THE 



CATCH 



Castin 

 the Fis 



Blues 

 of Winter 



By Kathy Hart 



In the winter, nor'easters regularly 

 blow along the North Carolina coast, 

 blasting cold biting winds and icy rains 

 shoreward and driving all but the most 

 fanatical anglers to their recliners by the 

 fireplace. 



Winter is neither an inviting nor 

 fruitful time to cast a line along the Tar 

 Heel coast, says North Carolina Sea 

 Grant extension agent Jim Bahen. 



"The wind seems to always be 

 blowing and blowing hard in the winter, 

 making fishing a cold, wet, miserable 

 experience," he says. "And the fish just 

 aren't biting. Many species move 

 offshore to wanner water, and others 

 are sluggish from the winter cold. 

 At this time of year, fish just aren't 

 taking the bait. It's not worth 

 standing on the beach or the pier in 

 a cold gale if you're not going to 

 make a good catch." 



Instead, Bahen suggests that 

 anglers use these inclement days to 

 clean and prepare their tackle boxes, 

 rods and reels for spring and better 

 fishing days ahead. 



About 40 percent of the sportfishers 

 take good care of their fishing equip- 



ment, Bahen estimates. The remaining 

 60 percent toss their gear in the garage 

 or basement at the end of their angling 

 adventures. And that's bad news, 

 particularly if an angler has been casting 

 in coastal waters, where salt water and 

 sand can take their toll. 



"The type of fisherman you are is 

 sometimes reflected by the condition of 

 your tackle," Bahen says. "Serious 

 recreational fishermen take very good 

 care of their gear." 



To clean up your act and improve 

 your image, start by giving the tackle 

 box a good cleaning. Remove all lures, 

 jigs, hooks and sinkers. Rinse them 

 gently with tap water and air dry. Be 

 sure to pull off any pieces of dried bait 

 still hugging the hooks. 



Bahen says fishers should really 

 follow this cleanup regimen after every 

 fishing trip, especially coastal ones. 

 Ocean spray can coat tackle with a 

 damp, salty film, providing a sure 

 formula for rust. A light spraying with 

 fresh water works wonders. 



If the hooks and jigs have rusted, 

 replace them. A jab with a rusty hook 

 can send you to the doctor for a tetanus 



28 WINTER 1998 



