Tips for cold weather fishing.

[Del Gue]

With the weather getting cold and being new to late weather boat fishing. I am looking for some tips to keep my boat healthy. Is it a good idea to raise the motor out of the water to run all the water out of it before shutting it off to prevent water from freezing in it?
Anything you can add will help.
Thanks

[raz]

I like to stay on the steep ramp if traffic allows, lower my motor and fire it for a couple seconds to blow water out. I also like to remove my bilge plug on the ramp and empty the live well if I've used it.
I store my boat with the motor all the way down to keep water from entering the prop area between trips when we expect sub-freezing temps.

I'd like to know what others do also.

[blue lund]

That is pretty much all I do. I do stop using my livewell though and start to use a cooler instead in the later fall before ice up. I am always nervous I won't get all the water out of my livewell pump assembly. I also pull the plug after each use and make sure I put it in again before the next. Outboards are pretty simple creatures as long as you drain them.

[champlain fisher]

Pretty much summed it up Raz.

[vtloon]

I also run my bilge pump dry (having killed a couple).

[lightandvariable]

That's it, for outboards anyway.

[Del Gue]

Thanks all. Great stuff! I was doing what you all do with the motor but I never thought about the livewell. Good to know.

[raz]

I do stop using my livewell though and start to use a cooler instead in the later fall before ice up. I am always nervous I won't get all the water out of my livewell pump assembly.

My live well pump is always wet (under the surface) any time my boat is in the water. It wouldn't matter if I used it or not.

[fishingmachine]

I don't think it is a good idea to run any outboard out of the water for any reason,sounds like a good way to fry the water pump.Most motors will self drain if you put them verticle as soon as you pull them off the ramp.Any dealers have comments on this?

[Surprise]

Sorry Frank,

I run my still Wet & Draining motor in down for 30 seconds or so when I get up into the parking lot and putting my canvas back on. Gerry this keeps the ramp a bit more ice free. Have done this for two generations of my boats now with no harm that I can see. Maybe harm would come to the pump if the rig had been in the garage Dry for a while.

When starting at the launch I stay on the trailer with the motor running until heat builds enough under the motor cover to thaw out the pee line. Even at 0 degrees it thaws and pees after a couple minutes.

I put a small rubber cork in the livewell intake and a bigger one in the larger discharge hole. Come to think about it I converted the whole shebang into a second Bilge pump. I like the thought about keeping that COLD water out of the boat while I'm in it.

Ice on the launch: Bring your trailer out slowly to prevent flooding the soon to be ice rink. Try to remember to bring a pail of salted sand. Could be very handy for you and others too. The Admiral usually leaves one at the top of the ramp. Leave one too if you find someone has used it up.

[raz]

Great points about keeping the ramp dry as possible Randy. I'll take that into consideration from now on.
(Although I emptied everything out of the boat today for the winter )

[fishingmachine]

well, Randy ought to know,makes sense to follow what he does,he's probably launched and recovered more in sub-freezing weather than Santa Claus