HOT ROD TWEAKING YOUR GEAR
Originally Published in Western Outdoor News the Week of Feb. 17, 2010
So, I’m digging through my tackle storage unit here in La Paz. Either, it’s the end of season inventory for 2009 or my beginning of the 2010 inventory to see what I’ve got; what I need; what’s busted; what needs to be fixed or replaced. I hate this.
As I pull line off reels; repack hooks; and untangle lures that should have been untangled before I put them in the box, I wanted to pass on a few “tweaking tips” to “hotrod” some of your gear for the coming season.
For many of my lures, especially crank-type lures like Rapalas and even many of my throwing irons, I replace the hooks. I take off the treble hooks and replace them with single forged hooks. I believe, I get deeper and better hooksets in the hard jaws of Baja gamefish on a single hook than on a treble.
Single hooks penetrate better. Less chance the fish will spin off. Further, if I plan to release a fish, it’s alot easier to take out one hook than three. If there are two hooks, I replace both of them so that the lure swims true and remains balanced.
For my swivels that are on leaders, especially trolling leaders on my bigger feathers, jigs and wahoo lures, I make sure that all of them are changed to black. Silver swivels when trolled through the water cavitate. They make a teardrop shape going through the water. With a shiny silver swivel, it looks just like a baitfish.
Your big lure now looks like it’s chasing a baitfish. That’s great for realism, but not so good if the REAL fish you’re trying to catch decided to bite your swivel instead of your lure. That “short bite” might cost you a very expensive lure, even if you’re using wire!
All hooks, no matter who makes them, but for sure on non-“designer hooks” in my box, I take a file to them. I give every single hook the “fingernail” test. That is, I drag the point across my fingernail. If it scratches my nail, it’s sharp. If it doesn’t measure up, I give it a couple of runs with a good hook file.
On the subject of hooks, there’s nothing quite so frustrating as getting a little moisture in a fresh pack of hooks then finding they all rusted on me. To prevent that, I put some grains of rice in each pack. The rice absorbs any stray moisture that gets in much like rice in a saltshaker helps prevent condensation.
On my rods, I spray WD-40 on a rag and wipe them all down. Not only does it put a nice sheen on them, but it really helps take off blood, scales and other goo that might’ve gotten stuck on them during the season.
I then take some clear fingernail polish and dab it on the stress fracture where the foot of the guides starts to break through the wrapping that holds the guide to the rod blank. The clear polish also works well on any dings I may have in the rod as well.
By the way, as long as you have that same cloth with WD-40 on it, wipe down your reels. It does a nice job on cleaning.
Speaking of spraying things on, if you’re like me, your line is wound on your reel tightly. At least, it should be. If it stays on all season, like mine, it tends to develop into coils as it comes off the reel.
Instead of laying flat and limp, it has developed “memory.” I hate throwing away line (I’m cheap…uh..er… economic and I have too many reels to replace all that line!) so I use one of several new commercial sprays. When sprayed on the line, they actually tend to relax the line and to a great degree restore the suppleness of older line.
Jonathan Roldan is the Baja Editor and his column appears every other week. He can be reached in La Paz at: riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com
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