ETEC Winterization

I just ran both my ETEC 15HO kicker and ETEC 250HO through the winterization process.  It's so simple and takes less than 2 minutes per motor.  Wow.  The really nice part of this is that it's so easy to do that if I decide to take a run south before the northern Front Range lakes open again I can use the boat and run it through the process again.

Nice job Evinrude!

I just ran both my ETEC 15HO kicker and ETEC 250HO through the winterization process.  It's so simple and takes less than 2 minutes per motor.  Wow.  The really nice part of this is that it's so easy to do that if I decide to take a run south before the northern Front Range lakes open again I can use the boat and run it through the process again.

Nice job Evinrude!

Dawg days of summer

No it's not a typo...I'm fully aware that the term dog days of summer refers to a lazy dog layin' in the shade to beat the heat. So why then did I try to be so cool as to title this blog "dawg days"? Because its more akin to the term "hawg" -  as in the southern term for an ol big 'un, bucketmouth...or whatever. I'd have to be more southern to come up with others.

The dog days can be the hawg days if you keep a few things in mind. First, water temps are high. My Lowrance reports temps as high as they'll be for the year right now. Second, there's lots of food in the system, so your lures have to compete for the hawgs attention with the real deal. Third, true hawgs are old fish that have been through summer fishing seasons before - they've seen many lures and perhaps have been caught and released - an experience they're likely to avoid.

So how does this all add up to the hawg days for you? In a nutshell, make your baits big and easy to catch. Since fish metabolize food faster in warmer water, big meals are no problem and in fact represent a more efficient food source than a bunch of little bites. Average anglers toss average size baits - so big, educated fish learn that size range. Either smaller or larger than average lures will help you get them to bite, but larger lures will increase the strike zone because of the efficiency aspect. More calories for the effort. Larger baits are also easier for fish to detect from a distance. Making your bait easy to catch appeals to the lazy nature brought on by warm temps and also plays into the efficiency thing. A big, easy to catch meal is just the ticket for big summertime fish.

Try huge flutter spoons or swimbaits for a variety of species including walleyes, trout, wipers, pike, and bass. A 10" or longer plastic worm is great for bass too. Big, slow crankbaits will also get bites from lots of fish.

As things heat up on your pond, get out the big baits, but fish them slow. You may not have to be a southern boy to to turn the dog days into the hawg days! CL

Ethanol: 10 Tips To Protect Your Motor

Like it or not, it seems like ethanol is here to stay. While it is indeed less harmful to the environment, many motors -- especially older marine motors -- are not yet fully equipped to handle E10 fuels (fuels containing 10% ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline). What is more, Growth Energy, the ethanol industry's leading proponent, is now proposing an increase to 15% ethanol nationwide. While there are some positive aspects to this, it will undoubtedly lead to many boat owners unknowingly sabotaging their own boats. Marine motor manufacturers were hesitant to give the go ahead to use E10 in their motors, so you can rest assured that adding an additional 5% ethanol will only do more harm. In light of this, I have decided to compile a list of 10 preventative measures that you can take to protect your boat in this oncoming 'war'.

1. Install a 10-micron water separating fuel filter. This will aid in the removal of water that ethanol tends to attract as well as the corrosion and debris that it may have loosened. Replace this filter every 50 hours, and always remember to keep a spare.

2. Use a good quality fuel stabilizer and conditioner in every tank of gas. This will aid in the prevention of phase separation of the water from the fuel, while at the same time protecting your fuel system from the corrosion that fuels with ethanol have been known to produce.

3. Stick to midgrade fuels and stay away from anything higher than 87 octane, unless otherwise noted by your manufacturer. Midgrade fuels will typically contain fewer additives than lower grade or premium fuels, making them much better for your boat. Exceeding your motor manufacturer's recommended octane can cause improper or unfinished combustion, which in turn can lead to carbon build-up.

4. Always try and buy your fuel from heavily-trafficked gas stations. By doing this you can be sure that the fuel you are getting is fresh.

