With winter in full swing and the Sportshow season underway
it is important for anglers to start thinking about getting
organized for the season. This is the time of year to look
over all your equipment and replace or repair fishing tools
for the upcoming season. One of the first places that I begin
to organize is my tackle box. Tackle boxes come in all sizes
and shapes for a variety of needs and provide function with
stylish design. Flambeau has come up with soft box designs
that allow you to add more or exchange the boxes. When I am
fishing for crappies I want to take maybe two boxes of jigs,
but I surely don’t want to take along all my crankbaits especially
my musky ones. I then can slide out my box that has all the
crankbaits and put in my boxes that have all the crappie jigs.
While fishing for walleyes I can take along a jig box that
has all sizes and colors neatly organized in their proper
place. I might also decided to take along two crankbait boxes
and a box that has all my Lindy Rigs, spinners and No Snagg
weights for those finicky walleyes. These smaller clear finished
boxes make the identification of their contents easy and quick
when I have to select in a hurry. They also make sense in
the aspect that I don’t have to have that old box like my
dad’s. You know the one I am talking about. It weighed about
fifty pounds and when you opened it, it grew with length and
different levels so it took up the entire length of the floor
between the seats. All the tackle that dad and I had purchased
over the years was contain in that box. Some of the tackle
was in need of repair, but it still had a place in the box
next to all the other tackle that was housed there. Getting
ready for this fishing season spend some time going through
your tackle box and maybe it is a good time to get a new box.
Check all the compartments and remove all the lures and set
them aside so you can wipe out the box itself and let it dry.
Don’t use chemicals or industrial cleans, a damp rag will
clean up most of the plastic boxes that have been out there
for over twenty years. Then inspect your baits and lures.
Do they need to have new hooks put on them? I either replace
my hooks from the original box or when needed repair with
VMC hooks. How sharp are those hooks? Now is the time to touch
them up with a file and get them sharp for the up coming season.
As long as you are touching up some of your tackle you should
spend sometime refurbishing your reels. I might need to replace
a bail spring or a handle or just take my extra spools that
come with my Shimano reels and pre-spool them. I will pre-spool
my spinning reels with Stren Hi-Vis green in 6 or 8 lb. test
and pre-spool my Shimano Calais and Castaic baitcasters with
10 lb. test original Stren Lo-Vis green. One thing that is
very important when spooling up line in the winter is to make
sure that you know what line is on each spool. You can mark
them by attaching a tag to the line telling you what pound
test is on the line. Why is this important? Well if you look
at any of the new dive charts that just came out, you will
quickly discover that if you change the diameter of the line
your lures will ride higher in the strike zone. For trolling
I use 10# Stren exclusively as it is strong and I can utilize
the dive curves. When was the last time you gave your fishing
rod the once over? Chances are that it was at the very start
of the season, and how many times have you been on the water
since that time? It is essential that anglers periodically
inspect and maintain their rods and components to assure peak
casting and fish fighting performance. A few minutes invested
in checking the blank, real seat, guide wraps and grips may
also save you money in the long run. Here are some tips that
I use when inspecting my rods so they maintain their top performance
on the water. Pull a strip of nylon hose through each guide.
If the material sticks or threads, there’s probably a nick
in the guide which could lead to line damage. Replace the
guides as necessary. Most local dealers offer this service
for a very nominal fee. Inspect guide wraps for hints of wear.
Re-wrap if necessary or seal any loose ends with a dab of
clear nail polish or epoxy. Again, a local dealer may provide
this service for a very reasonable charge. Clean the cork
grips by gently rinsing with a warm water and soap solution.
If fish scales and slime prove stubborn, gently rub the grips
with a piece of fine steel wool. If the rod is fitted with
EVA foam grips, wipe them with a soapy dishrag, then rinse
in cool water. Check the reel seat for any buildup of residue,
or evidence of corrosion. The reel will not set properly with
“gunk” on the seat, and the seat may be difficult to move
or could even seize up if corroded. This can be remedied by
rubbing with a soapy sponge, rinsing with cool water and drying
thoroughly with a towel. The use of WD-40 (or similar) will
help prevent corrosion. If utilizing a two-piece rod, rub
a very light coating of paraffin onto the ferrule. This not
only makes for a firm, sure connection, but also makes it
easier to separate the sections. Store the rod(s) in a horizontal
or vertical rack as opposed to leaning against a wall or stacking
in a corner where the rod might bend and actually take a “set.”
Run your fingers over the length of the blank. Should you
detect any dings, the rod may have incurred damage that may
cause it to break during use. When it comes time to add that
new action to your arsenal, you need only to visit your local
dealer. There you will find all kinds of rods from ultra light
panfish rods to salt water varieties. Shimano offers some
affordably yet high end rods worthy of a look. Take some time
now that winter grips the lakes and inspect your rods, tackle
boxes, line and components and you will have more time on
the water this spring. If you are interested in finding out
more about preparing for the season you can on my website
at www.walleye.info.
See you on the water!!!soon!
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