One of the questions I get asked a lot is “what do I need to become a boater in the tournament scene”

It’s a question that has many layers, but the most overlooked part is PLANNING.
Most people that are ready to take the next step can find fish and catch them but have no understanding of what it takes to prepare for the lengthy trips.
Most of the weeks leading up to tournaments is spent prepping gear and studying waterways but one thing that is overlooked far too much in my opinion is Pre competition boat and car safety checks.
Yes accidents do and will happen but we can limit breakdowns with a few simple checks before we leave. I do these checks with enough time to fix any problems before I leave.
Far too many times you see unavoidable breakdowns going to and from competitions. Yes some are unavoidable but most are down to planning and preparation.

You can do yourself a check list but when you have done it for a long time it becomes second nature. In no particular order here are a few of the things I do leading up to a long trip.
· Visual tyre checks, both car and trailer including spares. Also check pressures
· Visual trailer checks, looking for things like stress fractures, loose bolts, lights work
· Check safety straps and safety chain for wear and tear.
· Check all fluid levels car and boat eg: radiator, engine oil, wiper fluids and 2 stroke oil if needed
· Plan your route. Check road closures (I didn’t recently and it cost me 4hr detour)
· Carry spares like wheel bearings including tools to fix them

Then your boat
· Visual boat check including but not limited to batteries, steering, fluid levels, livewell pumps, bilge pumps, all electrics including Nav lights
· Check your bung and make sure you have a spare.
· Check all safety gear including lifejackets, lanyard and fire extinguisher
· Read up all rules and regs of waterway you are attending because each state requires different things.
· Check navigation maps are loaded on your GPS/Sounder
· Check all insurances are up to date
This is not the complete list but the most overlooked things in my opinion. To many times I see a post on socials asking for help eg: Anyone have some spare oil or anyone have ford bearings?
When starting out do yourself a check list and get into a routine. Nothing stuffs your weekend more than an unavoidable breakdown.
Hope this helps and stay safe.
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