cold water outboard care.

I would like to exstend my fishing season into the late fall and early winter but i’m not sure how to care for my motor.
Is there a winter fuel mix and what do I need to do about storage between trips?

As soon as you remove your boat from the water, tilt the motor as far down as possible and let all of the water drain out. I hit the starter and turn the motor over for approx 3-4 seconds. (Some pull the kill switch so the motor won’t start. I let the motor start and run for the 3-4 seconds) Doing this blows all of the water from the water pump and lower unit.

Immediately drain any water in your bilge or livewell and spin your bilge and livewell pumps to expel water. I like to plug off the intake and drain of the livewell for the winter so no water gets into them.

Make sure there is no water behind the prop of your electric trolling motor. Again, I like to spin the prop for 3-4 seconds to expel any water there.

Keep the gas treated with Sta-bil or Seafoam in case the boat ends up sitting for an extended period of time.

If you have a bunk trailer, consider spraying silicone on the bunks to help prevent the boat freezing to the trailer.

One more thing. Boat Ramp Etiquette. When pulling out on a day where temps are close to or at freezing temps, pull the boat up to where your trailer tires are at the edge of the water and let all of the excess water drain out of your trailer. Please don’t “Wash Down” the ramp and turn it into an ice rink for the next guy!!

Jon J.

Excellent tip’s Jon!

Just a couple more things to consider…….
I usually dump some wiper fluid into my livewell, baitwell and down by my bilge pumps so any remaining water won’t freeze. Once it starts getting really cold you might want to think about using a minnow bucket versus your baitwell and a cooler to toss fish in if you plan on keeping a few.
Something else..if you have a kicker, even if you don’t use it, tip it down just to make sure no water got into it while you were going up or coming off plane or even just putting the boat on the trailer. Even tilted all the way up mine drains a little everytime.

Thanks for the information . I hope to put it to use soon.

Thanks for the tips.

Really good tips. I like to bring some salt. A cheap bag of water softner salt is a big help. Try not to over do it. The slipery stuff on the trailer is a great Idea. my trailer was foating with the boat for a while today. Probably will on Monday also. About the salt on the ramp I hope its legal, I used very little.