Storing gear for the off season

[badger132]

I don't want to be a downer, but it is time to start thinking of the end of the season. We have a few weeks left, but next years gear is dependent on how well we store it this year.

What are some things not to miss? What should you do now, and what should wait until just before the season? Any tips on storing sleds, rods, augers?

A thread on storing batteries got me started on this topic.

[meandcuznalfy]

Yes it is, pulled all mine out of the van this evening so it can dry a bit and it'll get put away, if I lived closer to some better ice I'd stretch it out a bit longer, but long drives to find ice now.

[hardwater diehard]

For rods ..you could pull off the line ...requiring you to put on new line before the start of next season . You should also back off the drags on the reel . Gas auger ..I have found that starting each month or so to keep everything "wet" is better then dry storage ..also SeaFoam added to the mix is a good idea. Oh and empty your bait pucks .

[Rodsnapper]

Put dryer sheets in your shanty, keeps the mice out during storage.

[meandcuznalfy]

I use the eskimo brand oil in my auger has fuel stabilizer in it and I've never had a problem since I started using it.

[badger132]

I also touch up and oil my auger blades. There is a spray rust preventative I use now, I used to use WD40. I think anything but bare metal is OK. I also used to spray some rust preventative on the drill chuck- before I removed it completely and went with a fixed adapter.

[Sylvanboat]

I need to patch a small hole in my sled, refill the Flame King 1 lbers, sort thru my gear and move some stuff to my boat, and make a list of to do’s and things to buy for next season.

[badger132]

I wash the snowmobiles and trailer, including cleaning the salt off the covers. Fill the oil and gas, add Seafoam, and run it through the carbs. Warm up the sleds, idle them, and hold the oil pump wide open to get as much oil in the cylinders as I can, and kill the engine. Block up the tracks to relieve the weight on the rear suspension, pull the battery, and put them in the shed under a tarp.

[slipperybob]

Sometimes, there's an off season maintenance.  Sometimes I like to spray silicone onto metal parts like the auger blades and metal flightings.  For reels, backing off the drags goes a long way for reel life.  Sometimes I do check for bearing oil or grease, check metal bushings for grease.  If I don't do these things in the off season, I will have to do it in the pre-season. 

If shelter needs repair some stitching or sometimes just water proofing spray on.

[BIGDEERHUNTER63]

just throw it in the shed and fix it next year

[skifisher]

Same with wiping down the auger and WD-40 on the blades. I store my gas auger with enough fuel to cover the fuel intake line gasket where it goes into the gas tank. I’m a believer in TruFuel, as it’s stable and doesn’t require an additive like gas.
I also take the tension off my rods, and either hang them in my shed, or leave them in a soft-side carrier. I like re-spooling my reels in the fall, pre ice. Kind of a ritual for me each year. Clean out the sled and hang it in the garage, as well as adding several dryer sheets to the shelter for rodent control.
Then I sit back and think about the next ice season and what I could do better...and the upcoming soft water season.

[filetandrelease]

 Wipe down my 2 shacks , relax drags on my reels ,and put them back in the cases  spray all my auger heads with blaster ,run  sea foam through my snowmobile, load everything in my trailer till next ice season

[fish/hunt4ever]

One thing I would mention is to lay your tipups if you use them flat so the heat of the summer does not drain all the grease or lube out of the shafts. All the other things mentioned are good things to do. Have a good off season waiting to get the boat out now. Looking forward to it for some reason this year.