Getting set for spring
By Nick Simonson
Advertisements for boat shows, the arrival of 2021 tackle catalogs, and a pileup of daily email blasts highlighting new rods and reels are all signs that we’re turning the corner toward spring. While it’s still January and there’s plenty of on-ice action left, the promise of spring and openwater fishing keeps anglers moving toward warmer days and
the disappearance of a slipfloat in some northern bay for crappies, or that subtle take of a jig-and-minnow combo by a light-biting walleye. I do my best to live in the moment but
have always found it to be a struggle I’ve always wrestled with, particularly this time of year, and thinking ahead and planning for what’s to come is second nature to many outdoorsmen. The preparations made now lead to success later. Whether it’s respooling a favorite spinning reel with a new package of line or tying up jigs for crappies,
walleyes, bass and trout, getting things ready on those longer, colder nights helps make spring on the water happen a little easier and get here a little bit faster, at least
in terms of that “watched pot never boils” sense the dominates the mind of an anticipating angler. Taking stock of where a tacklebox sits after last season and filling the gaps
with reliable favorites lost to the fishing gods and looking over potential new baits for the upcoming year is better done now, with time to spare, than a few days into the season
after popping the plastic cover of a Plano 3700 and realizing its inhabitants are less than at the end of last fall.
