Five Quick Tips to Improve Your Bass Boat

Winter is the time of year our boats are used the least. They are either in storage or in the garage as we wait for a few nice days in a row to go fish again. To prepare for those days, prepare your boat with these five quick, simple tips. Attention now will make that first day back on the water a good one.

Clean the Graphs

This task is so simple but rarely gets done. As trips to the lake increase over the spring through the fall, fish are landed over the gunwale and water droplets fill a graph. While out fishing, we constantly look at our graphs but may never clean the screen. Grab a microfiber cloth and use a basic glass cleaner without ammonia. Do not spray the cleaner directly on the unit; instead, spray the cleaner into the cloth to dampen it and reapply as needed. Use as clean a cloth as possible, as particles in the cloth can cause scratches.

Clean the Bilge Area

With the bilge area long forgotten space at the bottom of the boat, most of us think the drain plug being open is enough attention to the space. Over time, though, items in the cockpit area or in cup holders can end up in the bilge area. When everyone ran 2-stroke engines, it was common to have oil stains in this area. First, remove any water, using a rag to mop it up. Next, remove larger debris like leaves, fishing line or soft plastic baits. Using a small amount of Dawn liquid soap and warm water, clean the area where the water pools. Rinse and sponge any remaining liquid, and finally dry the space so no water is left behind. NOTE: If you have the newer, hard-foam deck material, see the #3 before cleaning the bilge area.

Vacuum Carpet/Scrub Foam Deck Pad

Using a vacuum at a car wash can be faster, but a wet/dry vac at home works just as well. Vacuum the front deck from bow to stern. Then vacuum the rear deck from stern to bow. This should allow you the best areas to work from and keep what you vacuumed footprint-free. It also allows any additional debris to fall into the cockpit area. If you have a carpeted cockpit, vacuum it last by starting under the driver’s console and working outside of your boat. NOTE: If you have the newer, hard-foam deck material, use warm water with a mild soap and sponge to clean. Do this before you clean the bilge area. Make sure you have the drain plug out and bucket under the drain hole.

Straighten Rods

Like cleaning the graphs, this task is simple but easy to ignore. First, pull out all the rods. If you have a carpeted rod box, now is the ideal time to vacuum it. If it is fiberglass, give it a quick wipe down. Remove any plastic shavings that accrue in a rod box. Make sure the rod sleeves are back on the rods before they are inserted into the rod tubes. Finally, install the rods based on spacing for the different rod applications, organizing them by most accessible for the next trip.

Remove Excess Weight and Debris,

Over the course of a year we buy plastics, hard baits, and various items that roll around and litter the boat. Remove the loose items, organizing them in a specific box or location. Look in cupholders and glove boxes, check the cooler, and inspect those day boxes for items still needed but not put away. Look for duplicated items that can be stored off the boat. That one jerkbait is with the flukes when it should be in the jerkbait box in the basement. Remove these items to remove the clutter, provide you more room and safer maneuverability, and improve overall performance.

Taking action on these tips gives you a way to prepare for that first day on the water with a clean boat, organized rods, and essential tackle. Feel free to contact us if you have additional tips to add as you prepare for the onslaught of full days of fishing in the upcoming months.