"The Winter Doldrums"

by Bayman AKA Kevin

As I made my adventurous morning drive home from work today, I was listening in on Thom Dickerson's Outdoors Report. Thom was making conversation, as he does sometimes when things are slow, about the "Winter Doldrums". You know those times when the weather is bad, it's cold, and the wind's blowing over 20 mph, kind of like it has been lately. What do you do? You want to fish, but the conditions just won't let up long enough to let you get your line wet. Sure you can get up early and hope for a chance to go, but what if it doesn't happen? There are plenty of things you can do now that will make your future fishing trips better. Think about the things that can be done now, when the situation is "dismal at best", and get them done so that when the fishing takes off, you won't be "left out in the cold."

Start out with your tackle. Pull out the tackle box and start sorting through it. You will be surprised at what you might find in there, buried under a cork or a box of hooks. It may be that lure that you know you bought, but couldn't find when you needed it. It could have leaked water in and caused some hooks or wire leaders to rust or oxidize. I know that I have found old soft plastics, or what I thought might have been one at one time, melted down in the bottom of my box. It wasn't a pretty sight and it takes forever to get that goo off of everything that it could possibly come in contact with! I throw out any rusted hooks. I have found that if one hook is rusted, the rust spreads that much faster to the others. Inspect your lures. Are all of the hooks in good shape? Change them out if they are rusty or dull. It only takes a few minutes to change the hooks on a Mirrolure and that rusty or dull hook could be the difference between catching or missing that STAR Tournament winner! I would hate to see that happen to anyone. Look at your Popping Corks. Do you use the "Alameda" type? These have a tendency to leak and the rattles rust on the inside. Chunk'em, there isn't much you can do with them. If you carry a small spool of leader line in your box, inspect it. It may be time for some new line. I try and change mine out every winter.

Pull out your arsenal of weapons. Inspect the eyes on your rods. That little insert is very important to the health of your line! Check to see that they don't have any cracks in them. A cracked insert will fray your line and break you off. The last rod I bought had a cracked eye on it and I didn't notice it until I was threading line through it. I wasn't very happy. Are there any loose eyes? With the way a lot of new boats are, single walled, the rod holders are more open and less protective. It's very easy to kick or step on a rod when you are excited about catching fish. Get them repaired! Pull your reels off and clean them up. I talked to the Shimano rep. at the boat show last year and he said that one of the best things you can do for your reel is to take it off the seat. He said that saltwater will get up under the reel and start corroding the base. Clean them up. Check the bearings and get new ones if they are frozen. New bearings are a lot cheaper than a new reel! I just changed mine in my Curado's. I upgraded to a better grade bearing and replaced three per reel. It cost's about 25 bucks a reel, but when a new one cost $120, that’s not bad. Lube it up with some good oil and it will be ready when you are. Replace that line! That old line has been on there all year, well I hope not, but I'm sure it's been a while. I try and replace mine once a quarter, but sometimes it goes a little longer. My girl's reels had line on them for a little over a year and they wouldn't hold up to a perch! Line is cheap compared to the tackle in your box and the rod and reel in your hand, don't skimp on it. You're only as strong as your weakest link!

Take a long hard look at your boat. How long has it been since you changed your lower unit oil? Wintertime can take its toll on a lower unit. With the cold weather were getting, it's not far fetched to think that any water in your lower unit can freeze. This can overpressure the seals, crack your seals or even crack your case. That will put you out of commission for a while and will put a strain on the pocketbook too. Grease up the zirc's on your motor. Grease the steering cable and check the condition of it. I have heard horror stories of broken steering cables hurting people and at the very least having to duct tape a paddle to the motor so you can make it in. Tighten those loose bolts and screws that seem to get loose all the time. Inspect the condition of the wiring terminals. Are they corroded? A little Coke, the kind you drink (What were you guys thinking?), in the running light bases will help get rid of oxidation and corrosion. Spray them down with some Corrosion X or WD40. White Lithium grease on the electrical terminals works great. Re-locate that rod holder that you've been banging your knee on, or install that net holder (Mike, so you don't lose it on the way to the ramp!). Check that bilge pump. You know the one you never use because you have a self-bailing hull; it may be locked up. I never run mine so I am just as much at fault as anyone is. Try and think of anything you need or want to do before it hard and heavy fishing time again.

Don't forget about those things with wheels that get you to the water. Check the trailer bearings and tires. Are the seals in good shape? Buddy bearings? How long has it been since you took the lug nuts off and greased them? Will you be able to get them off if you have a flat? Don't forget the spare! I am working on this one too. I don't have one! Does it have air? Do the lights work? I, unfortunately, have new lights on my trailer because I happened to nail the door of the storage shed while trying to put it in! I only got one, but the other one wasn't working so two new ones are on now. What is that junk on the plug? Get it off! A little carburetor cleaner or de-greaser will do the trick, then hit it with some Corrosion X. Don't for get the truck! When is the last time the oil was changed in the engine or the transmission? Have you checked the spare? What about greasing the ball? Try not to overlook the little things, because they turn in to big things at the wrong time!

These are just a few items that can be done during the "Winter Doldrums". I'm sure there are plenty more that I have missed. Please send them in if you've got some tips. You know us anglers are always looking for an easier, faster way of doing things. We would rather be fishing! Thanks Thom for the memory jogger. Let's get everything ready to go now so we can be fishing instead of wishing!

See you out on the bay!

Mike