The Care of Your Fishing Boat

Fishing boats undergo different kinds of stress when compared to boats that are just used for leisure. The surfaces, for example, are constantly being damaged by blood, bait, slime, and hooks. If you neglect to do maintenance, you’ll have to replace costly parts every few seasons.

Why Fishing Takes A Toll On Boats

Fish slime contains an enzyme that breaks down protective layers of fibreglass and metal. If it is left to sit, it will permanently stain and make a rough, pitted surface when it has etched through the gelcoat.
Hooks and weights are a constant source of scratches to the deck. Each time a fish thrashes or you drop a piece of tackle, you are contributing to surface damage. The small scratches that make a surface look old and tacky increase the difficulty of cleaning.
Spilled bait creates an unpleasant, lingering odor, and it draws vermin. If you are sensible, it will only be a nightmare of maggots escaping into the bilge that you have to experience once.
Fishing in saltwater is worse than fishing in freshwater when it comes to corrosion of everything, from engine parts and metal fittings to electrical connections. The salt greatly increases the rate of corrosion.

Cleaning After Every Trip

This may sound extreme, but it prevents most of the problems. A little bit of cleaning (ten minutes or so) is less work than restoration, which requires hours.
To rinse the deck of the accumulated fish slime and bait, use a hose. For more stubborn residue, a deck brush will be needed, since hosing alone will not be effective.

Inspect rod holders and tackle storage. Look inside storage compartments and remove any bait or garbage.

Clean out bilges. If there’s any spilled bait or bait bag juices the bilges will they will have an awful smell and attract rats if the boat is land stored.

Use cleaning spray to wipe seats and other surfaces. There’s many boat cleaning products that are designed to breakdown and remove fish oils and slime.

Let the boat breath by opening storage hatches. Be sure to allow the boat to air out before covering or storing it away. Stagnant air and moisture is a recipe for growing mold.

Fishing Boat Engine Maintenance

Compared to leisure boat outboards, fishing outboards require more maintenance. It’s a more strenuous activity. It’s a lot of frequent starting and stopping. Tight and slow maneuvering are the norm, and for longer periods of time the engine is kept at a low RPM and they run for longer time without a break. All of that is more challenging and tougher on the engine compared to smooth, steady cruising.

Always flush salt water outboard engines with fresh water after every use. Most outboard engines have salt water flush attachments which make it super easy. Just connect a hose to the engine, run it for 5-10 min and it will prevent salt build up in the cooling systems.

Remove any fishing line that may be stuck around the shafts of propellers and other rotating components. Fishing line gets sucked in near propellers and they become a major problem if it tangles around the shaft cause it can ruin seals and bearings.

Dervice the engine within the time they specify, not when you feel like it, and especially not when they feel like it, as recervicing and maintanence are some of the most importan part of the process. Fishing boats lose their time quite slowly, thus time based recervicing is even more the biggest part of the cleaning on top of time based recervising and maintanance.

Check the fuel lines every time. fuel is the base of fishing, thus making cleaning of the engine damaged and quite hard, so damaged fuel lines make engine cleaning highly expensive. Fuel contamination is also a common problem because fuel boiling fuel lines stick for a long time.

Keeping things clean

Wax on fibreglass boats should be added every 6 months. The other part of cleaning is staining, and the other part is cleaning for upkeep. Cleaning is the biggest part of the work, thus if you want to clean your cleaning if more is needed. Cleaning is the biggest part of the work, thus if you want to clean your cleaning for upkeep is more.

Non-skid deck surfaces cleaning and maintainance is even more difficult. Cleaning is the biggest part of the work, thus if you want to clean your cleaning for upkeep is more.

Seats need to be washed with canvas and special clean. For Proper cleaning you need to put your blankets and cushions to a dry cleaned place to avoid the small part.

Overall Storage

Covered storage protects UV damage and weather. It is better than nothing and even cheap tarp covers help if better tarp covers are not affordable.

Drain all water before winter storage. Water left in livewells, bilges, or engine cooling systems freeze and crack.

Disconnect if storing boats for weeks or months. Batteries lose charge, slowly. Removing them protects them from loss of depth, or full discharge, which is permanent damage to batteries.

Lift boats clear of ground on proper trailers or stands. Grounds damp problems and attracts rodents looking for shelter.

Tackle and Equipment

Hooks that get embedded in woodwork or get stuck in cushions need to be removed immediately. Otherwise, they rust, stain, and break off flush with the surface, where they are more difficult to remove.

Rods left in holders before and during transport often breaks, and they can be expensive. Secure them properly, or, remove them before towing boats on trailers.

Tackle boxes left onboard suffer from damp. Take tackle home between trips to prevent rust and degradation.Fishing line discarded in boats is bad for wildlife and gets caught in everything. Old line can be thrown in bins and recycling centers.

When to Get Professional Help

Hull damage repairs are needed when it’s more than small scratches. It’s unlikely that DIY gelcoat repairs will match the finish to the original, and it will be a guessing game for structural damage if it gets to the point of needing a professional.

Engine issues that go beyond basic upkeep should go to marine mechanics. Outboard engines are expensive to fix and if repairs get done incorrectly it’s just a lost cost to go to the professional in the first place.

Incorrect electrical repairs are dangerous when it comes to boats. Standards for marine waterproofing and corrosion resistance are different from home standards and household practices just aren’t safe.

Cost of Neglect

Fishing boats depreciate rapidly and if neglected it will be worse. A 10 year old neglected fishing boat will lose double the value of a neglected fishing boat.

In the long run it is much more expensive to replace if it gets neglected. Regular cleaning and maintenance is cheaper in the long run.

It is a boring and tedious job, but it’s much cheaper to tackle the damage before it gets accumulated than to deal with eroded and neglected maintenance.