If you made it
to some of the sport shows or visited your local tackle shop, you most
likely picked out a few lures and some other tackle that will guarantee
that you catch fish. Did you remember to get some new line for your
reels or replace that reel that you broke last summer?
As a tournament
angler, I know the value of good line. I change my line before every
tournament. The brand of line is a personal preference; every
manufacturer makes high quality line. The average weekend angler can
get away with only changing the line at least twice a year. New line
might not make a difference in everyday fishing, but when you hook into
the trophy of a lifetime, you do not want your line to be the cause of
a quick release.
The best care
of your rods and reels begins at the end of the last season. When you
put your equipment away for the year, take a little extra time to make
sure that everything is working well. The first thing to do is take all
of your reels off your rods and strip off the line. Take your old line
to a recycle box at you local tackle shop.
Let us begin
with your reels. You have been using them all summer and you know which
ones are not performing up to their abilities. There are a few
solutions for these problem reels. You can take them to your tackle
shop for repairs if your tackle shop does repairs. You can send them to
places like Bass Pro Shop for repairs, or you can send them back to the
manufacturer for repairs. I personally send my reels back to the
manufacturer, depending on whom the manufacturer is the cost is
sometimes only shipping. However, there are times when the repair costs
almost as much as the reel. No matter whom you get your reel to make
certain that you get a price before they make any repairs. When you put
up your reels for the winter back the drags all the way off for
storage. Most drag systems rely on the compression of different
materials to make friction. When you back off the drag for storage, you
allow the materials relax back to their original shapes, thus
prolonging the life of your drag. Most of the reels that you buy come
with a small tube of oil for lubricating the moving parts. Place a
couple of drops at all the moving part intersections, such as the bail
arm pivot points, where the handle meets the body, the handle tabs, the
pawl on a bait caster. You do not have to take apart your reels, and I
do not suggest that you do unless you have some experience doing it. I
ruined quite a few reels when I was younger. I would take the side off
a reel, and this little spring would go flying by my face and I could
never figure out where it was supposed to go. The last thing that I do
is wipe the reel with a cloth and give a light coat of WD 40 or the
equivalent.
When you go to
get your reels out this spring, you will be ready to load the line and
go fishing. Putting line on your reels is simple. Let us start with the
proper way to load a spincast reel (Zebco 33). Put the reel on the rod,
thread the line through the guides and take the cap off the reel.
Thread the line through the cap, push the button and wrap the line
around the spool twice. Now tie two over hand knots in the line and
pull it tight down to the spool. Cut off the excess line and replace
the cap. Lay the spool on the ground with the label side up and while
you are holding the line in front of the cap begin reeling. Stop after
10 cranks and drop your rod towards the spool of line. If the line
twists into a bunch of pigtails then turn the spool of line over. The
only way to check the amount of line that you have on is to take the
cap off and look. Fill it up to within 1/8 inch from the edge of the
spool. A baitcast reel follows much the same routine, except the spool
of line stands on its edge and usually you have someone to hold it with
a pen through the hole. Again drop the tip of the rod after a few
cranks and check for twists. If they happen then turn the spool over.
To load a
spinning reel follow these steps. Place the reel on the rod, thread the
line through the guides, open the bail and tie the line to the spool.
The spool lies flat on the ground and you hold the line as far up the
rod as you can. Do the twist test and make any changes that you need
to. Load the spinning reel to within 1/8 to ? of an inch from the edge
of the spool. If you put to much line on a spinning reel, you will get
a birds nest come off the front of your spool when you cast.
