Fishing with Tony Lincoln | Taking care of your fishing gear

THE issue I'd like to talk about this edition is the basic care of fishing gear.

At the end of every session, I wash my gear with fresh water. Anything that's been with me is hosed off and allowed to dry before being put away, including terminal tackle.

Salt is extremely corrosive and quickly degrades our gear to the point of repair or replacement. Salt gets left behind once saltwater and spray has dried and this causes corrosion very quickly.

Line guides: Tiny deposits get in between the metal frame of the guide and insert ring, and begin to grow and expand. They will eventually break the metal of the guide frame, which results in the ring falling out and leaving a corroded metal frame for our line to pass through. This drastically damages line and causes breakages.

Rod grips: Give these a thorough spray to remove any fish slime, scales or similar. If left, these cause pitting and damage to the grip material.

Reels: I screw my drags down tightly prior to hosing down. This helps seal some of the reel's internals against fresh water carrying tiny salt particles inside, causing corrosion. I then give the reel a good rinse down, not using too much pressure anywhere that water may force its way inside. I also ensure the line on the reel gets a good rinse off, as leaving salt deposits here can decrease its lifespan. Leave everything to dry for a couple of hours, then back the drags right off to nothing. Don't forget to back them off as it will lessen the drag’s effectiveness due to the drag washers being continually compressed. I turn the reel handle and open the bail arm while it’s under the hose, including the bail roller. Corrosion here causes seizing and pitting which damages line and costs us fish.

In general: A light oil or spray of Inox or similar on all metal and moving parts will increase the longevity and effectiveness of our equipment, as does storing gear out of the elements … inside.

Lastly, happy birthday to my mum, who turned 70 last week. While I don't think it's quite what she meant at the time … she always told me, when I was a young bloke, that if I didn't start behaving myself she'd be reading about me in the paper one day. Looks like you were right Mum!

Remember … Talk to old people, they know stuff you don't. Talk to young people, they know stuff you don't.

WEEKLY REPORT

• Squire, snapper and grassy sweetlip on the rocky points and inshore reefs.
• Bream, (40cm +), off the rocky points along the foreshore.
• School mackerel, trevally and dart in Bramble Bay, off Woody Point Jetty, and around the corner to Scotts Point (stay out of the Green Zone).
• Several cobia and a couple of threadfin caught around the bait schools in Bramble Bay.
• Reports of squid off Woody Point and Redcliffe jetties.
• Flathead, bream and whiting in Hays Inlet, the Pine River, Scarborough Spit and foreshore, and the mouth of the canals.
• Mangrove Jack, cod, trevally and flathead in the Newport canals.
• A few mud crabs in local creeks and rivers.
• Sand crabs at Scarborough and Deception Bay.
• Prawns still slowly moving down local creeks and rivers, particularly the Pine. Not quite out in the open yet.
• School and spotted mackerel wider in the bay, particularly around the beacons.
• Snapper and tuskies on the artificial reefs inside Moreton.
• Respectable longtail tuna starting to make an appearance inside Moreton Bay.
• Spanish Mackerel, cobia, wahoo, mahi mahi, and juvenile black marlin offshore from Bribie, both Stradbroke Islands, Moreton Island, and the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.