How to Tie a Fisherman's Knot

This article is for anyone who needs to learn a quick and easy way to tie a fisherman's knot.

Steps

1. Grab hold of both ends of the rope. The end in your left hand is end 2, and the end in your right hand is end 1.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


2. Cross end 2 in front of end 1, so that it is behind the loop and pointing downwards.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


3. Pull end 2 through the loop and up to the left, this will create a smaller loop on top of the larger loop underneath.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


4. Using your right hand, pull end 2, though the smaller loop from back to front.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


5. Tighten the loop you made by pulling end 2 with your right hand and the end next to the bigger loop with your left hand.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • This will create a knot on top of your larger loop and end 1 should be able to move back and forth enabling you to adjust the loop the the appropriate size.
   
   
   
   


6. Pull end 1 through the large loop from behind, pull it upwards and create a small loop on top of the larger loop
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


7. Pull end 1 through the smaller loop from behind, then pull the loop to tighten it using your left hand.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


8. Tighten the knot made by pulling the larger loop from either side.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Things You'll Need

• One single length of rope

from How to of the Day http://ift.tt/1BBf07N

How to Measure Centimeters

You would usually use a metric ruler or meter stick to measure centimeters. There are also ways to estimate length in centimeters and to convert length measurements made in other units to equal values described in centimeters.

Steps

Method One: Measuring Centimeters

1. Look at the numbers on a metric ruler. Each number on a metric ruler corresponds to a full centimeter.^[1]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Metric rulers only deal with centimeters and millimeters, so it usually makes sense to deal with rulers when measuring centimeters. You could also use a meter stick instead of a ruler, though.
   
   
   
   


2. Note the smaller lines in between. The little lines in between full numbers on a metric ruler each correspond to a full millimeter, which is one-tenth of a centimeter.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Each 1 mm is also 0.1 cm.
   
   
   
   


3. Place the end of the ruler at the edge of the object. To measure the length of an object in centimeters using a metric ruler, you first need to set the “0” edge of the ruler to the starting edge of the object to be measured.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Keep the ruler as flat and parallel against the measured edge of the object as possible.
   
   
   • There may not be a marked “0” on the ruler, but the “0” edge is the edge closest to the “1 cm” measurement.”
   
   
   
   


4. Read the mark at the opposite edge of the object. Identify the nearest mark that matches the opposing edge of the object being measured. This mark will tell you how long the object is in centimeters.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • If the object's ending edge lands nearest a full number, the object's length will be a full centimeter value.
     
     
     
     • Example: If the length of an object measures from the 0 edge to the 4 mark, that object is exactly 4 cm long.
     
     
     
     
   
   
   • If the object's ending edge lands nearest an unnumbered mark, the object's length will be the sum of the full centimeter value before that mark plus the value of the unnumbered mark measured in centimeter tenths.
     
     
     
     • Example: If the length of an object measures from the 0 edge to the third unnumbered mark after the 4 mark, the length of that object is 4.3 cm.
     
     
     
     
   
   
   
   

Method Two: Estimating Centimeters

1. Note a few objects that are roughly 1 cm long. If you do not have a measuring stick but you need a rough estimate of an object's length in centimeters, you can use any object that is known to have a length that roughly equals one centimeter.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • One of the easiest object's to use might be a standard pencil, pen, or highlighter. The width or diameter of a standard pencil is close to 1 cm in distance.
   
   
   • Other options include the length of a staple, the width of five CDs or DVDs stacked together, the thickness of a standard notepad, and the radius of a U.S. penny.^[2]
   
   
   
   


2. Place the item on a sheet of paper. Place the item you want to measure on top of a blank sheet of white or light colored paper. Make sure that the entire item fits on the paper.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Mark the starting edge of this object using a separate pencil or pen.
   
   
   • The paper needs to be light in color so that you can clearly see the marks being made.
   
   
   
   


3. Place one measuring object at the starting edge. Line up one edge of your measuring object with the starting edge of your item to be measured.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • For instance, if you are using the width of a pencil to estimate centimeters, place the pencil perpendicular against the side of the item being measured, so that its eraser or unsharpened point lies flat against the edge being measured. One side of the pencil should be flush against the edge of the measured item, while the other side should extend inward along the measured edge.
   
