We are about a month away from the Minnesota Walleye fishing opener.  Oh how exciting it is!   If you're like me, your boat has been sitting in sub zero temperatures, and it's time to get it back into the water.   Here's a few quick reminders on what we need to make sure we have done before we back it into the landing.

Batteries!

Now is a great time to check your batteries.  Deep cycle batteries when properly taken care of can last years.   But eventually they need to be replaced.   So don't wait until the last minute to charge them up.  Give them a good luck and charge them up weeks ahead of time to make sure they hold their charge and there's no problem.

Lower Unit Gear Oil

Hopefully you remembered to drain all this out before you stored your boat.   The reason is that if any water leaked into the lower unit, it can freeze during the winter and damage the gears.   But, equally important is to remember to fill it back up before you put the boat in the water!

Pack Those Bearings On Your Trailer

It's easy to put off, and you don't necessarily have to do it every year, but you definitely want to periodically keep an eye on those bearings.  The first time I trailer the boat anywhere I stop after about 30 or 40 miles and feel the hubs to make sure they aren't warm.  When dirty bearings start to fail, they warm up with the friction.  If it gets too hot, you're stuck on the side of the road!

Fresh Gas

Make sure you've got fresh gas and mixed correctly if you've got a two stroke outboard.  A lot of them are hard enough to start in the spring, and old gas make this way worse!

Check the sparkplugs

It only takes a minute to take a look and see what kind of shape they are in.  Nothing is worse than having a fouled plug in the middle of the lake.

If you're not handy and you're not exactly sure how to go about all of the steps above, it may be a good idea to bring it into a shop.  But don't wait too long!  They get busy this time of year and you want to be ready to hit that water!  Good luck!

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