Preparing The Boat Motor For Fishing Season

With the Minnesota Fishing Opener just a week away it’s that time of the year to make sure everything is in proper working order.   Actually, most of these chores should have been done several weeks ago so a person still has ample time to get any problems corrected…but we know, don’t we, that most sportsmen are notorious for procrastinating.   I know I sure am when it comes to preparing for the fishing season.

A few days ago I brought the portable boat motor out of storage and cranked it up to run some “new” gas through it.   I took a little extra time to check the oil levels…to grease some of the fittings…and to make sure that nothing seemed to be showing any excessive wear.   By no means am I an expert with boat motors as some of my fishing partners will attest to, but there’s no better place to do some of these inspections than at home before you get to the lake.   It also gives you a little extra time to get a faulty motor in to the repair shop where this time of the year you might have to beg and/or bribe to get some quick attention before the prime fishing season commences.

Oh, over the past few years I’ve had my challenges with boat motors.   I can still remember hearing the salesman in the showroom tell me that “if this new motor requires more than two pulls (on pull-start cord) than there is something wrong…bring it back.”   Guess how many times I should have brought that motor back?   Yup, you guessed it…almost every time I have ever used it.   I can’t remember that darned motor ever working as effortlessly as the dealer made it out to be in the showroom.   Fact is, the only reason I have kept the motor is because once it gets running…it is the sweetest boat motor I have ever owned.

In some ways I can equate boat motors to…do I dare say…women.   There, I said it.   Some of them are temperamental and you wonder why you put up with them.   Others coexist with you so nicely and truly make life such a pleasant overall experience.   They’re dependable, hard working and you wouldn’t want to go fishing without it.   Then, of course, you have the pain in the @$$ motors that at times you would contemplate using as a boat anchor instead if it wouldn’t cost so much to replace it.    Yes, indeed, motors can have a personality all their own just like that special “other” in your life.  (Disclaimer:  these statements are made purely as conjecture and should not be construed in a manner to imply that my loving wife in any way, shape or form reminds me of my boat motor.   To the contrary, I’m just repeating what I’ve heard other sportsmen claim and in their situations the comparison between the two objects of their affection seems to fit.   The aforementioned statements were not intended to offend anyone, in particular, the sweet woman who is allowing me to be at the lake fishing all next weekend and on Mother’s Day…bless her heart)

Wheew!   Now that I hopefully got myself out of that one…let’s get back on the topic at hand.   To properly prepare the boat motor for the season look for any areas that might show cracking or weakness.   Check over the electrical components and ensure the wiring seems to be intact.   Is the prop all nicked up and in desperate need of replacing?   Perhaps you might want to keep an extra prop on hand just in case the unthinkable happens when you are miles from a dealer or a store to get a replacement.

Do hoses show any damage or the potential for failure?   Are gas lines free of debris and supplying clean, fresh gas to the engine?   Speaking of gas, are you using fresh gas just purchased from the pump?   These days gas deteriorates so quickly that certain mechanical problems can be avoided simply by using new gas to reduce the problems associated with varnish residue.

To create the perfect fishing weekend there are many pieces of equipment that are vital to the sportsman’s fun.   The boat motor, that oft overlooked piece of gear on the back of the boat, is one piece of equipment that certainly deserves a little bit of your time and attention.

All I can remember is a fisherman last year on the opener staying nearby who had just purchased a fancy new boat.   It was his first time on the water with his new equipment and then the motor seized up and would not run.   Our attention to this occurrence was drawn by the fact I learned several new swear words that I had not personally used in a sentence before…and that I hope not to ever have the opportunity to use.   His fishing was done for the opening weekend…but as I recall, his drinking began, if for no other reason, than to drowned his sorrows over his unenviable predicament with his motor.

Certainly motor problems can happen to anyone…and as this guy proved even when the motor is brand new it’s not immune to malfunctioning.   So now’s the time to do your homework…check things over…make the necessary repairs you see fit to make…and then keep your fingers crossed that the upcoming fishing season will be problem-free.   Just like that “significant other” who adds so much to the non-sportsman activities in your life.

2006 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.