Now is the time to get ready

[Saltheart]

This time of year is always busy with getting ready for the season. This is when we would usually pull the reels completely apart , clean and inspect every part and reassemble and lube. I carefully wipe that thin salty scum off everything on the inside under the cover plates. Usually the line from last season is stripped off and replaced. If you are smart and use levelwind conventionals , you throw in a new levelwind pawl whether it needs it or not.

I also empty the whole jig or plug bag out onto a table. I sort out and clean everything and get rid of the little pile of dirt , grass sticks , bugs , sand etc that somehow always gets in the bottom. I look at all the hooks on the plugs and sharpen or replace where needed. I like to give all the hooks a good flex with my thumb and forfinger to see if any have become brittle (some do more than others) . I also check all the jigs to see if any have the gap opening up and if they do , I use the pliers to bend them back down where they belong. On some really beat up ones I actually straighten the very tipidy tip and then resharpen. I bang and wipe off any heavy white lead oxide that has formed on the lead and or hook eye do to corrosion.


One big thing is that not everything goes back in the bag. This is very important for the jig bag since it weighs about 20, pounds by the end of the previous season do to grabbing a handful of jigs everytime I think of it without checking if I already have enough. This time of year I just count out 5 or 6 of each size or type and put them neatly into seperate tubes maded by cutting the tops off water bottles. This usually gets the bag down to the 5 to 7 pound range and that is a big improvement in overall weight. I also rearrage all the teasers and rubber curltial , fin s , shad bodies , etc. I add in a few of every color and lots of black and white 8 inch curltails as they are my bread and butter all year long.
I like to take some line off the big spool of ande 50 pink or 60 green and rewind into a smaller spool then put that into the bag too. I wipe off the pliers and make sure they will move and cut (I have good luck and get a lot of life out of Nickel plated pliers) . I double check the supply of large bait hooks I like to carry in a small envelope because you seldom remember to check them each trip but when you need them they must be there.

This is also the time when I put new batteries in the headlamp and in the waterproof flashlight I have clipped to the jig bag D ring. I make sure the swiss army knife with scissors is in the bag and not all corroded so as to make it hard to open the blades.

I also like to throw a stick of bug repellant in there. I like the very small stick that looks like a small deodorant dispenser. It lasts all season and is better than the airosol spraying around your face.

It a good idea to check the guides on all the rods to be sure there are no cracks. its amasing how hard it is to see some of the small guide cracks but how effectively they cut through the line if they are there. I also like to wipe the whole rod down at this time and look for any heavy rusing of the guide feet where they go into the epoxy.

i then look at the clothing I will wear all season long. I make sure the light and heavy rain jackets are still functional. I look over the hip boots and waders and make sure they are easy to get too and there are no hooks in the waders. I also check to be sure no bugs , mice , etc have taken up residence in the knee high boots i like to wear at the canal for low tide. Most important is my hooded sweatshirt. i wash that all by itself in the washer on the longest cycle that includes a 20 minute soak in the soapy water and then dry it well. Its a super heavy hooded sweatshirt and it is the best piece of fishing clothing I have.


Well that's a faily long rundown of what I like to do this time of year in hopes of being pretty well set for the rest of the season. What does everyone else do?