Winter time boating safety.

November 9, 2008

Like I’ve mentioned in previous posts winter time can be a great time, a virtual gold mine, when it comes to bass fishing. During the middle of winter on a sunny day the bite can be exceptional. I have seen more than once that even though the water and air temperature are down right cold the bass action has turned on thus making the cold weather seem not as cold and considerably more enjoyable. But as a fisherman there are precautions that we as fisher people must take to assure a safe trip.

During the winter it is a wise ideal to be sure to take along a fishing partner, not only to have someone to talk to but to assist you in various things throughout the day and to help you should an emergency arise.

Before we even set off to the lake there are a few steps we must take. First, remember to take along enough clothing to be able to dress in layers. You want to stay warm through out the day but at the same time you don’t want to get so hot that you start sweating, remove too much clothing and in turn the wet sweat chills you to the bone. I personally figure there is no reason to dress heavy to stay warm before you leave, that’s what the heater in your vehicle is for. Just be sure to put on the layers before you exit the vehicle. I have found from personal experience that if you get out, get cold and then put on the warm jacket you tend to stay cold.

You arrive at the lake, get dressed appropriately and now its time to prep the boat in the parking lot. First, mare sure you didn’t forget to put the plug into the boat. The water is going to be way too cold to jump in and put it in place. Don’t forget your gloves, head and ears warmth protection, something like a beanie, and some kind of face protection for when your running across the water. I like to wear a full head neoprene barcalave with a beanie on top of that followed up with a set of full face ski goggles. Yes it may seem a little extreme but I stay warm going across the water and it only takes a few seconds to remove it all upon arrival to that first spot.

The following advice I cannot stress to much, make sure you have a personal flotation device for everyone in the boat and make sure you wear them at all times, especially when under power. It could save your life. Trust me, it does not matter how good of a swimmer you are, the cold water alone will take its toll on you but due to the fact that you have layers of clothing on if you do happen to fall into the drink the wet clothing will restrict your movement as well as add extra weight, especially when they absorb water.

Nothing could spoil the day worse than having to call your fishing partners family and telling them that their loved one is in the hospital for hypothermia or worse yet that they drowned. The technology of today’s personal flotation devices, PFD, are light years beyond the old fashioned orange vests of yester-year. They are not nearly as obtrusive and they are actually fashionable.

So now your prepared to launch the boat. You notice that the ramp appears wet from the previous fisherman launching. Pending on how cold it is that water could have frozen over and really be ice so watch your step because you don’t want to slip, fall and hurt yourself. Also if it is ice you will not be able to get traction in your launch vehicle. I found that if there is a dock and its in the middle of the ramp try launching on the other side of the dock.

Launching and recovering are 2 times when its nice to have a fishing partner during the winter time because you can back the boat down to the water’s edge, disconnect the winch strap, hop in and have your partner splash you into the water and pull the truck up into the parking lot versus having to do it yourself. During the warmer months if you happen to get a little wet its no big deal but during the winter getting wet can make for a down right miserable day.

Make an attempt to get out and do some fishing during the colder winter months, you just might be surprised at the results. Have fun, enjoy yourself and be sure to be safe.

Thanks for visiting my site. Be sure to tell all of your fishing buddies and come back soon!

Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines To Ya!

Written by bassnman · Filed Under Boating | Leave a Comment

Courtesy at the boat ramp

May 31, 2008

I told you of my recent experience at the boat ramp and figured I would share the correct and courteous way to launch your boat.

You drive for what seemed like forever because your all excited about getting on the water in anticipation of that first bite but please take the time to prepare your boat in the parking lot before you actually back down to the ramp, especially if there are others waiting to launch. That way when you get ready to back down all you basically have to do is splash the boat and go.

So you pull into the parking lot. First and foremost, don’t forget to put the drain plug in! In my tears of boating I personally have seen more than one time when people have forgot to put theirs in, it can be a humorous experience for others, just not to the boater. This is something that even the most experienced tournament angler can forget. I can honestly say that as of this posting I have yet to forget mine, knock on wood.