5. DO NOT run E85 in your marine engine. Although fuels containing up to 10% ethanol have been approved by most marine manufacturers (albeit quite reluctantly), E85 (85% ethanol) is considered an alternative fuel and is only to be used in specially designed motors.

6. Replace your fuel tank with a plastic (polyethylene) one. Many older boats utilize fuel tanks made out of fiberglass, which ethanol has actually been known to break down. In addition to their ethanol resistance, plastic fuel tanks are much more durable than their metal counterparts when it comes to corrosion and withstanding the stress caused by constant movement and fuel expansion.

7. Inspect your fuel lines and gaskets. It wasn't until the mid 1980s that fuel system components were designed with ethanol in mind, so, if you believe you may have components older than this, it would be an excellent idea to check them for cracks and overall brittleness -- replacing when necessary.

8. Optimize your engine. It is possible that your engine may run roughly or your fuel/oxygen mixture might be slightly off. It may be a good idea to adjust your idle screws and fuel mixture. If you're not comfortable doing this yourself, your dealer or trusted mechanic can perform this task for you quite easily.

9. DO NOT mix older fuels with ethanol-enriched fuels. Although not as much of an issue now that ethanol fuels have become the standard, it is still a big no no. It has been noted that mixing the two can cause the end result to thicken, in turn clogging carburetor passages. Most outboard manufacturers suggest running the tank dry and then adding an injector cleaner to the new fuel.

10. Avoid letting your fuel sit around for an extended amount of time. Fuels go bad -- that's a no-brainer; however, ethanol has be known to go bad in as little as two months. Although a fuel stabilizer will prevent fuel oxidation, it may not prevent phase separation of the water. It is highly recommended that you either completely drain your fuel tank or keep it completely full. Unlike fuel tanks on automobiles, many marine fuel tanks are vented to the atmosphere, which sometimes allows for water build-up -- keeping the tank completely full will reduce the area where water can accumulate.

Hopefully these steps will help you and your boat weather this sea of change that seems to be occuring in the fuel industry. Check out followthescience.org for more information on the impact of ethanol on the marine industry, the economy, and the environment in general. For the opposing side of this argument check out ethanolrfa.org. I'll leave it up to you to decide which side is right. As with all things, the answer will most likely be found somewhere in the middle... I'd love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to leave some comments!

Until next time, see ya!

--Eric

Happy Birthday USCG!

It was a warm summer's day in 1790, today in fact, that the United States Coast Guard was first founded. I mention this because they have been thrust into the public spotlight as of late, primarily due to their involvement with the cleanup of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. However, this is only a small portion of what they accomplish throughout a typical day. The United States Coast Guard employs just under 36,000 men and women -- nearly the size of the New York City police force and each day these men and women will save 10 lives, aid almost 200 people in need of help, and capture just about 500 pounds of drugs. In addition, with the help of their Boating Safety Resource Center website (http://www.uscgboating.org/), they help educate Americans on the dos and don'ts of boating, safety recalls, and safety regulations. So get out there and enjoy the awesome summer weather and all that this awesome passtime has to offer -- just don't forget about the valuable service these guys and gals offer on a daily basis!

Some Perks And Perils Of Owning A Boat...

Here are five funny Evinrude ads that we stumbled across in our travels. They're all quite funny, but there are some real gems in there -- I'll leave it up to you to decide which one is the best. Take a look and let us know what you think. If these ads do their job of persuading you into thinking about an E-TEC, don't hesitate to give us a call or stop by! We would love to show you that they are truly all they're cracked up to be!

... and don't forget, you can keep in constant contact with Crowley Marine on Facebook AND Twitter! Updated daily with breaking news, helpful info, and, of course, a little humor.

facebook.com/crowleymarine

twitter.com/crowleymarine

Evinrude E-TEC Essentials

Host of Colorado's Fishful Thinker TV and Crowley Marine guest blogger Chad LaChance and our very own Brent Henry give the rundown on why the new Evinrude E-TEC is such an outstanding outboard.

Watch the video right here.

Announcing Crowley Cash! Earn Store Credit For Answering Technical Questions!

