I’m sure I’m not the only one that is sick of this weather and ready to get out in the boat! This winter was not angler friendly and spring has been no where to be found. Our first signs of spring have resulted in heavy snow storms and flooding across much of the region and have successfully prevented not only ice fishing, but also open water fishing.
I honestly thought I’d be in the boat by now fishing the Missouri River, but that just hasn’t been the case. The good news is this has given me plenty of time to prep my open water equipment.
As “March Madness” shifts into full gear this is an excellent reminder to anyone that success doesn’t happen in 40 minutes of basketball. It doesn’t happen in one fishing trip or one hunting trip. Success is the result of hours of work and preparation that takes place predominately out of the public’s eye.
Today I want to highlight some of the easy steps I take to up the chance of having success every time I hit the water.
Fresh Line
I’m a firm believer that line is the single most important, yet overlooked aspects of your presentation. The best lure and rod combination in the world won’t do you any favors when fish keep snapping off because of old, neglected line. Line is relatively inexpensive, yet one of the most important factors in your entire set up.
I’m a firm believer in “superlines” or braid-Power Pro, Fireline, etc. Heck I hooked a 20lb Northern and 20lb Muskie on the same day bottom bouncing Lake of the Woods and 10lb Fireline brought both of them in (thank you for not getting cut leader). I’ve never had a superline fail me, in fact sometimes when I’m snagged up really good I wish they would break easier.
The prices of these lines might deter anglers, but hear me out. My life expectancy of my superlines is about 5 years, I’ve got even longer out of some spools. My life expectancy for mono is hopefully one year. By this time the memory is terrible and it’s coiled up more than an angry prairie rattlesnake. I’ll let you know I do not like snakes-rattling at me or on my reel! While the price may be twice as much, getting 5x the life and even higher on the water performance each trip is sure a good investment in my mind.
When spooling on braid it’s critical to have “backing” on the reel. This is when I do favor my old, nasty mono. This prevents the line from spinning on the reel and if you’re looking to save a buck allows you to use less braid on each individual reel. I like to check all my existing spools as well just to make sure they have plenty of line left and also cut off any frayed spots I may find.
Reel Maintenance
Before every season it’s also a good idea to to clean your reels and grease and oil them as well. Now am I telling you to completely disassemble and reassemble your reels and do a complete rebuild? No way. Do what you feel comfortable with!
Many reel manufacturers have maintenance guides for each model of reel and there are plenty of informational videos and guides out there on the internet. I really don’t want to be another. My main message is don’t feel obligated to watch the hour long YouTube video and completely tear your reel apart. If you aren’t confident in that-don’t do it! A small dab of oil may not feel like it does much, but it’s much better than trying to put your reel back together and finding 5 screws that don’t have a home anymore.
Check Your Hooks
I have a lot of reasons for why I have many hooksets result in a swing and a miss, but dull hooks aren’t one of them. I’m a huge believer in replacing my hooks often, especially my treble hooks.
There are replacement treble hooks all over the market and a simple internet search (or just look at the package it comes in) will tell you the size you need. I love my Rapala crankbaits, so I usually order a couple dozen replacement trebles from VMC. Sure it costs a little more at first, but it is a lot cheaper than buying a whole new lure.
Usually the start of every season I take a look at what lures I used (successfully at least) the most and then run the hook point along my nails. If it doesn’t leave a mark it’s time to be replaced. Other good indicators are red hooks that are not longer red or bent or broken hooks. When I have a 10lber barely hooked you better believe I want to make sure that hook I do have in it is in the best shape possible!
Shopping
We all love this! This may sound like a lie, but I do have a half decent idea what I should buy when I bust out the credit card. I like to take an inventory of my “favorite” or “top” lures, most used weights (I’m always in need of 2 and 3 oz bottom bouncers) and hooks (again-always in need of #4 Octopus hooks).
If you’re looking to maximize your fishing budget, this is a method I sure recommend. I feel a duplicate of your favorite lure will be a much wiser investment than a “cool” looking lure that you’ve never tried, but bought because it was on sale. When your favorite lure is the “hot” bait of the day when it meets it’s untimely demise, you’ll be much happier with a back up as opposed to busting out the bargain bin special you’ve never tried.
Don’t get me wrong I’m a huge believer in trying new baits and ideas, but at the same time it’s a comforting feeling knowing I have old faithful rigged up and ready to go with a couple more in the bullpen.
Hopefully it won’t be long now and we’ll be able to hit the water and turn our off season prep into success! Good fishing!
Good fishing,
Nick
