Keeping Yourself Busy
In the Off Season
By Luke Downing
Midwestern Staff Writer
Feb. 13, 2008
The off season is difficult for me; its cold, dismal, and a lot of us trade our rods and reels for tools we are not fond of using like the dreaded snow shovel. If you live in a more temperate part of the country and get to fish year round, lucky you! You might get some use out of these tips as well.
Hmmm, what to do with all this free time? The first thing I do in the off season is to go through all my tackle. When fishing is good it’s easy to make a quick run to your favorite tackle shop to replenish bait that was used up on the last fishing trip. However, if you’re like me, you end up buying something new that catches your eye, or getting a new color of plastic worm or jig in addition to replacing current stock. I end up with so much tackle in my boat that I’m spending more time looking for product than actually fishing.
The off season is the time to cure that disease. I go through everything and keep the tackle and lures that I have the most confidence in at the ready. The product I don't want I take and give to youth organizations, sell it or give it away.
Now that I’ve paired down the tackle that I want to keep, I go through each and every piece of it and inspect it all. I specifically check all baits with treble hooks such as crankbaits, jerkbaits and topwater baits to make sure that the hooks and split rings have not rusted, then replace the hooks and split rings as needed. I check all my jigs and spinnerbaits for rust and broken parts and replace them as needed. I also check my plastic baits to make sure that they are not torn or melted. Needless to say I’m very thorough!
My inspection of my rods and reels won't take me as long as the tackle did; I don’t have as many combos as the pros do. The first thing I do is make sure that the reel is holding tight on the reel seat; a loose reel can cause major issues when a good fish is hooked and can possibly cause the reel to come off the rod at a inopportune times. I then check each of the guides on the rod to make sure that they are not broke, bent, or have the insert missing or cracked. An easy way to check for cracked inserts is to run a Q-tip around the inside of the guide, the cotton will grab hold of the crack. I then check the rod blank itself, making sure that the blank has no cracks, or splinters. I do this by flexing the blank and looking for problems. This is the time for replacing damaged parts. If there is a problem with the blank more than likely it is time for a new rod.
Reels also needed to be inspected closely. Many anglers tear their reels all the way down each year and clean them. I inspect each reel, greasing and lubing parts that are fairly easy to get to, making sure that they are in good working order. If I feel a reel needs repair, I send it off and to be repaired by a professional. Don’t forget to check your line as well. Line is probably the most overlooked part of our equipment. ,I check my line by taking a stretch of line and wrapping it around each hand, then I pull on the line to see if it breaks. If it does its time for a change.
Last but not least, remember to thoroughly inspect your boat, trailer and tow vehicle. I won’t go into huge detail on this because there are a lot of things to check out on each, but I will key in on a few main areas that most of us can easily inspect: Let’s start with the tow vehicle. Always keep your vehicle well-maintained by a professional. Things anyone can inspect on their vehicle is tire pressure, air filters, fluid levels, belts and tire wear.
Same goes for your boat. I feel it’s best to have your dealer check out the motor at least once a year for any major mechanical problems. Check all bilge pumps, livewell and aeration pumps, batteries and oil tanks for leakage. Check the tire pressure, tire wear, bearings, and brake systems on the boat trailer for any problems and replace as needed. Breakdowns on the road or on the water are no fun at all and can make a good day bad very quickly.
Make the most of this off season down-time and you’ll help remedy some major issues on and off the water that could keep you from landing that trophy of a lifetime.