Next you want to remove your boat to trailer tie down straps, I have witnessed anglers in a hurry back into the water with the straps still attached and wonder briefly why the trailer wheel fenders are still next to the boat when its sitting in 6 foot of water, DOH! There is an urban legend mentioned at Snopes.com that talks about a blond that detached her brand new trailer from the tow rig and wondered why the thing would not get up on plane. This supposedly happened at my home lake, Lake Isabella CA but like I said, its just an urban legend. If you want a good laugh go to Snopes.com and type in Lake Isabella.

Don’t forget the transom saver. This is one I have to admit that I forgot to do, just once. It was during the colder months, February if I recall correctly. As I was prepping the Champion I put the drain plug in, removed the tie down straps and removed the bungee cord that secures the transom saver to the lower end then a friend showed up at the launch so we started talking and I forgot to remove the saver. I splashed the boat, fired it up and proceeded to idle out of the no wake zone. I attempted to trim down the motor but for some reason it would not go. I was thinking maybe it was just too cold and a little sluggish so I kicked it into neutral and started to trim the motor up, thinking maybe if I did this a time or 2 it would work. As the motor was trimming up I looked back and saw the transom saver on the lower end, for about 2 seconds, then watched as it fell free into 20 feet of gin clear ice cold water. I tried dredging it up for a little while then just went fishing. Now I always carry a spare one, just in case.

Now we proceed to loading the boat, I like to do this even before I leave home. Placing my rods and tackle in the rod lockers, ice and drinks in the wet storage. As well as hooking up the starting battery and trolling motor batteries. In the parking lot I’ll pull out the rods I’ll be using and tie them down on the deck. It is at this point that I attach my dock rope and boat dock bumpers if I’m fishing alone or with someone who is not experienced in boat launching.

Then I’ll attach my depth finders. I remember reading somewhere that you really don’t want to haul your boat with these in place because of the rough ride on the trailer the brutal vibration can cause issues with them. Then I tap the switch on the trolling motor pedal to make sure its working correctly and the speed is set to the amount of thrust I want.

WARNING, if you don’t do the above check you could be in for a rude awakening when you first place your trolling motor in the water and tap the power button only to be surprised that it on full power because the last trip you wore the trolling batteries down to almost nothing but with a full charge its quite the thrust. One time I ended up on the floor between the rod lockers because I didn’t take the 3 seconds it would have took to check this. The only thing I hurt was my pride. Lucky for me it was a time I was pre-fishing for a tournament and there were not a lot of people on the water,

The winch strap is next. There are mixed reviews on when to disconnect this. Me personally, I wait until I’m backed down to the water. People say the boat wont slide off the trailer but I figure the added 10 seconds it takes to disconnect it at the dock is worth it. Just don’t forget to disconnect. Once again, I speak from personal experience. When launching the boat I kept wondering, why wont the boat float? DOH!

Yes, the above may seem like allot of stuff but it really only takes maybe 10 minutes at the most. Now you proceed to back down the ramp, I explained how to do this in my previous post. If you have a capable partner you can back down, disconnect the winch strap, hop in the boat, have your partner splash you, fire up the motor and get out of the way to allow others to launch as your partner parks your rig.

If you need to tie off your boat to park your tow rig what I do is back the trailer about ¾ of the way into the water, jump out, pull the dock rope off the deck, with one side securely attached to the boat of course, tie one end to the dock leaving the slack line on the dock. The reason I lay the rope on the dock is because I don’t want it to tangle on anything in the boat or on the trailer as the boat comes off the trailer. As soon as the boat floats off I hop out, take up any slack line and snug the boat against the dock. If possible I’ll tie it off at the end of the dock. This leaves room for others to launch and tie off to the dock as well.

There ya have it. Follow these simple unwritten rules prior to backing down to the dock and it will help keep peace and harmony at the dock.

Thanks for visiting my site. Be sure to tell all of your fishing buddies and come back soon!

Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines To Ya!

