(Provided by Ice Force Team)
Dont make the mistake of ignoring your ice fishing equipment after a long winter of use.
If you dont follow these steps before putting it away, you may be confronted with problems when the ice season kicks off next winter:
Power Auger: Officials at StrikeMaster, a legendary ICE FORCE brand with more than 65 years of experience, recommend performing a wet shutdown before storing your gas-powered auger.
Fill your fuel tank more than 1/4 full with fresh, stabilized fuel, then start and run your motor for five to 10 minutes. This will ensure even distribution of stabilized fuel throughout the carburetor and fuel system.
Next, drain the remaining fuel from your tank. This important step will prevent damage to plastic parts due to prolonged exposure to fuel. StrikeMaster recommends running your engine once a month for five to 10 minutes, using fresh, stabilized fuel.
Do not run your engine entirely out of fuel. Leaving fresh, stabilized fuel in the carburetor will keep components from drying out. Store your gas-powered StrikeMaster auger in a cool dry place in an upright position.
Owners of electric ice augers should charge their battery once a month over the course of the off-season to maintain battery life.
Also, remove the blades from your augers blade carriage. Inspect the blades for any signs of damage or dulling. If theres any sign of nicks, chips, or roll-over, its time to replace your blades or sharpen them.
Before storing your auger, apply a light coat of oil to the blades, blade bolts and blade carriage. This will help deter rust build-up, which can dull the blades and affect auger performance. Reinstall your blades and attach the blade guard.
For Honda 35cc LITE 4-stroke auger owners, its a great time for a preventative adjustment on your powerhead. Four-stroke engines use far more moving parts than 2-stroke engines. Taking the time to get the motor inspected and adjusted will keep your auger running faster and longer.
StrikeMaster recommends getting your augers valve lash adjusted once a year by an authorized Honda service center. This is a precise, internal adjustment that should only be done by an authorized mechanic.
Fishfinder: To avoid damage to your portable flashers battery during off-season storage, be sure to charge it every 30 to 60 days. This simple step will ensure reliable sonar next winter and for years to come.
If youve ever had trouble with your sonar unit, the culprit was most likely an improperly charged or stored battery, says Marcum Pro-Staffer Brad Hawthorne. Thats something you can control unlike cold fronts or bad ice, or any of the other things that can prevent you from catching fish. So take time in the off-season to take care of the battery that runs your electronics.
Over time, all lead-acid batteries will lose their charge. Without regular re-charging, even the highest quality battery such as those found on MarCum units, can become so damaged it will refuse to take a charge. Worse yet, it could appear to take a charge, only to fail on the ice, rendering your sonar unit unusable.
After charging your battery every 30 to 60 days during the off-season, leave it disconnected from your sonar unit. Doing so ensures that a stray current draw wont slowly drain its charge over time.
Before storing your unit, inspect it closely for missing parts that could have been easily misplaced in the field. Ordering a replacement during the off-season guarantees youll have your sonar system ready for action at the start of the next ice season.
If your sonar doesnt seem as sensitive as it once was, it might be time to order a new transducer.
Portable Shanties: After withstanding snow, sleet and freezing Arctic breezes this winter, your portable ice shelter must survive one last challenge you!
Dont be the guy that shoves his shelter in the garage after last-ice and never touches it again until first-ice next winter. Follow these simple preparation steps to keep wear and tear on your portable ice house to a minimum:
First, set up your shanty in your garage, yard or driveway. Remove all leftover gear, tackle and trash from the sled, then wash and rinse it out with your garden hose.
Next, conduct a comprehensive investigation of the fabric, checking for rips or holes. Damage can be easily repaired with an easy-to-use patch kit. Carefully inspect your poles, ensuring that they all slide smoothly upon lifting and lowering the structure. If not, spray a lubricant like WD-40 on a rag and wipe it along the length of each pole.
Next, hose down the fabric to remove dirt, grime and road salt. Before folding everything back up, let the fabric dry completely, or mold and mildew will grow in the folds over the summer.
After the fabric is completely dry, put on a travel cover to provide additional protection throughout off-season storage. Finally, move your shelter to a cool, dry place where it will be out of the way until next winter.