Tackle maintenance

Well, you've put it off long enough! Now is the time to finally do the much delayed and needed maintenance on your fishing gear and boat.

Protect the table

Clear off the kitchen or dining room table. Cover the top of it with a plastic sheet. Tape these in place and then cover them with newspaper.
If you are as prone to spills and other accidents as I am, then your lass will appreciate your precautions.

Rods & reels

First, bring in all of your rods and reels. If you have the amount I do, this part of the project will take an entire evening.
Starting with the reels, remove them from the rods.
Strip approximately half of the line off of each of the reels. Re-spool with new line. Use a blood knot or similar knot to connect the line on the reel with the new line you are putting on.
Light weakens the strength of monofilaments fishing lines. Catching fish and dragging your line through weed beds and across rocks causes damage to your line too. Regularly changing the line on your reels will lessen the chance of having that lunker fish break your line when you finally do get a hook in him!
Clean the surface of your reels well with a cloth and clean water.
Check the operation of each reel. If any of them do not function properly, then put them aside. Take them to a service dealer if you do not have the knowledge to repair them yourself.
Apply a light layer of car wax to each of your rods. This will help to protect them from the weather, as well as nicks and scratches.
Next, ask your favorite lady for an old pair of her stockings that she is ready to throw away. Cut off a piece about one foot in length and three or four inches wide.
Pull this piece of stocking through each of the guides on the rods. If the stocking snags on any of the guides, then put that rod aside and have the guide replaced.
Reassemble your rods and reels and put them away for your next fishing trip.

Pliers, scissors, etc.

Clean and lubricate all of your pliers, scissors, knives, tweezers and forceps. Use a light oil such as WD-40. If there is a heavy rust build up, then use naval jelly.

Tackle boxes

The next part of this project is your tackle boxes. I used the plural form, because I do not know many anglers who have just one tackle box!

Lures & hooks

Replace any rusted, broken or damaged hooks on your lures. It is usually best to use the same size hooks. Sharpen all hooks. No hook can ever be sharp enough.
Either sharpen by hand or use one of the mechanized sharpeners on the market. However, make sure that both the point and the barb are sharp.
A sharp point and a dull barb is almost certainly guaranteed to cost you fish. The sharp point will easily penetrate but the dull barb will tear rather than cut. The tear will be larger that the hook's barb. As a result, the fish can pull free of the hook much easier. Consider lining the inside of your tackle boxes with cork. This will protect your hooks and cause less dulling of them.
Clean the junk out of your tackle boxes! Yes, we all have left something in them we shouldn't have.
Take out that lure you bought a few seasons ago. You originally bought it because your fishing mate recommended it but have yet to use it.
Remove all of the lures and other items that you have not used yet this season. Store them separately in zip lock plastic bags. Store these bags in an old shoe box. This way you can find them when the need arises and yet not have them taking up space in your tackle boxes.

Separate by species and/or depth

Attempt to arrange your tackle boxes in an orderly fashion. I have mine arranged in two ways: by species and by depth. I use the satchel-type and soft-sided tackle boxes. I have some for pike and perch and I even have some for my ultralight rods and reels. Once I've separated my lures by species, I then arrange the tackle boxes by depth. Surface baits go in one section. Another section is for shallow diving lures, etc. This makes selection much easier. Having separated my lures in this manner, it simplifies finding the right lure for the job!

Net

Check the landing net you own. Look for broken netting. Replace it if necessary. Also inspect the handle and hoop for bends. A poorly maintained landing net can cost you the fish of a lifetime!
Now that all your fishing gear is in safe working order, go fishing. If you catch a big one, contact me and share your story!

Al see thee.