Spring Fling…Are you Ready?

Spring Fling…are you ready?
By Don Leaser

Spring has at last, bestowed its much needed presence upon us. That means, for all of you hard core anglers, its open water time. The winter was long and cold. Besides shoveling snow and paying the heat bill, how did you spend your time? Personally, I spent the down time of winter getting ready for this season.

Okay, let’s do some math, let’s say you wen 50 baits. (No musky guys I know have only 50 baits!) Anyway, three trebles, x three hooks equal nine points to sharpen. So you have sharpened hundreds, if not thousands of hooks over the past winter. Your reels are all serviced, they are filled with the latest and greatest high tech line, and you had those guides repaired on your favorite rod. You have spent hours, and perhaps hundreds of dollars at the various fishing shows, and, of course the easy way, by ordering on line buying new and replacing some old favorite baits. I bought and sold over $400 of baits over the winter. EBay rules. Its great getting a package in the mail, in the dead of winter, knowing its new bait. That’s just me though.

Then there is the rig, your boat. It’s out of storage, and there are many things to consider for the new season. There is a whole check list of things to do to be prepared for the season: lower unit serviced, bearings greased, tires checked, lights repaired or replaced, install the electronics, the trolling motor, batteries.

I like to be water ready at least 3 weeks before the season. I take my rig out for a brief run as soon as is get out of storage. Test the lights, the locators and trolling motor. If any bugs show up, now is the time to find out, not on opening weekend. Do an inventory of the tools and equipment, this is mandatory for all musky anglers and, most anyone who fishes in a boat; release tools, a first aid kit, (I needed one last year as I got my buddy with a Strike King Midnight Special through the arm, my bad) life vests, headlamps for night fishing, bug spray, etc.

Once you have all the prep work done and you’re ready, all you need to do is get out of bed, drink some hot coffee, hook the trailer to the truck and go. Your rods and reels are fine tuned. The boat is water ready. The plans are made. Unfortunately, where I live and many of you too, the weather plays a major factor in the best of plans. Late, cold, rainy springs are non-conducive to my second favorite pastime, and to be honest, it’s a very close second. Even if you are totally prepared, Mother Nature can still throw a Matt Garza curve ball at you this time of year. So, in turn, have a positive mental attitude, dress warm, and you’ll be as ready as you will ever be for another great fishing season.