Winterize and fish ?

[dvl2700]

Want to do some late fall, early winter fishing hopefully on Lake Erie. Mercury 150 4 stroke. So do you winterize the live wells and not use them or plug them. What is the best way to do ensure I don't have freezing issues and still be able to use the boat. Garage is not large enough and boat will sit under tarp - canopy until put into unheated storage barn for the winter. I have reviewed a lot of winterization threads.

dvl2700

[Ltrain]

I would just plug the intake and drains up.

[kswalleyer]

we fish in and out of cold weather all winter down here. may be 45 one week, then breaking ice the next week and way below freezing. I got into a BIG suspending jerk bait bass bite in 6 degrees one year in January on Truman..put it away "dry" that night..no problem

Just make sure all drains, bilge etc. are open, motor tilted down while on incline of ramp and let gravity empty boat . leave motor down during storage(unheated storage unit)... worked for me for 30 years in 4 diff boats. there's a winterization thread that covers some of this over on "boats"...fully watered and charged batteries are good to like 75 below or something like that. keep em on trickler...

[Custom Eyes]

Originally Posted by kswalleyer

we fish in and out of cold weather all winter down here. may be 45 one week, then breaking ice the next week and way below freezing. I got into a BIG suspending jerk bait bass bite in 6 degrees one year in January on Truman..put it away "dry" that night..no problem

Just make sure all drains, bilge etc. are open, motor tilted down while on incline of ramp and let gravity empty boat . leave motor down during storage(unheated storage unit)... worked for me for 30 years in 4 diff boats. there's a winterization thread that covers some of this over on "boats"...fully watered and charged batteries are good to like 75 below or something like that. keep em on trickler...

Yep! Ramps are pretty slow this time of year, so use that incline to your advantage. I do the same, then cycle all the pumps there at the ramp. Then when I get home, repeat process of lowering the engine and cycling the pumps, but with the trailer jacked up high. Same process I use even on the last trip of the year before winterizing.

For me... I winterize as normal, then plug everything I can. Intakes, overflows and drains. If you have fresh water intake while moving... remember to close those vales as well and any air intake valves. Water kept out doesn't have a chance to freeze and do damage. Main engine, kicker... Don't forget any electrics... Drop then down and let them drain.

Maybe a bit over the top... But ZERO freeze related issues in many years.

[Pokey Fisherman]

When I went up to Canada in the fall it would freeze at night so when I pulled it out I would lower the motors and drain everything like other have said but you also want to run the engine briefly just a few seconds to dry out the water pump. The locals told me that otherwise the next morning you would put your boat in and when you start the impeller could bust.

[eriksat1]

Originally Posted by Pokey Fisherman

When I went up to Canada in the fall it would freeze at night so when I pulled it out I would lower the motors and drain everything like other have said but you also want to run the engine briefly just a few seconds to dry out the water pump. The locals told me that otherwise the next morning you would put your boat in and when you start the impeller could bust.

Never run your motor out of water, maybe crank it over a couple times but don't start it. When you put the boat back into the water just let the lower unit sit in the water a few minutes before starting. You are not going to hurt anything as long as you drain the live wells as soon as you pull out. I fish until ice up all the time for 40 years.

[Pokey Fisherman]

Originally Posted by eriksat1

Never run your motor out of water, maybe crank it over a couple times but don't start it. When you put the boat back into the water just let the lower unit sit in the water a few minutes before starting. You are not going to hurt anything as long as you drain the live wells as soon as you pull out. I fish until ice up all the time for 40 years.

Never had a problem doing that.

[Bobby Winds]

Originally Posted by Pokey Fisherman

Never had a problem doing that.

I agree........when I had my old Grumman and was a lot younger we fished the lower Niagara River all winter long for steelhead and lake trout......at the launch after pulling the boat out I would lower the outboard and let it drain while strapping the boat down. Then before raising the outboard I would start it and let it run for about 5 seconds ensuring all the water was out of it. Might of done that a hundred times without any negative effects on my outboard. The impeller is not dry at that point like a motor that sat weeks on the trailer.

As far as plugging up your intakes and drains for your livewell..........on my Polar Kraft there are two huge shut off drain valves right when the pipes enter the boat at the transom. I can just take out the round access cover at the splash well and reach in and turn both of those valve off so no water enters or exits the livewell system. Many of you probably have the same valves but are unaware of them. You can now use the boat as if doesn't have a livewell aboard it.

[kswalleyer]

Originally Posted by Bobby Winds

I agree........when I had my old Grumman and was a lot younger we fished the lower Niagara River all winter long for steelhead and lake trout......at the launch after pulling the boat out I would lower the outboard and let it drain while strapping the boat down. Then before raising the outboard I would start it and let it run for about 5 seconds ensuring all the water was out of it. Might of done that a hundred times without any negative effects on my outboard. The impeller is not dry at that point like a motor that sat weeks on the trailer.

As far as plugging up your intakes and drains for your livewell..........on my Polar Kraft there are two huge shut off drain valves right when the pipes enter the boat at the transom. I can just take out the round access cover at the splash well and reach in and turn both of those valve off so no water enters or exits the livewell system. Many of you probably have the same valves but are unaware of them. You can now use the boat as if doesn't have a livewell aboard it.

great tip! learn something new everyday! ima go looking for those valves. i'm pretty much 100% catch and release...