When it rains all week, the fish aren’t going to get any wetter, just us anglers.
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It’s weather like this that sorts out those who know they can catch fish from those that think they can.
I had the best intentions last Sunday but that constant patter on the roof really didn’t fire up my enthusiasm.
When finally I managed to drop the boat in and started to get ready, I was dismayed at the state of some of my lures and how many were at the time unsuitable to use.
Fishing equipment is just like anything else that we use and needs to be looked after and systematically checked for faults. When the weather closes in, we find ourselves with time up our sleeve.
Fishing equipment is just like anything else that we use and needs to be looked after and systematically checked for faults.
To start with let’s check out the tackle box. Simply clean and wipe down the box (particularly the storage trays) and remove dirt, rust marks and water.
Now the lures, and so many anglers spend so much on lures then just toss in their box until they find a use for them.
Check the hooks and the split rings make sure there is no rust and the hooks are still sharp and the split rings haven’t been opened too much.
Clean the lures themselves remove rust and water stains check the bibs aren’t cracked and are in the right position.
The new age fisherman is bound to have an oversupply of Plastic lures such as Squidgies, Storm Shads or Jackall Mask Vibes.
The important rule here is do not mix up different brands of lures as often the will dissolve into one another leaving you a fairly expensive glob of plastic.
Ensure that where you store them (ie. tackle box), will not adversely affect them, then the same rule for lures applies for plastics, so check for rust, hook sharpness and water stains.
It’s easy to give your reels a wash in warm water to start with, but make sure you tighten the drag up.
Check the drag make sure it works properly and the line slides out without grabbing and when you wind the reel it doesn’t jump or jam.
Checking the line roller on spinning reels ensuring they aren’t damaged or jammed is also important. If you have any issues just take the reel to your local tackle store and get the staff to check it.
Check your line, nylon breaks down under UV and will often look ok, but will break at a third of what it should. Also if your line shows any wear and tear just replace it.
Lastly, give your rods a good going over check your reel seat for dirt and that it still holds the reel on as the last thing you need when you’re playing that fish of a lifetime is for the reel to fall off into the water.
Now check every runner and the tip, look inside the runner check that the ceramic ring is still there and isn’t chipped or cracked also check that the runner is still bound on tight and not loose.
Having done all that, the weather should have improved like it did last Sunday and you’re all ready to get out there.