Ross Robertson with Big Water Fishing here, going over some truck and trailer tips. As spring approaches, everybody’s itching to get in the boat and on the water. But there’s a handful of things you can be proactive with before the season that will ensure that you actually make it on to the water this spring.
There are a few things that I always have in my truck in case of an emergency. A bottle jack is one of them, but I’ve gone all out and keep a floor jack in my truck bed all season. The older we get, the easier the better, and the floor jack can handle anything easily. You can break it down and make it really compact and whether it’s the trailer or truck that has an issue, you can get in there and you’ve got a nice stable jack on your side. The other thing I keep with the jack is wood. Keep these with you for little extra distance in case your jack doesn’t quite get your truck or trailer up as high as you might need.
The next item I always have is an impact drill. I have a high-capacity impact that I carry with me. An important thing to check ahead of time, is having a thin wall impact or at least a thin wall socket that will fit in the spaces you may need to get in on your truck and trailer. If you have to change a tire, so many times you can’t get it off with a four-way or with a little mini breaker bar. You don’t have to be an old dog to appreciate a little bit of power on stuff like this. Having the right tools will save you a lot of time and energy in situations like this.
A set of tow straps are the next tool I always have with me. Whether it’s an icy launch, or a dirt ramp sometimes it can be an issue getting your boat, or someone else’s boat if needed, out of the water. It’s not something that you’ll deal with a lot but when you do it will make the situation much easier. The last thing I throw in is a bag of salt for those cold early spring mornings when the launches may be iced up a bit.
Even though we can’t take the boats out just yet, we can try to even be more proactive. Having little tricks and tools like these in the truck are definitely going help you out before the season gets started so you can be sure you actually get to fish when the time comes.
