Winter perfect time to carry out basic housekeeping
Work- ups out in the Hauraki Gulf are providing the best fishing action when the weather allows, but elsewhere it has been hard.
This is typical mid- winter fishing; as water temperatures drop fish become lethargic and all but the hardiest of anglers are prepared to brave the cold conditions.
So it is a good time to check the gear and tackle and apply a little TLC.
It seems to be human nature to throw a cover over the boat when the first cold weather hits and forget about it until spring. Then, when it drifts off the trailer on the first clear morning in October and the key turns there may be a tortured whine, or nothing. Batteries don’t respond well to sitting around for months, so the least you an do is unclip the terminals when putting it to bed. Better still, set up a slow trickle charge which i s pretty simple. And a squirt of anticorrosion juice on the clips and terminals will help keep the bad stuff at bay.
The old style of steering system involving cables running from the wheel to the motor will tend to seize up after prolonged periods of nonuse, so a visit to the marine shop to have moving parts greased is a good idea. And do it in plenty of time, not just before fishing starts as the service people will be run off their feet. Or, in mid- winter start the engine with the water muffs on and run it for a while, giving the wheel a t wist here and there to ensure it is all working.
The rods and reels can probably Agood method of ensuring salt water is flushed from all of the boat trailer is to put garden hose inside the box girders which run lengthways up the sides of the trailer, from one end to the other. It is hard to squirt water inside these but the hose used for watering gardens, which has tiny spray holes along it, will do the job when attached to the main hose and given a good squirt under pressure. These sections of hose can be left permanently, and simply clipped on to the hose when cleaning the trailer. Bite times are 4.40am and 5pm today, and 5.30am and 5.50pm tomorrow. More fishing action can be found at GTTackle. co. nz. use a little attention also. Most fishermen give their gear a cursory splash after a day out on the salt, and salt is the key term. While quality tackle is designed to handle the wear and tear and the effect of continued exposure to salt, the salt will win in the end if even the basics are not observed. After each trip the gear should be washed gently in warm soapy water, with reel drags tightened right up to prevent moisture getting into the innards, then rinsed and given a light spray of anti- corrosion juice. Occasionally the reels can be removed and the reel seat cleaned and sprayed, and don’t forget the rings on the rod.
One common problem occurs when the line is repeatedly wound in until the swivel bangs against the end of the rod. Over time this can damage the tip ring, particularly if it has an agate lining which will develop tiny cracks, invisible to a quick check. A sure sign of this is when the line grows a bunch of fine fuzz, and when weakened like this the line will break when pressure from a fish i s applied. A simple check can be done by running a length of nylon stocking through the tip ring — if there is a problem it will tear the fine fabric. Get the local tackle shop to replace the ring.
Line also becomes damaged through contact with sharp fins, rocks and weed, and the few metres on the end should be cut off and discarded after every trip. Once a year line on reels that are used a lot can be replaced or at least given a fresh bit on the end, which is called top- shotting. Run off about a third and tie on a new section to replace it. A blood knot or uni knot tied back to back is fine for the connection.
The line i s the only thing connecting you to a fish, and you don’t want it to fail at a crucial time.
Winter is a good time to have favourite reels serviced if it is beyond your DYI skills to remove facings and clean and grease drag systems.
Boat trailers also will give better service if they receive some attention at least once a season. Wheel bearings are one of the first components to suffer from salt exposure, and should be greased regularly. While we all give the trailer a good hose down after a trip, you can’t reach all surfaces and so if there i s a lake handy take the trailer down and immerse it thoroughly. A visit to the auto electrical shop will ensure lights are all working and the experts can service wheels and bearings if needed.
The winch will also function much more smoothly if it gets a good spray occasionally, and some grease on the main moving parts. Cleaning boat trailers is even more important if travelling between the South and North Islands. This applies to freshwater tackle as well, for the invasive pest weeds like didymo and other algae have so far been restricted to South Island lakes and rivers. Once in the water system it seems to be impossible to remove, so extra care with gear is imperative.