'll try it out and compare it my home made jobber. Mine works, but it is kinda big and boxy - I feel like a hot dog vendor at safeco feild when I'm wearing it... :)

[robast]

I have the LL Bean basket as well. Good value, but it will only sit directly in front of you. One thing I like about the softer baskets is that you can shift them a little to the left so they don't interfere with casting/reeling as much.