TAKEOFF
BOAT TECH
SERVICE TECH TIPS
touRnaMent seRvice tRaileR Mechanics
WeiGh in on Bass Boat Maintenance
t
he sport’s top professionals are incredibly demanding
of their equipment. When issues arise at major events,
service technicians go into action to ensure anglers suf-
fer little or no downtime, and that their gear is ready to per-
form again quickly.
these tournament pit crews have seen it all, but they also
know the majority of on-the-water problems have some com-
mon variables. learn from their expertise to avoid a visit to
the service trailer at your next tournament.
scott arms – ranger boats
30
as solidly as today’s high-performance bass boats are
built, they’re not entirely without issues. arms, Ranger Boats
senior marketing manager and a former service tech, says
neglected or stopped-up livewells cause the most headaches
for anglers.
By Joe Balog
photos by d.w. reed ii
“the livewell is where your money can be lost the fastest,”
arms says. “the most important step is keeping the screens
[in the bottom of the livewell] clean.”
Regurgitated baitfish and craws are clogging culprits, as
are scales lost from bass and small pieces of soft-plastic
lures. clean the livewell screens regularly.
in addition, removing livewell pump cartridges and blow-
ing out the water pick-ups (be sure to watch out for old fish-
ing line) will go a long way in keeping them running at maxi-
mum capacity.
a clog can prevent the livewell water from recirculating,
which is important when running on plane because the
livewell can’t draw in fresh water at high speeds.
arms also stresses the importance of monitoring your
boat trailer while traveling. he routinely sees two potential
issues that could lead to mishaps.
fLWfIshInG.com I january 2018