Winter blues.

[OldTimer]

Well – it’s getting close to that time………. Where ya pack up most of yer gear till spring…..

Sure there’s still a bit of fishing here and there, or ice fishing, or southern adventures……. But the best spots up here in the Great White get frozen over, closed, or vacant.

What do you do to moth ball your stuff……. If anything………..?

Here’s what I do as a long string of mini projects over many evenings or winter weekends……. etc:

- Clean most everything and dispose of all dried worms, cut pieces of line, messed up lures/hooks, petrified marshmallows, and any unknown smelly fubar substance on the bottom of my boxes, bags, and vests.
- Clean and inspect the rods – touch up any nicks with nail polish or epoxy……. Check the guides……..clean the foam handles……….steel wool the cork handles
- Clean & Lube the reels lightly as required………. Cut off any messed up line
- Re-sort and arrange the lures back to their original logically sorted homes in my tackle boxes
- Wash my fishing vests, gloves, and canvas/twill bags.
- Sharpen all my fishing related knives
- Take stock of my inventories of this and that – and replenish as necessary from ebay or sales.
- And most importantly…………..plan, plot, dream and look forward to the spring thaw……..smile

Cheers,

OldTimer

[Giuga10]

Great information! Right now I'm still doing some Micro Fishing so I cant really pack up now but I'm definitely going to use some of your tips. My tackle box could definitely use a wash with all the crap that's spilled and fallen into there .

Giuga10

[MuskieBait]

Pack? What's that?

I can fish the Niagara all winter on open water...

I have icefishing all winter and not even enough time most winters do partake all the trips I'd like...

I do agree, that on those day that are hindered by bad winter conditions (squalls, freezing rain) that prohibits fishing...or those odd evenings when I have spare time...it's a good time to organize tackle and clean gear.

And it's a great time to replenish the fly box.

[zippyFX]

You can do what you want but I am going to Egypt. People say I am in denial all the the time (If you don't get it read it again: D-Nile).

I may be going looking for Muskie or walleye this weekend.

Steel wool to cork handles? Really? Or is this one of those jokes old timers pull on not so old timers

I found the smelly thing at the bottom of my tackle box... My kids (5, 3) were playing with some of my minnows and tossed one into the bottom of my box... I found it two weeks later... Yick, slimy. I was wondering where I got that new minnow lure... I was wrong.

[OldTimer]

(11-15-2012 09:44 PM)zippyFX Wrote:  Steel wool to cork handles? Really? Or is this one of those jokes old timers pull on not so old timers

No joke - a VERY light rubbing of your cork handles with very fine steel wool (000 or 0000) will get them looking and feeling like new.

I find mine get dark and glossy from the dirt/oils/slime/? they get coated with over a season or two.

Don't be too aggressive - only need to remove a few thou of the surface shmung........

Cheers,

OldTimer

[MichaelAngelo]

(11-15-2012 09:44 PM)zippyFX Wrote:  I was wondering where I got that new minnow lure... I was wrong.

Got a chuckle out of that one.

Well, last winter I packed it up for the spring. This year I'm going to try my hand at cold weather fishing, one coat under one coat at a time LOL

[MuskieBait]

Here's a little inspiration...

http://vimeo.com/38909503

[MichaelAngelo]

(11-16-2012 09:25 AM)MuskieBait Wrote:  Here's a little inspiration...

http://vimeo.com/38909503

Was that Rick Mercer at the beginning?

[OldTimer]

......it's that time........... a bump from last year:

*************


Well – it’s getting close to that time………. Where ya pack up most of yer gear till spring…..

Sure there’s still a bit of fishing here and there, or ice fishing, or southern adventures……. But the best spots up here in the Great White get frozen over, closed, or vacant.

What do you do to moth ball your stuff……. If anything………..?

Here’s what I do as a long string of mini projects over many evenings or winter weekends……. etc:

- Clean most everything and dispose of all dried worms, cut pieces of line, messed up lures/hooks, petrified marshmallows, and any unknown smelly fubar substance on the bottom of my boxes, bags, and vests.
- Clean and inspect the rods – touch up any nicks with nail polish or epoxy……. Check the guides……..clean the foam handles……….steel wool the cork handles
- Clean & Lube the reels lightly as required………. Cut off any messed up line
- Re-sort and arrange the lures back to their original logically sorted homes in my tackle boxes
- Wash my fishing vests, gloves, and canvas/twill bags.
- Sharpen all my fishing related knives
- Take stock of my inventories of this and that – and replenish as necessary from ebay or sales.
- And most importantly…………..plan, plot, dream and look forward to the spring thaw……..smile

Cheers,

OldTimer

[Giuga10]

This winter I'm gonna be updating the inventory. Getting out with the old and unused and in with the new, more likely to be used lures, baits, plastics etc..