   
   
   


4. Mark the opposite edge of the measuring object. On the opposite side of your measuring object, make a small mark with a pencil or pen, placing it as close to the item being measured as possible.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


5. Shift the position of the measuring object. Pick up the measuring object and re-position it so that the opposite edge of that object now lies on the mark previously created. Make another mark on the second side of the measuring object.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Make sure that the measuring object is flat against the side of the item being measured each time you shift its position. The item being measured must remain in the same position the entire time.
   
   
   • Repeat this process until you reach the very end of the item being measured.
   
   
   • Also make sure that the ending edge of the object is also marked.
   
   
   
   


6. Count the gaps. When finished, lift away the measuring object and the item being measured. Count the number of gaps or spaces in between your marks. This number is a rough estimate of the number of centimeters your measured item equals.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • It is important that you count the gaps and not the lines/marks.
   
   
   
   

Method Three: Converting into Centimeters from Other Metric Measurements

1. Convert millimeters to centimeters. There are 10 millimeters in 1 centimeter.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • To convert a measurement taken in millimeters to a measurement in centimeters, you need to divide the measurement by 10.
   
   
   • Example: 583 mm / 10 = 58.33 cm
   
   
   
   


2. Know how to convert meters to centimeters. There are 100 centimeters in 1 meter.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • To convert a measurement taken in meters to an equal measurement in centimeters, you should multiply the original measurement by 100.
   
   
   • Example: 5.1 m * 100 = 510 cm
   
   
   
   


3. Calculate centimeters from kilometers. There are 100,000 centimeters in .
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • If you want to convert a measurement originally taken in kilometers to an equal centimeter value, you need to multiply the original measurement by 100000.
   
   
   • Example: * 10000 = 278000 cm
   
   
   
   

Method Four: Converting into Centimeters from Imperial Measurements

1. Convert inches to centimeters. In 1 inch, there are 2.54 centimeters. This value is not constant, however, so you will need a special conversion factor to turn inches into centimeters.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • If you need to convert a measurement originally taken in inches to its equal centimeter value, you need to divide the number of inches by the value 0.39370.^[3]
   
   
   • Example: 9.41 inches / 0.39370 = 23.9 cm
   
   
   
   


2. Calculate centimeters from feet. For every 1 foot, there are 30.48 centimeters. As with inches, however, the ratio is not constant, so you will need a separate conversion factor.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • To convert a measurement originally taken in feet to a separate measurement described in centimeters, you need to divide the original measurement by 0.032808.^[4]
   
   
   • Example: 7.2 feet / 0.032808 = 219.46 cm
   
   
   
   


3. Know how to convert yards to centimeters. There are 91.44 centimeters in every 1 yard. As with other imperial to metric conversions, you need to use a separate conversion factor to change yards into centimeters.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • If you want to convert a measurement taken in yards to one in centimeters, divide the original yard value by 0.010936.^[5]
   
   
   • Example: 3.51 yards / 0.010936 = 320.96 cm
   
   
   
   

Things You'll Need

• Metric ruler (or similar metric measuring stick)


• Pencil


• Paper


• Calculator

Sources and Citations

Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

from How to of the Day http://ift.tt/1BBf07L

How to Melt Butter

Melt butter on the stovetop if you want to end up with perfect, evenly melted butter, or if the recipe calls for browning. If you want to save time, use a microwave oven instead, but follow the instructions here to avoid heating it too quickly and unevenly. Finally, if you are only trying to soften butter that was kept in the fridge or freezer, many possible options are provided.

Steps

Melting or Browning Butter on the Stovetop

1. Cut the butter into pieces. Cut the butter into cubes or chunks so the heat doesn't have to melt its way slowly through the butter to reach the center. The more surface area you expose to the heat, the faster the butter will melt.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • You don't need to aim for an exact size. Try cutting a stick of butter into four or five pieces.
   
   
   
   


2. Place the butter in a heavy pan or double boiler if possible. A pan with a heavy base should distribute heat more evenly than thin pans. This helps minimize the chance of burning the butter, by melting every part of it at a similar rate.^[1] A double boiler is even safer. Even a light pan, however, may produce more evenly melted butter than a microwave.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • You can make your own double boiler by stacking two pans.
   
