Winter = Down Time = Great Time for Maintenance and Customizing Tackle Part II

Way too much information to cram into one blog so we continue the discussion of down time today.

2. Rod & Reel Maintenance

Don't wait until your first trip out to test your gear to see what works - you'd hate for your first cast to land that trophy fish and you lose it because your equipment breaks down. Winter is the perfect time to check your rods and reels and do maintenance and repairs.

• For your rods, get a few cotton balls and run the cotton ball through each of your guides - if there are abrasions or imperfections in the guide it will pull at the cotton and that is an indicator that the guide is bad.  Having bad guides will reduce your casting distance, cause line abrasion, and drastically reduce the efficiency of the rod so don't overlook this quick and easy check of your rods that could reveal a serious problem. If you discover you have a bad guide don't throw the rod away or go out and buy a brand new one - repair is easy and affordable whether you want to do it or have someone who specializes in rod and reel repair take care of it.
• For the DIY folks here's a couple helpful links to get you started. First, I found this 3 part video link which I think does a great job of walking you through the repair process. Here's Part 1 
• You'll need guides and I suggest you purchase a couple sets of replacement guides and keep with your gear so you can quickly repair a rod anytime you need to. I highly recommend the Fuji guides from BPS
• For those who feel more comfortable leaving the repair work to the professionals I suggest doing a search for rod repair in your local area and give someone local a chance.  You might just make a great fishing connection in the process!  For my area, no one beats www.zeiners.com for networking for repairman, lure makers, and is the serious fisherman's headquarters. 
• Also - I like to take a wet rag and wipe down my rods and use a little boeshield lube on my reel seats.  Make sure you also closely inspect your rod for any signs of stress, small cracks, etc.

For reels I do a couple things:

I use Abu Garcia baitcast reels and they are easy to maintain and replacement parts are very affordable and easy to get. Depending on your brand you fish, parts may or may not be easily found. For my reels, I order new pawls for all of my reels and replace each year. I will keep the old ones in a small bag and keep those in my glovebox on the boat just in case I have to replace one on the lake. You certainly don't have to replace yours every year but I'd atleast suggest buying some to have on hand because when they go, they go. 

• Reel repair and maintenance can be pretty intimidating so if you are uncomfortable with it the best thing to do is ask your fishing peers if they use someone, and also check community boards like www.bbcboards.net for reel repairman in your area. For me, the basic maintenance and repair I can do myself but for complicated issues I use a local fireman who does reel repair on the side. He guarantees his work and turns around the reels usually in less than a week.
• There is some basic maintenance that anyone can perform which will help their reels perform better, longer and will prolong the reel's life. All the reels I've ever purchased come with diagrams showing you the points of the reel you should lube.  This is something you should do at least 2 times a year and is so easy to do. If you're not sure - search for users manuals online for your reel. Again boeshield works excellent for reel lube and I can't recommend it enough.
• I also check all the fasteners and make sure they are tight - it's a simple and fast check and ensures you won't lose the side of your reel in the middle of a fight. If your fasteners aren't tight, they could affect the drag and the reel's performance so make sure you check them.
• Finally, I spend some time wiping down and cleaning the reel, making sure to get rid of excess grease and dirt buildup.  It may sound funny but I feel like a clean reel will work better.

When you get all the above maintenance done, you'll feel good about your gear and it will look and perform like new. As all of us serious fisherman know, confidence is so important in fishing, and I can't help but think having gear you feel will perform in the clutch is an important part of confidence while fishing.

This concludes part II. Next blog we'll get into boat and electronics maintenance as well as discuss some other things you might not think relate to fishing but are important to maintain as well.

Until next time, Tight Lines!