Little Bay de Noc Fishing Reports

Steve L · Senior Member

operating a boat during after the freeze moves in.

Frank S · Veteran Member

Several years ago, after hearing about some mishaps and close calls with frozen and cracked livewell fittings allowing water to leak into the boat, I plugged my sytems. Took the screens off the intakes and capped them with pipe caps, also got some expandable plumbers plugs (rubber with wing-nuts to expand them to tight fit) and plugged the outlets, since water can also enter into the system through the outlets. Make sure everthing is blown dry first, maybe a little RV antifreeze in the pumps. I used to do this yearly, but now, I just leave them plugged, and use an ice-chest. Any fish that I decide to keep goes on ice immediately. Livewells are now storage spaces. Don't fish tourneys, don't upgrade fish, so it works for me. Fish are great on ice right away. July/August livewells all day can get warm, even with pumping. Also, make sure your engines are completely drained after pulling the boat. Real cold nights, I split-second start them to make sure the impellor housings are drained.

Steve L · Senior Member

Thanks, that is pretty much what thought. I'll have to alter my live well inlet so I can effectively cap it. I'll keep a few gallons of rv antifreeze to treat the bilge as well.

Fishoil · Member

I leave my valves on recirculate while on the water to keep the lines closed and don't use a livewell after freezing temps. arrive. Upon taking the boat out of the water I lower both motors all the way to drain the water, then raise them all the way, and finally lower them all the way again. Sometimes you'll get a fair amount of water out the second time down. If it's above freezing I'll flip my livewell switches to drain and then back to recirculate when any water drains out. They'll likely freeze into position overnight again.

The biggest problem I've ever had was the boat freezing to the wet bunks on the trailer. One morning it took me 20 minutes to get the trailer to drop off of the boat when I backed it into the landing. At least the motor was well warmed up from me using it to run the trailer tires into the cement with it. biggrin

Above all be very vigilant when on the water, check your bilge often, pay attention to the weather, and head for the landing if anything isn't exactly what it should be. There's nobody close to help you out there when the weather gets cold and things can go bad way quicker than in the summer. No fish is worth your's or anybody else's life.