Fri, May 5th, 2023 - 5:01pm
March 22, 2021 - 9:00am | By James McCarty
The Flag Outdoors Expert Steve Carney has your weekly Outdoors Angle right here!
As we slide into late March, everyone is anxiously awaiting open water. Now is the time to start preparing your boat and motor for the upcoming season. Here are some timely tips for getting things in order for open water 2021!
1.) Outboard
Many anglers tend to let the maintenance slide on their outboards and figure if it isn't broken, no need to fix it. Always make sure you have the lower unit oil changed and have a professional give the outboard a thorough looksee. Check spark plugs and make sure your starting battery is charged. The starting battery is very critical and can leave you stranded. If you want to do a self-check on the lower unit of the outboard, just remove the lower screw and let a little bit of oil out. If it is milky or white, you have water in the lower unit. If the oil looks dark, slip the screw back on. The best advice is to change that lower unit oil every Spring.
2.) Trailer
Don't be that guy stranded on Interstate 90 with a bum trailer. I always have my hubs and bearings checked by a professional every Spring and Fall and make sure there is plenty of grease within the bearings. I have been left stranded on roadways before and I learned my lesson years ago. I also like to put an occasional shot of grease in the hubs during the summer months just for peace of mind.
3.) Boat
The biggest issue on boats after a long winter in storage is the wiring. Mice and other rodents can raise hell on your wiring and it pays to check those areas visually before hitting the water. Make sure your bilge pump wiring is intact and there are no holes in the livewell hoses.
There is nothing worse than having a problem when you launch the boat. Have your maintenance done while we still have some down time before ice-out.
Steve Carney is The Flag WZFG Outdoors expert. He can be heard every Thursday morning at 8:05 on AM 1100 WZFG. Check out his weekly podcast on am1100theflag.com and hear his Outdoors Angle reports every Friday on AM 1100 WZFG. You can also visit stevecarneyoutdoors.com for more information.