Written by bassnman · Filed Under Boating | Leave a Comment

Launching the Boat

May 12, 2008

Hi everyone,

Sorry about being gone for so long but things have been going on in my life that took priority over my site and now that things are back to normal, I’m BACK!

Spring time is upon us and this is the time of the year that most anglers look forward to because we get to fish the fun baits, reaction baits, and the bass are known to cooperate but that is not my subject today.

Today I want to address a boating issue. Have you ever pulled up to a lake, prepped your boat in the parking lot and then got in line to launch only to find that the 3 people ahead of you in line have done nothing to their boat to prepare it for launching?

I have finally got to the point in life that I find it very entertaining. First off watching them back their rig down the long ramp to the water can be humorous, seeing them swerve the boat back and forth, backing down a couple feet only to pull forward several feet because they don’t have it straight or they have basically jack knifed the trailer. This is fine because we all have gone through this ordeal until someone taught us the trick on how to back your rig down to the water.

The quickest way to learn that I found is to place your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel, look into your rear view mirror. If your boat goes to the left turn your hand to the left and visa versa. After a little practice you can do it like second nature and launch your rig even in the tightest places with ease. I was able to practice this even more when I would arrive home. I had a long narrow drive way and kept my boat at the very end of it.

Back to the launch ramp. Then when they finally do get their rig down to the water they have not prepped their boat in any way shape or form. They proceed to take the tie down straps off and load the boat with all of the stuff from their tow rig, which takes another 15 minutes, all the while the bass are calling your name. They finally get their boat loaded up and mom realizes that she has to go to the restroom but instead of splashing the boat they leave it on the trailer as mom proceeds to take the long trek up to the restroom.

Finally they are ready to splash the boat in the water so they back it in and pull the trailer just barley out of the water while still blocking the access for anyone else and everyone proceeds to board the vessel. Next thing you know Junior starts to scream that the boat is sinking, yep, you guessed it, they forgot the plug! So once again the trailer goes back into the water, load the boat back up and wait until all the water drains before putting the plug back in.

OK, so you assume that all should be finally taken care of, the boat is floating, everyone is sitting inside of it and dad proceeds to pull the trailer back up to the parking lot, of course they left the boat tied up right in the middle of the dock instead of moving it to the rear so more people could launch but hey, they are almost done, right? Nope!

Dad hops into the boat and cannot get the boat to start. He is cussing and screaming about how well it worked the last time but as it turns out the last time was last year at the same time. Finally after about 15 minutes he decides that maybe it will start if he puts it back onto the trailer and leaves his whole rig blocking access to everyone. 15 minutes later he finally gives up and pulls out of the way.

So there you are, sitting for almost an hour watching this guy asking yourself, “Was I ever that bad?” I for on can honestly answer no to that question. Then someone that was waiting for only 10 minutes is so impatient that he figures he can sneak in and launch before you can. BACK THE TRUCK UP BUDDY! Yes you have every right to be upset but luckily for you it upset someone else even more and your not the one going to jail for pounding someone at the boat launch.

During the battle, as everyone else watches cheering the pounder on you see your chance to finally splash your boat so you take advantage of it. You back down, have your buddy hold onto the rope, splash the boat, pull up and park your rig, run down to the water, hop in, fire her up and take off all in a matter of 4 minutes and off you go fishing.

Can you guess who the above story recently happened to? Yep, twas me. But hey, it turned out to be a good day fishing and the opening act was pretty entertaining.

Thanks for visiting my site. Be sure to tell all of your fishing buddies and come back soon!

Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines To Ya!

Technorati Tags: Launching the Boat, Boat Launching, How to Launch a Boat

Written by bassnman · Filed Under Boating | Leave a Comment

Tips for Buying a Used Bass Boat

March 7, 2008

After researching the prices of new bass boats you’ve decided to go the used boat route. In my opinion, this is a wise decision, at least financially speaking. I’ll share a few words of personal advice. First off, let me tell you a little something about me. When I make any major financial purchase I am very methodical about it. I research the heck out of all of the aspects that way I can make an informed decision and get the best deal when I finally do make the purchase. The wife says I’m kind of anal, I say I’m very through. She never complains though when I manage to save a couple hundred hundred to several thousand dollars on a purchase.

