Southport Magazine

By now, if you’re like me, you are ready to get a fishing trip under way, or you’ve probably already hit the water. But are you really ready to go? Is your gear in tip-top shape? You should make sure it is before you get out there and hook a big one just to lose it because your line was frayed from last year or brittle from the sun and outside elements.

Take it from me, it happens to each of us, and a little pre-fishing preparation is all you need to prevent such snafus. These days, if you’re taking the time off and spending money on a fishing trip, you need all the odds in your favor for catching something to make it worthwhile. Unless, of course, you’re just going for the relaxation—but I can’t do that. I have to bring something home to Momma for dinner!

Here are a few ideas on what to do to get you and your gear ready for another season of fine Southport-area fishing. The first thing on the list is the most used item of all.

The Rod & Reel

Make sure to do maintenance on the reel, such as lubrication. Grease in the gears and lubrication on the moving parts can help make sure the reel will perform at its best when you need it to. This maintenance will also help you take a close look at the reel so you catch any loose screws or parts, as well as nicks or dings that could lead to failure right when you have a big fish testing you and your gear for the first time.

If you find that your reel needs major repair beyond simple maintenance and lubrication, take it to a local tackle shop for assistance. Most do repairs or have a rod and reel expert to do repairs for them. This is a must if you don’t have experience, because one lost spring can be the end of your attempt, and that will only cost you more when you take it for service.

Next, make sure the rod is in good shape from tip to handle, carefully checking the eyes for nicks or cuts and looseness. If there is a split or cut in the inner eye ring, it can cut your line when it’s under tension faster than a razor on dental floss—and there goes the first fish of the season, swimming away with a bunch of line as bling to show his buddies who won the first battle. That’s not good for the fish either. So, make sure each eye is OK, and again, if you need one replaced other than the tip, seek expert help, especially if you spent good money on that rod.

Changing a tip is not so hard to do yourself and a good tip replacement kit can be purchased from a local tackle shop. A few tips of mine are to apply a light coat of wax to the cork handle. The same wax used on surfboards called Mr. Zog’s Sex Wax is great. I also wipe down the rod portion only with Rain-X to help repel the saltwater and make cleanup easy with a light spray-off from the water hose.

Once your rod and reel is in good shape, install new line on the reel. New line to start the fishing season helps ensure that all of the line on the reel is in good condition. The line may look great as far as the rod length, but it may have hidden issues a few layers deep on the spool. A nick in the line over time gets weaker and can snap very easily under minimal pressure, so replace all of it. Be sure to recycle that line to keep it out of landfills or from getting back in the water somehow.

Tackle

Now to finish up, check out all of your tackle for rusty hooks, looseness or discoloration of lures. You need to make sure you have more than enough of everything you use, from hooks to swivels to weights to plastic beads to favorite colors of grubs and lures. Check your dip net, your bait net, your cast net for holes, and anything else you normally take. Taking the time over the winter or spring season to straighten up and restock your tackle box is a great idea. It keeps your mind on fishing and will certainly help increase your odds of catching and landing that first fish like a pro! Preparing your boat will be covered in another month’s topic, so check back for that.

Make no mistake that a little bit of pre-fishing season preparation is worth a ton when that first battle between you and that starving 28” red drum kicks off behind Bald Head Island this spring. Again, as always, we promote the local small business owners, and I encourage you to use the local tackle shops for all of your fishing tackle needs and for great fishing and catching advice!