As some of us are pretty fortunate and can chase our favorite fish year-round, I know that a lot of our Northern brothers and sisters typically have a few months to sit back and dream about the lakes thawing out and re-opening. But there is no need to drop the hobby all together. There are things you can be doing to prepare for next year!
Tackle Organization
I mean, sometimes organizing my tackle is just as much fun as the fishing! And, with the down time, it can give you a prime opportunity to get all of your gear in check so that you’re ready to go come Spring. I, personally, have fallen in love with the Plano Edge series boxes for all of my tackle, while Buzbe offers some great options as well. Now would be a good time to simply go through all of your hard baits, inspect the hooks, then organize them by size, depth, color, etc. I like to streamline my soft plastics to the main styles that I use. I’ll store them in bulk in my tackle room using labeled drawers and only pull a couple packs of what I’ll likely need whenever I do go fishing. Any plastics I find that do not get used much, if ever, I’ll throw in a Rubbermaid bin to get them out of the way.
Tackle Preparation
This maybe the biggest advantage to having some time off, as this can be very time consuming if you’re doing it right. Things like cleaning your reels, inspecting your rods, and even changing treble hooks on your hard baits. Things that, while it’s GO time, you never have the time to do like you know you should. Another thing you can do is spool all of your reels with fresh line.
Learn
What better time than now to soak up some additional knowledge heading into next year! I mean, with resources like YouTube and other bass fishing media outlets, there is plenty to choose from when trying to stay on top of your fishing knowledge. But more than that, it’s a great time to study maps and mark spots that can be valuable next season whether you’re simply looking for areas to fish from the bank or if you pan on fishing a tournament trail. There’s always more to learn!
All in all, now is the time to get all of your ducks in order so that you can be more efficient when the time comes. When you gear up for your first trip of the Spring, it can ease your mind to know that all of your baits are organized, all of your equipment is ready to go, and you mentally have a game plan to attack once you get to the lake!