If you only take one piece of advise from this entire post take the following one. Take your time and do the reaserch. Don’t get in a hurry and buy the first boat you see, unless its a great deal of course. Trust me, I know it can be very tempting to get the first one, your like a kid in a candy store with $10.00, but if you take your time it could save you alot of headache. If possible buy from a friend or acquaintance in a Bass Club. I shared some of the things to look for and ask in my previous boating article.

There are always cosmetic things like carpeting, storage compartments etc but these are pretty cheap to fix or replace and they give you some leverage in the price negotiation Most of the cosmetic parts can be picked up at Bass Pro Shops and if your at least semi handy you can do them yourself. Treat buying a boat like buying a used car, the seller usually wants to sell it worse than you want it and should be willing to deal with the price.

One very major word of caution when purchasing a used boat, make sure the motor is well maintained. Ask if the impeller has been changed regularly. If not they can cause a low flow of water to run through the motor to cool it. Boat motors MUST have a good flow going through them to remain cool. A blown power head is very expensive to replace. Also, ask when the lower end oil was last changed. Ask when the propeller was last removed and if the main seal was at least checked. Fishing line can get behind the propeller, tangled around the shaft and actually cut into the main seal causing water to leak into the lower end and that is not a good thing. Bottom line, the motor is far and away the most expensive part of the boat to replace if it something goes wrong with it.

Before you purchase a used boat talk to the seller, ask questions about its maintenance schedule. If you don’t know the person ask to see copies of the maintenance record receipts. If he is honest he will not object to providing this information. The last thing you want to do is buy a boat that will be nothing but an anchor. You don’t want to be one of those who live by the old saying that, A Boat is a Hull In The Water, That You Throw Money Into.

Ask the seller to take you for a test drive, on the water of course. Make sure you arrive at the destination first. Listen to the trailer as he pulls up, are the bearings making noises? Do the trailer lights work? After you splash the boat look at the trailer. Are the bunks fully carpeted? Are they broke? Do the tires appear to be wearing evenly. Now your in the boat, pay attention to how quickly and easily the boat starts. Watch to see how long it takes for the water to start flowing through the motor and exit out the back. Note the pressure it exits at, watch the pressure gauge, at idle it wont be to high but as you motor out past the no wake zone it should raise some then at wide open throttle it should shoot up pretty good and should be spraying out the back very good.

Pay attention to how the RPM’s sound. They should sound about even with how fast your going. If the RPM’s seem to wind up way high and your not making much progress it could be a couple things. Maybe the prop is slipping, or maybe the motor is not trimmed down completely, which it should be to get up on plane quickly. Either way in my opinion its not really that bad because it’s a pretty cheap fix. Check the electronics, make sure they are working, look for moisture inside the glass. These are not deal breakers but can mean a price cut in the price of the boat.

Place the trolling motor into the water making sure it works. Note if the little arrow on top points in the direction your going. If not it is not an expensive fix so its no big work. Does the speed dial work? There is another thing you want to check but wait until your back in the parking lot to check it.

Ask him to fill the live wells and make sure they flow water as well as check to make sure the overflow works correctly. Click on the bilge pump, if water shoots out the side of the boat then your taking on some water, if not listen to make sure you can hear the pump running trying to pump out water that is not there. When your done for the day, ask him to pull the plug to see how much water it took into the bilge. On the trolling motor check, remove the propeller and see if there is fishing line around the shaft. If you notice some its really not that big of a deal, unless it actually has cut into the rubber seal. This could mean that water has gotten into the units lower end and its life may be short lived. If so this is should give you more price negotiation leverage.

If you are so inclined, ask the seller if he minds you taking the boat to a Marine Mechanic to look it over. I cant see any seller not letting you have a professional looking things over for you, unless he has something to hide. Yes, it will cost you some money to have a certified Marine Mechanic look it over for you but trust me, it will cost a lot less than if you buy a problem boat and have to take it to him then.

