Winter Maintenance

             2004 By Mike Clemente

At first look you may think has something to do with maintaining you fishing tackle and storing it for the winter. Maybe you think it has to do with getting your boat ready for the long winter ahead if you live in the Northeast. Just possibly your thoughts are thinking along the lines of equipment and boat procedure.  Everyone has a way to lubricate, strip line and store their tackle for the winter. Most people already know how to have their motors winterized for the cold season.

This article is about Maintaining Attitude, and your body through the winter to mentally and  physically get you  back into the ball game in the Spring. Attitude is the biggest factor for a lot of us.. Over a three or four month period of not fishing we tend to get out of the fishing mode. We forget that we have the ability, and that we did extremely well in the last tournament of the year. We think we have to start all over in locating the fish every year. It is just a thought pattern not a reality. The fish are in the same spot they should be year after year, but after a long cold winter we feel that we have to go out and find them.

To get our mind in tune over the winter and keep the fishing attitude there are a few things we can do to keep the momentum throughout the cold season.

 We can start by keeping physically fit. If you are a crank bait fisherman use some type of strength training for your arms and hands. This will help in keeping them strong for cranking all day long situations. If you are flipper, set up a tire tube on the floor of your basement or garage and practice flipping. You may want to build a platform or stand on the bow of your boat where possible. The only thing that will be missing is the trees, the water and the fish. Your accuracy and distance will greatly improve. Read as many fishing articles on different techniques as you can, focus on your weak points for you education.