Mid-Year Maintenance

The majority of anglers around the country have reached or will soon reach, the half way point of their seasons. I like to take this time to do some routine and preventative maintenance to ensure all of my gear is in top notch working order. It can all be done in less than a half day and can save some possible headaches from happening out on the water later.
Kayaks
I run a Big Rig HDFD for all of my lake fishing. I go through and ensure every screw, nut, and bolt is tight on the kayak itself and the FD drive unit. I top off the grease in the drive and inspect the upper and lower parts of the unit as well. Next I inspect every accessory I have rigged on the kayak. I also have a Mayfly that I use exclusively for river fishing. Just like on my Big Rig, I go through and check every screw, nut, and bolt. I also inspect every rigged accessory. I’ll also use this time to make any changes to my rigging that I feel is necessary.

Tackle/Gear
The most important part of this mid-year maintenance is all my fishing gear. My kayaks are tough and handle all the abuse I put them through but I’ve found that my gear always needs some TLC. I replace all the mono and fluorocarbon line on my baitcasters and inspect the braid on all of the reels spooled with it. I like to hit each spool with some line conditioner no matter what type of line is on it. I pull the side plates off my baitcasters and hit the spool bearings with some oil. I’ll do more extensive maintenance on any spinning or baitcaster reels that need it. I run a cue tip threw all my rod eyes to make sure none are cracked or damaged.
It’s not a lot of work nor does it take very long to insure all your gear is in proper working conditioning. By doing these things you are saving yourself from hiccups down the road and more importantly helping your gear last a lot longer.

– Bill Durboraw