The boat’s hooked up. Bass fishing rods and necessary bass fishing tackle boxes are loaded. Coffee and some lunch and we’re headed to the lake! I wish it was that simple. For me, bass tournament preparations start at least the day before, working on tackle, putting on new line where needed, sharpening hooks, retying lines, clearing the weights out of my hand held scale. The list seems almost endless at times; however, when your equipment is ready you maximize the amount of time you can keep a bait in the water and when fighting a clock this is important. Even when fun fishing it’s nice to have everything organized so that you’re not battling your equipment instead of fishing.
If I’ve had a good prefish, I know exactly what I want to have on deck for the day. This will usually be 5-6 rods. The night before I will lay these rods out and check the line to see if they need re-spooled.
Next I will decide which baits I want. I will check the sharpness of each hook by dragging it over my finger nail. If it sticks it’s good but if it slides I need to hit it with a sharpener real quick. I may also look at what back up baits I have and test them for sharpness.
Next I start retying lines. Taking my time to ensure I get a good knot. If I don’t like the way it slipped into place, I simply cut and retie the knot. By doing this the night before I’m not in a rush.
I go through all my boat compartments, removing trash and making sure things are put back into place from the last trip out. I am bad about having a very messy boat at the end of the day; however, I am also bad about making sure everything has its place so I know where to look. So basically I do a reset of the boat and put everything back in place.
Don’t forget to check your boat and trucks tires, verify your batteries are charged or charging properly. This is a good time to check your gas tank and oil reservoir. Just a few simple things that will make your day on the water that much more enjoyable.
I have an ABA tournament tomorrow on the Red River, so I’m headed to the boat now for some peace, quiet and meditation.
Get the Net it’s a Hawg
Mike Cork
