Summer-ize Your Ice Gear NOW

If you were to do a quick internet search, I imagine you’ll find hundreds of posts on how to winterize your gear. Most of us realize that we need to take precautionary steps to protect our gear before winter. Ironically, a majority of us don’t take those same steps when it comes to our ice fishing gear.

Here are few steps I take to insure my ice-fishing gear is adequately stored during the offseason and is in great shape to be used next winter.

Fuel— I like to treat the fuel in my machines with stabilizer and use a non-ethanol gas. While the philosophy of how you do that varies, I prefer to fill my tank all the way to prevent condensation or any type of moisture from being in the tank. At this time, I leave a Post-It Note on the machine stating when I filled it. During years when we have a mild winter, the machine may not get used—and now I know how old that gas is. A fuel transfer pump designed for gasoline is amazing for removing fuel so that fresh gas can be added when necessary.

Charge it— It’s no surprise that if it isn’t a fuel issue, we often find ourselves with a battery issue. I prefer to charge all of my fishing electronics when I put them away. I see many lithium companies recommend storing your batteries at a 50% charge, so it’s best to consult the manufacture of your batteries for the best long term storage choice. I also like to leave a note as a reminder for when the last time these items were charged to help keep them charged without having to check them constantly.

On machines like snowmobiles or ATVs, I have a trickle charger wired in permanently so that I can quickly charge it anytime. In the off season a slow trickle charge is a good way to avoid needing an expensive battery for your machines and keep you ready when the season does start. If the machine is being stored away from you or in a place without electricity, removing the battery can be a wise move.

Clean Heaters— Regardless of the brand of portable propane heaters you always seem to have one that won’t work as the season approaches even though you put it away working perfectly well. I use cloth bags during the fishing season that are designed to protect the heater, but in off season I have found that a clear plastic or garbage bag that is taped up makes it much more difficult for dust and bugs to get at it and cause the small pilot holes to become clogged.

Air It Out— One of the simplest things to do, but one that is often avoided because of weather, is to simply open them up to air and dry out. The moisture that today’s thermal skins hold will make for a mildew mess if not dried out before storing. On a nice day do it in the driveway or at least in the garage if weather is less than ideal.

Critter Traps— Mice and other small varmints can do a ton of damage to our gear. Placing dryer sheets and bars of Irish spring soap in ice shacks is a good way to deter them. Small traps can also work well. If you do set traps, make sure you check on them regularly for several weeks or you may just have a similar, but different problem. Do not overlook the ability of mice to get into your barn or even enclosed trailers. In trailers they often get in through the fenders in creases so small you wouldn’t think it would be an issue, but it will be. They also seem to be fond of wires and ice-fishing shuttles or on the engine blocks of your machines.

Make Notes— When ice season is over, we tend to get busy with life or in a hurry to jump into the boats. As a result, we often forget about all of the stuff we broke or damaged during the season. For me this winter, that means replacing a belt that is worn, repairing a shanty hitch, replacing auger blades, and runners to mention a few. Between lack of time and having to order some parts, these tasks aren’t going to get done anytime soon and often are on deck when we hit the dog days of summer. Regardless of when you can perform your repairs, without a list, it may be the day before ice season starts and prevent you from going that first trip, or worse yet, stranded because you forgot completely.

Hopefully these storage tips will inspire you to take some easy DIY steps to keep you gear operating as it should. We would also love to hear about how you keep critters out of your gear during the offseason.

Capt. Ross Robertson

Bigwater Fishing

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