3 FISHING TIPS TO START THE NEW YEAR

Well just like that, we are on the verge of starting a new year and I am still questioning what happened to 2018. However with the year coming to an end and with the start of a new one, this is a perfect opportunity to prepare yourself for the upcoming year. Many people set goals that are geared towards their health, while others plan vacations and life events accordingly. As an angler, I take advantage of this time to gather my gear to make sure everything is in order. Before we know it, the warmer weather will be here and it will be time to be spending our mornings or afternoons on the water. I would like to share 3 tips that will help to start your year out right.

Clean your reels

For most anglers, they do not spend all of their time on the water during the winter. This is a perfect time to either send your reels to someone for cleaning or do them yourself. If you have the ability and know-how of cleaning them yourself, then now is a perfect time to do so. I personally have never been able to do it right; it seems like they are never the same once I do it. This is why I always send mine off to someone who is more familiar with them than I. Klint’s Reel Repair is in Beaumont and he is top notch when it comes to cleaning any reel. He also has the parts needed to replace the old gears and can clean pretty much any reel. If you happen to be closer to Galveston and Houston, Fishing Tackle Unlimited also does reel cleaning and repair. They have a very knowledgable staff and always do a fantastic job when it comes to helping out their customers. 

Replace the hooks on old lures

As we all know, saltwater will destroy anything and everything. Hooks, in this case, are no exception. It is best to rummage around your tackle box, boat or kayak and get a inventory on what lures need to be either replaced or repaired. You can buy a box of treble hooks and split rings and replace them yourself. By doing so, you can save a significant amount of money and you can fit your lures with better, stronger hooks than what originally come with it. Also you do not want to go out and attempt to catch fish with rusted and dull hooks. Your hook-up ratio will be considerably lower and there is also a potential for the hook to break while fighting a big fish.

Find a reliable weather/tide app

Fortunately for anglers in this day and age, technology is no stranger to us; we rely on it much more that our grandparents did. Thankfully though, there are plenty of reliable sources to find the weather, tides, moon phases and every other element that we are concerned with in the outdoors. It is beneficial for anglers and others to pay attention to the weather forecast, not only for productive days but for safety reasons as well. So find an app or website and compare it to the actual conditions of where you may be. My favorite website for weather and wind is Wunderground.com and the Windfinder app works well too. My go-to site for tides is Tides4fishing. com and N.O.A.A., they are always very reliable and from what I have found, the most accurate.

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year and I hope that you all find success in 2019. I hope everyone has a safe and fun time while on the water. Please remember to wear your lifejacket and go out and catch some fish! Cheers!