Most of the boats have what they call an oil injected system. On my boat, I can go through three tanks of gas before I have to refill the oil, but you know me. When I get home, I always top it off.

Here is another tip that can save you big bucks.

When you get your boat brand new, you have a break in period and the dealer will tell you to mix oil with your gas for the first ten hours of use. I still put oil in my gas:

Story time....I was at a lake taking some folks fishing and was about a hour from the launch when an alarm went off telling me I have low oil. Some of the boats have alarms telling you about the oil, water, and over heating.

Anyway, I stopped the boat immediately then shut the motor down and checked the oil tank located at the back of the boat. The oil was full but the boat warning system was still getting the alarm. 

I thought maybe the line was plugged so I check it and verify that it was operating properly.

What do you do in this case? 

What I did was proceed back to the launch ramp area at low speed and put the boat back on the trailer. You do not want to lock up that major boat motor investment. As it turned out the motor was getting oil; it was the wiring harness that had shorted out. There was no way I could have figured that out on the lake. I took it back to the repair shop and they found it.

The repair shop technician asked why I was still mixing the oil with my gas and I explained this was a good example of why.

If for some reason your oil injector has a fault, your engine will still get the proper oil lubrication that is needed to safely run the motor. They told me it would not hurt and was a good idea to run oil with the gas but is not required since the motor was equipped with an oil injection system.

This extra precaution step is something for you to think about and decide whether to implement. Again, refer to your owner’s manual for your boat motor’s specifications and recommendations.

Steering and Linkage:

Steering and linkage on the new boats are so in depth that I use the owners

Manual or take it to the dealer and let him take care of oiling and greasing the motor. In between servicing intervals based on the owner’s manual, do complete a visual inspection to ensure cables are not frayed

Live Well Maintenance:

Live Well maintenance is very easy when you get home. Fill it up a few times then rinse it out. Do not use any harsh chemicals inside the live well. Remember you will be using it again and it will kill the fish next year. Just rinse it out and take a clean rag and wipe it down.

After Fishing Boat Drainage (Protect From Freezing):

When you pull your boat back onto the trailer and while getting the boat secured for the trip home, always make it a practice to take the drain plug out of the boat.

There is water in the bottom of the boat that the bilge pump will not get out. This will ensure that no water is left in the boat that you can't see.

Stop and think about what could happen if you put the boat up for the winter and did not take out the drain plug. Winter time below freezing temperatures freeze the water that was in your boat and now you got a repair bill for a new bilge pump that was damaged by the expanding forces of water turning into ice.

I hope these bass boat maintenance tips will help you in keeping your baby looking brand new and properly maintained to protect your investment.

Keep the Hooks Wet!

Steve McGoldrick

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