Pre-Season Warm Up!

Folks up here in the northeast, where the water freezes solid for way too many months out of the year, have a habit of stashing our rods & reels in a corner somewhere, until ice out. I know this seems strange for you southern folks with year round fishing opportunities, but it’s reality for many of us here in New England especially.

So let’s say it’s the 3rd. week of March. You’ve been climbing the walls in anticipation for open water with constant checks on local ponds and reservoirs. Wishing…..hoping……longing for warming temps and water breaking free from winter’s icy grip. What do you do besides watching some of the meager TV fishing shows that just tease your appetite even more for wetting a line?

Well, I have a plan! (And so should you.) That is, for getting your gear in tip top shape for the upcoming season. Today, I’d like to talk about rods mainly. By now, you should already be taking apart your reels for cleaning and lubing. If not, February is a great time to start.

Unfortunately, at my age, my eyes and arthritic fingers are not conducive to tinkering with tiny, UL size reels, with their tiny screws, washers and do-dads that you invariable loose when a spring goes “ping”……sailing off into the wild blue yonder. So, I’m fortunate in having a local guy that does this job for me at a very reasonable cost.

But you still have your rods to tend to, right? They look rather “scrungy” right about now; with the cork almost black with hand oils, grime and fish slime. And the rod blanks themselves are mottled with specks of the same. And who knows about those rod guides!

I’d like to outline a reasonable (pleasurable to my mind), time efficient process for you to get those rods back into tip top shape and to get your mind off all that snow!

Items you will need to have on hand before you start:

1. Mr. Clean Magic Erasers – the safest, most efficient cleaning product for fishermen to use since sliced bread.

2. Paper towels to wipe down the blanks after cleaning.

3. Q-tips (I’ll explain later).

4. AmorAll Original Protectant. Another unutilized winner! I like the small spray bottles.

5. U-40 Cork Seal – Available from Rod Building Supplies | Lure Making Supplies | Fly Tying Supplies | Fishing Hooks.

Now that you have what you are going to need to accomplish this very important task (btw, you’ll love yourself for doing this too!), I’ll go about itemizing the actions you need to take.

1. Break down all your rods and separate the reels from them.

2. Take a Magic Eraser and wet it thoroughly with warm tap water.

3. Using a light scrubbing action, clean off your rod handles (if they are cork). They will look brand spanking new when you do! Amazing product.

4. Dry the cork thoroughly with paper towels.

5. Lightly wipe the rod blanks with this same Magic Eraser. If you can twirl the eyes in this eraser, - I know some are pretty tiny!

6. Once again, wipe dry with the towels (I run the blanks through a stream of tap water to make sure no cleaning residue is left behind).

7. Let the tips and main section dry thoroughly overnight (very important).

8. If you have not done so in a previous season, it is now time to coat that cork thoroughly with U-40 sealing solution. (Follow the instructions.) This will help keep your cork looking great all season long and protect the cork from dings and bangs. Gives your grip a good feel too.

9. At this point, if you have prepped with U-40 in a previous season, just give the cleaned handles a light once over with the U-40 to be sure all cracks, dings and crevices are treated. Allow rods to dry thoroughly overnight once again.

10. Break out the Q-tips now. Twirl a tip in each one of the rod guides - from the top and from the bottom of each eye. If you get any kind of a “hang” with the cotton, it is imperative that you arrange to have that eye replaced as soon as possible. If not, you will surely have a “mysterious” break off sooner or later.

11. If all is well at this point, take your bottle of AmorAll and spray the blank down liberally. Put it aside and do the next blank. Then when all your rods are wet, go back with a clean, soft cloth (I like my cut up old T-shirts) and wipe them down gently, so that they are relatively dry. As of last season, I’ve been giving my cork handles a light coating (over the dried U-40 treatment) as well. Not sure if this is really beneficial or not, but I did it last season, with no ill effects. So I guess it can’t hurt.

12. Now your equipment is truly prime for use again. True – if you do none of this, your rods will certainly still be able to catch a crappie. However, your piece of mind and confidence in your equipment will sky rocket! I guarantee! Hope this helps to lessen some pain of the long winter months for you. Thanks for listening and above all, “Keep a tight line”!

Good advice, will keep you proud of your equipment. The only thing I do different is, I use car wax on the rod blanks instead
of Amorall.

I have not used Armorall before...good idea.

You are right about us southern boys fishing year round. Lately we have been hampered by an unforecast cold front but expect to be back on the lake in a day, or so. We just wear our gear out catching fish then pitch them and buy some more. What am I going to spend my money on—kids inheritance?


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