PVA

[Pferox]

PVA is an interesting item.  It is a water soluble plastic.  One example are those packages of soap for the dishwasher, and clothes washer are wrapped in this stuff.   It is a staple for carp fishers, and I have been thinking about adapting it for saltwater use.

That's where the rub comes in.  You see the chemicals that inhibit PVA from dissolving are Oils, Glycerin, and SALT.  I'm not sure how much salt needs to be in solution to cause a problem.  So that is where experimentation comes in to play.

PVA comes in many sizes, and forms. There are mesh "sausage casings", baggies, tape (like very fine ribbon) and thread.  Each one can be used in the fishing scenario, AND can even be used for some applications if it doesn't melt readily, but that has to be discovered.

I ran across a sampler package that was on sale online a while back and decided to order it to try out.  Worst case scenario is that we would have our own home made soap packages for the laundry.



Man, there was a pile of stuff in there, two different sized fill tubes with yards of mesh on it, a refill for each tube, a push rod to stuff the tubes, three different sized of bags, a roll of "tape" and a roll of string.  AND water resistant cases for both of the tube assemblies.

So far I have tried the larger sized mesh, and the string, with some interesting results.  I think I'll add  to this thread different posts with the information I have on this so far because it has been interesting.

Right now, it is kind of an ongoing test because salinities are changing, and I have been kind of stuck in the deep inshore areas which are still pretty fresh thanks to the late winter and early spring rains.  So results may vary depending on how the salinity increases or changes as time progresses.

Soooo Stay tuned.

[Pferox]

I tried the PVA mesh first.  It is a pretty versatile, and I have come up with a few uses for it already.

You can make small chum bags that cast out with the rig putting a large amount of attractant right near the hook.  It works great when trying to long cast softer baits.  Just remember that what ever you put in to the bag has to be either dry, salty, or mixed with glycerin.  Or you need to work and get it casted out REAL FAST.



I probably need to add more pictures, stay tuned, I just might add a few more.

How the mesh works is that it is a long tube, kind of like a sock, it is put on the outside of the loading tube.  You tie a knot on the bottom end of the "sock", put material in the tube, and use the plunger to fill the mesh casing.  Kind of like making sausage.  Since the mesh stretches, you can make a very tight package.  After you get the "sausage" made tie a simple overhand knot to finish it off, add another knot with a little space between them, cut between the knots.  What you end up is with a mesh covered package and a knot on the tube making it ready for the next "sausage".

A long bait hook is available or you can make your own with a piece of thin wire.  Using this allows you to thread the leader through the package, then attach the leader to your main line, as you desire, it then can be cast out in an in line kind of presentation.

Or you can hook it onto your hook with your bait and cast it out that way.  Nicking a few strands of the mesh makes for a very strong hold.

I can see where using this technique would be a great way of casting livers for catfishing also, since it dissolves and is much more digestible than nylon stocking or nylon mesh.

Sometimes we get that mushy shrimp or cut bait that won't stay on the hook even when lobbed a few feet in front of us.  This makes it easier to cast quite a distance.

Start out with a shrimp that you have towel dried.  We are now going to make a mesh bag.  If you haven't yet, knot the end of the PVA, then pull an inch or two, depending on the size of bait you are using off of the tube, tie another overhand knot.  On the knot side opposite the filler tube, cut.  This should have made a nice PVA mesh bag.

Take the bag you just made, and put the tip of the hook through the side of the knot so that it comes out the middle of the bag. (The majority of the hook should be in the bag)  Orientate the opening of the bag so you can hook the shrimp on the hook as you normally do, keeping a small amount of hook point exposed.  Cover the Shrimp / hook with the bag and close the bag by stretching it and hooking the opening. 

It is actually easier to do than type.  I hope it came out understandable, if not let me know, I will try to take another crack at it.  The nice part of these mesh presentations are that it doesn't really matter how long it takes for the PVA to melt because it is letting out attractant through the holes.  In crabby and bait stealer environments, it might be a benefit if the PVA mesh was a slow dissolver.

When I come up with any more ideas about this stuff I'll add it, I bet I will be ordering more of it in a while..

[Pferox]

PVA STRING

I've been experimenting with developing my own design for a Pompano rig, which is basically a single drop rig with longer hook trace and a float.  One of the problems I found is that it wants to tangle on the cast, after thinking about it, there are a few other rigs I like to build and use that have leaders long enough on them to facilitate tangling also.

There are a few options that allow the trace to be sort of pinned next to the main line for distance casting which release when they hit the water, but where I am they are hard to find and can be expensive, they also force you to be very judicious about lengths when rigging.

The next thing that came to mind was why not just tie the trace to the main line the same way the clips do, but use PVA.  After it hit the water it would melt and the presentation would be right there and untangled.



In the sampler I bought there was a spool of PVA string and Tape, I decided to try the string first, and here is my first limited experience with the string on the bayou.

The container reminds me of the container you get when you buy that white pipe thread tape.  Surprisingly it does keep the stuff dry provided you don't submerge it.

I started out with positioning the trace in such a way that I could tie it on to the main line thus making it a very straight casting presentation.  Then I cut a piece of PVA String a few inches long .......

This stuff is like limp dental floss, kind of like working with 5lb test braid that has been on the reel for a few years. Man is it thin, I felt all thumbs trying to tie that stuff, but did manage to get it done and it looked like a nice castable package, that worked well.

I then let the bait soak for about 15 minutes, well, maybe longer since I lost track of time kabitzing with one of the regulars that stopped by to visit.  When I reeled it in the PVC was gone, bait was gone, so either something pulled it apart, or it did what it was supposed to do.

So I decided to re bait and try again, I did notice that the wind picked up a little.  It was a fight to get that thing tied!  I also learned that the line better be very dry where you are going to put this stuff because the dampness will weaken and melt through the stuff prematurely.  Another thing I learned is that wet shimp is not PVA string friendly.  I finally did manage to get it tied together and casted it out without incident.  This time I kind of timed it and it came back missing the string at around 15 minutes.  By this time I had decided I need to do some thinking about how to deploy this stuff before I try it again, insuring that I won't toss it into the bayou in short order.

I only got to try it out twice because the breeze made it difficult to work with.  There has to be a better way to use it, so there will be more to come.

[SFL BassHunter]

Sounds like you've been busy.

[Pferox]

Sounds like you've been busy.

I'm always trying something new to improve something fishing related.  Sometimes they work, sometimes they work good, and most times they just fail all to heck.   

[SFL BassHunter]

I'm always trying something new to improve something fishing related.  Sometimes they work, sometimes they work good, and most times they just fail all to heck.   

Hell there is nothing wrong with that.