Story by Hunter Sales | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Summer is here and we are all on the water more than at any other time of the year. Summertime fishing is a blast, but it’s no fun when your equipment isn’t functioning properly. It can be easy to overlook maintenance this time of year when you’re so focused on fishing. In professional bass fishing, your boat isn’t just transportation—it’s your office, your toolbox, and your most reliable teammate. Whether you’re competing under the NPFL banner or pre-fishing for the next big event on your home water, time lost to mechanical issues can be costly. With these few tips you can ensure your time on the water will be productive and enjoyable.
There are a lot of issues that can arise while you’re on the water, but most times it is a problem that has built up over time due to negligence. For example, screws vibrate lose due to boat traffic and wind waves. This can lead to parts moving more than they should, water intrusion, and the screw holes hollowing out. Spending 10 minutes every month or so to check your screws on your bow panel, console, throttle shifter, compartment latches, and rub rail can prevent these issues.
Another item to keep an eye on is both your trolling motor prop and outboard motor prop. Oftentimes, you will have fishing line tangled around your prop shaft that can get into your seals causing eventual breakdown of the seals. Removing these props every few trips to check for debris is a way to prevent expensive damage to your motors.
In today’s age of advanced electronics, multiple batteries, and other high-powered accessories, it seems like electrical issues are far more common than in years past. Most issues that I have are easy to fix once you locate the issue itself. Wire connectors coming apart, fuses that get corroded, and even nuts coming loose from a bolt due to vibration are examples of issues that I have faced over the past season. I may be beating the proverbial dead horse here but taking time to educate yourself on how your accessories are connected can help to speed-up the troubleshooting process when issues arise. It’s also a good idea just to make sure that these components appear to be in good, functioning, status prior to your trip.
For tournament anglers, this prep goes a step further. I try to have a backup of any essential equipment that could fail. Navigation lights, livewell pumps, graphs, batteries, trolling motor foot pedals, and spare props are just examples of equipment that I bring with me to each event. While not practical for everyone, in professional-level events, I can’t afford to chance a mechanical failure.
One other area where tournament anglers can improve their odds is with regular livewell cleanings. Fish from different lakes can harbor different types of algae and bacteria. It is rare, but I have occasionally seen water quality issues in a livewell cause issues with fish care. I never use harsh chemicals in my livewells but I will use a water hose and cloth to wipe down and flush out any dirt, slime, or debris.
We all want to enjoy stress-free days on the water this summer and with just a few minutes of attention in between trips, your odds of having your equipment perform according to plan go way up. I stress “tighten your bolts” to all of my college anglers. Literally “tightening your bolts” can prevent many issues, but this saying also means to take time to cover all bases and prevent any issues within your control.
I’ve got two more weeks before our Douglas Lake event and I’m heading down to our boat storage buildings at Carson-Newman University to “tighten my bolts”!
Catch ya next week!
Hunter Sales – Angler Profile
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