Now's a Good Time to Get Ready for the New Season

I know some fellas hunt this time of year. I also know others continue fishing, and some do both those things, as well as a host of others. My curiosity yesterday, though, when I went rooting around the Internet, was to find out how many spend this time of year cleaning up their fishing gear from last season and getting ready for the one that lies ahead.

Not surprisingly, I learned there are a fair number who do just that.

I discovered one fella who starts his annual cleaning regimen with his boat. "I try to keep it clean during the season," he said, "but that doesn't always happen. I go through all the storage lockers and take everything out, then clean the compartments so they basically look brand new. I wipe out all the little nooks and crannies. They can get gunked up pretty bad after a season of fishing," he explained.

"A clean boat not only makes fishing easier," he continued, "it (the boat) will sell for more money when the time comes for a trade-in." This angler estimated he fishes about 75 days a year--in tournaments and fun outings with friends--and trades in his old boat for a newer model about every three years.

While I didn't find many who appeared to start the yearly cleanup with their boats, I did find several who are into inventorying, cleaning, organizing, and replacing (as necessary) such things as rods, reels, lures, soft plastics, and all manner of other objects you find in the average angler's tackle bags.

According to one angler, "It's a good idea to clean rods with a damp rag and inspect the wrappings on guides. Also run a piece of yarn (some guys prefer using cotton balls or swabs) through the guides to check for rough places and cracks, especially on ceramic guides. Those kinds of places can cut your line, and it seems to always happen when you're fighting a big fish. The wrappings can fail at the worst possible moment, too, so replace all bad guides."

This same angler went on to urge checking the reel seats and making sure they are holding the reels tight. "Oil any threads and bolts that tighten to clamp the reel," he said. "And make sure handles still are tight on the rod and that they don't have any bad places that need work."

Reels, meanwhile, need to be washed on the outside and taken apart to clean and lightly oil the parts inside. "During this process, look for worn or broken parts that need replacing," he continued.

"At the same time, it's a good idea to remove all the old fishing line. Don't respool, though, unless you plan to go fishing soon, because cold weather makes a lot of line stiff, and it goes bad quickly. If you use backing, it's OK to leave it on the reel but make sure it's tight."

When it comes to cleaning out your tackle bags, the first order of business is to find some place with enough room to spread out all the stuff. A home's living room--or for that matter, any room in the home--likely isn't a good choice unless you live alone. Once you find an acceptable area, start sorting the tackle into piles of hard baits and soft baits, then break down everything according to categories: jigs, spinnerbaits, soft plastics, crankbaits, jerkbaits, etc. This is also a good time to replace rusty hooks.

The logical next step is to inventory what you have, making a list as you go along of things you need to replenish and/or replace. Be specific about such things on your list as soft plastics, e.g., indicate styles, as well as colors. Be equally specific about hooks and weights--if you need any. And when you're ready to go out and buy everything on your list, don't forget to take along any gift cards you may have received for Christmas.

Finally, organize all the stuff. Put soft baits in plastic bags according to similar types and colors. Use utility boxes for hard baits, separating them by type, body profile, running depth, etc. Store spinnerbaits in tackle folders with ring binders and removable plastic sleeves.

As one angler remarked, "I like having everything organized so I don't have to go digging for it come tournament day. The less time I spend looking for something, the more time I have to fish."

Keep a trash can handy while you're doing all this cleaning, and ask yourself these questions: Did I use this last year? Did it help me catch any fish? If the answer is "no," get rid of it.

Fishing season may be a ways off yet, but now's a good time to start thinking about that first trip of the year. Winter may seem to be creeping along, but before you know it, the numbing cold will be but a distant memory, and the fish will be biting. If you don't take care of your equipment now, you might end up spending most of that first trip fixing things that break, searching for missing lures and tools, and doing everything but catching any fish.