Don’t forget to go through your raingear. It’s an item we take for granted until we really need it!
For most anglers, this time of year represents a relative dead-zone between their ice and open-water exploits. Sure, there’s late ice to be found in certain portions of the state, as are open-water opportunities, especially if you live near any of the walleye-producing border water rivers. For many of us, a long ice season dulls the ambition for anything that’s not 60 degrees and sunny. Given the general lull in fishing activity at the moment, now is a great time to make the upcoming open water season even better.
While “inventory” sure doesn’t sound like fun, if you’re a fan of garage or shop-time, it’s really not that bad. Couple that with the fact that the sooner you get to it, the more excited you are for fishing and it’s something I actually look forward to every year. It’s kind of like putting a stake in the ground and saying that we’re past this whole ice thing, on to bigger and better things.
Take pictures of your tackle, then look online to see what items could use replacing. Keep organized lists ready for spring sales, so you can replace them easily and on the cheap.
From a preparedness standpoint, you’re ahead of the game too. One of the biggest chores I have each season, is thinking about the trips I know I’ll do, and how I’ll likely be fishing. That triggers a number of lists, and if you’ve read anything I’ve ever done, you know I’m a big fan of them. I’ve been using Google Keep, an app that allows you to make quick lists that are easily accessible, searchable, and send-able that live on your mobile phone. Whether you’re using Keep or any number of list apps that are everywhere these days, the point is that it’s a choice move headed into the open water season. I can easily make note of jig colors I’m low on, line types and poundages that I’ve used up, along with bigger ticket purchases that may take even more planning.
I’ve found that early bird gets the worm in terms of both availability and price. It’s nice to shop early for what you need, or potentially be picky and wait for the right sale to arrive. As a general rule, if you don’t know what you need it’s tough to replace it. So often we buy extras of what we don’t need, and never enough of what we do. Years of finding too many black jigs in half ounce that I don’t need, while never enough of the eighth-ouncers in chartreuse that I do has prompted me to be pretty meticulous when it comes to tracking what I have and don’t.
Of course, there’s always the new gear that catches our eye at spring sales and advertisements. I’ve found that I can make better decisions on the new gear by double checking my old stuff. I’m more honest with myself after I’ve just been through it and understand what lifespan it may have left. New gear is great fun, but it’s even better when it’s serving an actual need or replacing something that’s on its last leg. I hate getting rid of perfectly functional items.
This goes for apparel too, as it’s nice to have some dedicated fishing clothes. This time of year, many of those items go on sale, so it’s great to stock up when prices are good. Raingear falls in that category, as I’m usually wearing bibs whether it’s raining or not. They’re my fishing bibs that keep me dry and warm during early season trips, and clean or not as fishy when I’m done for the day. Early season warmer varieties and medium weight bib and jacket combinations are nice now, and the ultra-lightweight stuff is perfect in hot summer sun. If you had to pick one, I’d consider the medium weight gear for most of the season, and some UPF and sunblock style shirts for summer. You’ll check a few boxes at once, and not necessarily have to buy two sets of raingear unless you need them for both sets of conditions. I have a few pairs on-hand for kids, friends, and the off chance I tear or rip them.
Getting your boat ready includes organizing everything from the big stuff to the smallest of items. If you wear an inflatable PFD, it’s a good time to check and re-arm them.
As part of the cleanup and organization process, it’s really nice to lay-out your boat. Figure out ahead of season where you’ll be putting things so in-season you’ll never have to go hunting for them. That goes for rods, life jackets, and all the way down to tiny items like forceps and line. This tip, and many other organizational ones have come from decades of hanging out with guides and serious anglers that literally stake their reputation on it. Any guide worth their salt has a place for everything, fully functional gear that’s been gone through recently, and almost always backups for their backups.
They earn a living on never being caught flat-footed, so staying organized is just part of their business. Ultimately, I’ve learned it improves your fishing in a strange way. Not only are you more efficient on the water, but minor mishaps, unforeseen circumstances, and problems are easily addressed with the additional headlamps, tow-ropes, extra pliers, or any number of items you don’t need until you need. They cover more water more quickly, and can spend more time focusing on boat control than where the net ended up. All of it equals better fishing overall, so take the time to setup your boat well in advance of when you’ll actually use it.
Don’t overlook your fishing rods, and consider a specialty stick for any application that involves “light-biters.”
Rod-checks are part of the equation, both from the perspective of general maintenance, but also to replace broken or needed items. Again, with spring sales, it’s a good time to invest in some technology that can make you a better angler. Not all techniques lend themselves to the highest end equipment, but anything requiring extreme feel or detection of subtle bites can really benefit from a specialized stick. Jig-fishing for any species is in the mix, as is most of the live-bait walleye applications. Don’t forget about panfish either, as especially during this time of year, detecting light bites can really make or break the day.
Fresh line is probably the last of my tasks, which involves going through rods and reels first. I figure out how much I need, in what pound test, and how I’ll be using it. That last part helps determine the types of line I’ll need. From leadcore and braid, to mono and fluoro, I want to have everything fresh spooled where possible. It’s rather cheap insurance, especially if you’re buying in bulk spools, and I also want to have a little extra to respool throughout the season. Many of the braids will be fine for several years, whereas mono I like changing annually at least.
It’s up to you to keep your gear in great shape, and have what you need as soon as you can prior to the open water season. Everytime I forget something before a trip, or find an item I missed or forgot to replace, I get a pit in my stomach making a late-night stop just hoping they’ll have the specific item I need. Safe yourself the hassle, get your gear in advance, and hit the water with rods rigged and the confidence to know that even though there’s lots of angling circumstances you can’t control, the ones you can are locked-down.
Right now there’s a number of sales going on, and spring can be a great time to re-stock after last season cleaned you out. Here’s a list of them:
Northland Tackle - 20% OFF Site-wide
Striker Brands - Raingear and apparel 20% OFF with free shipping
St. Croix Rods - Rolling Promos through April