Story by Todd Goade | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
In this fast-paced world we live in everything is go, go, go and when we get the time to relax and enjoy some time on the water, that time should be enjoyable and stress free. I travel all across the country fishing the NPFL and I need the travel to the event, the practice period, the event, and the trip home to be as stress free as possible … especially from an equipment and safety standpoint. Here are some things I do before I head out that you can incorporate into your due diligence so you can have a stress-free experience on the water as well.
When we travel—and out on the water—things vibrate. That vibration causes things to get loose on our boats, such as battery connections, jack plates, motor mounts, lid locks, shallow water anchor brackets, graph knobs, the list goes on. Before I leave the house for each event, I inspect all these things, tightening them as necessary, and even applying Loctite to some so they stay tighter longer.
I inspect the boat trailer and the tires, checking to make sure each tire has the correct air pressure and that the tread is still good.
(Interesting fact: I must make more left turns when pulling a boat than right turns since the back left tire on my tandem axle trailer always seems to wear faster. I just changed that one out recently.)
I also inspect my life jackets to make sure they are charged and in the green, as well as my fire extinguisher, and I check that the throw cushion is still in the compartment I usually store it in so I’m legally okay in the event I’m checked by a law enforcement official.
Here’s something you may not know. In some states—and Tennessee is one of them—if you only use an inflatable life vest you must have a regular life vest in the boat as a backup. I know this from experience as I got a warning ticket a few years ago at Ft. Loudon one day. I stopped at Bass Pro on the way home that day and bought one of those orange life jackets I wore as a kid. It’s been in the boat ever since.
Lastly, I also inspect my tow vehicle prior to leaving for an event, checking tire pressures, fluid levels, making sure the trailer ball on the hitch is tight, and even getting a fresh oil change if needed. I need the truck pulling the boat to be just as road ready as the boat to get me there and back safely.
Don’t be lazy about this stuff! It just takes one of these things to go wrong to ruin your day on the water or even worse. If you take a little time to stay on top of these things, you’ll have way more fun and less time working on stuff while on the water.
Go look at your boat right now and I guarantee there’s something loose on it.
Tight Lines!
Todd Goade – Angler Profile
