Monofilament is quickly frayed by damaged rod guides, like these clumps on the spool. Photo / Geoff Thomas
Monofilament is quickly frayed by damaged rod guides, like these clumps on the spool. Photo / Geoff Thomas
Midwinter the perfect time for a little preventative maintenance.
Some keen types ventured out on to the water last weekend, and Saturday was a stunner. Fishing was hard around Auckland, although one nice 6.5kg snapper did come from the Ahaaha Rocks. Dave Booth caught it on a flasher rig with a sliding trace on the bottom and pilchard bait.
Further afield, drifting with flasher rigs off Matarangi on the Coromandel coast was excellent and plenty of snapper over 40cm were caught.
But what do you do in midwinter when the weather is cold, wet and windy? How about giving your equipment some of the attention that is usually left until the last minute.
When putting the boat away for its annual hibernation there are a few things you can do to ensure it wakes up when called on. Fuel tanks can be drained, and the gas tipped into the car or lawn mower. Batteries will stay in good health all year if connected to a trickle charger, but otherwise they should be disconnected.
The trailer can use some TLC also. Wheel bearings should be packed with grease, bulbs on the lights and indicators checked and brake fluid topped up. A thorough wash down with a pressure hose on the last trip of summer will help the trailer resist rust. This means underneath and inside the wheels as well as the outer surfaces - basically anywhere the saltwater touches it. When it comes to the first trip of spring, check tyre pressures - these always seem to leak when standing for long periods.
A plastic bead protects the rod's tip guide when winding in the line. Photo / Geoff Thomas
Large reels are best left to the experts, but those with a mechanical bent can pull them apart and clean and lubricate the different bits. Drag washers and bearings are the main culprits for wear and tear. A photo taken before disassembly is a good guide when things go back together.
Depending on how much use the reels have, line should be replaced every couple of seasons. If funds are tight, the line can be taken off and put back in reverse. Walking backwards and forwards between two trees or a washing line and another pole is a handy method of emptying the line off a reel.
If rods and reels have been cleaned after each outing, they will be in reasonable shape in terms of corrosion. Regular cleaning can be as simple as a squirt with a low-pressure hose set on fine spray, but drags should be tightened hard to prevent water penetrating then loosened for storage. A corrosion-resistant spray should then be applied. Rods should be washed with a brush and soapy water, and then hosed down.
Annual checks should be more involved. Roller guides can be dismantled, washed and oiled. Tip guides receive the worst wear and often have swivels and crimps banged hard against them when the line is wound in. An easy solution is to put a plastic bead above the swivel so it hits the tip ring first. All rings should be checked for burrs and scratches because these will damage the line causing it to unravel as a kind of fuzz. One way to check if guides are damaged is to run an old stocking through them. Any rough edges will fray the stocking.
Rod grips can be cleaned with warm soapy water and a brush.
The other problem area is under reel seats where metal is often touching metal. It is a good idea to remove reels occasionally and clean the reel seat and the reel, then give all parts a spray or smear of oil before reassembling. The male and female sections where a two-piece rod is connected should be disconnected, cleaned and oiled.
Like anything, regular maintenance will prevent heartache down the track when the pressure comes on from a strong fish.
Fresh Water
The tributary rivers and streams at Lake Taupo were clearing during the week and should be fishable for the weekend, but there is a full moon tonight so fly fishing at small stream mouths, which is usually good at this time of year, will be difficult.
The deep water mouths like the Tauranga-Taupo and Tongariro Rivers will fish well in bright moonlight.
Bite times
Bite times are 12.25am and 12.55pm tomorrow, and 1.25am and 1.50pm on Sunday.
When storing lures or jig head hooks used for soft baits you can protect the hook point, and avoid tangles, by poking the sharp point into the hole in a plastic bead.
More fishing action can be found on Rheem Outdoors with Geoff, 6.30am Saturday, TV3, and at GTTackle.co.nz.