   
   
   


3. Heat on low. Butter melts between 82 and 97ºF (28–36ºC), which can be about room temperature on a hot day.^[2] Turn the heat on low to avoid heating the butter too far past this point, which can result in burning or smoking.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


4. Watch until 3/4 of the butter has melted. The heat should remain low enough that the butter melts without browning. Use a spoon or spatula to spread the butter over the bottom of the pan as it melts.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


5. Remove from heat and stir. Turn off the heat or move to another stove burner, and stir the mostly melted butter.^[3] The butter and pan surrounding the unmelted chunks are still hot, and should be enough to melt the remaining butter. This method has a much lower risk of burning compared to leaving the butter on the stove to melt the rest of the way.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Return to the heat for thirty seconds if there are still chunks after stirring.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
   
   
   
   


6. If the recipe calls for browning, heat until specks appear. You do not need to brown your butter unless the recipe specifies browned butter. If it does, keep the heat low and stir the butter continually with a gentle motion. The butter will foam, then form brown specks. Once you see these specks, remove from heat and stir until the butter turns amber brown, then pour into a room temperature dish.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Melting Butter in the Microwave

1. Cut the butter into chunks. The microwave will heat the butter from the outside in, so chop the butter into several pieces to increase the surface area that can be heated. This will reduce uneven heating, although you still shouldn't expect perfectly even heating in a microwave.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


2. Cover the dish of butter with a paper towel. Place the butter into a microwave-safe dish, then cover with a paper towel. Butter may splatter during the rapid melting a microwave causes. The paper towel should protect the microwave’s interior from these splashes.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


3. Heat the butter for ten seconds on low or defrost. Microwave ovens are much faster at melting butter than the stovetop, but also much more likely to cause burning, separation, or other problems. Start out cautiously by setting the microwave to "low" or "defrost" if possible, then microwave your butter for ten seconds.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


4. Stir and check progress. The butter has most likely not melted by now, but because butter melts at a relatively low temperature, each ten second interval can have a dramatic effect. Stir to evenly distribute the heat and see if there are any chunks.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Note: remember to remove silverware from the bowl before returning it to the microwave.
   
   
   
   


5. Repeat the process until the butter is mostly melted. Replace the paper towel and zap the butter for another ten seconds, or five seconds if the butter is nearly done. Keep checking on progress until there are only tiny chunks remaining. Remove the dish carefully from the microwave, as it may be hot.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


6. Stir to melt remaining pieces. The tiny pieces remaining can be melted with the residual heat. Stir the butter until the entire dish is golden and liquid.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Butter with greasy droplets or white residue on the surface has been microwaved too long. It can still be used for sauteéing or adding flavor to savory dishes, but may negatively affect the texture of baked goods.^[4]
   
   
   
   

Softening Butter

1. Know how to tell when butter is soft. Unless a recipe gives you a specific description of texture, butter is considered soft when it's about room temperature. It can easily be squished by a spoon, but still keeps its shape when left alone.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


2. Cut butter into pieces before softening. There are several common methods of softening butter described below. For any of these methods, however, the butter will soften more quickly if cut into small cubes first.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


3. Leave butter on the counter near the oven. If the butter isn't frozen and the room is warm, small pieces of butter may only take a few minutes to soften. This is especially easy if you have the oven on nearby, or if the oven's top tends to stay warm constantly due to a pilot light.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Do not place the butter directly on top of a warm oven, unless it is frozen. Keep an eye on butter in hot places to make sure it doesn't melt, as this can happen rapidly.
   
   
   
   


4. Soften butter more quickly by mashing or beating it. To speed up the softening process, use electric mixer, or use this tip to easily mash the butter by hand. Stick the butter in a sealed zip lock bag with most of the air squeezed out. Using a rolling pin, your hands, or any heavy object, roll or mash the butter repeatedly.^[5] After a few minutes, the butter should feel significantly softer, without any signs of melting.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Instead of a zip lock bag, you could put the butter between two sheets of parchment paper or wax paper.
   
