NortheastBass.com

As we zoom on into the fall season there are some important things we need to do to prepare our boats for the coming winter season.

During the coming weeks I will be making several posts about winter boat storage and the proper preparation that we need to walk through to make sure our boats get winterized and stored properly.

Before we actually get into the winter season, though, we need to start with one very important maintenance step well before Winter gets here and well before we actually store our boats away.

Here’s the deal. Most of us have gas outboards on our boats. It doesn’t matter if we have a 2 stroke outboard or a 4 stroke outboard. This crucial step needs to be performed, regardless of what size, brand or style of outboard motor we own.

And here’s that step.

When we store our boats away for the winter season we need to make sure that the remaining gas in our tanks doesn’t go bad and gum up our fuel lines, carburetors and fuel injectors. Fuel that’s allowed to sit and go bad leaves behind a gummy substance that can wreak havoc with our outboards. Damage caused by stale fuel and the sticky residue it leaves behind can be pretty expensive to fix. This can easily be prevented with one very simple procedure that takes all of about 30 seconds.

Fuel stabilizer needs to be added to our fuel tanks well before we stop running our outboards. When we actually put the fuel stabilizer into our tanks depends on how early or how late we quit fishing or boating for the season. Typically, we should be adding the fuel stabilizer at least a month before we store our boats and outboards for the winter.

Fuel stabilizer can be purchased at any local store that sells fuel additives. There are a few different brands, but the most common is Stabil.

Stabil gets added to your tank directly and stops your fuel from becoming stale, thus preventing that gummy residue from building up.

The best practice is to add the fuel stabilizer in the month or so leading up to when you’ll actually stop running your outboard. The outboard will still get run after the stabilizer has been added, allowing the fuel stabilizer to circulate through your boat’s fuel system and be sure that it is well-mixed into your fuel.

Be sure to perform this step a few weeks before you actually put your boat away for the winter. This one step will save you hundreds of dollars in repair costs, if you remember to do it!

Check back here during the coming days and weeks for more boat storage tips 🙂

Now, go bag a hawg!

Curt <><

Fall bass fishing is upon us here in the Northeast US.

Air temps have dropped and water temps are following, as we head into the fall feeding season for the bass. As the water continues to cool, and we get more and stronger cold fronts, stable fishing will dissipate, but the fish will also begin to binge-feed, fattening up for the winter ahead. It’s during these feeding binges that bass anglers can load the boat!

Timing is everything when it comes to fall feeding binges. because we don’t fish many man-made reservoirs here in the northeast, we don’t worry too much about following shad into coves and tributaries. Instead, we need to let the weather tell us when to fish and when not to fish.

Here’s the deal. This might be tough for people who work a 9 – 5 during the week, but for people with more flexible schedules, there is some great fishing. Watch the weather closely. Fall is not known for weeks and weeks of stable weather, so timing is key.

When we have had several days of warm, stable weather the water will actually start to warm again, especially in shallower areas of the lake and areas with shallow rock cover. Fish these areas late in the afternoons. You might find water temps here that are as much as 5- 7 degrees warmer than the rest of the lake, just because the depth is less.

Here’s another trick. When we’ve had a stable period and there is a front on the way in, get out and fish immediately before the front hits, especially if it begins to cloud up and the wind blows. Fishing can even be good on the day of the front as the bass gorge themselves in the darkening conditions.

If your unfortunate enough to be nailed down to a 9 – 5 job and can’t get out on a flexible schedule, here are some tips for you.

Try not to fish the day after a front. If you have no choice, though, don’t waste your time getting up early and hitting the lake before daylight. Sleep in and head out in the mid-morning time frame.
The bass will wait for you. And they will probably cooperate better later in the day anyway 😉

Remember to fish the windblown points and flats in the afternoon, after the sun has warmed the water back up a bit. Doing this can load the boat if you hit the right spots. Chunk a spinnerbait or Rat-L-Trap along these windy sections and hang on!

Anyway, don’t let the fall cold fronts discourage you. Remember that your chances of bagging a hawg are pretty good this time of year, if you use the weather to your advantage.

Now go bag a hawg!

Curt <><

Back in January I bought a brand new 2007 G3 HP 180 bass boat, with a Yamaha 150 HP outboard. I had owned a Tracker Pro Team 18 for the previous 13 years. That boat had a 90 HP Mercury outboard.

During these past few months I have had the opportunity to take the HP 180 out and fish from it, both in tournaments and for recreation. I have to tell you… I love this boat!

To start with, it has an awesome 90 inch beam. This is plenty wide for just about any angler or situation. The hull is a high-performance design, thus the “HP” moniker.

While boat shopping, I did some serious homework, comparing a few different brands and models, looking at standard features, available upgrades, etc. the G3 HP boats, specifically the HP 180, came out leaps and bounds ahead of Tracker and any other company that I looked at.

G3 has an excellent reputation for their customer service. They’re ranked as one of the top companies in the country, not just for boats, but overall 🙂

So far, my experiences with them have been very positive.

As for the local end of it, I bought the boat from Reynolds Marine, in Lyme, CT. They’re a family-owned business that has been around since the mid 1800s! So far, my experience with Reynolds has been great! They worked with me on the initial deal and have been there to answer any questions I might have had after the sale. As I write this, the boat is at Reynolds for the first service (15 hours). They’ll be changing the spark plugs, changing the lower end oil, etc. I also have a few small warranty issues for them to check out too. When I dropped the boat off yesterday, they took my list of concerns and promised they would address them, no matter how big or small.

Now back to the boat.

This boat, with the 150 HP Yamaha, gets up and goes! With me alone, I have had it up to around 60 MPH. That is plenty fast for lakes here in the southern RI area where I live.

More important than just speed is the fact that it handles like a dream. The hull is a pad-style hull, which makes it handle turns in a very crisp manner. It doesn’t slide or mis-behave. It just turns when it’s supposed to. The boat cam equipped with hydraulic steering, right from the factory. I can literally let go of the steering wheel while cruising at 50+ MPH. Now, I am not advocating letting go of your steering wheel, but the fact that I CAN let go of it is incredible and speaks volumes for the hydraulic steering.

On top of things like the hydraulic steering, the boat is completely loaded with tournament-angler-induced features, like dual livewells. dual rod lockers, tons of storage, an onboard cooler, onboard battery charger, and the list goes on.

To say that I am happy with my G3 HP 180 would be an understatement.

To read my ongoing review of the HP 180, be sure to check out my review thread at the Northeastbass.com forums, here.

So, the next time you’re in the market for  a new boat, be sure to check out the G3 boats. I think you’ll like what you see.

Now, go bag a hawg!

Curt <><