A lot of extra snow this year leaves more time to get things ready for the spring fishing opener
March 12, 2013Hello everybody,
It's been a while since my last entry. It has been a long difficult winter for me. I spent about two-and-a-half months with a serious kidney infection and I wasn't able to do much fishing this winter. As of a week or so ago, the doctor has finally given me a clean bill of health and I am getting ready for the up coming open water fishing season.
This spring looks a lot different than last year. I recall having my boat at the dock on the 17th of March last year. No chance of that happening this year. We still have about two feet of snow on the ground here at my place on Pike Bay on Lake Vermilion. The last weekend of the Walleye season I measured over 30 inches of ice and I don't think it has gone down any. Unless we get some major changes in the weather, it looks like we may have a very late ice-out this spring.
The good news is that it will give us all plenty of time to get things ready for the new season. I always begin by taking an inventory of all my tackle. Everything from hooks to crankbaits and everything in between. There are always lots of hooks to replace on your favorite hard baits. I also lie to have an idea as to what needs to be replaced when I make that first trip to the tackle store. Knowing exactly what you need will always save you some money in the long run. Believe me I know how hard it is to walk by something on the rack that looks good to me.
After I have my tackle boxes in order my next step is to lubricate and clean all my reels. At last count I have about 60 rod and reel combinations, so I don't want to let it go until the last minute. After taking care of the reels I clean all the reel seats on the rods. Then I take a clean soft towel and wipe all the rods with a quality furniture polish.
You don't need a lot, just enough to give it a nice smooth surface. This really helps to add years to your rods and keeps them looking like new for a long time. After the cleaning is done I replace all the line on all the reels, that right all the reels. Don't take a chance on losing that fish of a lifetime because you were too lazy to change last year's line. It really does make a difference.
The last thing I do is to check all the systems on my boats. Everything from bow to stern gets a once over. Batteries, pumps, trolling motors and all of your electronics should be cleaned and checked out. Make sure to check all of your running lights and your PFD's as well. I can't tell you how many times I have watched somebody on the boat ramp on opening day that couldn't get their motor started. All of those problems can be avoided by simply taking some time "BEFORE" opening day to check all those systems out. The fishing opener is only about 8 weeks away so do it now and spend your time fishing this spring not towing your boat to the marina.
"Ace" <*)))><
It's been a while since my last entry. It has been a long difficult winter for me. I spent about two-and-a-half months with a serious kidney infection and I wasn't able to do much fishing this winter. As of a week or so ago, the doctor has finally given me a clean bill of health and I am getting ready for the up coming open water fishing season.
This spring looks a lot different than last year. I recall having my boat at the dock on the 17th of March last year. No chance of that happening this year. We still have about two feet of snow on the ground here at my place on Pike Bay on Lake Vermilion. The last weekend of the Walleye season I measured over 30 inches of ice and I don't think it has gone down any. Unless we get some major changes in the weather, it looks like we may have a very late ice-out this spring.
The good news is that it will give us all plenty of time to get things ready for the new season. I always begin by taking an inventory of all my tackle. Everything from hooks to crankbaits and everything in between. There are always lots of hooks to replace on your favorite hard baits. I also lie to have an idea as to what needs to be replaced when I make that first trip to the tackle store. Knowing exactly what you need will always save you some money in the long run. Believe me I know how hard it is to walk by something on the rack that looks good to me.
After I have my tackle boxes in order my next step is to lubricate and clean all my reels. At last count I have about 60 rod and reel combinations, so I don't want to let it go until the last minute. After taking care of the reels I clean all the reel seats on the rods. Then I take a clean soft towel and wipe all the rods with a quality furniture polish.
You don't need a lot, just enough to give it a nice smooth surface. This really helps to add years to your rods and keeps them looking like new for a long time. After the cleaning is done I replace all the line on all the reels, that right all the reels. Don't take a chance on losing that fish of a lifetime because you were too lazy to change last year's line. It really does make a difference.
The last thing I do is to check all the systems on my boats. Everything from bow to stern gets a once over. Batteries, pumps, trolling motors and all of your electronics should be cleaned and checked out. Make sure to check all of your running lights and your PFD's as well. I can't tell you how many times I have watched somebody on the boat ramp on opening day that couldn't get their motor started. All of those problems can be avoided by simply taking some time "BEFORE" opening day to check all those systems out. The fishing opener is only about 8 weeks away so do it now and spend your time fishing this spring not towing your boat to the marina.
"Ace" <*)))><
Terry "Ace" Sjoberg Ace guide service On Beautiful Lake Vermilion Muskies and More. member Lake Vermilion guides league. www.aceguideservice.com Pro Staff Member, Ace Muskie leaders. www.glittertail.com www.NeverSnag.com www.h2otackle.com www.hawgseekers.com www.Ducktaillures.com www.bearpawshandpouredbaits.com
Posted by Terry "Ace" Sjoberg. Posted In : Fishing
Terry "Ace" Sjoberg is the owner-operator of Ace guide service on Beautiful Lake Vermilion. He has been guiding on Lake Vermilion since 1987 and does full and half day fishing adventures for muskie, smallmouth and largemouth bass, northern pike and most Minnesotan's favorite fish, Walleye. He has a full-time professional guide service so he is on the water almost every day between May and November. Ace has also spent many years as a tournament angler, including the Masters Walleye Circuit. He is a two-time Champion of the "Lake Vermilion Walleye Classic;" a two-time MWC "World Walleye Championship" qualifier; and he has several top 10 tournament finishes over his career.
Ace has also written several articles on topics related to fishing, everything from where to fish and how to fish for your favorite species, to what presentations work the best and the correct way to use them. Muskies are his favorite species, but he also loves fishing for those hard-fighting Smallmouth bass. He has been published in many outdoor publications including "Muskie," Musky Hunter," "FLW Outdoors," "Ice fishing," "Minnesota
outdoors," and "Midwest outdoors." He has also written for a number of outdoor websites including local fishing reports.
For more see www.aceguideservice.com.
