I’ve been researching about stripping baskets after I found out (by reviews on line and people I talked to about it) that my William Joseph retractable basket wasn’t exactly a good option.
I didn’t want to get rid of it and the two times I tried it it was ok so I started to think on a way to improve it. I came up with this idea and I’d like to hear what you guys think about it. I like the fact that it also works as a utility belt where you can hang your tools and whatnot (kinda makes me feel like Batman LOL)
I know that testing it will pretty much tell what’s what but I really value what you guys have to say about it.
I found a cutting board and adjusted it size and added the weedwacker posts.
This is what it looks like with it.
Of course if it doesn’t work this is my second option but I wonder if this basked is too small. Is there an ideal size for stripping baskets?
Larger ones are better in the wind, the more compact size are easier to deal with. But really there is no ideal size or even style.
I use to carry two… in the truck that is.:roll:
A perforated one for surf and a solid one for deep wading
I finely settled on this one that I made a few years ago. It works well but I’m making an effort to improve my line handling skills so that I can go without… so far so good
I like that cutting board idea. A definite improvment on the collapable basket
(those things shouldn’t even be sold)
I know man but it makes me feel like batman. LOL. I like the second one you made, what did you use for posts? Those sure look better than the ones I have in mine.
Those are wire nuts… the largest size I could find
They’re held in place with stainless flathead wood screws, washers, and some Goop squirted inside to keep the springs from rusting
The best stripping basket that I have ever used is the Mangrove HipShooter. This basket was the culmination of many years of development, trial and error, and feed back from anglers across the country angling in many environments.
This high density foam bucket is designed to disassemble and pack flat for travel, yet is rigid enough for the surf. It is very durable. It is oval in shape and is designed to be worn on the side via a clip that slides over a belt (you provide the belt). It works best on the side and facilitates long strips but it can be worn in front also. The clip can be moved to either side so it can be set up for lefties or righties. The interior has a set of long and short spikes - you can use them all or just some of them. The front of the basket is lower than the rear, this provides a stop on the rear so you will always drop the line in the basket. The back also has a hole that you can place the rod butt into, resting the rod on the front of the basket and function as a rod holder while your hands are busy. The basket comes with a bottom with drain holes. A solid bottom can be purchased as an option.
The basic basket runs just under $50 and many shops that carry Temple Fork rods and reels also carry or can order the Hip Shooter for you.
The Hip Shooter may not be the best solution for all conditions, I doubt any stripping basket is, but I have yet to find one where it doesn’t work.
I have used most of the commercially available stripping basket solutions and many home made and the Hip Shooter is the best by far that I have used.
Here are a couple of images
On this second image, the size and shape of the basket are distorted due to the use of an ultra wide angle lens.
I have learned to just hold the coils in hand BUT that hip shooter looks awesome!!! looks even more impressive with the excellent picture of tailingloop in action…I might reconsider my position after seeing that
I am the photographer. The angler pictured is a friend.
Its a great product. The best I have used, home made or commercially made. That said, it may not be the best solution for every situation. I still use a homemade device constructed from a rubbermaid dishpan for deep wading situations in bays and lakes. The Hip Shooter works best when worn on the hip. It takes a little experimentation to find the optimal height for each angler. The height can be controlled by adjusting the amount of slack in the belt.
The fairly deep sides help keep the wind from messing with the line in the bottom.
The use of the clip may be unique to this device. It is handy because the basket can be easily removed which has a safety benefit. Also when using this in a boat, I will set the rod in the basket, remove the basket from my belt and set it on the deck when underway. No need to reel up the line.
For use in the surf, some anglers bend the end of the clip back in towards the basket a bit. This helps prevent the basket from floating up off the belt if you get hit by a higher wave yet still allows quick and easy removal.
The optional solid bottom is an extra $10. Extra Spike sets are around $8 I think. It doesn’t have the drain holes. Some anglers like to keep a little water in the basket since this keeps the line wet. Dry lines tend to catch and tangle more.
