Tackling tackle organization: Think of it as a labor of love

The ice is rotten, so ice fishing is out of the question, and the lakes are certainly not hospitable right now for open-water action. So what's an angler to do?
January is tackle-organizing time. Smart anglers break out their gear and start the tasks associated with getting ready for the first spring action on their favorite lakes and rivers.
Many of us are procrastinators, so it's tempting to postpone the maintenance and organization chores. What's another few weeks? But while the weather today is far from fisherman-friendly, spring will be here before we know it.
We call this work a chore, but it can be a labor of love.
Reels need to be cleaned and lubed. Strip last year's line and re-spool now with fresh mono, fluorocarbon or braid.
Rods ought to be wiped down with a spritz of Pledge on a soft rag. Remove the grime from cork handles with soapy water and a scrub brush. Rub a moistened cotton swab through the guides to clean the grime that cakes on them during the thousands of casts and retrieves on our fishing trips.
Then it's time to sort through the lures.
Spread out
Unpack your tackle satchels and spread the baits out on a big surface. I use a soft-sided bag and keep my lures organized in opaque plastic Plano boxes, so it's easy to make stacks by categories -- topwaters in one pile, shallow crankbaits in another, and so on.
I keep a roll of paper towels handy, along with a number of cotton swabs, to clean lures and the boxes.
I typically start by dumping the contents of each box and wiping the individual sections with a damp paper towel. I dig the dirt out of the corners with cotton swabs.
Then I inspect the hooks for bent or twisted tines and dull barbs, replacing any that are beyond repair.
Once all the hard-body plugs are cleaned and sorted, I move on to the separate box I use for hooks, weights and other terminal tackle.
I record the hook sizes and the weights of my lead and tungsten sinkers with a Sharpie on the divider for each section of the box to minimize any doubts about the specifications of the contents.
Discard any rusty or dull hooks and the damaged weights that somehow made their way back to the box during the hustle and bustle of a fishing day last season.
Sorting the bait
Next, I go to the jumble of soft plastic baits.
I sort lizards, tubes, worms and other plastic critters in zippered plastic bags. Dump smaller quantities of baits from the manufacturers' packaging into larger bags. You can put the contents of 10 or more packages into one bag and thus eliminate a lot of rummaging out on the water.
It's also wise to go through similar sorting activities with jigs, spinnerbaits and all the other stuff that we need on our upcoming trips. Replacing damaged skirts and blades now will save a bunch of time when spring finally arrives.
As you go through all these "chores," take inventory and make notes about what lures worked best last year. Make a list and go shopping for the fixings for success in 2006.
The list comes in handier with each passing year. Having that list in my hand reduces that kid-in-a-candy-store stare that can overwhelm anglers once they're in the aisles of their favorite retailers.
In no time at all, we'll be ready for spring and great fishing. And everything will be in perfect working order exactly where we know we can find it.
jwwollitz@aol.com