Welcome to the DFW area.
I live in the middle of the Dallas Fort Worth area and I fish year round while storing my boat outside. The only things I do to winterize my outboard are:
1. lower the motor so that rain water does not pool in the lower unit.
2. Insure I do not have any water in the actual lower unit gear oil.
3. Keep my gas tank full and add some Stabil or other fuel additive.
Joe B
2017 Tracker PT 190 TX
2017 Mercury 115 Pro XS
Mercury Spitfire X7 19” prop
51 mph @ 6240 rpms (RPMs from Vessel View Mobile) : full fuel tank and fishing load by myself
4.2 second Hole Shot (measured using Vessel View Mobile)
Engine mounted in 3rd hole
Minn Kota Ulterra-Link w/built in MDI 80 lb thrust 60” shaft
Humminbird Helix 12si Gen1 chirp on console
Humminbird Helix 15si Gen4 cho on bow
Humminbird Mega360
Dotline two step transom boarding ladder
Tracker trailer bow boarding step
It can get cold enough to do so in va but I try to fish all year round for the most part. I have a heated and cooled detached building I keep mine in. I just drop the motor all way down and keep the batteries up. Treat whatever fuel I keep in it. If I end up not being able to fish I just pull it out and run on the hose for a bit to keep it going.
Winterize? Not needed for the temps here. However, you may consider doing it anyway depending on how long it will be in storage. I relocated from NC to DFW this spring and still have not put the boat in the water.
99' 201 Pro Elite
08' Evinrude 225 HO
The next guy always has a bigger dog! OP, the winters are typically mild here. It is not uncommon to need antifreeze in your cars radiator to prevent freezing once or twice a year though. If you keep the boat inside you should be fine with the minimal precautions weather wise.
I never stop fishing long enough.....
I grew up in Dallas and I don't remember a snow fall deeper than the tops of my penny loafers. I live 200 miles north in the OKC area now and I have never winterized my boat. Unless we have an unusually cold winter, I'll probably fish through most of December. January and early February just depending on weather...sometimes we will get a 50 or 60 degree day.
The only winterizing I do, is lower my motor all the way down and drain it while I'm at the ramp before I put on the Motormate. I keep my boat in an un-heated attached garage. I have a thermometer out there and even on the coldest nights it doesn't get down lower than the upper 20's.
Don't worry Ma'am....
I'm only here for the Bass.
I lived in Texas most my life. No need to do that. I am stationed at FLW in Missouri right now and i do not winterize my boat. Heated Garage. Most if not all do not winterize up here. Fishing is good in the winter.
2018 Phoenix 919, Mercury 225 Pro XS
2016 Triton 179TrX, Mercury 115 4s
1995 Bass Tracker 175Pro, 40hp Force
1985 Bass Tracker 1800 Johnson 150 (I called it the lead sled)
TrackerUser
Winterize?! Its fishing time in Texas..from now until July!
Been fishin' since I was 5 years old...Thanks Grandpa!
Been fishin' since I was 5 years old...Thanks Grandpa!
I live in north east md and it gets pretty cold here had some zero deree days in the past few winters and severa single digit days. I never winterize but I do keep the motor down all the way and keep it covered and plugged in so batts dont get drained. I had it 15 years and still runs like a beast. i have never disconnected the water gauge though never had an issue. I am a firm believer to run it at least once a month though to keep the juices flowing.
I live in south Arkansas and the only precaution i take is changing my lower unit oil every November. Last year it probably saved my lower unit. It was full of water and we had several days of record single and low double digit nights. I feel sure my lower unit would have froze cracked if i had not found that water as i keep it in a unheated carport.
if you're planning on storing the boat for a long period of time it's good to treat your fuel, add an oz. of oil into the spark plug hole and change out the lower unit oil. Don't matter where you live
2004 Stratos 295 Pro XL
2004 Mercury 3.0 L EFI 200 HP SN: 0T908560
Standard/Servicemaster Lower 859399T13
Can’t imagine living in an area that you would need to winterize a boat. I guess California does have some benefit. My winterizing consists of removing my frogs and throwing a sweatshirt in.
Wishin' I was fishin'...
1990 Ranger 374v
1996 175 HP Mariner - Magnum EFI
25p Tempest - A45 model
80 lb 24v MinnKota Maxxum
Humminbird Helix 10
Humminbird Helix 7
Garmin EchoMap 106sv w/ LS
Dual 8' Power Poles
I'm in DFW. I don't make any changes at all for winters other than trimming the motor down if it is forecast to get below freezing. Boat stays outside under a cover and doesn't sit long enough to worry with special gas treatment. With the power plant lakes ~2 hrs away you don't even need to take your topwaters out of the boat.
I've only been here about a year. Fishing is great here btw. The amount and variety of lakes within 100 miles of dfw is crazy. I've fished I think 12 different new lakes this year and have a list of new ones for next year. In spring I went about 10 trips in a row with a 5lb+. Pretty much every lake has DD bass swimming in it, and you can pick how you want to fish most of the year.
Skeeter ZX250
Yamaha 250 HPDI
Been fishin' since I was 5 years old...Thanks Grandpa!
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