Good quality bait boats are a fair investment, so it just makes sense that you know how to best look after them to ensure the longevity of your boat. To make sure you’ll be dropping rigs and bait on the hot spot for a long time to come, check out these bait boat care tips.
Battery Care
The battery is the beating heart of your bait boat, so take care of it! If you repeatedly let your battery run flat and leave it flat, you will tend to see over time that the number of hours you achieve from a full charge reduces. Instead, keep your boat charged regularly, even when you may not be planning on using it. You should also avoid leaving it plugged in all the time, instead charge it to full and then stow it away safely in a carry bag or box.
Regular Cleaning
This may sound like a quite a generic and self-explanatory bait boat care tip; however, it is the key thing that many people overlook with their boats. Now, boats are certainly hard-wearing and made to last, however, give it the best chance at a long life by cleaning and wiping down any debris from the boat after each use. By removing this debris regularly, you prevent any from seeping into the inner mechanisms and electrics. Of course, bait boats are used in water, so leaving any standing dirt and water on the boat can have adverse effects over time. Keep a dry rag in your carry bag to give the boat a quick wipe-down between journeys.
Servicing
The best way to ensure the long life of a bait boat is to have it regularly serviced. Over time, the motors and electrics work incredibly hard, and while they are built to last, a quick service will ensure that they aren’t damaged in any way. These services will give you peace of mind that your boat is fighting fit, along with quick restorations of anything that may be looking a little worn or tired. You can have a service completed by many places throughout the UK, such as Bait Boat Works. These services are inexpensive and fairly essential, especially if your boat has a few years of experience under its belt.
Mat and Cradles
You’ll walk along the banks these days and find bait boats of every size, shape and brand. However, you will often see them left uneasily on the grass or gravel or hidden beneath beds and chairs. For the most part, this isn’t a great issue, but it’s also not ideal. There are a lot of inexpensive mats and cradles on the market now to prevent any harm from coming to your precious bait boat. You’ll protect it from unwanted scratches and scuffs, along with preventing any harm coming to the motors, propellers and steering components. A cradle will lift it off of the ground for complete protection, and will also help you to load the boat more efficiently with bait and rigs before sending it out for a voyage to the hotspot!
Carry Bags
Another excellent way to keep your bait boat safe is to ensure its safe travel. There are a ton of these carry bags on the market, ranging from very cheap to super expensive. The features to look for on a bait boat carry bag is to ensure that it is waterproof and ideally includes a certain amount of padding. This will protect the boat in transit from the house to the bank, and those long old walks from the car park. Some bags will also include some pockets for spare batteries, controllers and any other essential tackle. You should also consider packing it away with a basic repair kit for any incidents on the bank.
Covers
Of course, bait boats are waterproof. They will combat the snow, rain and sleet with devastating ease, but they’re not completely unsusceptible to the elements when left to endure them for long periods. If you’re someone that likes to leave their bait boat out when angling for regular use, you will want to invest in a waterproof cover and a mat or cradle as previously mentioned. This will keep any unnecessary water off of your boat when you are between journeys and will effectively protect all the mechanical and electrical components from unnecessary stress. These covers are incredibly cheap and easy to use, so make the effort and grab one!
Correct Use
Our last tip is a pretty broad one, but an important one all the same. The correct use of a smart remote control fishing bait boat will prolong its life massively. Bait boats are strong machines that will cut through the toughest of winds, but even they will falter if put in positions that are overly precarious. For example, if you have pulled up to the lake on a warm summer’s day, and the water is more reflective of a football pitch due to the mass amount of thick blanket weed, your boat is going to suffer as a result. Now, weed guards for rotors are a very effective addition to the boat, and bait boats are extremely effective in weedy waters, but you should be aware that there are limitations to this rule.
Bait boats are fantastic additions to your carp fishing armoury, and when used correctly, they will have you doubling and tripling your catch rates. However, you must look after them correctly. Servicing, carry bags, cradles, covers and regular cleaning will add years to the lifetime of your boat, maximising the investment and keeping you catching for longer.
If you are in the market for a new bait boat, or if you need any advice on bait boats in general, take a look at our selection of the best bait boats on the market.