   
   
   


5. Place a container of butter in a warm water bath. Fill a large bowl partway full of warm water, avoiding steaming hot water. Put the butter in a sealed zip lock bag or in a smaller bowl resting in the water bath. Keep a close eye on the butter and poke it occasionally to check the texture, as this method should only take a couple minutes to soften refrigerated butter.^[6]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


6. Rapidly soften frozen butter by grating it. If you can't wait for frozen butter to thaw, grate it using a coarse, large-hole grater. The grated shreds of butter should thaw and soften within a few minutes in a warm room.^[7]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Tips

• If you frequently use butter to fry food at high temperatures, or you want to extend its shelf life, consider clarifying it by heating the melted butter until it foams. Clarified butter is more resistant to smoking or burning at high heat than regular butter, but does have a less rich flavor.^[8]


• Choosing unsalted butter instead of salted butter will give you more control over how much sodium to add to your dishes, which is particularly important if you have high blood pressure or are on a low-sodium diet.

Warnings

• If you melt butter on the stovetop, then do not allow it to brown quickly or to burn. This will compromise the flavor of your finished product.

Things You'll Need

• Butter


• A microwave-safe bowl


• Paper towels


• A pan for heating on the stovetop


• Spoon or spatula

Related wikiHows

• How to Clarify Butter


• How to Make Drawn Butter


• How to Soften Butter Quickly


• How to Make Butter by Whipping

Sources and Citations

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from How to of the Day http://ift.tt/1sL1yy2

How to Hook a Shrimp

Dead or alive, fresh or frozen, shrimp are one of the best baits for inshore saltwater fishing. Black drum, bonefish, flounder, grouper, jackfish, pompano, redfish, snook, sea trout, sheepshead, tarpon, and whiting are among the species you can catch with this crustacean. There are also a number of ways to hook a shrimp, depending on whether you’re fishing it live or dead and how you’re presenting it.

Steps

Methods for Rigging Live Shrimp

1. Hook the shrimp through the head when casting or trolling. Many fishermen like to hook their shrimp through the head. There are two ways to do this.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Insert the hook from under the shrimp’s head, and push the barb out on top, avoiding the vital organs. This method is preferred when fishing the bait off the bottom.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
   
   
   • Insert the hook through the top of the shrimp’s head, working the point under the vital organs before pushing it out elsewhere on the top of the head. This method is preferred for bottom fishing.^[1]
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
   
   
   • There is one drawback to hooking a shrimp through the head: it is more likely to fall off the hook.^[2]
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
   
   
   
   


2. Hook the shrimp crosswise through its carapace for drift fishing or float-rigging. Poke the hook through just under the shell tip, avoiding the stomach and pancreas. (These appear as dark spots on the shrimp’s body.) This takes advantage of the shrimp’s swimming action.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • You can also hook the shrimp just below its head and thread the shrimp so that the hook comes out in the center of the carapace between its vital organs. This lets you cast further and retrieve the shrimp more easily, but it will die sooner than if hooked crosswise through the carapace.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
   
   
   
   


3. Hook the shrimp through the tail when casting for cruising fish. This method lets you cast still further, as the shrimp’s head, where most of its weight is, will propel the bait further without tearing the shrimp’s body off the hook. Break off the shrimp’s tail fan, then thread the hook through the tail center to hide it and poke it out through the underside of the tail, far enough for the shrimp body to cover the hook eye.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • You may want to use a baitholder hook, one with barbs on its shank, to better hold the shrimp’s tail in place.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
   
   
   • Breaking off the shrimp’s tail fan releases a fish-attracting scent.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
   
   
   • You can also hook the shrimp crosswise through the tip of its tail. This method is preferred when dealing when heavy bottom snags other than weeds.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
   
   
   
   


4. Bury the hook in the shrimp’s body when fishing in a lot of weeds. This method of rigging a shrimp is similar to the self-weedless rigging that bass fishermen use when fishing plastic worms. Break off the tail fan, then run the point completely through the tip of the tail. Pull out the shank and rotate the hook so its point faces the shrimp’s underside, and then bury the point in the meaty part of the tail.^[3]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • This self-weedless arrangement can be fished on a Carolina rig. Thread a 1/4 ounce (7.09 g) sliding sinker onto your line, then tie on a swivel. On the other end, tie 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) of leader and your hook, then bait it with a shrimp. The weight will take your baited hook to the bottom, while the swivel will keep it from sliding all the way to the hook, and the leader will let your bait rise just off the bottom.^[4]
   
