By Nick Simonson

During the depths of winter’s trough, typically coming in the month of January, but honestly, based on past precedent, running as late as early April some years, anglers get plenty of time to get ready for the upcoming openwater season.  The steps taken this time of year often help prepare those optimistic souls for the first flowing water to break free of the season’s icy grasp, and there are five easy ways to knock out a little preparative work now, so that the focus can be more on fishing, whenever spring arrives.

5.  Unwind.  Whether relying on superline or standard monofilament, winter gives anglers a great opportunity to look over the lines on their favorite reels, and remove them in favor of something in better shape for a good start.  In winter’s chilly and dark down times, take line off of spinning and baitcasting reels, especially monofilament, which coils as a result of its chemical makeup, and has a memory that after a few months of being tightly wound in place, can impact casts and presentation in spring.  Remove the line in a coil, snip the coil in half with a sharp shears and dispose of it in a sealed bag in the trash to prevent it from getting into the environment.  Now the reel is ready to be restrung in the spring, with fresh, reliable line.

4.  Grease Up.  For those high-performing reels, a little clean-up goes a long way.  Access those areas of gears, and other small mechanical parts and clean out any dirt or debris which may have accumulated over the past season. Use a soft-bristled brush like an old toothbrush to clean them up and add a few drops of a favorite reel oil to make sure the parts stay friction free. Being certain that drag mechanisms and connections between the reel and the spool run smoothly now assures that they’ll work a few months down the road as well.

3. Inspection.  As late as the autumn allowed fishing on open water this year, many tackleboxes may have just recently found their way into the garage from the boat.  Now is the time to look over those containers and be certain that the tackle they hold is in good shape, and that trays, bags and other lure compartments are solid and without contaminants, especially any signs of rust.  If the latter is present, it’s best to replace the entire lure tray to prevent its spread to other lures, to keep hooks at their sharpest and offerings at their cleanest.

2. Order Up.  As part of that tackle inspection, make a checklist of those go-to items like jigs, plastics, and crankbaits and be certain that enough remain to start the season.  If not, add them to your shopping list, so they can be part of the next online order or a trip to the tackleshop.  This time of year also allows anglers an opportunity to tie up those handcrafted offerings like jigs, custom spinners and other lures to restock those sections of tackle that might have seen heavy use.

1.  Plan Ahead.  Whether it’s part of the normal seasonal routine, a special trek to a distant water, or a once-in-a-lifetime trip, taking the time now to map out those bigger openwater adventures in the coming year makes things go a whole lot smoother.  From identifying and booking lodging or campsites, picking out the best boat ramps and contingent ones, or selecting backup waters nearby in case conditions don’t line up all help set the stage for success. 

With the downtime that the cold, windy, and dark nights of winter provide, these steps for the next openwater season can be easily knocked out. Use the time that nature allots for the inside activities that makes the warm weather outdoor action all the more enjoyable when the time comes.

Simonson is the lead writer and editor of Dakota Edge Outdoors.

Featured Photo: Taking stock of favorite lures and inspecting them along with their containers for wear, damage or rust is a good activity to knock out during cold January days where outdoor activity may be difficult or dangerous. Simonson Photo.