Starting to get my stuff organized.

[carolina-rig-01]

I realize that you all could probably care less, but with as much effort as I put into it I figured I would at least brag a little hahaha. Last years tournament season had some highs and lows but ended with a pretty rough streak where I was on the right pattern but couldn't get anything to go my way, the last two tournaments I really wanted and expected to do well in left me pissed off for a week after each one of them. So when the season was done I took a deep breath and decided to forget all about fishing for a while. Well normally I spend all winter long tinkering with my fishing stuff but instead this year I just relaxed. This weekend I finally dug out my stuff and got to work on it. I had almost 40 new crankbaits that I got this winter that I needed to open and replace hooks on so I could get them put in the boat. I did that yesterday and I still have several bags of plastics and a lot of jigs I need to get put in the boat. Today I changed hooks on all the baits that I ignore most of the year but usually play a big role in the first few tournaments of the year (Wiggle Warts and jerkbaits). After I did that I took a Magic Eraser to all the cork grips on my rods and wiped down all the rod blanks with Bass Boat Saver. I still need to strip all the line off of the reels but I went ahead and labeled all the rods with what line I am going to put on them. It might not sound like much but it was a weekend full of split ring pliers, treble hooks, and digging through boxes and boxes of fishing stuff in the basement.

[bassboogieman]

Getting to be that time of year - YEAH! I still have a dozen reels to lube, but I've been working on tackle over the winter. I have the dual problem of trying to set up a small, but varried tackle bag for my kayak. I think that may help me a bit with stocking my boat, especially with plastics - I carry far too many.

[lilmule]

Great to get the gear ready,sometimes I dont always complete that as well as liked.
But as far as T results that more of a mind thing,one dont dwell on past mistakes as they may not be as bad as you think and may or may not effect how a future T will do.
Sometimes one prefishes gets fixated on pattern spot etc,I go as a non boater lately most popular saying I hear is two days ago they were hitting these what ever (say crankbaits),and they spend the entire day not changing the pattern or lure when it isnt working.Treat just as in prefishing change accordingly,find fish find what they want ,not what they wanted last week or even yesterday.The difference is in prefishing you did find fish did know what they liked so gives one a starting place not a firm platform due to fish,water ,temp etc.
When in doubt and they dont hit what they were start at basics like worms.
I love jerkbaits,Ill tell you a lil secret that will place pds in the boat,simply by telling a short story of a different location.Ohio river april 2-3 week,old lock and dam 27(Proctorville,Oh) which only part left is a wing dam with a short L at the end facing up river.At the L,one can walk out on this boat not necessary,toss a jerkbait about 2 cast 2lb spot,cast again swipes no take.Take off that rattling rogue place another color on it toss,another 2lb spot,remove place another color on it or even another brand,so long as its a different color,toss get a 3rd spot same size or larger potbelly full of eggs.Point is they wont hit same color in same spot all day long change color 4 times its good again,this pertains to spots nothing else havnt a clue why.But I can go there just prior to spawn with 4 jerkbaits and a have a limit in 15 minutes.Problem is mother nature interferes often the river level is above that wing and spots just are not there in flood stage.So then one goes to creek or backwater hopes and preys as 8pds will win a T there.

[Embrey]

probably leave all my crankbaits in the shop this year. i hate em. always have,.and if in the boat, i will use em and fail like always.

[bamabassman]

it IS getting to be THAT time of year....but i am about to head out for 3 weeks probably starting on the 18th or so.


but i don't mind....making some BAIT MONKEY MULAH!!! HAHAHAHA!!!

[Rebbasser]

I need to weed through a bunch of my stuff, too. I have a ton of stuff in the boat I never use, so why haul it? Well, we all know the reason we haul all that stuff: The one thing we take out is the exact thing we will need next time on the water

[Bubba_Bruiser]

I am waiting on a call that the boat is ready. I have a tourney Saturday at Flynt Creek in Wiggins. All my rods and reels are ready, but I need to go through my baits. I am going to try a little tourney trail that fished the first Sat of every month. I don't have big plans of placing high, but just learning my electronics and like the Riddler said, know when to say when and pull off of yesterday's pattern.

[keithdog]

I havn't done anything with my rods and reels yet. But, I plan on getting on it soon. Heading to Gander this weekend and plan on buying the line I need. I might clean and lune the reels next weekend. It's about 4 weeks till ice out yet. But the lures, now I've tinkered with them off and on all winter. They are good to go.

[Old Hooker]

Originally Posted by Embrey

probably leave all my crankbaits in the shop this year. i hate em. always have,.and if in the boat, i will use em and fail like always.

I had a box full and never used them until I got my boat. I always got hung up when I tried to use them from the bank. Some of them I had bought over twenty years ago and they had never toughed water. When I got the boat, I set up a crankbait rod and figured I would use it the least of all my rods. Over the past two years I have used that rod the most and caught my biggest bass last year on it.

Long story short, they don't work if you aint throwing them. I had no confidence in them either until I caught a few on them. Now they are my #1 search lure.