Don't Let Boating Season Arrive Without Getting Organized
Winter is no fun for boaters.
It's painful to sit there and stare helplessly at your baby all frozen under a tarp. There's not much you can do except occasionally knock some snow off the Evinrude while you fantasize about the return of the sun.
Stop fantasizing. Get organized.
Winter provides a great opportunity to get your gear in order so you can start the season off fresh — and it will be here before you know it. The more you do now, the more time you'll have on the water when the weather breaks.
This is the perfect time to take inventory of your fishing gear — and anything else you use throughout the season. Start by checking and cleaning your rods. Get into those cork handles with some regular old dish soap. Take the time to lubricate all the moving parts of each rod.
Next, check out your tackle. In the rush of the season, it's easy to just toss everything together after a day on the water. Over the course of the summer, though, that leads to a cluttered, unorganized tackle box. Sort your hooks, get rid of any that are rusty or damaged and replace them with new ones.
Next, use the opportunity to spread out all your lures and plastic baits so you can see what you have. Count them, sort them and get them into containers.
Now it's time to get reacquainted with your electronics. Whether it's fishfinders or navigation, make sure you're updated with the latest software and application updates. Check your wiring, connections and startup capabilities.
See? Don't you feel better now that you're ready to hit the water once the good weather comes back? Instead of starting the season jumbled and unorganized, you'll be neat and clean with everything accounted for and in its place.
All you have to do now is wait out the winter.
- Scott Reynolds