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As anyone who has ever caught a trout can tell you, it is an exhilarating feeling. For our East Coast readers, here are two spots that you should definitely check out. First, is Roscoe, NY, aka Trout Town USA. Beaverkill River and the Willowemoc River flow through town and provide stunning wild brown and rainbow trout.
State College, PA, home of Pennsylvania State University, is also a prime trout fishing location. Creeks and rivers fed by cool streams surround the area, making it a prime location for trout to live, breed, and be caught year round. Wherever your destination, make sure your boat engine has plenty of two cycle outboard oil.
Americans are blessed with plentiful bass fishing holes (with the exception of Alaska, but, hey, 49 out of 50 isn’t bad). I recently stumbled upon an article listing the top 25 bass fishing spots in the Union. From my own experience, I would say there are some more deserving areas that could be on the list, but overall, the author did a good job.
He listed Falcon Lake, TX, Lake Okeechobee, FL, and even Georgia’s Lake Lanier. California had quite a few spots on the list, including Lake Amidor, Castaic Lake, and The San Joaquin Delta. With a little bit of know-how, a good lure, and two cycle oil in your engine, whatever watering hole is closes to you can become the best bass catching spot.
I’ll admit that I used to be part of the crowd that believed that synthetic and regular oil could not be mixed. I falsely believed that mixing the two would cause congealing, foaming, and leaks. All of that turned out to be false.
In fact, some major manufacturers produce blended oils known as semi-synthetics. These combination oils work because synthetic oil is based off of regular crude oil and then hydrocracked to eliminate impurities. If you already have synthetic oil outboard motor and regular motor oil on hand, then you can mix your own semi-synthetic. Just be sure to read up on proper procedures before attempting the combination.
There are boaters who believe that using synthetic oil instead of regular oil is akin to using margarine instead of butter. It may look the same, but does it really do the trick? As a former doubter, I can attest to the beneficial properties of synthetic oil.
Several years ago I made the switch to synthetic 2 stroke outboard oil. I learned that many synthetic oils are made with ash-less components to prevent fouling. The anti-gel properties also proved better than the regular oil I was using. Plus, the synthetic oil came dyed blue which made detecting the oil in fuel a lot easier.
My brothers and I grew up boating on the Chesapeake Bay. Though most of us live in urban areas now, we still go home for all the major holidays. Our dad still owns a small fleet of boats that he needs help winterizing each year.
To make it less of a chore, my brothers and I have made winterizing the boats into a competition. The first brother to finish winterizing their boat properly wins. Dad, of course, gets to be the judge. He is a particular stickler for making sure that we haven’t shortchanged any areas that need outboard oil.
The Discovery Channel has some fairly interesting reality television programming, including the series “Gold Rush” (previously known as “Gold Rush: Alaska”). I was watching one of the early episodes from season two and was simply appalled by what I saw. The crew did not winterize their big equipment at the end of last season, meaning when they arrived back at their claim, much of their heavy machinery was heavily rusted.
Naturally, there was concern as to weather the machinery would start at all. By some miracle it did, but I would never advise letting any piece of machinery simply rust away during the winter months – especially not in a climate like that of Alaska! Take this as a warning to winterize all boats now before the worst of winter sets in. Don’t forget to stock up on outboard motor oil while you’re at it.
Special marine grade oil is needed for diesel marine engines, as they typically carry high loads for extended periods of time. The National Marine Manufacturers Association tests diesel engine oils and gives recommendations based on those tests. The oils tested may be entirely synthetic or partially synthetic.
NMMA-certified oils include: oil TC-W3 amalie, FC-W and FC-W (CAT). TC-W3 is used with two-stroke engines, FC-W with four-stroke engines, and FC-W(CAT) with four-stroke engines that have exhaust treatment catalyst systems. When selecting diesel oil, be sure to consider added characteristics
To , you will need pre-wired paper tags, an oil storage container, and duct tape. Start by locating the oil inlet line that runs from the oil tank to the oil pump. Tag the line.
Pull out the oil inlet line by hand from the pump and cap it with your thumb. Drain the mercury outboard oil into a storage container. Use duct tape to cap the line. Tag the oil outlet line which runs from the pump to the fuel system. Pull the line from the pump, and then cap the line with duct tape to prevent contamination.
If you’re like me, then you try to save money by ordering your outboard motor oil in bulk. While this is a great money saver, you need to be careful with how you store oil. Drums can be made of several materials, including polyethylene and steel. You need to check with the manufacturer to make sure that the container you use for storage is appropriate for the oil it contains.
An incorrect storage drum can cause damage to the oil itself. The wrong storage drum can also become corroded and leak oil everywhere, thus hurting the environment and your wallet. The moral of this story is, give your mercury oil 55 gallon drum guy a call when you place your order to make sure everything is kosher.
Shrink wrapping your boat helps protect it during the cold winter months. All you need is a boat shrink wrap kit, a heat gun, and a ladder (depending on the size of your boat). Most of these items can be ordered online or purchased at a boating supplies store.
Take care of the engine, mercury oil, and other necessities on the boat and position the vehicle where you want it to stay for the season. Pad sharp corners that could potentially puncture the shrink wrap. Put up support poles for the shrink wrap to adhere to, and then unroll the shrink wrap over the boat. Use the heat gun to tighten and seal the shrink wrap. Check your work for any holes, patch up those holes you find, and finally install self adhesive vents to keep mold from forming under the wrap.