Without A Hitch

AS AN AVID ANGLER ONE MUST BE PROFICIENT in a variety of facets to overcome the numerous obstacles that inevitably arise along the road to angling glory. Meticulously maintaining a vessel, tackle, gear and accessories is a massive undertaking, with anglers often failing to provide the same attentive service to their trailers.

As easy as it is to overlook, it’s actually the first step to any successful trailer boater’s day on the water. Both weekend warriors and tournament competitors alike are crisscrossing the state and beyond, towing everything from lightweight technical poling skiffs to fully equipped 40-foot center consoles. But without the proper preventative maintenance and care, your trailer will most definitely die a slow and painful death.

Like the rest of your gear exposed to harsh contaminants of the saltwater environment, it’s imperative your trailer is rinsed after every use. Focus on the leaf springs, wheel hubs, winch and tongue jack. If your trailer is equipped with brakes and a flush kit, then you already know what to do from here.

Rinsing is certainly a requirement, but not always enough. If you have any combative spray like CorrosionX or CRC 6-56 at the ready be sure to thoroughly coat all moving parts including the hitch, wheel hubs, tongue jack and winch gears.