Spring Boat Prep

Joe Balog

By Joe Balog

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Joe Balog's Bio:

Joe Balog is a pioneer of deepwater structure fishing on the Great Lakes. Balog grew up fishing Lake Erie, and now resides near Detroit, Michigan. Over the past 20 years, Balog has refined fishing these rough waters for bass into a science. As the owner of Millennium Promotions, Inc., Balog works with some of the industry's largest manufacturers, including Ranger, Mercury, Daiwa, Humminbird, Plano and more on design, refinement, and promotion of big water products. Balog was the designer of the first-ever Goby style softbait, now a dominant lure category across the Great Lakes. He's a lecturer, guide, writer, host and tournament angler. In addition, Balog's company recently expanded into the waterfowl hunting and ice fishing sector as well - hugely popular on his home of Lake St. Clair.

Spring has sprung, as I like to say. With stable temperatures and a warming lake, it’s time to get back on the water. Our attention has shifted from the wintertime blues to spring-time crappies, early season walleye jigging, and a few big pike. But before we pull the cover off the boat and jump right in, it’s important to prepare for the upcoming season, much in the way we prepared for winter. By taking the time to inventory and maintain a few items in the boat now, it will cost us less, both in time and money, in the future.

Step one for all boaters is universal: charge the batteries. In the case of today’s modern bassboats, powered by 36-volt trolling motors, this includes a whopping four 12-volt batteries. On my personal boat, I have a Minn Kota 60 AMP charger that makes quick work of this job – just plug it in and go. If that’s not the case on your personal rig, be sure to use a portable charger on each battery, following a check of the batteries water level. In the case of traditional wet cells, it’s imperative that each cell contain enough distilled water to cover the plates inside the battery, and prevent oxidation. Beyond that, give them a good charge.

Once we’re charged up, it’s time to take a quick look at safety equipment. Without question, the most overlooked item, and therefore the favorite of the “ticket writers”, are flares. It’s vital that boaters carry operable flares – they may be your last hope for a tow or rescue before drifting into oblivion. And those flares must be changed out regularly to keep current. Flares will have an expiration date on them, usually about three years following purchase. Be sure your flares are within their current usage date, and kept dry. Maintenance of such items, as well as other important boating items, paperwork, and safety gear, is much easier when they’re kept together in a waterproof case. I’ve included a few photos of such items in various Plano marine boxes. These boxes come in all sizes and have a permanent place in my bass boat and duck boat. Over the years, waterproof storage boxes have enabled me to save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in replacement costs of safety equipment, tools – even lures. No boat should be without them.

Luckily for us non-mechanical types, there’s not a great deal to be done to our outboards to prepare them for the upcoming season. In the case of a four stroke, an oil change may be in order. But, for the most part, most of the maintenance work should have been done before the winterization period. If not, I would recommend a lower unit oil check, as well as a good visual inspection beneath the engine cover. One key factor to remember: never “turn the motor over” while it’s out of the water. Don’t even bump the key to check your battery status. Doing so can instantly destroy the engines impeller, as this water pick-up must be submerged to be properly lubricated.

The season is upon us –let’s get at it.

Overlooked item to check: the new “inflatable” PFD’s. BE SURE the cartridges are current and read “operable”.

Key safety item for big water: A hand-held VHF radio, in case of emergency. Range will be over three miles. Do you really need one? Can you answer the following question: Does my cell phone work everywhere on the lake?

One more prep tip: In very cold, early season water, it’s best not to idle for long periods and then “floor it”. This dumps ultra-cold water on a warmed up engine block, and could lead to engine seize. Idle, then slowly accelerate, cooling the engine slower.