If you are a fishing nut like me, you probably do some of the same things that I do during the off season. One of the main activities usually involves going to Sports Shows, Musky Shows, even going to sporting goods stores who carry fishing equipment in the open 365 days a year (Bass Pro Shop, Cabelas, Gander Mountain, etc.) in an effort to speed the off season along. These activities invariably involve laying out some pretty good money buying those new lures. Whow, this one is going to knock them dead! I mean you can visualize it coming through the water and getting slammed. While this collecting of NEEDED baits goes on, you forget about the other baits you have purchased along the way during the off season. My purchases usually are just stored in their original bags as they came from the store, in a closet, just waiting for the day when it is time to get ready.
My 30 year old son picked up some bad habits from his old man, in that he is a tackle nut as well. We often buy a bait because the other person did (just so you would have one too in the event it is the magical lure). Well, each year we have a little party where we throw on some fishing videos and sort through all of the tackle. We call this day "MAKING THE CUT". I have had up to four huge tackleboxes in the past in the boat, and that was totally crazy as they were constantly in the way. Both my son and I have vowed not to go beyond two tackleboxes, admittedly they are the biggest boxes going, but two none-the-less. At any rate, the new purchases don't seem to fit, as the boxes were filled to start with. This is where "MAKING THE CUT" comes into play. While I know deep down in my heart of hearts, that I probably use only about a dozen baits 95% of the time, I invariably feel the need to carry them all. When the new wonder baits come into the picture, it is time to make the hard call, what is getting pulled? There are plenty of baits that haven't been used in years, but letting one go is akin to cutting off a finger or hand. A whole lot of of thought and anxiety goes into the process, and undoubtably when you are on the water that bait you pulled will be needed. Well, we also check what each other are retiring as well (competitiveness to the bitter end). It plays like a game of chess. The baits we pull didn't make the cut!
So what do you do with the baits that were retired? We have done multiple things. First, remember about the other tackleboxes (actually about 8 of them), that I don't carry (which are also filling up), that is option one. I have been told to sell them in a rummage sale, but I can find better things to do with my time begging somebody to spend $3.00 on a bait I paid $15.00 to buy. The true retirement occurs when I break the lure down for components: hooks, split rings, lips, blades, beads, bodies, etc. that can be salvaged. The sad fact is that the process comes as surely as the seasons. Fortunately, the bullets have been bitten this year, wait, no I have a bait coming from Helen and Rollies, I can find some additional space someplace!
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Last updated on ... April 12, 2002