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Expert Tips For A Successful Fishing Season

By ceo@slsassoc.com 03/25/2023 03/25/2023 AMSOIL Related, Interesting Reading

Each season, tens of millions of Americans and Canadians hit the water in search of fish, making it one of the most popular activities in both countries. Few anglers have unlimited time to fish, so to help maximize your opportunities this season, we solicited a few tips from professional anglers John Gillespie and Pete Maina. Here’s their advice for making this a successful fishing season.

Prep Your Rods & Reels

Inspect and clean your fishing rods and reels prior to heading out for the day. Pay close attention to line condition. “It’s silly and wasteful to lose fish due to line breakage, so part of your rod prep should be to check the main line for strength and frays,” said Maina. He recommends Seaguar Smackdown Braid fishing line. “And always start with new, fresh fluorocarbon leader material.”

Gillespie recommends changing all fishing line prior to the start of the season. “I use a power line so l can spool all the reels with the same line. Then when I’m fishing, I can adjust the leader material to fit the species I am targeting on any given day/ he said.

Pro Tip: AMSOIL MP is excellent for cleaning fishing reels.

Need even more protection, check out AMSOIL Heavy Duty MP (AMH)

Remember the ‘Boring’ Details

Obsessing over the hottest new lures] fishing tactics and weather patterns means we sometimes miss a few nuts-and bolts items. In Maina’s experience, here’s what you’re most likely to forget when you head out in the morning:

Proper landing net for the species
Boat plug
Sunscreen
Rain gear (no matter the forecast)
Proper release tools (piers, cutters)

“Make sure your outboard motor, electronics, trolling motor and livewells are operable, too,” Maina added.

Sort Out and Set Up Your Tackle Boxes

Sorting lures, hooks and other tackle is perfect therapy on a Saturday afternoon. Purging your collection of rusted or damaged items and organizing everything delivers unmatched satisfaction. It also ensures you’re not fumbling around the boat in search of your chartreuse jig heads or perch-pattern crankbaits.

“ I arrange, my tackle boxes according to the species I’m after,” said Gillespie. “I have a walleye box, bass box, panfish box and trout box. All are labeled so they are easy to find in the boat.”

Set Up For Multiple Species – But Know Your Target

Anglers often head out in search of a specific species of fish, like muskie or walleye. This lets you prepare your rods and tackle beforehand so you’re ready to start casting once you hit the fishing grounds. “It’s good to have the boat ready for multiple species and situations, but have a main target species and plan, including the chosen body of water and structures you will be targeting/ said Maina.

Every angler knows that reality doesn’t always align with expectations, so have a Plan B ready. Maina recommends a little visualization to help. “Think the day through and prioritize structure and methods you think will work best. This way you can prep rods and tackle for the best presentations,” he said. “Having thought of secondary structure targets and methods will ensure you have the proper setup ready, including live bait, bobbers, sinkers and all the miscellaneous items for your chosen presentation.”

GIVE YOUR BOAT & TRAILER THE AMSOIL TREATMENT

You can’t catch fish if you never get past the landing. Before the season begins, prepare your boat, outboard, kicker motor, trailer and other equipment. If you encounter a problem, like a flat tire on your trailer, this provides time to fix it so you don’t waste half the morning running to the hardware store when you should be fishing.

Remove boat from storage.
Start outboard and kicker motors to ensure they run.
Charge batteries for all electronics
Check trailer tire pressure and condition.
Ensure trailer lights work.
Check trailer and boat registrations.

Change Lower-Unit Oil

Maina and Gillespie both strongly recommend AMSOIL Synthetic Marine Gear Lube (AGM) in the lower unit. It delivers advanced outboard protection against power loss and gear wear, even with up to 15% water contamination.¹

“With the AMSOIL easy-pack, it takes me about five minutes to change lower-unit oil and is mess-free,” said Gillespie. He also recommends removing the prop and cleaning out any fishing line that’s stuck. It can damage seals and cause leaks if left unattended.

Besides the Easy-Pack, AMSOIL Marine Gear Lube is also available in 10 oz Tubes, Quart Bottles, 5 Gal Pails, 16 Gal Kegs, and 55 Gal Drums.

Maintain the Fuel System

Fuel-system maintenance is also vital since ethanol, present in most fuel today, has an affinity for water and can cause phase separation, a process in which ethanol mixes with water and falls to the bottom of the tank. When the mixture is pulled into the combustion chamber, it can lead to a lean-burn situation and damage the engine. AMSOIL Quickshot® (AQS) helps prevent phase separation while cleaning deposits from the fuel system for maximum power and operability.

Grease Trailer Bearings

“There’s nothing worse than having your bearings go out on the way to the lake,” said Gillespie. He greases the bearings each spring and fall with AMSOIL Synthetic Water-Resistant Grease (AWG). It resists water washout and helps protect bearings so you can focus on fishing, not making repairs.

Change Outboard Motor Oil

If you’re running a four-stroke motor, it’s best to change oil in the fall prior to storage so contaminants don’t sit in the engine all winter. If you missed it, start the season right with an oil change using AMSOIL Synthetic Marine Engine Oil (WCT, WCF, WCM). It delivers excellent high-stress, high-rpm endurance while fighting rust and corrosion for long engine life.

AMSOIL MP for Nearly Everything

“AMSOIL Metal Protector (AMP) is handy in the boat for so many things, like protecting tools, motors and reels against rust,” said Maina. “In freezing temps, it helps battle line and rod guide freezing.

