Happy Super Bowl Sunday!
I know that there are many NY Giants (G-men) fans here in Pennsylvania, but I must say that I have my doubts that they will outplay the New England Patriots. The Pats narrowly escaped with a win when the Baltimore Ravens blew, not only a touchdown pass, but also a tying field goal kick in the last seconds of the game! Anyway, the Patriots made it into Super Bowl XLVI without Tom Brady throwing a single touchdown pass in the AFC Championship Game. Will he allow that to happen today? I highly doubt it, but time will tell.
In my last blog entry, I used pics to show you how I cleaned the cork to all my fishing rods. In this blog entry, we'll discuss how I clean and check my rod guides, as well as, the rod blanks.
Before starting, I gather enough Q-tips to check each and every guide to my fishing rods. One Q-tip per rod is normally enough depending on whether I come across any problems.
I sweet talked my wife, Julie, into helping me today. Here she is using a Q-tip on one of the guides.
What she is looking for is any pulled cotton from the Q-tip that may indicate a nick in the guide. Luckily, we found no nicks today in all six rods that we cleaned. We did however, find a guide that was so far bent that when I tried to straighten it, it snapped off... Oh, well!... This particular guide had been straightened so many times over the past few years and I believe that it had weakened. I do, at times, bend guides by either stepping on them or placing them carelessly into the rod holders. This, of course, doesn't happen too often or I would be breaking guides every week. In fact, I am very meticulous with my gear.
After checking each and every guide with the Q-tips, it was time to clean off the accumulated dirt and grime from the rod blanks and to check for any damage. I normally do this once or twice per year to keep the rods in tip-top shape. I will never use any wipes, etc. that may leave a residue on the rod blanks. That would only serve to attract even more dirt to them and requiring further cleaning.
I use a soft sponge with mild liquid detergent in warm water. This is effective in removing even the toughest dirty from the rod blanks.
I also go over the reel seat to remove any dirt that may have settled in there while out fishing.
I try my best to not place my rods and reels on the ground where there is potential to gather dirt and grit. I know that it is quite hard to avoid placing the rod and reel on the ground when wade fishing, but I try my best.
Even "dunking" my reel in the river may add gritty material to it. Non-visible microscopic debris floats in the water and may enter my reel when it gets dunked. If my reel does take a dunking it's always a good idea to take a few seconds to run fresh tap water into the reel in an attempt to clean out any harmful grit. It will extend the life of my reel.
I have my jet rig all cleaned out and ready to transport to Lakeside Marine in Harrisburg, Pa. for it's annual oil change and trailer check. My poor G3 1860 DLX hasn't been on the water since last July, 2011. Think about it... That's been almost 7 months since I backed 'er into the drink and took her on a run. I do go into the garage to talk to her quite often. I think she knows that I still care about her and will be turning that ignition key real soon... I definitely miss getting 'er out and fishing!
Tomorrow, I will be attending the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show (ESOS) in Harrisburg, Pa. Please look for me in the Fishing Hall, Booth 648, with JC and Barb Nuss at the Lakeside Marine display. I'll have along a new Shutterfly book with includes many of last year's catches.
My good buddy, Josh Kreider, stopped by last week for a visit and was the very first "outsider" to see the 2012 Shutterfly book. He was super impressed... Especially with the pics of his monster smallies from 2011! :)
So, stop by and sign the autograph book, leave a message, and browse the G3 boats on display. It's a no pressure atmosphere and a lot of fun... We may even get to talk some fishing!
Take Care and Be Safe!
Dad
p.s. Please keep Nick Herr and his family and friends in your thoughts as they continue to search for his missing body on the Conowingo Pond. Nick and a buddy went out on the Conowingo Pond on Saturday, January 28, 2012, from the Muddy Creek Access to go camping on a nearby island. It was 10:30 p.m. when they launched and they quickly ran into turbulent water. That turbulent water tossed Nick into the lake and his body is still missing as of this morning.
Nick Herr: Missing Kayaker
