Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3703 Jan 18-Feb 2 2018 | Page 34

32 SALTWATER Jan 18 - Feb 2, 2018 G VOL.37 • ISS. 03 Sand Crab Classic Will Benefit Monterey Bay Salmon & Trout Project Starting The New Year Off Right! rowing up in America’s favorite ghetto (San Francisco’s Chinatown), our family didn’t have a whole lot of exces- sive things. We were blessed with a (rented) roof over our heads, enough to eat, warm clothes to wear, and the love of family. We didn’t have a lot of “stuff”; toys, games, recreational equipment, cars, electronics, etc., so what little we had we took extra good care to maintain. As a young lad, I remember walking into Land Brothers sporting goods store with my cousin George. Slyly, he said he wanted to tap into my vast fishing knowledge to help pick out a good but affordable all around fishing outfit for freshwater fishing. I walked up and down the aisles of rods, carefully testing and flexing items I had only read about in the Finnysports mail order catalog. I then perused the reels section of the store. Finally, I made my decision. I chose to match a Heddon 6616 rod with a Zebco 202 closed face spinning reel. My cousin George took my selection, paid for it, then surprisingly, turned to me and said, “Here, I wanted to buy you your first rod and reel set.” Was I shocked at what he did? You bet! Did I appreciate it? For sure! Did I take care of the outfit? You know I did! Over the decades, like most Americans, I continued to add to my inventory of things that I love. By the time of the Great Purge of 2013, I had amassed a collection of over 160 rods. Friends that have come over to visit me have often been of the opinion that these rods have never been used, but that is far from the truth. That is simply testimony to how well I maintain my possessions. Rods are some of the easiest things to maintain, and I like to keep on top of their condition. After a day on the water, I like to scrub them down, not just rinse them off. Salt water is one of the harshest environments one can encounter and it behooves one to rid a rod of its effects as soon as possible. Even rods that are used in the delta need to be cared for. After a day of fishing I usually strip a rod of its reel and take it into the shower with me. Using a nice microfiber cloth, I like to soap the rod down before rinsing it, being especially careful to work the cloth in and around the guides. A potato scrub brush is just dandy for removing gunk such as dried on slime from the foam grips of the rod. A nice microfiber cloth is also useful for wiping the rod dry after its bath to avoid water stains. Extra protection of the rod can be obtained by wiping the rod down with a little furniture polish such as Pledge Lemon Scent. Never, and I repeat, never use WD-40 on your rods! That stuff has a way of penetrating little micro fractures in the finish of your guides and damaging and staining the threads. Most of us don’t do a lot of fishing in the ear- ly part of the year, and if you haven’t been taking good care of your tackle, this is the perfect time to do it. NEXT TIME: Reel maintenance ... high tech reels need extra care! SALTY TIPS by Steve “Hippo”Lau S ANTA CRUZ- The 14th Annual Sand Crab Classic Perch Tournament, held the second Saturday of March