Kicking the Off-season Blues
Derrek Sigler 01.12.16
It’s finally here. The day you hoped wouldn’t ever come—the off-season has begun. One day you’re hunting, shooting, or fishing, and the next, you’re not. The season is closed, the weather has changed. It can be a real letdown. We all feel your pain. There’s a few great ways to kick those off-season blues, however. I like to think that the day after a season ends, it’s not the off-season, and it’s just the start of the next one. It’s time to start preparing.
The happy fisherman
For anglers, the off-season is a time to go through all their gear, strip line off reels, check rods for cracks or damage, and, of course, sort out and reorganize tackle boxes. That last job alone can take a whole day, or in my case, five. Fly fishermen spend a lot of the off-season tying up more flies, but they shouldn’t have all the fun. Have you considered making your own lures?
Making your own jigs is a fun and productive way to pass a little off-season time. The Do-It 80-Piece Beginners Jig Molding Kit gives you everything you’d need to get started making your own jigs, including the hooks and paint. As you get a little more into it, you might want to get a Hot Pot 2 to make melting lead for the jigs a lot easier. There are other molds available, too. I like the Do-It Football Swing Jig Mold. It creates a jig with a darting head and a swinging trailer hook that is irresistible to big fish.
It’s not just jigs either. I’ve been using an In-Line Spinner Blade Kit for a while to make my own spinners for steelhead fishing. This American-made kit includes just about everything you need to make in-line spinners. I also recommend the French Spinner Blade Lure Kit. It’s also good for making up trout and panfish baits. Add some bucktail for pike and bass, too. These kits give you lots of options, which is part of the fun of building your own lures.
After steelhead season, I transition right into walleyes, and that’s where my Cabela’s 1,013-Piece Spinner Making Kit comes in. With spinner blades, beads, floats, and hooks, this kit has everything you need to make up your walleye rigs.
It’s not just baits, either. With the Slinkie Maker, you can make up your own snag-less weights, perfect for floating eggs for steelhead, fishing weed beds for bass, or floating rock piles for walleyes.
Hunting for something to do?
For hunters, the off-season can be rough. You find yourself still waking up before dawn, only to realize you don’t have to hurry up and get to your stand. That couch may start looking pretty inviting. In reality, now is a good time to tune up the gear and keep those skills sharp for next season.
You can start with yourself! Keeping those muscles working right during the off-season can be tricky if you’re not using them regularly. The BOWFIT Upper Body Exerciser keeps the muscles you use for bowhunting in peak condition. It was developed by a physical therapist who is also a bowhunter. It’s one of my favorite tools.
It’s hard to admit this, but I missed a big buck this past season. I had practiced at three distances with my bow and had my three pins dialed, so of course the buck stepped out at a different range. I misjudged the shot and shot over his back. I’m thinking of going to a Cabela’s Instinct Demon Five-Pin Sight. The sight uses Cabela’s patented Decreasing Diameter Pin design so I can see more of the target. I’m thinking I’ll get a Barricade High-Performance Target and set up a little shooting range in my barn for practice over the winter. I will not miss next time!
Much like cleaning out the tackle box, it’s also time to thoroughly clean all your guns. Get a Herter’s All-In-One-Plus Gun Cleaning Kit so that you have all the brushes and rods you need to clean every gun you have. You can also beat those off-season blues by dialing in your rifles for the next time. Who doesn’t like to shoot? I’ve got a rifle that I got for Christmas that needs glass. I’m going to go with a Cabela’s Instinct Euro Riflescope as they are about as good as you can get for the money. Upgrading your gear can be a great way to stay sharp during the off-season.
Of course, you need to practice, too. Head to the range as much as you can during the off-season. Some even have winter league shooting, which allow you to get in on some friendly competition shooting. Bulls Bag Shooting Bench and Field Rests are a great tool to have for these. They give you a vise-like steady grip and a solid rest for shooting. They work well for field use, too, like if you’re using your “off-season” time for things like reducing the predator population on your hunting land.
I know we’ve already discussed the merits of reloading your own ammo. It is a great way to kick those off-season blues though. A great tool to have is the Lyman Turbo Case Cleaning & Polishing System. It is the ultimate all-in-one cleaning and polishing tool for the regular shooter.
After you’ve cleaned your guns and got everything ready for another round of shooting fun, you should probably consider organizing and storing everything. It’s not a bad time to consider getting something serious like a gun safe. A safe is the best way to store your valuable firearms and it’s handy for other valuables, too, like binoculars or fishing reels.
This article was produced in partnership with Cabela’s.
