The
spring bite is only a few weeks away and the anticipation of a
great bass season is making each day at work a little tougher to
endure. You've been waiting all winter for the boat show and the
anxiety to get out on the lake has increased since the show's end.
The wife's kitchen table is cluttered as you sharpen hooks,
organize your tackle and re-spool every reel with fresh line.
She's ready to kick your fanny out of the house if you don't clean
up the mess.
"I'm almost done," you say as
you wind the last bit of line on your reel.
But are you?
Many of us are completely absorbed by the
fishing tackle-end of the bass fishing game. But that's not all
there is to it, unless you are a non-boater. You've just stared
when it comes to getting all your "ducks in a row."
That fancy piece of equipment parked in
the garage (You know, where your wife's car used to be?) requires
as much preparation as any of your reels and tackle. That is,
unless you want to be the one that's holding up the line at the
ramp.
As you prepare your boat for the season,
one of the first things to check should be the batteries. Make
sure they are full of water and if not, fill them with distilled
water. Charge them until they are fully charged and then load test
them. At times, a battery will show fully charged but when exposed
to a load, will fail. Most parts stores in your city will be glad
to check them for you. (They may make a sale.)
Raise your trailer wheels off the ground,
one at a time, and spin the tire and wheel assembly. As it spins,
rest your hand on the trailer axle. If you feel roughness or
vibration, you'll need to get the offending bearing and race
assembly replaced. If no roughness is felt, squeeze a fresh load
of grease in the Bearing Buddy (You DO have those, right?) and
check the wheel on the other side. Also, don't forget to check the
air in your tires AND the trailer spare. It's not much good if
it's as flat as the one you are changing at 4 a.m. on the side of
the road.
Hook the trailer to the tow vehicle and
turn on all the lights. This little check makes it a lot easier to
get to the lake without paying a ticket as well as a ramp fee.
Next, hook your garden hose to the engine
with the muffs in place over the water pump inlet in the lower
unit. Allow the water to run for a few minutes and then start the
engine in the trimmed-down position. (Do this after 9 a.m. or
early in the evening. Neighbors don't appreciate the sound of a
well-tuned 225 hp two-stroke running at 6 in the morning.)
If you'll take as much time preparing
your boat as you do your tackle, those first-of-the-season trips
will go a lot smoother. Plus, you'll have more time to think about
what lures the hogs are eatin' that morning!
Good luck and good fishing!
