Spring is right around the corner, signaling the start of bass fishing season for many anglers. The cold weather is behind us or soon will be, and the bass will begin making their annual push to the shallows to spawn. It's a great time to be outside fishing and gearing up for a new fishing season. Getting organized and tackling the maintenance of our equipment will make things go smoothly when you finally get a chance to start the fishing season.
Here are a few things to consider as you prepare for a new season, from getting your gear ready to stocking up on the latest new tackle; now is the time to do it. These tips will ensure you are more than ready for some excellent bass fishing and won't lose any fishing time due to our gear not being ready.
Inspect Your Rods and Reels
Anglers usually buy new rods and reels during slower fishing times, but a good way to prepare for a new season is to closely examine what you've already got in your arsenal. This includes taking inventory of your rods and reels, possibly swapping out reels for different rods, and ensuring everything is ready for the new fishing season.
For reels, a quick once-over of the reels and how they are performing is a good start, and then it may be time to clean some of them. Many commercially available reel cleaners, greases, and more will keep your reels working great, retrieving smoothly, and performing as intended. Many services allow you to send reels in for deep cleaning if you'd rather have someone else handle it, but get them in as soon as possible to avoid the rush. Doing this will keep your reels working great and help their performance this spring.
Rods are another thing often overlooked; keeping them clean is one part of the equation. Also, inspecting all of the guides will help their performance. Rod guides have come a long way, but they still get chipped and damaged at times, and this is one way to break your line on your next big bass. Run a Q-Tip down the guides, inside and out, and the cotton fibers will stick to any guide damage. It's a simple way to prevent heartbreak down the line. If you find damage, you can swap out the guides or tips with some work or take them in to get repaired by a professional.
Get Organized
Working with tackle is always fun, but taking inventory of what you are low on and keeping everything organized are two things that will significantly help your fishing. Now is a great time to look at anything you need to stock up on, whether hooks, weights, or jigs, so you have everything you need when fishing gets serious.
It's also a great time to re-do all your tackle boxes and put everything where it belongs. Countless high-quality tackle boxes work for organizing things like terminal tackle, crankbaits, jerkbaits, ChatterBaits, or jigs. These boxes allow for better organization of your lures, so you can find exactly what you need when you need it. This work now to put everything in the right box will save you time and hassle when you are on the water and digging for the perfect lure.
Maintenance Time
If you own a boat, now is the perfect time to inspect everything on your boat and trailer so you are ready to go. Schedule that service on your outboard, or do it yourself to avoid any issues when you hit the water. This is also true of all of your electronics and batteries, and a simple walkthrough can ensure that everything is connected correctly and working as intended.
It's also a good time to clean your boat so you can look your best on your way to the lake for your first trip of the year. Boat trailers are another thing that needs to be watched closely. Simply ensuring all the tires are properly inflated, the hubs are greased and ready, and your winch straps and trailer jack are in working order will ensure you are set for your next trips to the lake.
Spool Up Fresh Line
There are not many feelings in bass fishing better than fresh line on your reels. The excellent casting and performance from the new line is great, and now is a good time to put some new fishing line on your reels, mainly if your reels have not been used in several months. The time spent on reels without use is a recipe for line memory for fluorocarbon and monofilament, no matter how good of a line you used.
If the new line is not in the budget for reels with braided lines, consider swapping it onto another reel by spooling the line onto another reel directly. The line at the bottom of the spool likely looks brand new. Another tip, even with new line, is to use some backing so you put less line on a reel to fill it up. Keeping your reels spooled as full as possible with new line is a great way to get the best casting distance and performance for your reels this fishing season.
The new season is here, whether you are already fishing or will be in the coming weeks. As excited as we get to start the new fishing season, ensuring all of our gear is ready will help make the new year even better and prevent some issues that could affect our first few trips.