I’m sure I missed some things to look for but I think I’ve covered the expensive stuff. Like I said, take your time, do your homework and ask questions. It will make your purchase a more pleasurable experience.

Until Next Time, Good Luck and Tight Lines To Ya!

Written by bassnman · Filed Under Boating | Leave a Comment

Do I really need a $50,000.00 Bass Boat ?

February 16, 2008

One word, NO. champion-bass-boat

If you can afford them it sure is nice. Or if you can pick up a sponsor that give’s you one to promote their brand then that’s even better! However, for your average working Joe, weekend angler, either of these can be tough.Don’t fret, its not the end of the world. There are several different options you have.

First off, if you finance a new boat there are finance companies that will give you a loan that have options to extend the payments over 10 plus years. This has good and bad benefits. Good in the sense that the payments can be low but bad because if you sit down and actually figure out just how much you will be paying over the term of the loan it just might shock you.

Paying with cash is always great, I don’t know about you but I don’t have that kind of cash laying around. Yes, its always nice to have a brand new, state of the art bass boat with all of the latest electronics. One that when other anglers see you on the water they drool.

Trust me when I say, it wont make you a better fisherman and let me share another secret with you, the bass don’t care if your in a brand new, high speed, fully equipped fiberglass boat or if your floating along, sitting on a lawn chair attached to railroad ties.

There are also the slightly used bass boats on the market. Boat companies usually give new boats every year to their sponsored pros. Then they sell the boats that were used for one season at a very discounted price. Not free mind you, but at least a few thousand less than a new one off the show room floor.

These boats usually appear to be a pretty good deal. They are well maintained both mechanically and appearance wise.

One thing to remember about these boats. Some of the time these boats are used very hard for that season. They can be abused and rode hard, even though they might not look it while they are sitting in the parking lot. In my opinion when someone gets something for free they don’t take care and caution when using it because they didn’t have to pay for it with their own cash.

Then there are times when these boats are well used and in great shape, so as you can see, it can be kind of a crap shoot at times.

Another option, if you fish in boater/non boater type tournament format you can usually find someone that is selling their used boat to buy a new one. This route is a great one to take because most of these type tournament organizations are a bunch of guys that know each other and you can talk to other members about how they feel the guy selling the boat takes care of it.

Another plus to going this route is you have a chance of drawing the boater before he decides to sell it and you can see how he treats his boat, how it runs, etc. You can also become friends with these guys and get an even better price when they sale.

Then you have the aluminum boat’s, these are a good deal. They are not as smooth as a fiberglass boat but they will do just about anything a glass boat can and if you accidentally bounce it off a rock or tree you don’t ruin the gel coat and take on water in the bilge, unless of course you hit it hard enough to punch a hole.

You can always pick up a basic aluminum boat or even a john boat and modify it for bass fishing or any type fishing you prefer. Put a casting deck oh it, mount an ice chest in the middle. This can double as a live well and a place to keep your drinks cold.

You can get yourself a 20 horse motor or even a trolling motor, or just use some oars. If you get the trolling motor this would mean you would need a 12 volt battery and with that you could hook up a depth/fish sonar unit.

For a few hundred dollars you could make the ultimate bass John boat. I would not advise taking these smaller vessels out in “Open” water because it could be dangerous if the wind picked up. They are however great for fishing around structure, boat docks and smaller pond type lakes because you can unload and load them just about anywhere.

As a matter of fact, back when I fished tournaments as a non boater we had a member that had converted a 14 foot John boat into a 2 person bass boat. It just barely made the minimum legal boat length limit. His boat was usually left out of the draw because of its size unless we had an equal amount of boaters and non boaters. Lucky for me I never drew Brian. I’m a pretty big guy 6′3 275 pounds so it would have been tough fishing out of his boat all day.

You can always get yourself a Float Tube or the Pontoon type kick Boat. These can be rigged into fish catching machines as well and you get right into the action. I’ll share a story and some tips about float tuning in the future so stay tuned.