Cabin Fever - Bass Fishing Equipment Repair and Service
A lot of fishing folks have put up the rods and reels. They have
packed away the lures and stored the boat for the freeze that is just around the corner. No matter
how hard we
try and put off the cold weather, it is upon us and we will have to hibernate in our warm cabins or house. All we
will be able to do is look at the boat that is covered up and think about all
the big ones that got away this past year.
Or do what I do to combat Cabin Fever.
Get Your Fishing Equipment and Tackle Ready For Next
Year
Reel Cleaning and Service:
This is catch up time for me to strip all my reels to
clean and inspect them. The ones that look like
they might need repair I suggest that you bag them
up and take them to the Bass Pro shop near you. They have a reel service that can take care of the reels and have them in great
working order by next spring. The cost is not bad
at all and can be located at the Fishing Department
counter or service desk. I know for a fact that the Shimano reels are good for life and Shimano will either fix/repair/or
replace.
I do not know how many times you change your line on
the reels during the fishing season, but I try and
make sure that this is the time of year to replace the
line on the reels. When you have finished either get them cleaned up or serviced, you can then install new line and be ready for
spring.
Rod Storage:
Okay, we have got the reels taken care of and remember, do not lay
your rods down. Either sit them in your closet or
if you have a rod rack, place them in it. Most of
all, do not leave them in the boat in the rod locker. You just might have some that are bent by next spring and will have to fork out big bucks to
replace them because you forgot
them.
Tackle Inspection and Repair:
Now is the time to get all of your tackle out and give it a good
look over.
I have found that some of my crankbaits need new hooks, some of my plastic
lures might need some touch up paint, the blades on
the spinner baits need polished and the spinner bait skirts may need replaced.
The soft plastic, like I have said before I have two duffle
bags full of soft plastic and on some inspections
have found that some have melted in the heat. The
heat has made it one big piece of blob. It is time to can them and look at some of the plastic bags that are holding your worms. Are they
torn? Falling out of the package? No name on
them?
It sounds funny but I spread them out in the den floor and try and
see what I have and what I do not need anymore. You
just might be surprised to discover that you have
packages that you forgot and bought more of the same color and length that have never been used in the bottom of your bag. Not
only that but you may find some that have not been
used in years and the fish might think it is something new.
I have a bag that I throw all the odd worms in and you would not
believe some of the colors I have collected over
the years. Colors you would never find at a store these days and just maybe the one wild color the fish go crazy over next spring which is not that far away
since you've been busy battling cabin fever.
I like to use the heavy freezer bags they seem to hold together better and longer. With
a Magic Marker, write on the bag the size and
color. This also gives me a chance to see
what I am almost out of and time to restock them before spring.
If all this is done and you still find that you have time on your
hands, you can alway enjoy a hot cup of coffee or
coco while checking out the tips and stories on-line at www.fishingforhogs.com or www.crappieslabfishing.com to catch up on some
reading...who knows, you might learn something new or a different way of fishing that might land you the hog of a lifetime.
Keep The Hooks Wet!
Steve McGoldrick
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