I try to get out in my kayak no matter what time of the year it is. My New Year’s resolution was to make sure that I am set up for success this coming fishing season. There are some days in February that are impossible to get on the water. Without fail, there will also be a time in April or May when the kayak fishing is hot and something will go wrong with my gear. The worst part of that is that it is usually something preventable. This year I am going to take some time, when I cannot get the kayak on the water in February, to get some maintenance work done on my gear.
If you were hoping to read a “how to catch more when fishing in a kayak” article, I don’t think this is the one. Stick around anyway, because this article just might help you land that monster you have been chasing. The first thing I look at is my kayak. I check the carry handles, foot pegs and deck rigging. These are the first things that need attention. You can still load a kayak with a broken handle, but try to paddle back in a strong wind with a broken foot peg or strap down all your expensive gear with worn out rigging and see how your day goes. These are all inexpensive things to fix. Take 10 minutes and work from the bow to the stern and give everything a good look. You might be surprised at what you find.
Next, I check my rods and reels. I always rinse them down with fresh water after every trip. I am religious about this. We are so close to the water in our kayaks that we get more splash on our reels than those who are fishing from a power boat. I do break them down this time of year and do as much to them as I feel I can. Oil what needs oil, grease what needs to be greased. I have taken reels down pretty far but there are some things I am not comfortable with. At that point I head to the tackle shop and turn it in to a pro for further work. I just could not live with myself if I lost a huge red or flounder this summer because my reel locked up and he broke off.
Next I turn to the stuff in the tackle box. I start by laying out all my things. Sharpen hooks that need it. Get rid of anything that is past its prime. With a pair of split ring pliers you can redo all your treble hooks on your hard plastic baits or just change them over to single hooks. This is also the time of year I put some hours in front of my fly-tying vise. I never have time in the spring, summer or even fall to get a good number of saltwater flies tied. So I try to get them all done in the winter and, if in need to tie a few more, it is an hour on a rainy day and I am back in business.
So, on a cold, windy or rainy Saturday this month, head out to the garage and look over your kayak. Open up your tackle bag and purge yourself of what you never use and put some time into reel maintenance, maybe even re-spooling a reel or two. Come April, when you are into a nice redfish and nothing breaks you will be happy you spent a cold Saturday in February in the garage.