The reason that I like it is that it folds flat and is kept in the pack all of the time. I must note that I don’t fish the salt. If we had salt in Wis, I would fish it but nothing is close. My application is either fishing out of a boat or fishing on shore standing on sharp rocks. I just hate abusing expensive line and I step on the stuff with cleats on the bottom of my wading boots and that is a no no too.
My next basket was going to be a solid one from Orvis. The Charlies basket is convenient but I see where the vertical line grabbers for lack of a better term would be very useful.
That’s why I modified my William Joseph, I like the size and the fact that it is light so you don’t even have to slide it to your back when landing a fish. Sure I gotta test it first but I think it’s going to work. The cable nuts look a whole lot better than the weedwacker posts but I hope they work, they are not as long as the weedwacker string so I’m not sure if that makes a difference.
Wow, that Flexi-Stripper looks like a good option, I wonder if it would work around strong winds here in SoCal.
Devices like the flexi-stripper work well in some situations and not so well in others. Fishing the surf, waves will lift the line off the spikes. Loops of line hanging off the edge can be caught on things. Whether you be in a cluttered boat or around vegetation you can end up with your line caught on things. A strong wind can blow your line around too. Having sides to the device help eliminate these problems, even mesh sides. However, devices like the flexi-stripper can help with longer casting since there are no sides for the line to rub against while shooting out, eliminating one source of friction.
The Total Control basket doesn’t work well in the surf because the fabric in the bottom holds water causing the bottom to sag and the sides to collapse inward. This causes the line to collect in the sag and some of the coils get tangled. The addition of a homemade solid bottom made out of thin plastic with some added cones or spikes really help with this. For awhile, one online fly shop actually sold such a device that would fit the Total Control basket. I have a Total Control basket and don’t like it much. Still, it has its use for me since it packs into a small package. This makes it useful for hike in adventures.
Any stripping basket or bucket is better with cones, pegs, spikes, or other devices that help keep the coils of lines separate and untangled, even more so if you are walking or even running with line in the basket.
Lots of different options from homemade to commercially made. All have their pros and cons.
I agree with you tailingloop. It’s all matter of opinions and preferences, there is no perfect item but I just learn a lot and enjoy hearing what you guys have to say.
Thanks much.
On the east coast a conservative estimate would be 7 out of 10 salt fly guys use Orvis shooting baskets the other 3 use homemade rubbermaid baskets with cones, wire nuts, or weedwacker lines in them.
I agree with tailing loop that the fold up material basket and those flat open stripping devices just don’t work at all in a beach/jetty saltwater situation. From a boat anything could work including laying the line in a trash can or just on the deck.
If you are going to fish from shore one thing is for sure … a good basket will be essential.
That weed whacker mono is the cats meow but instead of fingers, use loops. Angle the loops so the plane of the loop faces the corner that the line shoots from. (less shooting resistance) Five loops seems to be optimum and I make mine about an inch wide and two inches tall. I’ve used waste baskets, rubbermaid, sterilite and even a cutting board, similar to the one shown but with loops instead of fingers. I use the small mesh basket from my picnic cooler to cover the loops when not in use and traveling. Keeps them from getting flattened. For those of us with ample waists, use the wide yellow bungee cord sold at Wallys world or one of the military stretch belts.
For a Charlies basket look at Wally Worlds laundry department–they are inexpensive there, and under $5. I use a blue one in my PowerPac, Kayak, or Gheenoe but put a ring of clear 3/4 inch tubing filled with sinkers in the bottom of it to keep if from blowing away. It’s about a one ft cube. The cutting board goes on top of that. I also have/use an oval topped waste basket that’s about a foot across the top but only about 6 inches wide with and tapered smaller to the bottom that works great as a waist basket when on a boat or in cramped quarters.
One of these days if I can figure out the camera/pics posting thing, I’ll post pics.
I’ve tried lots of different basket designs including using loops of weed wacker material.
Those drove me nuts… can’t tell you how many times my line tied itself around those loops before I got out a knife and wacked them off
That is strange indeed! I’ve not once had that problem, wonder why? Perhaps your loops were too narrow and tall? I measured mine and the are about 1.5 inches across by two inches tall. Been using baskets like that for years with similar loops. I just posted pics in my blog for those interested.
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