The In-Between Time

By Randin Olson of Lock Jaw Guide Service

This time of year is always exciting for myself. It’s the time when I start thinking spring! The boat is back home and thoughts of pitching jigs fill my mind. This is my preparation time. It’s the perfect time to check your gear and prepare for the soft water season. It is what I call the in-between time.

Whether it’s ice season or open water, the season goes fast and “extras” pile up.  Maybe it’s that pile of baits that you really didn’t want to deal with before the ice came, or the pile of ice rods sitting in the corner, either way this is a great time to organize and prepare. The gap between open water and ice always comes to fast for me to fully prepare, but this time of year I have the time. I try to prepare a year’s worth of gear in about a month

One thing I do every year is to go through my rods.  I’ll check for any broken eyelets,  bad reels, old line, anything that might need some attention. Tackle is another one, hooks can rust and there’s always a million baits with a small piece of line still tied on. And if you need a new hobby, find a rod building class and you won’t be bored anymore! 

Now is also the perfect time to get your boat in for a check up. Places like Ray’s Marine in Perham are very knowledgable and can get you set up for the season. This is a great time to do your oil changes and other regular maintenance that need to be done to your boat.

Although ice season isn’t over yet,  it’s not too early to start thinking about open water.  It’s coming and hopefully soon. 

Randin Olson – Lock Jaw Guide Service – 218-640-0158