Getting Ready For The Coming Season (2024 Part 1)

I was planning on fishing a January YVRGC Derby, but they won’t start until late February according to the tournament director.  I actually have a couple FIRE January spots, but February tends to be tough for me unless I get on some pre-spawn and spawn fish that don’t have boats line up on them ahead of me like sale day at the warehouse store.

I’m still getting ready the same way.

Every rod in the boat is going to have fresh line on it, and I may even clean a reel or two.  So far I’ve got four brand new crankbait rods spooled up with fresh 12lb mono.  12 lb seems to be noticeably stronger than 10 for me, and the slight loss in running depth doesn’t hamper me much in our relatively shallow system.  I’m not crazy about the rods.  They are medium moderate-fast, and I prefer medium moderate for cranks, but I do like them all being the EXACT same power and action.  Each one will feel the same.  Same rod, same line, and the same reel.  I can adjust to that, and Cabelas long ago discontinued their reasonably priced guide series crankbait rod.  I only have one left, which I may not even put in the boat, or more likely will put in one of the other boats or in my travel bundle.

I just spooled up my punch rod.  I probably won’t use it this early, but you never know.  I don’t like using it a lot when rigged for punching.  Tears up my shoulder to use it for very long with a heavy punch weight on it, but there are times flipping when I come up on a spot where my regular flip bait rig just won’t go through.

Yes, that is 80lb braid.  If I git bit and it won’t come out I’ll wrap it around the seat post and back off the boat slowly.  I am putting it in the heaviest cover when I am using it.

Now I need to go get some 12lb fluorocarbon for my jerk bait rods.  Anybody want to tell me what’s really good (and affordable) these days?  Tell me please.