Gillespie agrees. “I spray it on my fishing tools to prevent rust,” he said. “I use MP on my trailer hitch and even on the bow mount – always carry a can of AMSOIL MP.”

*All trademarked names and images are the property of their respective owners and may be registered marks in some countries. No affiliation or endorsement claim, express or implied, is made by their use. All products advertised here are developed by AMSOIL for the use in the application shown.

For more information or pricing on the quality line of AMSOIL Products contact SLS Associates. Whether you are a Consumer, Retailer, or Commercial Business, we will answer your questions, explain any options and you take it from there. If you choose to try AMSOIL products we will give you our best price and you make the decision. No pressure. It’s your choice.

Click Here if you would like to browse the current AMSOIL Catalog

¹Based on AMSOIL testing of AMSOIL Synthetic Gear Lube 75w90 in ASTM 3233 and ASTM D892

AMSOIL Synthetic Dirt Bike Oil Tames ‘Jumpy’ Clutch

By ceo@slsassoc.com 03/15/2023 03/14/2023 AMSOIL Related, Industry Related, Interesting Reading

Joe Quackenbush of Manti, Utah began riding motorcycles years ago to escape stress in his life. “The motorcycle was my escape,” he said. “The feeling you get on a motorcycle- it’s just an awesome experience.” It’s so awesome that Quackenbush rides 12 months out of the year despite the occasional inclement weather in central Utah. “I followed a snowplow on my KLR^* last year,” he said.

His love of riding and his job as a property appraiser puts thousands of miles on his trio of enduro bikes each year. Quackenbush owns a KTM^* 1090, a KLR^* 650 and a new Yamaha^* WR250F. “Today, I have to go out on the Wasatch Plateau, and I’ll be doing 150 miles of dirt roads,” he said.

Research Led Him To AMSOIL

Quackenbush, who has a background in teaching physics, recently discovered the excellent performance of AMSOIL Synthetic Dirt Bike Oil after trying it in his new Yamaha. “I was all dead set on using Yamalube* in this brand-new bike,” he said. But then he noticed AMSOIL Synthetic Dirt Bike Oil and decided to do some research. “I’ve always looked at everything scientifically,” he said. “The more research I did on it, the more I realized, ‘Wait a minute; they’re using better synthetics, they’re testing this stuff, people swear by it and maybe I should give it a try.”

“It Wasn’t Like Riding A Bucking Bronco Anymore”

Switching from the factory-fill oil to AMSOIL provided immediate benefits, notably in clutch feel. “The clutch, for a new bike, was a little jumpy,” he said. [It] was like it was either engaged or not engaged; there was no in between.”

Draining the factory oil and installing AMSOIL 10W-40 Synthetic Dirt Bike Oil (DB40) solved the problem. “I couldn’t believe the feel of the clutch,” he said. “Much more of a transition. Much smoother. A better overall feel of the clutch. It wasn’t like riding a bucking bronco anymore.”

AMSOIL Turns Down The Heat

Switching to AMSOIL products also reduced engine heat. “I also noticed that the bike ran a lot cooler,” said Quackenbush. Following a ride one day while still using the original factory-fill oil, Quackenbush noticed a strange smell. “I came back and smelled something burning. It was my pant leg on the exhaust,” he said, reasoning the engine had been running abnormally hot. Later, after changing to AMSOIL Synthetic Dirt Bike Oil, he placed his hand on the clutch cover following a ride and noticed it was warm to the touch; by comparison, it had felt hot when using the factory-fill oil.

Oil Clings To Engine Parts

The Yamaha includes a sight glass in the oil sump, which provided more confirmation of AMSOIL Synthetic Dirt Bike Oil’s increased performance- the oil appeared to cling to engine parts better after shutting off the engine.

“When you turn the engine off with the Yamalube, the sight window fills right up,” he said. “What that’s telling me is it’s not adhering inside the engine.” However, the window takes longer to fill using AMSOIL Dirt Bike Oil, suggesting it remains in the upper end of the engine longer due to improved viscosity retention during operation.

100,000 Miles In Sight

Quackenbush is so happy with AMSOIL Synthetic Dirt Bike Oil that he plans to use it in his KTM 1090 and KLR 650. The KTM has 41,000 miles (66,000 km) on it, while the KLR has 35,000 miles (56,300 km). “My goal for the 1090 is 100,000 miles (161,000 km) and I’m almost halfway there,” he said. AMSOIL products will go a long way toward helping him reach his goal. “Believe the hype,” he said. “If you want to protect the engine and you want the engine to have longevity, then oil becomes critical.”

AMSOIL Synthetic Dirt Bike Oil Tames 'Jumpy' Clutch

For more information on AMSOIL Dirt Bike Products, Click Here.

Click Here if you would like to browse the current AMSOIL Catalog

Have You Ever Seen Inside A Working Carburetor?

By ceo@slsassoc.com 07/25/2021 07/25/2021 Interesting Reading

According to Wikipedia, the last carburetor equipped vehicle produced in the US was 1990, 31 years ago. Since the 30 and under age group accounts for almost 1/3 of the population, a very large number of people have never seen a carburetor, know what it is, how it works or why they are / were important.

Granted, you will still find carburetors on small engines but, with more and more people depending on someone else to do their vehicle and equipment maintenance, even many in the over 30 age groups don’t really understand carburetors.