From 11/9/00</font id=blue>
With our mild winters, the fishing season for many of us never ends here in the lowcountry, as matter of fact the winter months offer some of the best fishing. However, some anglers prefer to put down the rod and reel for the winter and pick up their trusty shotgun and deer stand. If you are one of those that prefers not to fish year around there are a couple of steps you should take to “winterize” your boat and tackle to ensure that your equipment will be ready and in top working condition for the next season.
Before putting those rods and reels away for the year I highly recommend taking the reels by the tackle shop for a good cleaning. Tackle shops are usually a little less busy this time of year and it gives them more time to rework your reels. Have the reel mechanic disassemble the reel, check the drag washers, replace any worn parts, thoroughly clean the real, and lube it up so it will be ready for the next season. While you have them in the shop you might as well go ahead and replace that line you’ve been fishing with all season long. If you have downriggers I recommend taking the same steps with them. Rods are often neglected in the clean up process after fishing. Before putting them away for the year, wash your rods with some soapy water in order to get rid of any salt that you may have missed when you rinsed them down after your last trip out. If the rods have rollered guides disassemble the rollers and clean them well with some solvent. Lube the rollers lightly with some 3 in 1 oil and reassemble them, and before putting up that oil, lightly lubricate the reel seats as well. Rods and reels should be stored in a safe place and reels should be covered to keep dust off.
Nothing can be worse for a boat engine that sitting up for a long time without any use. Winter is hard on a motor and some of dangers include corrosion, freezing and fuel degradation. If you plan to put your boat up for the winter then you need to set a schedule for cranking and running