Now that the 2015 Bassmaster Elite Series season is in the books, it’s time to kick back, relax and wait for the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees next March. Nothing but rest and relaxation for me … and maybe a little hunting.
If you believe that, watch out for real estate agents selling swampland in the desert.
That’s not what the “offseason” is like for me or any other busy tournament pro. In fact, in a lot of ways the tournament season is the most relaxing part of the year. There are stretches when I can focus on fishing without so many distractions. If you’re not careful, the offseason can become a long scramble where you struggle to find the time to spend with family and friends and to prepare for the next season between media conferences, television filming, sponsor meetings, Bass Pro Shops store openings and all of the other business that has to get done to have a career in this sport.
One of the biggest things I have to do every offseason is get all of my tackle re-organized after months and months on the road. It’s a long, laborious process. I’m very lucky that I get a lot of help from Sherry and our boys, Jackson and Nicholas. They help with inventory and ordering, but there are some things that an angler has to do for himself. Besides, going through all that gear is kind of fun, even after all these years.
The first thing I have to do is get everything out of my boat and truck and into my tackle room. I keep baits, hooks and smaller items on pegboards so that I can see exactly what I have at a glance. If I’m low on an old favorite or need some cool new stuff, now’s the time to order it — before there’s a rush and my sponsors are out of stock.
It happens!
Plano boxes are a huge component of my off-season organization efforts. Plano has a solution for every storage need — whether it’s my tackle room or my boat.
By far, the toughest thing to inventory and organize is my soft plastics. There are just so many of them, and keeping them straight is a real challenge. I also have to check the hooks on all my hard baits and change them out if a hook has become dull or bent. The Elite Series is a brutal testing ground, and the easiest way I know to get your tournament heart broken is to let down your guard when it comes to your equipment. It has to be ready and it has to be right, and the time to get it right is as soon as possible after the season is over.
I test rods and reels, too. If Quantum has a new lineup, I’ll sometimes make a complete switch and go with the new stuff. If not, I’ll often use combos for a couple of years. With a drop of oil on some bearings, a little grease on the worm gears and a quick check of the rod guides, they’re ready to roll for another season.
In fact, the biggest nemesis of my rods and reels is not how hard I fish them — though I definitely put them through their paces — but the long, punishing rides in the rod locker through rough water and long periods of trailering on the highway. That’s tough on everything, including the driver.
By the time January rolls around and the holidays are behind us, I’m on the road working boat and tackle shows, getting my new Nitro Z21 equipped and thinking about the GEICO Bassmaster Classic. The guys at Nitro are the best in the business at prepping a new boat. They coordinate with my other sponsors at Humminbird, HydroWave, T-H Marine and MotorGuide to make sure I’m ready to roll when the season starts.
It’ll be here before you know it.
Remember, it’s all about the attitude!
Kevin VanDam’s column appears weekly on Bassmaster.com. You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter.