Winter Finger Lakes trailering issues

[chowder]

This is my reply to a question about using I/Os in the winter. It was in "This Old Boat". I moved it over here b/c I narrowly escaped an accident this morning due to the poor judgment used by another driver who attempted to pass me on a snow covered road on a hill in a no passing zone. With all the interest in winter time fishing I thought it would be a good heads up.

In addition to engine draining another thing to keep in mind concerning winter fishing and boat type is trailer maneuvering and safety. Bigger, heavier boats can become a liability on the road due to the rapidly changing weather we have in this area. I am a former tractor trailer operator with a lifetime of experiences with many different types of heavy equipment in poor weather conditions and quite frankly I would rather not share the road with people hauling boat/trailer combos that are really beyond their capability to safely control under conditions that they are just not used to. I've learned over many years of operating heavy equipment on public roads that it's other drivers who create situations that are beyond anything you can foresee!

Please use sound judgment when considering whether your boat is a good fit for winter fishing. There is a lot more to think about than how easy it is to drain the engine.

[Frisco]

Keep in mind the salt situation on your equipment. A painted trailer that isn't rinsed off after every trip is a disaster. I have a galvanized trailer and the boat & trailer are rinsed off after every trip. Most of all pay attention to the weather and the wind. If you have issues on the lake you'll probably be all alone and wear life jackets at least your family will have a body.