My boat’s engine was due for a service this year.
Usually it costs around $700 for the whole service. My engine is no longer under warranty so I decided I would try and do it myself. With the help of YouTube and other online sources, I found out a full service was pretty much equivalent to an oil change in a car.
It consists of changing the filters, spark plugs, oil, and the water pump. The water pump is the most challenging of those tasks, so I purchased the service manual for my engine and watched several different mechanics change out water pumps online before I attempted it myself.
What I discovered was that it wasn’t very hard at all to perform the service myself. I took my time and followed the manual word for word and everything worked out perfectly.
If your engine is still under warranty, I definitely wouldn’t touch it as it would void your warranty. If it’s out of warranty and you’re confident in your mechanical ability, you may want to give it a shot.
I learned a lot about my engine while doing the service myself. Above all, I’m no longer intimidated by the thought of trying to service the engine myself and am already looking forward to doing it again.
Delta Report
Largemouth bass continue to provide action for those fishing a variety of different techniques. Finding clearer water and banks protected from the wind and current seem to be what anglers are targeting.
One of the most consistent baits this time of year is a shallow running crawdad colored crankbait or a lipless crankbait.
Striped bass fishing is good right now for anglers trolling broken back rebels around the Stockton area. An occasional striper is also being caught by largemouth bass fisherman tossing reaction baits.
New Melones Lake
The trout bite has been reported as being off and on lately. The better bites have been for those fishing the banks. A lot of trout have made their way into the coves keeping those fishing Power Bait busy.
Bass fishing is hit or miss for a lot of anglers, as they have yet to move shallow. They are being caught on a variety of slow moving baits while fished around lake points. The bites haven’t been very aggressive; many fish are just picking the baits up and moving off with them.
Lake Don Pedro
The trout bite continues to pick up. Mexican Gulch, Big Oak, and Graveyard Bay seem to be the hot areas right now for anglers. Trout are being caught by those trolling within the top 25 feet with Uncle Larry’s Spinners.
Large swimbait fish are being caught for those working points. The swimbait of choice seems to be the Huddleston Deluxe in a Trout pattern. For those targeting smaller bass crankbaits and jigs have been producing decent limits of fish.
Lake Pardee
Trout are being caught for those fishing the top 10 feet while trolling flashers with lures tipped with a partial scented grub or night crawler behind dodgers or sidekicks.
Bass fishing remains great for anglers working jigs through off shore structure.
Lake Amador
Fishing is great for trout. Anglers are doing well while fishing with Power Bait around the dam and marina areas. Over 1,000 pounds of trout are being planted weekly.
Bass fishing is starting to pick up. Most anglers having any luck are fishing bottom baits such as worms or jigs down to 20 feet deep.
Tip of the Week
When changing the oil in your lower unit it’s important to know how your particular lower unit is filled.
Some are filled from the top and others are filled from the bottom. As simple as it may look it can be quite the task if you were to assume it filled up the same way a previous motor did.
I recently ran into this problem performing my last service and after referring to the service manual like I should have done in the first place I realized that I was doing it completely wrong.
To contact Jarod Ballardo, email jgbbass@yahoo.com.