   
   • You can also use this arrangement with a 3-way swivel. Attach your line to one end of the swivel, your bait and leader to a second end, and a 1/4 to 2 ounce (7.09 to 56.7 g) bell or dipsey sinker to the third end.^[5]
   
   
   
   

Methods for Rigging Dead or Frozen Shrimp

1. Dismember the body. While live shrimp entice fish to strike by how well they swim, dead shrimp draw fish by how they smell. For that reason, you can break off the head, feet, and tail fan before threading the rest of the body on the hook – and some anglers don’t even bother to take this step.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


2. Thread from the head end or the tail end. Either method is valid; you just have to make sure the entire shank of the hook is covered.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


3. Sweeten your jig with dead shrimp. Dead shrimp are great for adding the test of real crustacean to a jig, whether it has a skirt or a soft plastic body. If you decide to tip your jig, cut the shrimp with a knife into hook-shank-length pieces. This will ensure the bait is the right length and, by cutting instead of breaking, keep the flesh firmer and on the hook longer.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • For particularly meaty pieces of dead shrimp, you may want to add a trailer hook to ensure that the fish don’t take the bait and miss getting hooked.
   
   
   • Some anglers prefer to pinch off the tail fan and joint above it, then thread the shrimp tail-first onto the jig head, making sure the shrimp body lies flat when the hook is pushed through the body.^[6]
   
   
   
   

Keeping Live Shrimp

1. Choose your bucket wisely. You can keep live shrimp in either a single-layer bucket or a two-layer minnow bucket. A two-layer minnow bucket makes it easier to change the water as needed.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Some guides use 5 to 15-gallon (18.9 to 56.8 l) buckets.
   
   
   
   


2. Know what your bucket can hold – and don’t overfill it. Too many shrimp in the water means some of them will start to die – and when some die, others will soon follow.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


3. Keep the water cool. Check the temperature regularly, and add ice as needed to maintain it. Change the water every so often to keep the shrimp in cool and clean water.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


4. Oxygenate. Like any other marine creature, shrimp need a supply of oxygen to stay alive. There are two ways you can supply it:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Use an aerator.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
   
   
   • Use an oxygen-releasing tablet. Both of these items are available for use with minnow buckets and will work just as well with shrimp.^[7]
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
   
   
   
   

Keeping Dead and Frozen Shrimp

1. Preserve dead shrimp like pork rind. Dead shrimp can be preserved in brine and carried in small jars the way freshwater fishermen carry pork rind in their tackle boxes. You follow this procedure:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Get 1/2 to 1 pound (226.8 to 453.6 g) of fresh shrimp.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
   
   
   • Remove the shells, heads, and tails.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
   
   
   • Cut them into pieces twice the size at which you’d fish them live.
   
   
   • Place a layer of salt in the bottom of a small jar.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
   
   
   • Place a piece of cut shrimp on top of the salt.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
   
   
   • Place a layer of salt on top of the cut shrimp.
   
   
   • Place another piece of cut shrimp on top of the salted shrimp.
   
   
   • Repeat alternating between salt and shrimp layers until the jar is full. The salt will preserve and toughen the shrimp to make it stay on the hook longer.
   
   
   
   


2. Refreeze unused frozen shrimp. Unused frozen shrimp can be packaged and re-frozen for use on another fishing outing, as long as they haven’t spoiled. It’s best to check with your significant other about doing so and to carefully separate the packages of frozen shrimp from frozen foodstuffs and label them as frozen bait shrimp.^[8]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Tips

• When fishing live shrimp, use the smallest, lightest hook you can get away with for the species of fish you’re after to allow the shrimp to swim as freely as possible for as long as possible. Generally, the harder the fish’s mouth, the larger and stronger the hook needs to be, and you may also prefer a treble hook to a single hook in such cases. Typically, you won’t need to use anything larger than a 3/0 or 4/0 hook.^{[9] [10]}


• Check the area you plan to fish to find out whether it has bait shops that sell bait shrimp. Also check with the jurisdiction for any regulations regarding the use of shrimp as bait.^[11]

Sources and Citations

Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

from How to of the Day http://ift.tt/192RsAG