As the eternal optimist I prefer to consider March as early spring as opposed to late winter. March, however, is a month of great suffering for me. As the days get longer and temperatures start to rise I am plagued with a terrible condition known as spring fever. Shakespeare said, “Beware the ides of March!” I whole heartily believe he was giving warning that the temps may be getting right for fishing, but there is almost a guarantee for wind! I do not claim to be a weather expert, but I do know that March usually holds some of the heaviest winds of the year. Instead of trying to fish in these winds and getting even more frustrated I usually try to focus my energy towards getting ready for the spring and summer season. For me getting ready usually entails putting together new rigs, getting organized, cleaning up, and performing preventive maintenance.
Each year I will usually focus the better part of a day on trailer maintenance. In the past I have written multiple articles on checking trailer bearings, rewiring and trouble shooting lights, and installing new springs. This article is geared toward looking for potential problems outside the obvious. Here we will focus more on a basic but detailed visual inspection to identify potential problems in hopes of catching them before they either leave us stranded on the roadside or possibly do damage to our boats or ourselves.
I prefer to start at the tongue of the trailer and work my way back. These steps are not intended to be all inclusive, but should provide a good start for an inspection:
- Check ball hitch on tow vehicle: Ball should be free of rust as it serves as the ground contact for the trailer lights and tow vehicle on most trailers. Also check to ensure nut and lock washer are tight. If the ball is welded, check welds for stress cracks or distortion. Here are some photos of a tri-ball.
http://old.charlestonfishing.com/newsitems/030206/defect-hitches-004.jpg
http://old.charlestonfishing.com/newsitems/030206/defect-hitches-005.jpg
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