BASS FISHERMEN ADJUST TO OFFSEASON\Largemouths get rest in wintertime as tournament-goers take a\break.

Byline: Rochelle Kaplan Special to the Daily News

While February compels many husbands to frantically shop the malls in search of that special Valentine's Day gift, bass fisherman and devoted husband Jeff Segers is obliged to turn his house upside down in search of his driver, 7-iron and putter.

For Segers, who spends eight months of the year fishing bass tournaments, February is his last chance to make amends to his wife before the angling season begins again . . . by joining her on the golf course.

He's golfing instead of floating atop a bass hot spot somewhere because fishing's slow this time of year.

Anglers like Segers enjoy a range of nonfishing activities during an annual hiatus from their favorite hobby, which lasts as long as four months in the wintertime. That's when the largemouth bass thrives in tough-to-fish deeper waters and its metabolism slows, quashing its appetite and motivation. While year-round bass fishing is possible in California, tournament anglers generally taper off from October through mid-February, awaiting the spawning season in early March.

In a way, Segers can thank the bass - or lack thereof - for saving his marriage.

"Most of the bass fishermen who fish tournaments have families," said the Camarillo salesman, who competes on the Western Outdoors News and American Bass Association circuits. "(Fishing) takes a lot of time away from the family, so this is the time of year to do family things.

"When I get too 'fishy,' " Segers said, "my penance is I have to go play golf."

Not a bad trade-off.

But golfing and other activities aren't the only family needs to be satisfied in the offseason. There are more mundane obligations, as well.

"When the fish are biting, all you do is fish and all else goes to hell," said Ralph Gammal of Castaic, also a tournament angler. "So this time of year, you do the things the wife wants you to do, like mowing the lawn or catching up on fixing the broken dishwasher."

Or assessing the status of equipment for the upcoming season.

With weekly tournaments, as well as the need to pre-fish the areas, anglers have little spare time to repair or upgrade gear during the season. They welcome the time off to catch up on a little housekeeping.

"You've got so much to do when you're fishing that you don't have time to do all the little things," said Gammal, secretary of the Friends of Castaic, a nonprofit group dedicated to bettering the lake.

"You've got to catch up on your tackle, fix all the damage on the boat and trolling motor, get the boat in for service, plus check out all the new things that are out there," he said. "Things happen too fast that you don't have the time to try out new equipment that has just been introduced on the market."

But Gammal knows only too well the lure of shopping for new gear. Last week, for example, he took in a pole for repair and wound up purchasing three new ones.

Segers can't resist new gadgets, either.

With no major manufacturer sponsorship and a $40,000 bass boat to support, Segers spends his own money maintaining and upgrading his equipment in order to stay competitive. He jokes about throwing out his VISA card along with his old equipment.

During the seasonal down time, he reflects on the past fishing year, reviewing old computer files and setting up new ones. He also considers what lures might be more effective than the ones he used the year before.

Segers likens his life to a "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" existence.

"I lead one lifestyle for eight months, which is emotionally stressful - fishing under pressure," he said. "When you try to stop for four months, it's sort of like stopping a locomotive. I go through two or three weeks of withdrawal."

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Photo Jeff Segers works on his boat, preparing his fishing equipment, during the four-month break from the eight-month long bass-fishing season. Bob Halvorsen / Daily News