Are you an expert in boat repair? How about a do-it-yourselfer who has gained helpful insights and information through trial and error and past experiences? Either way, here at Crowley Marine we are now offering you store credit for passing on this helpful information.

Here's how it's done:

Go to our Community Support Forums here and create a user account. Once created, browse around our forums for any unanswered topics. Should you find a topic that you can answer, go for it! Once the original poster has confirmed that the question has been sufficiently answered we will award you $2 in Crowley Cash -- redeemable in our online parts store. So what are you waiting for? Start turning that knowledge into something a bit more tangible!

Questions? Comments? Contact us!

303-355-5555

support@crowleymarine.com

2010 Centennial Bass Club Full Moon Open

The Full Moon Open is more an endurance test than a fishing derby. Sure its a bass tournament where the five biggest bass win the glory and money (in this case over $1000 for a club derby!), but this derby has a twist unlike any other I know of. It's 12 hours long - overnight. Yes, anglers are required to fish 7pm through 7am!

Have you ever hallucinated in a boat? I have...the last time I fished this event. Too much coffee, energy drink, sleep deprivation and straining to see the cover you're fishing will do that to you.

This year, I'll be the event emcee (hallucintating is not something I'm fond of...) and we'll film it for an episode of Fishful Thinker TV. The folks here at Crowley Marine came through to ensure we have a couple of camera boats to record all the action and bring it to the audience. Kudos! Other event sponsors include Pedersen Toyota, Ft Collins Muffler, Silvermine Subs, Sportsman's Warehouse, Dyekman Trophy, Berkley, St Croix, Costa sunglasses, and tons of other smaller sponsors too numerous to list.

Since Centennial Bass Club started this 11 years ago as a fundraiser for charity, proceeds go to the ALS Foundation, various area food banks, and the Junior Bassmaster program. Talk about a worthwhile event!

If you live in the area, consider attending the weigh-in at 7am (yes, that's 7 in the morning...afte they fished all night while you slept!) on June 27th at the South Bay area of Horsetooth Reservoir in Fort Collins (details in case you arean't familiar with the lake: http://www.fishexplorer.com/lakedet.asp?lid=2123

Thanks again to Crowley Marine for the help with filming, and keeping my Ranger/Evinrude in top shape at all times! CL

Thanks Brent and Scott

The new Ranger 620 showed up on May 11th.  Scott and Brent went above and beyond the call of duty to get the Evinrude ETEC 250HO and ETEC 15HO kicker installed so I could hit the road to the FLW Walleye Tour in Minnesota.  I just want to say thanks to these guys.

In addition to the tournament, I've been guiding on Horsetooth and a trip to Glendo.  The 620 is an awsome fishing machine and the ETEC 250 HO pushes it along.  I'm really impressed with the new Evinrude ETEC kicker.  It got a real workout in the 2.5 MPH current on the Mississippi River.  The +/- adjustment was key to fine tuning the perfect speed without twisting the tiller speed control.  The power lift is a big improvement over an auxiliary tilt.

I just can't get enought days on the water in this boat!

Dan

Snow day break

Don't look now, but its snowing in Colorado...again...in May no less. It's OK though, because a snow day is a good way for me to step out of the boat and get some office work done. Since our 2010 Ranger Z521 arrived and was rigged with an Evinrude 250 E-TEC at Crowley Marine, its been non-stop angling, guiding and filming. My wrist is wounded from working jerkbaits, I have tennis elbow from casting, and my shop looks more like mid-season than early spring as far as organization goes. The wrist and elbow will heal...the shop needs real help!

After a month with the new boat, one of the coolest aspects of it is the Lowrance electronics, specifically an HDS 8 flush mounted in the dash and HDS 5 in the bow. They are both networked with LSS-1 Structure Scan meaning I can see both side imaging and down imaging with ridiculous clarity. Want to dissect a piece of structure or scan a flat in a hurry? This package will do it! Brent at Crowley Marine performed a super clean install on ours.

Looking out the window, it looks like the snow is fading. Trout bite well as the snow subsides, so my elbow and wrist may have to wait another day or two to rest. Now, where's the keys to my Tundra...? CL