Don’t forget about your rig!

SteveD’s and Dave’s post reminded me that all we’ve been talking about is fishing gear for the Excursion.

Don’t forget about your rigs!

’08 or better registration?

On board registration card?

Trailer hitch in good shape? Including hitch pins?

Towing chains in good shape?

Winch and strap? Need a bit of oil?

Lights working?

Wheel bearings?

Spare tire inflated? Do you have a wrench that fits those lugs??

Battery water ok? Terminals clean?

Sound Producing device? Horn or whistle working?

Boat Lights working if your planning on night fishing?

PFD for everyone? In good shape?

Throwable device if over 16 feet?

Fire extinguisher…working? Good idea to hit them with a rubber mallet to loosen up the chemical.

Bilge pump working?

Gas lines in good condition?

Anchors and line in good condition?

Marine Radio working?

Depthfinder/GPS working Don’t forget your LakeMaster Chip!

Extra Spark Plugs?

Oil Reservoir filled?

Did I miss anything??

Oh YEAH…DRAIN PLUG IN THE DRAIN HOLE!

Check the tires on the trailer to! I had one that looked iffy, so I aired it up and crossed my fingers on my first trip out a couple weeks back. I made it to the river, but it didn’t make it back .

Two brand new tires later, I’m ready to roll now!

Thanks for the tips!

And…Don’t leave your wallet on the top of the motor before you leave the yard! Made my brother-in-laws opener a bad day last year.

Trash bag in the livewell, BK, you are a gift that never stops giving

…and where else would one place his trash??

Quote:

---

Did I miss anything??

---

Jumper Cables or Battery Jumper Box for those that leave their lights on only to return at 3:30-AM to a dead battery on his vehicle.

You can’t always count on finding a set of Jumper Cables in the Back of some unattended Jeep at 3:30 in the morning…. ..

Oh yeah…forgot about that night.

Paper and pen to leave a thank you note for the jeep owner.

Quote:

---

Oh yeah…forgot about that night.

Paper and pen to leave a thank you note for the jeep owner.

---

I think they liked the $20 bill better than a thank you note!

Check the condition of your boat winch also! That one gets me every few years. Make sure its in proper working order.

Spare prop along with the necessary tools needed to change the prop on the water.

What is the typical lifespan of a fire extinguisher? The CO’s on the St. Croix make you depress the button on top and as long as it pops back up, they consider it in working order.
Any suggestions as my boat is entering its fifth season. Time for a new one?

Eric

I had a warden on Lake Arbutus (WI) discharge my fire extinguisher then tell me, straight faced, that I needed to buy a new one! what do you say to that????

Quote:

---

What is the typical lifespan of a fire extinguisher? The CO’s on the St. Croix make you depress the button on top and as long as it pops back up, they consider it in working order.
Any suggestions as my boat is entering its fifth season. Time for a new one?

Eric

---

I hope they are checking to make sure its charged up at at the same time. As long as its charged there is no shelf life or exp. date. Thats what I was told by a CO.

Quote:

---

What is the typical lifespan of a fire extinguisher? The CO’s on the St. Croix make you depress the button on top and as long as it pops back up, they consider it in working order.

---

As long as the guage on the top is in the green, you are good to go. Also many of them (Chemical style) need to be turned upside down once in a while and shaken. The chemicals settle to the bottom and they don’t work right, all you will get is air.

IMHO, as a Firefighter, the FE in most boats are total garbage, and could not put out a napkin fire, but better to be safe then sorry

Quote:

---

IMHO, as a Firefighter, the FE in most boats are total garbage, and could not put out a napkin fire, but better to be safe then sorry

---

You’ve got all that water around you, why would you possibly need a fire extinguisher?

Quote:

---

IMHO, as a Firefighter, the FE in most boats are total garbage, and could not put out a napkin fire, but better to be safe then sorry

---

C’mon Farmboy…. Firefighting is like fishing….. If you have confidence in your equipment your at least inclined to take a shot at putting it out… VS… abandoning ship at first flame.

What they taught me in FF school, put the blue on the red. About all you need to know

That’s what I’ve been taught too Farmboy…and learned first hand. Had a grass fire and all I got was co2…until I bounced the FE on the ground a few times. Bang it with a rubber mallet upside down from the way it normally sits in your boat.

If a CO can see the gauge reads “charged” then pulls the pin and discharges my extinguisher…he/she or there supervisor will be replacing mine. No good reason for that. If they haven’t been taught how to read the gauge…they have no business checking them.

And I agree, the FE in the boats are somewhat of a joke…but I would rather have a joke than nothing at all…speaking as a smoker.

PS water doesn’t put out electrical fires.

Side Note on fire extinguishers… be sure to put them somewhere away from where flames are most likely to be, yout not going to be leaning into a wall of flames reaching for a fire extinguisher.

Most have probably already hit the water once, but prior to that first trip is a nice time to lube the lower unit on your motor, or at least check it.

I didn’t see “Fishing License” on the list, but I guess it would go on the “gear” list more than the rig list.

2007 MN fishing licenses are good until the end of this month. They changed it recently.

If your coming from out of state and you didnt have a 2007 license, dont buy a 2008 license for the excursion, you wont be covered until May 1st(buy a temp license)

I was boarded by the DNR on Vermilion a couple years ago and the CO told me I had to have the rope attached to my throwable, my throwable had to be out and visible and my fire extinquisher also had to be out and visible. At the time this wasn’t gin clear in the regs.

Luke, where you in a house boat?

Quote:

---

2007 MN fishing licenses are good until the end of this month. They changed it recently.

If your coming from out of state and you didnt have a 2007 license, dont buy a 2008 license for the excursion, you wont be covered until May 1st(buy a temp license)

---

Are you sure Dave that doesn’t make sense.
I would think you could buy your 2008 non-resident license right now and you would be covered.

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

2007 MN fishing licenses are good until the end of this month. They changed it recently.

If your coming from out of state and you didnt have a 2007 license, dont buy a 2008 license for the excursion, you wont be covered until May 1st(buy a temp license)

---

Are you sure Dave that doesn’t make sense.
I would think you could buy your 2008 non-resident license right now and you would be covered.

---

I am sure. Its foolish, but it does make sense. The 2008 license covers 5/1/08 – 4/30/09. A friend of mine got tagged in the past ice fishing on Tonka with me for that reason a couple days before the new season.

I would guess that at least some CO’s would let it slide with a warning.

It makes no sense.

I know Mn residents can buy their 08 license now and be covered for 08/09.

I’m sure a call to the DNR would confirm that resident or non-resident anglers can purchase their 08/09 fishing license before May 1st and be legal to fish now.

They should be available for purchase, they just are NOT IN EFFECT yet. They dont become effective until that license season… 5/1/08 to 4/30/09

The bottom of my new license that I bought last month does say “effective 03/01/2008 thru 04/30/2009”

I thought I heard of a couple guys getting warnings while ice fishing on Lake of the Isles mid March. They supposedly had the new ’08 and did not have their ’07 licenses anymore. Not sure if this was true.

Sometimes the CO’s are last to pick up on the New rule changes being in the feild and as busy as they are these days.

http://news.dnr.state.mn.us/index.php/2008/02/28/minnesota-2007-fishing-licenses-valid-through-april-30/

Or…..you could buy a new one already to go.

The SS CatQueen is on the auction block.

http://www.idofishing.com/classifieds/showclassified.php/Number/659234