Winter Maintenance for Rods and Reels

With the holidays upon us its a great time to take a break and maintain your equipment. This week Tim breaks down the steps he takes to keep his gear in tip top shape. Take a few minutes over the holidays to winterize your gear, it will pay off when the new year starts. 

Step 1) Clean The Cork

After a long season of flipping, pitching, frogging, etc... the cork can get pretty dark. A quick scrub with denatured alcohol will have it looking like new. When you're done with the cork rub down the rod and reel as well. 

Step 2) Clean and Inspect the Guides

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Cork Before Cleaning

One of the most common causes of lost fish and nicked lines is damaged guides. Inspecting the guides by sweeping a cotton ball through them will show you if there is any damage. Any chips or cracks of any kind will require a guide replacement. Better now than when there is a 10 lber at the other end of the rod!

Step 3) Adjust and Dry your Reels

We're not going to go into a full breakdown of reel maintenance as its is a whole video series by itself. We do however recommend backing off your drags and drying your reels thoroughly. This is especially important if you use braided line. Braid holds moisture long after you're done fishing and if you have a perforated spool that moisture is going straight into the reel's interior. 

4) Clean the Braid

Clean the braid? Really? That seems like overkill until you do a little research. Cleaning your braid with a product like Braid Aid (recently recommended to us and man does it work) will extend the life of the braid and drastically increase your casting distance. Its a time consuming process to strip all the line and clean it properly but its worth doing. Besides, its the holiday season... its this or fruitcake so get to work. 

5) Rod Gloves

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Cork after Cleaning

Last but not least, use rod gloves. They're your friend. Matt spent years making fun of Tim and his rod wraps but fast forward to Matt's equipment falling apart and Tim's looking brand new... get some rod gloves. Not only do they keep your rods protected (no more broken tips in the rod locker) they also keep lines from tangling and can help with organization by color coordinating rods (wrap all your sissy spinning rods in pink rod wraps so everyone knows you're actually using those things).

We know this isn't a typical fishing tactics video but with the year coming to an end its important to take a few minutes and maintain your equipment. You'll be glad you did when you hook a giant on your first trip back to the lake!

Ledge Fishing: Tricks to Catch More Fish

No matter where you are in the country, when the baitfish start moving to the rocks the bass fishermen will be close behind. Whether you target summer ledge fish in the Southeast, fall ledge fish in the West, or Winter bluff fish everywhere in between, a time of year will come when dialing in your approach to fishing vertical cover will come in handy.

I have the unique opportunity of fishing with anglers from around the globe and in doing so, I've noticed a pattern. The vast majority of anglers struggle to effectively target bass when they move from their shallow haunts in favor of more vertical cover.

Fishing vertical cover presents some unique challenges that are not often encountered with other styles of fishing. In no particular order those challenges include staying in the strike zone long enough to get bit, knowing if you're on bottom, feeling the bite, and missing the bite because you're out of position. These problems are even more severe if compounded with fishing at night.

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Almost all of these problems are caused by adjusting your baitcasting reel correctly. Yes, I said correctly. For every other application your adjustments are perfect but if you want to fish vertical cover, its time to make some incorrect adjustments that will make all the difference!

Through trial and error I've found a very simple way to eliminate all of the above mentioned problems at once. By backing off the spool tension knob (found next to the star drag) you can eliminate the resistance the reel has on the line. This allows the bait to fall vertically instead of drifting away from the cover like a pendulum. Additionally, the free-floating spool will spin freely enough that you can feel the line falling, stopping, or even getting bit, without having to look down.

I've found this technique to be most effective when fishing jigs, worms, and swimbaits. If using a smaller reel like a Core 50MG you can get away with weights as light as 3/8 oz without experiencing the pendulum effect. If you're going to use standard tackle (I prefer a Curado 200) its important that you step up to a 3/4 oz jig (this works great with swim jigs as well) or heavier in order to keep the presentation as vertical as possible.

Using these quick tips will make you a more effective ledge fishermen overnight. I've seen clients go from getting no bites at all, to catching fish after fish by just backing off the tension. Its a simple solution to a very complicated series of problems that plagues us all at one time or another.

Part 2: Knots and Hooks for Braided Line

There are still a lot of misconceptions about braided line. The biggest fear is that of knot strength. The second is the fear of bending out hooks. This week's video is dedicated to debunking these misconceptions and teaching you how to avoid all of the potential pitfalls.

Learning to tie proper knots for braid to leader connections, braid to hook connections, as well as leader to hook connections, is critical. If you can practice 3 simple knots with 3 variations for different line sizes and types, you'll be able to adapt to any conditions and situations the fish can throw your way. The knots are the Blood knot, San Diego Jam Knot, and Palomar Knot. The video will also break down the variations of all 3 knots I use to adapt to different lines and keep these knots strong.

