The bass tournament season has ended and cabin fever has or will eventually set in. You are tired of seeing all those fishing shows of someone catching fish is some far off sunny, warm climate. Christmas has come and gone, with the anticipation of trying out that new gear. You've also marked your calendar with next seasons tournament dates and locations.
Winter time or the "off" season, is the time to start preparing for the new fishing season. I use the time to get organized and restocked to get ahead of the game. During the tournament season, we are so busy trying to catch fish to worry about being organized. If you are like me, you have several packs of this and that "gotta have" baits for that particular lake, which have done nothing but clutter up your tackle box and boat.
I have discovered a number of things one can do in their off season that will make your new season much more productive. Here are a few things I do during the winter to my tackle and other gear, that keeps me occupied and helps me become a better fisherman come tournament time.
Rod & Reel Maintance
Now is the time to get those rods and reels oiled, cleaned and ready. I like to take a large towel and lay it across the table, so I can keep all the reel parts from rolling away. I take the reel apart and clean it. If you are not comfortable doing this, winter is a great time to have them serviced by a professional or authorized outlet. One tip I recommend is taking the time to number in order the part(s) as you remove them. This helps putting it back together in sequence and no left out parts. I use a light weight oil so it does not gum up. Remember to use it sparingly. A drop goes a long way. Check your pawn and drag washers, make sure they are working smoothly.
On the rods, I check and make sure all the guides are smooth. I do this by taking a Q-tip and swab the inside of the guide, if some cotton is left, its time to replace the guide. I also take some warm water with a mild soap and clean the cork handles from the seasons sweat, grime and fish slime.
Lures & Organization
I use the off season to re-organize my tackle. I check to make sure I have a good supply of the different size jigs, spinnerbaits and skirts/trailers. If not, I re-stock them. Its a good time to clean and organize my crankbaits and storage box. If you are like me, by seasons end, you will have shallow running cranks mixed with deep diving ones. I like to also change the hooks, check o-rings, and bills for cracks. One thing that I do, which all ways gets a strange look, is place rice in the crankbait boxes to absorb moisture. Each tackle and bait box gets an adjustment, from lures to terminal tackle. Its a great time to check inventory for hooks, weights, beads, swivels and such. One of the main things I like to do is get rid of all those pretty baits that were good for only catching my eye, and not fish.
Storage Evaluation / Replacement
All this is just taking time to make sure everything is where it's suppose to be. If you already have a set system of organizing your tackle, make sure it is set up the way you like it, easy to access, baits and such where they belong. Of course, if you do not have a method of organization your gear, now would be a great time to consider your options. Having such a system, even as simple as labeled boxes or bags, will make life allot easier. If you have gear that needs replacing, do so now. Its much easier to take and really evaluate what you need, inventory what's gone, and what you want to try that's new. I say this because there have been times that I have done this in the spring and it has been a rush job, with the fear of getting things shipped in before the tournament or a certain size. I also have found myself at a tournament without the needed gear, right up to that favorite bait and that roll of toilet paper ! So basically, the message here is to take a well thought out inventory of what you have and take it from there.
Boat & Trailer / Equipment
This is basically a continuation of what I mentioned above. Make sure you have all the necessities on hand, such as outboard oil, lower unit lube, sparkplug's, etc. A bonus here is that many boat dealers and shows will put such items on sale. File under this topic: spare trolling motor prop and contact, replacement lights, fuses, batteries for scales and hand held GPS and most important.........duct tape ! I also like to check my boat to make sure all screws, bolts and such are tight, in place or need replacing. This can be dash panel screws, nuts from behind the console, like one just barely holding in that depth finder. Also don't forget to check your trailer lug nuts, and your tow ball screw.
Tournament Preparation
Here are things that can not only give you something to do when the cold stuff hits, but can make competition a little productive when time comes. I like to get hold of my schedules as soon as I can so I can begin the scouting and info gathering process. Also to make lodging reservations well in advance while they are available. I like to plan other engagements such as sponsor shows and speaking dates around my tournaments dates as well.
I use this time to order contour maps of lakes not fished before so I can familiarize myself with them. Now would also be a good time to pan out directions from your home to the lake(s) and ramps, which makes traveling a breeze rather than a burden, which means you can concentrate on fishing rather than finding a place to launch or the meeting site.
Now to the Internet! The Internet can provide an endless source of information that will make you a better, more informed angler, not to mention better traveler and organizer. Sitting next to a fireplace, surfing the net is a good way to research past events held on the same lakes. Even get driving directions, purchase fishing license and make reservations. But most important, compare conditions and results from previous tournaments reports and blogs. The Internet has become one, if not the most important tool for today's tournament fisherman, behind only actual time spent on the water. I take my laptop with me everywhere I go. It not only allows me to update my website, but to maintain contact with my family, sponsors and tournament officials.
So use the cold winter to get a head start on the field by preparing now and not watching Roland or Bill and wishing. It will make things go a whole lot smoother once the season starts. Good luck in 2009!
