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Tackle maintenance: give it the spa treatment
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The end result without the TLC they deserve
You relied on it all season long and for the most part it never let you down. I’m talking about your fishing tackle and if you want to keep it in fine-tune shape then a day of spa treatment is in order but not for you but for your tackle. You see with the proper maintenance, good quality tackle should provide you with many years of minor if not trouble free performance, limiting their visits to the tackle doctor and preventing us from unnecessary costly repairs. The following paragraphs will have a variety of tips that I hope may help to get your tackle in top shape for the upcoming season.
REEL PRIORITY
Let’s start with reels. Regardless of their usage, if they were out and exposed to salt water and air, all reels must be rinsed with fresh water as soon as possible after a trip to help eliminate corrosion that builds up in and out of fishing reels. A fresh rinse with a garden hose will suffice; however, a soapy sponge bath followed by a gentle mist of freshwater would be ideal. Quite often hard spray from a garden hose may cause salt and sand sediments to settle into a reel rather than eliminate it. By applying a sponge with a mild soap, the form created by the soap will actually extract the sand and salt residues from the reel. Although most of the gear and bearings in the casing are protected internally by a heavy duty lube, unfortunately after several times exposed to saltwater the lube begins to break down which in turn leaves the reel venerable to corroding which starts with squeaking then ends with a busted gear or bearings. To avoid such hardship make sure at the very least to break down the reel once a year and apply a heavy lube that can be found at any hardware store for pennies. Although you don’t need to be a master mechanic to lube a reel, if the thought of disassembling creates a panic, fret not as your favorite tackle shop will be happy to service it for you. Don’t wait for the last minute. Most tackle shops that stay open for the winter often do so for rod and reel repairs; therefore, they can become quite backed up. Bring your gear in for service as soon as you have hung it up for the winter in order to guarantee your gear back well before the start of the new season.
INSPECT THOSE RODS
Rods are often overlooked, yet the condition of the rod can determine the effectiveness of the other tackle being employed. It is imperative to inspect rods. Check for cracks, especially around the ferrules and rod butts. Check for corrosion and nicks on all guides. If any are found, have the guides replaced. This can also be done professionally at the tackle shops. Many fishermen make the sad mistake of strapping the hook of a lure or the rig directly to the guides. This is where the burrs and nicks come from which will most likely fray and nick the fishing line especially under heavy pressure of a fish. To avoid this problem in the future, try placing the hook behind the eye on the bracket or better yet most quality rods have clips above the reel seats for such purpose. I find the best way to look for nicks is to run a cotton ball through each eye. If any fuzz remains then replace the eye especially if you are using light line. It doesn’t matter how small the burr or nick may be, in due time it may take it’s toll on the fishing line which can spell disaster. Also check the reel seats. Make sure all the metal seats are free of corrosion. Clean each rod with soap and water and apply a petroleum jelly to the threads on the metal reel seats and to the ferrules on the two-piece jobs. Store away in a cool, dry location preferably on a rack until also called upon. With a few minutes of attention, these rods will give you many years of trouble free service. Just don’t pile them up in some corner clumped together. Keep them separate and straight.
FRESH ON THE LINE
You spent your hard earned cash purchasing some quality equipment, yet the same fishing line may be seeing its second or third season. You give it a quick once over and heck, it still looks good why change it, right? Wrong. In fact monofilament, copolymer and fluorocarbon lines should be changed after 5 or 6 trips depending on conditions. Sounds expensive or unreasonable? Well let’s look at the consequences - abrasion. Many areas must be contended with abrasion, as many conditions can be real tough on a line. Here in the Northeast, contact with rocks, wrecks, reefs as well as shells and hard vegetation can wear heavily on line. The thinner the diameter of the line, the more damaging abrasion can be. Therefore, if the environment mentioned applies to your fishing scenario, then save yourself from some possible heartbreak and change that line. That goes for braid and Dacron as well. Many anglers are under the impression that the reason for changing line from a reel is simply because in time the line dries out and begins to kink severely. Well if you are really set on using the same line, you can simply submerge a spool of line into a bucket of freshwater for an hour or so, and the line will relax and become limp again. However, don’t say I did not warn you.
THE BAGS OF GOODIES TOO
Let’s not forget about tackle bags and boxes and the little toys we stuff in them. First off, every item should be removed and inventory taken. Inspect all tackle discarding any old rusted hooks and rigs and old line. Lures should be cleaned up and any rusted hooks should be replaced. By the way, any old fishing line should be discarded at any recycling center, which provides a large box or barrel, which will be recycled in an environmentally safe manner. These centers are located at major department stores that carry fishing items as well as most bait and tackle shops. As for lures: marabou jigs and bucktails should be washed and dried with a hair dryer to bring the hair back to its original luster finish. In addition the tips of the hooks of the jigs should be sharpened for quicker and more solid strikes. Soft body plastic baits should be looked over and made assure that it has not disfigured by melting in the plastic compartment of the box or bag. One way to resolve this problem is to apply talcum powder on the soft bodies, which will help from sticking to the tray. Now is the time to discard those old worn out rigs and retie several new ones. Replenish that assortment of sinkers and sharpen those knives and pliers. While on the subject, it would be a good idea to add a stone to your gear for on the spot sharpening of knives as well as hooks and jigs.
If you take that few extra minutes, your tackle will keep you from using a few choice words. So rather than sitting on that couch day dreaming of the season to come, use the time to treat your tackle to a day at the spa that it deservingly needs. Then treat yourself to a visit at your favorite tackle shop and stock up on what you will need for the upcoming season.
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