Time to put the boat away.😢

[limeyangler]

Hi all,

It's that time of year. I could squeeze a couple more weeks in but having to dodge sub zero days to get the power wash on the boat is stressful, anyway, its mostly crappie biting and we caught the hell out of them from mid September, that itch has been scratched pretty good. Will be doing my usual bird hunting and shore fishing until the ice arrives. Bird hunting usually dies off once the snow flies and settles and shore fishing for me is done once its below 0℃ during the day because of line freeze, then my least favourite time of year....waiting for safe ice.....uughhh. On a cheerier note, here's some pics from the last 4 weeks or so, got out solo lots but also with my neighbour and did some guiding for old and new friends. 

 

 

[glen]

Cold snap coming Thursday. 
I winterized my boats.  Maybe I will be able to get them out in April.  

[Rizzo]

None of this talk for me until Dec 16 I hope...the day after musky season closes

[CrowMan]

Winterize ? What's that ? I'll run a boat on the Niagara right through till spring..

[Weeds]

First snow flakes of the year have just begun here in Peterborough. 

[glen]

It sure feels cold today. 
I’ll just sharpen hooks until spring.  

[Essox]

Just but into Luund into storage last week. No fishing until April-May 26, since I'm basically to old to ice fish anymore. 

[Fisherman]

Too old, bah, just got and rent a hut from an operator, backpack with lunch and beverages, that's what I plan on this winter.

[CrowMan]

1 hour ago, Fisherman said:

Too old, bah, just got and rent a hut from an operator, backpack with lunch and beverages, that's what I plan on this winter.

You don't even have to bring a lunch....several operators on Simcoe will have hot pizza delivered to the door of your hut..

[Fisherman]

2 hours ago, CrowMan said:

You don't even have to bring a lunch....several operators on Simcoe will have hot pizza delivered to the door of your hut..

That's a nice perk for sure.

[AKRISONER]

had my final trip this weekend, waiting for the warm up later this week to wash the boat and will winterize this weekend during the + temperatures 😓

[limeyangler]

3 hours ago, AKRISONER said:

had my final trip this weekend, waiting for the warm up later this week to wash the boat and will winterize this weekend during the + temperatures 😓

We are due some + temps here this week too, gonna get a few bits and pieces done while I can.

[glen]

It’s cold. I just got 3” of snow. 

[Ron]

I kinda miss the days trailering to the Niagara in early January.  

[duke2555]

What do you guys do to winterize your boat/motor?

I did my livewells with RV antifreeze.

I have a 60hp 4stroke Merc CT. newer model 2022, got 2 summers ago.

 

[Fisherman]

Change motor and lower unit oils, drain gas, check and or replace fuel filter, drain rubber hose and gas tank.  Then check wheel bearings, grease as needed( when I had my boat, that was done after the last outing, no point in having moisture inside the hubs to rust all winter), park boat/trailer, jack it up and put it on jackstands.  Check lights and wiring, repair/replace as needed. 

[duke2555]

I also store boat/motor in a barn that doesn't go below 42 degrees F, concrete floors.

 

[Rizzo]

On 10/31/2025 at 11:05 AM, Rizzo said:

None of this talk for me until Dec 16 I hope...the day after musky season closes

Uggg....it didn't work out as I hoped. I winterized the boat a couple days ago when I saw this weather coming. At least I did get out 2 more times after my original message, and we caught fish each time. Good to close the season without getting skunked the last time out. Having said that....I do have friends who keep their boat in a heated shop so who knows, might get out with them (and maybe get skunked anyways)

[AKRISONER]

plumbing antifreeze in my livewell and bilge lines

fill gas tank right up full with stabilizer...and run that stabilizer through while i warm up the motor for the oil change.

Motor oil

lower end gear oil

charge up the batteries and bring the lithium inside

need to put the trailer on jack stands

 

and as always, ive got a list of work to do, but i can never feel any motivation to do it when its cold, my garage is not insulated, so its fine on days that are around 0 to work in, but I generally feel very blah for the first part of the offseason. i need a new keel roller, i saw that somehow i managed to smash my keel off of my trailer as well at the end of this season leaving a big chunk of gelcoat missing...yay! going to patch it up ugly, and then throw a keel guard on, such is life...6 more years with this hull and it can go in the garbage for all i care lol

I also need to fix my rear compartment, the screws have all stripped themselves out, total pain in the you know what because they were screwed into an area with carpet...im not sure what to do still about that one...might try a quick and dirty first and just inject 30 screw holes with epoxy and screw into them and pray for the best...otherwise i think ill have to recarpet the entire back section, good luck matching that...boats i tell ya

Edited 21 hours ago by AKRISONER

[smitty55]

1 hour ago, AKRISONER said:

plumbing antifreeze in my livewell and bilge lines

Motor oil

lower end gear oil

charge up the batteries and bring the lithium inside

need to put the trailer on jack stands

 

 

I also need to fix my rear compartment, the screws have all stripped themselves out, total pain in the you know what because they were screwed into an area with carpet...im not sure what to do still about that one...might try a quick and dirty first and just inject 30 screw holes with epoxy and screw into them and pray for the best...otherwise i think ill have to recarpet the entire back section, good luck matching that...boats i tell ya

Could you not just go up one size with the screws, or if screwed into wood put some toothpicks ends into the holes and reinsert the screws, that's what I've done in the past for stripped threads in door hinges etc.