Be prepared, or get some tissues

So, Winter is a thing of the past, Spring has sprung and the fishing is going to steadily get better and better and then it will suddenly explode with Summer. The game fish will be wild, the days hot and the launches nice and early….And what will you be doing? You better be on the water when those fish come. If you are not on the water you have zero chance of catching. And if you are on the water and not prepared, well then your chances aren’t much better.

(I realize the irony of the opening paragraph as the country is in the grip of a serious late Spring cold snap, and half of KZN is covered in a European like Snow blanket…but this is the perfect weekend to be getting some preparation done, unless you are half Eskimo and enjoy Ice fishing of course)
Don’t get caught running out your house with your undies down while your mates are 10 decent gamefish each into their summer. Don’t wait till summer is right on top of us before you start getting prepared. In fact if you haven’t done so already you are already leaving it to the last minute.
Get your rods and reels out and make sure they are in top shape. Serviced and ready to go. There is nothing worse than dropping your reels off for a service two days before the Weather Apps say it’s time to get on the water, and the reports of Dorado, Tuna and Snoek have been filling up your inbox and Whatsapp space. Have you got the right line on your reel? Does your line need replacing after the pounding it took last year? Are your leaders tied and ready to go? Are your rods still in one piece? Are the eyes of your rods in good order? All important questions that need to get asked.

And what about your craft of choice? Is your kayak ready to load and go? Are you going to get to the launch site and discover your rudder is broken or there’s a hairline crack down the side from your last forward role double somersault onto Eastmore beach. Is your Jet Ski trailer ready to go? No bearing problems? Has your Jet Ski been serviced lately? Don’t arrive at the launch site push out into the shore break and only then start your Ski for the first time. Sort it out now. Don’t hesitate any longer. Go outside and start checking it all over.
Whats the state of your tackle box? You should have been tying traces all winter if you weren’t fishing, instead of snuggling up with the missus on those cold winter nights. Get cracking. Tie those traces. And I am not talking just two traces. Get at least ten live bait, ten dead bait traces together, Wire and fluoro, ten of each, twenty Snoek traces etc etc. What I am saying is rather be over prepared than underprepared. And your artificial lures. Whats the state of them? Do you have enough? Have you got the right lures for what you want to target? Are the hooks all ok? Its no good having rusted hooks on all your lures. Change them if you have to. And those lures that worked for you last season. Have you got enough to last you? Don’t wait till every fisherman on the Coast decides that lure works for them as well and suddenly they are out of stock.

Summer is coming…Are you ready??