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Posts: 566
Location: Elgin, IL | Gloves might be the most important part of cold water fishing. You can't do much with cold, wet hands. Carry spares. I carry 3 different hats.
Some good tips here about outboard care in cold temps. I carry some spare plugs and now I'll be carrying an extra realay for the tilt/trim. I make extra sure all of the batteries are charged and in good working order. Don't ever forget the cell phone, and don't run out of battery power either.
I make sure the outboard is warmed up well. Actually, I have to, it's 17 years old and doesn't run all that great until she's warmed up anyway.
I've had 0 problems with water left in the lower unit...I simply tilt and trim the motor once she's on the trailer, and most runs right out. I don't start it up.
* A lot of little things to remember, but they can save a lot of time and trouble.
And Marty, I like your sucker tank. Great idea. I just convert my front livewell into the same basic idea. Then I can refresh the water easily during the daytrip with the aerator.
Edited by Northwind Mark 11/10/2013 9:31 AM
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Posts: 3901
| Gloves in Freezing Conditions 101
Assumption: you fish without gloves whenever you can. So,
carry three sets of gloves:
1) Running Gloves
2) Warm Yer Hands Gloves
3) Release Gloves
Running Gloves are insulated, waterproof 5 finger deals worn when you are putting in or out, and running the boat from one spot to another. Store these anywhere, doesn't matter if you put them on cold, you'll be wearing them a while.
Warming Gloves are big mittens (Choppers) loaded with handwarmers. Pop the handwarmers as you hit the landing and store mittens in your parka hand pockets. Sorta like holsters. Reday to dry and warm you hands anytime, just poke your hands in.
Release Gloves (Lindy's or whatever) are always 5 finger and once wet must be wrung out and stored in a gallon ziplock bag along with a popped handwarmer. It is impossible to put a set of wet > frozen Lindy gloves on your hands.
Class over, hope it was helpful.
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Posts: 3901
| Nets in Freezing Conditions 101
Point the wet net away from you and twist handle till the basket is folded over itself as much as possible. Place in boat with as little contact to the boat as possible. The basket will freeze up like a spatula, no way to stop it. The only way to thaw the basket is to dunk the net in the water. Expect your fish to freak out.
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Posts: 3901
| Rods and Reels in Freezing Conditions 101
Based on my limited experience, you can get ice off the rod but you cannot stop a reel from freezing up. Ice crystals poking up thru the line on the spool at first, then the reel gets sluggish on releasing line and the drag system tightens up and then it gets really frozen. To the point you cannot reel at all. All I use are Abus and thumbars freeze up much faster than push buttons.
I never experimented with thawing reels. By the time everything is frozen its dark and I'm ready to get off the water. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | gloves get in the way ... |
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Posts: 3901
| Um, I never gravitated past sophmore. |
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Location: Sawyer County, WI | So do condoms, but one bad experience without them may change your mind... 
jonnysled - 11/14/2013 9:30 PM
gloves get in the way ... |
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Posts: 1220
| Last Saturday's Ironman event on Pewaukee in the midst of sustained 30 (plus) MPH winds was the very first time brand new batteries lost all power to the bowmount for me with at least 3 more hours to go. We then let the Verado run at idle, just nudging it in and out of gear for forward and back motion knowing the alternator was giving some juice to trolling motor battery #1 as well as the cranking battery. This gave us the ability to use the bow-mount just for left/right adjustment, maintain pretty OK control of the boat and complete confidence that we wouldn't lose the crank battery, even with all the electronics at full function. Naturally, Verados can run all day at idle without making a sound, hurting the engine, or burning more than a couple of gallons of fuel. Yes, we didn't catch a fish (again) but there is clearly something to be said for not feeling nervous out there in what was a signature rough day...and I mean waves crashing over the bow of a Ranger 620. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | nothing i've seen on the water is any worse than being in a tree for deer gun season or out on the ice. under armour, good quality boots, down vest for your core and neck and head cover keeping yourself free to move comfortably works. amazing what a positive attitude toward conditions can give you too. if your core is warm and dry it translates to the extremities.
another tip for multiple days … if you don't have a boot drier, get one. |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | Shout out to all the guys who mentioned draining and firing up the motor upon exit from the water to prevent the spread of invasives. My employees and I greatly appreciate your diligence! Keep it up. |
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Location: Waukesha, WI, USA | I also carry jumper cables in the boat. Batteries drain easier in cold conditions. I've had to use the trolling battery to jump starting battery. |
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Posts: 1220
| One of the better tools you can use to remain safe in really cold weather is a little kit made of two glass balls sitting on thin glass tubes. The balls and tubes come pre-filled with water and you simply put this little apparatus on your boats console. When it gets cold enough to freeze the liquid and expand it to the point where the glass breaks, that's when you know you're freezing your balls off and it's time to go in! |
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Posts: 1247
Location: On the Niagara River in Buffalo, NY | Freezing reel dragwasher fix in subfreezing weather, shooting muffs with handwarmers placed over your reel when trolling keeps everything warm, shad oil on the spooled up line stops freezing and adds a sent trail. |
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Posts: 3901
| Oooooh, Larry yer making my nipples hard. |
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Posts: 32910
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Geeez |
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