That's My Story

YOUR NEW TOYS – Published March 05 – Western Outdoor News

I’m writing this a week after that carnage that was the Fred Hall Long Beach Show. Wow. Mil gracias to all of you who made a point of coming by the booth to introduce yourselves and tell me you’re reading the column whether you agree or not. At least, you told me you’re having fun with it and that’s the point. It’s fishing, not rocket science or curing cancer, right?

So, you got home with all your bag of goodies…armfuls of goodies. You have brochures from every known destination and of course, all the Baja guys too. And, you can’t stop taking those new rods and reels out’ve the boxes. Admit it. More than once you attached the rod and reel together with the harness and got into your “fighting stance” after bribing your kid pull on the end to simulate a bad boy Baja tuna or grumpy yellowtail. Busted! Hey, I’m guilty too.

But isn’t that what makes it fun. Phone’s on hold. Take a message. I’m in the den, Honey. I promise I’ll walk the dog later. Fishing let’s us be kids again and the shows are like opening that Sears Christmas toy catalog for the first time and dream.

You’re probably not going to be going fishing just yet but here’s a few things I always do with my new gear to get it ready or keep it in good shape until you’re ready to go bust the chops of some toad.

For one, resist the temptation to have your kid or your best buddy to pull on the end of your new stick. Most folks I watch, don’t know how to grab the end. Grab only from the very tip, not from somewhere down the shaft. Even a few inches from the tip can bust the stick. Store it in a cool dry place. In a rack is perfect but try not to just lean that new jig stick in the corner where it might take a “set” and get a weird bow in it when you finally use it. If you’re anywhere damp or live near the ocean, a light spray of WD-40 wiped on it helps retard early corrosion.

For reels, I know it’s hard, but try to keep them in the box. OK, never mind. Take them out of the box but try to keep them covered. That new anodized finish sure looks purty and, like your new car, will inevitably get scratched, but try to postpone it. I like to take my new reels and sit in front of the TV. I hold it in my hand and whip it around to make the handle spin as fast as I can. To me, this helps wear in the gears a little bit and helps wear out any burrs left in the machining so it’s butter smooth when I’m ready to rock’n’ roll. Several hours of idle “spinning” helps break it in like a car. It runs better after a few thousand miles.

On your line, I know you bought some of that great bulk stuff that was at the shows. Store it in a cool dark place. Cover it if you can. I like to wrap the spool in tinfoil. Line begins to deteriorate when exposed to the elements like sun and heat so keep it at it’s peak until you’re ready to spool it on the reel. By all means, do NOT run out, grab your kid and make him hold a pencil or a chopstick while you wind line or put the spool in a trash can. Line needs to be wound tightly onto your reels. Wait until the last minute to do this. I know you can’t wait to see what your new reel looks like with shiny line on it, but winding it now could result in the line taking a set and coming off in coils instead of the nice limp stuff you need to keep that sardine or anchovie from swimming under the boat when it should be “out there” where the big boys are swimming.

Now that’s all done, dial in a fishing show on a sports’ channel and spread those brochures all over the bed while you sit in your boxers and droopy socks and figure out where you’re gonna go with all your new toys!

By the way…to the person who wrote in the editorial about not tipping. Your point is well-taken. Sounds like you had some bad experiences and I’m sorry. Don’t be a tightwad, but by no means should you tip laziness either. However, I’ve often lost clients who said I’m too expensive because I don’t hide costs. I show the WHOLE price and I try to inform folks about the extras, like tipping or bait they might still encounter. Most of my amigos in the biz are the same. Straight up. However, that’s why you need to make sure you ASK about ALL the charges associated with your charter. But that’s a subject for another column! Thanks again, Pescadores. It was great to shake so many hands.

That’s my story…
Jonathan