Now that we're nearing the end of the year, and the weather is starting to get really cold, it's time to store all that summer fishing gear if you haven't already done so.
If you have already put away your gear there are a couple things you may want to check on.
You can store your summer gear over the winter in a basement, garage, storage unit, or almost anywhere will work as long as it’s safe, dry. Keeping your gear dry during storage is important to prevent corrosion or molding. I personally store all our gear, rods, bait, etc, in our garage.
We have a special rack to hang our fishing rods on, and also a hook to hang up our tackle boxes. We both keep all of our tackle in backpacks.
There are a few things that you should do to keep your fishing gear in good shape for next season…
- Check all lures for damage and rust corrosion (throw out anything not salvageable).
- Remove all plastics from jig heads and organize by size and color.
- Clean out the tackle box/bag and remove all trash.
- Consolidate plastics where possible and ensure bags are sealed so they don’t dry out.
- Check spool on reels and set aside any that need to be respooled before next season.
- Invest in a vertical wall-mounted rack to store your rods in the garage (or wherever you keep them).
- Make sure to release tension on your drags and avoid leaving a bend in the rod while in storage or the rod blank can take on a permanent bend.
There are many ways that you can safely store all of your summer tackle and prepare for ice fishing season. Just make sure to take care of your gear now to avoid any unnecessary issues in the spring
Till next time, see you outdoors!
