It looks like this week of mild temperatures will be our last so I am headed to the Mississippi river this Sunday (Oct. 25) for one more bass fishing trip, but there is still plenty of walleye fish to be done this year. 

For most people the season has ended so this is when you need to take extra care when you put away your boat for the last time. Winter can be very hard on a boat and an outboard engine; a proper winterizing could save you a bunch of money next spring. 

There are several things that I like to do to my Nitro boat before I take it to Waterloo Boats to get the engine winterized. I start out by removing all of my rods and tackle. This all goes into the basement of my house, that way when I am driving my wife crazy in the dead of winter I don’t have to go outside to the garage to get my fishing fix, its kind of a “Zen” thing. 

Next is a good cleaning, wash and wax the outside, vacuum the inside and clean the live wells. Cleaning the live wells of any fish scales, crawdad pieces and just general fish crud is very important and easy to do. I don’t use any soap or other chemicals for this, just a garden hose and a clean rag. This should actually be done several times throughout the season, for one to help keep the foul odor down but mostly to keep bacteria out so that it stays a “live”well. 

My next winterizing step is to make sure that all of my batteries are fully charged. I know a lot of people that take their batteries out and put them somewhere heated all winter, but a charged battery will not freeze. 

My winterizing work is over, now it’s up to the pros at Waterloo Boats to check out my outboard, literally from top to bottom. They put fuel stabilizer in the gas tank then run the engine long enough to make sure that all the gas lines have stabilized fuel in them. While the engine is still warmed up from the gas stabilizing process they do a compression check of each cylinder this lets the mechanic know if there is any internal engine problems like excessive carbon build up or a stuck piston ring. Before they fog the engine, to prevent rust and oxidation, they check the charging system and starter for proper operation and check all the fuel lines for deterioration both externally and internally. Working their way down they test the steering for full smooth travel and excess slack. Continuing down they grease all the fittings and check the power tilt and trim unit for proper operation and inspect the hoses, bushings and oil reservoir level. Making their way to the lower unit, I have them change the lower unit lube rather than just check the level, for no more than it costs it is good preventive maintenance. Quick check of the prop shaft to make sure it is still straight and one last visual inspection of the entire engine and they’re done.  Losing a days fishing or an entire tournament because of something that I overlooked winterizing my own engine the previous fall, is why I leave that to a certified outboard mechanic. Until next time keep your lure wet.

I would like to express my heart felt condolences to the family of Terry Brandhorst. Terry was great fisherman and friend he will truly be missed by all that knew him.