A good iki jime tool should last years, not seasons — but like any piece of stainless-steel fishing gear, it'll only do that if it's looked after. The good news is that IkiPik doesn't ask much of you. A few minutes after each trip is all it takes.
Why it matters
Your IkiPik spends its working life around fish, blood, salt water and bait — three things that, left to sit on stainless steel, will eventually dull an edge, gum up a mechanism or, worst of all, start to encourage corrosion at the joins. None of that happens overnight, but it happens faster than most people expect if a tool gets tossed back in a tackle box wet and forgotten about until the next trip.
The good habits below take a few minutes and will keep your gear performing the way it should for years.
After every trip
Rinse thoroughly in fresh water. Salt water left to dry on stainless steel is one of the main causes of pitting and corrosion over time. A good rinse under a tap or hose, as soon as practical after your trip, is the single most useful habit you can build.
Wipe down and dry properly. Once rinsed, dry your IkiPik and any kit components with a clean cloth or towel before putting them away. Don't leave gear to air dry inside a sealed bag — trapped moisture is exactly what causes problems down the track.
Check for any residue. Fish blood, scales and bait residue can build up around the handle and base of the spike if it's not cleaned promptly. A quick wipe with warm soapy water, followed by a thorough rinse and dry, will keep everything looking and working like new.
Looking after the six-piece kit
If you're running the full Iki Jime / Shinkei Jime Kit, each component benefits from the same basic routine — rinse, clean, dry — with a couple of extras worth mentioning:
- Spinal-wire gauges are thin and can kink or bend if handled roughly. Store them in the kit's dedicated slots rather than loose in a bag, and avoid coiling them too tightly.
- Blades (the tuna blood knife and utility knife) should be dried thoroughly before storage to prevent surface rust, and kept away from other metal tools that could dull the edge through contact.
- The washable storage bag is there for a reason — it keeps everything together, protects the components from knocking against other gear, and can be rinsed out itself if it picks up any residue from a big day on the water.
Storage between trips
Store your IkiPik and kit somewhere dry, out of direct sun for long periods, and ideally in the bag or pouch it came with rather than loose in a tackle box where it can knock against hooks, sinkers or other sharp gear. If you're storing gear for an extended period between trips — over winter, for example — it's worth giving everything one more check, clean and dry before it goes away, rather than assuming it's still in the same state you left it.
A quick pre-trip check
Before you head out, it only takes a moment to check your gear is in good order:
- Spike and blades are clean, dry and free of rust spots
- Handle grip is secure and free of debris
- Wire gauges are straight and undamaged
- Everything is accounted for in the kit bag
A tool that's ready to go the moment you need it is worth a lot more than one you're scrubbing clean on the back of the boat.
Keep it away from kids, and use it with care
As with any sharp fishing tool, store your IkiPik out of reach of children, and handle it with the same care and attention you'd give any other sharp implement on board.
Looking after your gear properly means it'll be ready to perform every time you need it — which, when you're trying to dispatch a fish quickly and cleanly, is exactly when it matters most.
Need to top up your kit? Browse the full IkiPik range.