Getting your boat ready for tuna season
A pre-season checklist for engines, safety gear, electronics, bait tanks and tackle, so the first offshore trip isn't the one where something breaks.
The first long run of the year is where small problems show up: a weak battery, a tired impeller, a bait pump that quit over the winter. Fixing them at the dock is cheap. Fixing them 40 miles out isn’t possible. Work through this list before the season starts.
Engines
- Service them. Oil and filters, gear oil, spark plugs on gas outboards, belts on inboards. Follow the manual’s intervals, or have your mechanic do it.
- Replace the water pump impeller if it’s due or you don’t know when it was last done.
- Fuel filters and water separator. Replace them, and look at what comes out. Water or debris means old fuel or a tank problem.
- Old fuel. If the boat sat all winter, think about how old the fuel is. Fresh fuel saves trouble.
- Run it under load before the first big trip, not just at idle in the slip.
Electrical
- Batteries. Load-test them. A battery that started the engine fine in the driveway can let you down after a day of running electronics and pumps.
- Connections. Clean and tighten terminals. Corrosion builds up over winter.
- Bilge pumps. Test the float switches and the pumps themselves.
- Navigation lights. You’ll be running in the dark at both ends of the day.
Safety gear
- Life jackets. One for everyone, the right sizes, in good condition. Check inflatables’ cylinders and indicators.
- Flares. They expire. Replace any that are out of date.
- EPIRB / PLB. Test it, check the battery date, and make sure the registration is current.
- Fire extinguishers. Charged and in date.
- VHF. Do a radio check. Make sure your handheld charges and holds a charge.
- First aid kit. Restock it.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary does free vessel safety checks. It’s a good way to get a second pair of eyes on all of this.
Electronics
- Update the plotter and sonar software and your charts.
- Check the transducer for growth or damage.
- Load the US-Mexico boundary and your waypoints before you need them.
Bait tank
Live bait is half of SoCal tuna fishing, and a dead bait tank ends the day.
- Run the pump and check flow.
- Check the plumbing, overflow and drain for leaks and blockages.
- Clean the tank.
Hull and running gear
- Bottom. Clean, and painted if you keep the boat in the water.
- Props. Look for dings and fishing line wrapped around the shaft.
- Through-hulls and hoses. Check clamps and look for cracks.
Trailer, if you have one
- Wheel bearings. Grease or service them.
- Tires. Pressure and age, including the spare.
- Lights and brakes.
- Winch strap and safety chain.
Tackle
- Service your reels, especially the drags.
- Replace old line. Mono and fluorocarbon get weak with age and sun. Check braid for wear near the end.
- Check rod guides for cracks that will cut line.
- Restock hooks, leader, sinkers and jigs.
- Practice your knots. Here’s the FG knot →
Paperwork
- Boat registration current, numbers and sticker on the hull.
- California fishing licenses and report cards for everyone. Check when yours expire.
- Mexican licenses if you’ll fish across the line. What you need →
Shake-down trip
Do a short trip close to home before the first long run. Run the engines hard, use every pump and electronic, and fish a little. Anything that’s going to break, let it break where help is close.