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6 lb fluorocarbon tied to 15 lb braided line with a modified blood knot (7 wraps on the fluorocarbon, 11 wraps on the braid) Shown with a worm hook eyelet for size comparison. Truly a "micro" knot.

The blood knot, for whatever reason, has not gained popularity with bass fishermen. It is by far the best knot I've found for connecting braid to both monofilament and fluorocarbon leader materials. When tied properly I can break the leaders over and over again without breaking the connection knot itself.

Another fear about connection knots is that they will be traveling in and out of the guides and "banging". The theory is that this stresses and weakens the line. While this could be true, I've not experienced it. I reel my connections knots in and out of the guides (and even on/off of the reel) hundreds of times each day and have no issues whatsoever. The smaller line diameters in particular (see the pictures for size reference to a worm hook eyelet) create such small knots that they have no problem passing in and out of the reel without making any noise. There is no reason to fear a connection knot if you tie it the way I show in the video.

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Dealing with braided line, its lack of stretch, and how this applies to the hooks you choose to use is actually very simple. There is no mystery, no question of whether or knot your hooks can withstand the forces of braided line and big fish, you simply need to adapt. If you're currently using mono or fluoro and want to make the switch, step up your hooks. If you currently use light wire worm hooks, switch to medium. If you use heavy worm hooks, switch to the 3x Owner, ZO-Wire Owner, or Gamakatsu Superline Hooks. If you're using trebles, step up to owner 3x trebles (ST-56) or even gamakatsu 4x hooks.

Give these tips a try and report back with your experiences. Have you found another knot that simply does not break when under stress? We'd love to hear about it!

Part 1: Why You Should Use Braided Line

In much of the country, braided fishing line has been extremely well received. Anglers have found that its easier to feel baits, get strong hooksets, and haul fish out of heavy cover. Despite the overall acceptance there are still a few places where it is viewed as overkill, accused of unreliability, and some fishermen even blame it when they're not catching fish. Even after decades of successful use some anglers still hold out.

I really believe the misconceptions about braid come from a lack of education. I remember sitting in a seminar listening to an angler talk about braid and genuinely believing he was lying to me. I've been there, I've felt it, so its easy to understand how some guys still make those same mistakes.

I filmed this video several years ago but the information is still so relevant. After several years of experimentation and on the water experiences I still agree with every word in the clip.

For those that are ready to learn, allow me to introduce you to how simple it is to make the transition to braided line. This is such a great topic we're going to break it down in to two parts. Today in Part 1 I'll discuss how to adjust your equipment. In Part 2 we will cover how to adjust your terminal tackle including an explanation of leaders, knots, and superline hooks.

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Matt's favorite braids for swimbaits (p-line), frogs and flipping (Power Pro) and jigs or finesse fishing (Sufix 832)

Let's dispel some myths:

Most anglers are afraid that switching to braid will cost them a lot of money. Whether it be the actual cost of braided line, the cost of new rods/reels, or just some perceived expense, this is a real concern. Let me dispel it by saying, DON'T BUY NEW RODS. The gear you have is perfect for braid. Instead of buying new gear simply experiment with slightly softer rods for each bait category. (use a medium where you used to use a medium heavy, or a heavy instead of an extra heavy.) As for cost of braid, its often a non-issue because you may only spool a reel 1-2 times per year.

Another concern is that braid can only be used in murky water. This simply is not true. I've successfully fished braid (with and without a leader) in water with 20-40 feet of visibility. Its important that you understand each style of bait you're throwing. If the bass is keying on the bait (reaction) they generally will not be bothered by the visible line. If the fish is studying the bait before committing then visibility is an issue but can easily be solved by tying a leader of mono or fluorocarbon. In addition to concealing the line, the leader will also act as a buffer and shock absorber. Shock absorption is key to keeping fish hooked when the battle comes close to the boat.

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Tim and Matt with handfuls of bass that were easily landed on 20-30 lb braided line

Finally, braid isn't just for power fishing. While heavy cover is where braid found its niche, its expanded to every corner of bass fishing. Whether you're throwing a walking topwater like a Spook for suspended fish, or dropshotting 50 feet deep in a clear reservoir, braid will improve your catch rate. The line is extremely responsive, even over great distance. This allows you to feel more bites, set the hook more easily, and work baits without as much physical effort. The finesse applications for light braid are endless. The deeper the water, the lighter the lure weights, the more dramatic the benefits will be.

Making the transition can be a little scary at first but take the step. Choose a rod or two and take the leap! In part two I'll show you the knots you need to know, how to set up leaders correctly, as well as some quick tips on hooks to get you headed in the right direction. Its time to take the leap and experience what you've been missing!