Too Good To Be True

"Charlie" just had bought a new four-stroke motor, and he was so proud of its gas efficiency that he told everyone his new motor made gas, instead of using it. His friends, tired of hearing about his gas-efficient motor, decided to teach him a lesson.

Unbeknownst to "Charlie," they began to top off his gas tank after each trip. The ploy worked, because he raved about the great gas mileage. It was so good, in fact, that he didn't check the gas gauge for days at a time. That's when his buddies stopped adding gas.

The next weekend was the final tournament of the season. "Charlie" was having a great day, with a five-fish limit, including a 9-pound kicker. As he headed back to the weigh-in site, his motor sputtered, smoked and stopped dead in the water.

You guessed it. Upon checking, "Charlie" saw that the gas gauge was on empty. He used his electric trolling motor to limp back to the weigh-in site, but he was disqualified for being late. During the award ceremony, he was presented with a 5-gallon gas can and a bill for a little more than $300, the amount his friends had spent adding gas to his tank.

Not everyone goes to such extremes to make a point, but the wise angler is the one who knows when to shut up and quit rubbing it in someone's face.

In case you're interested, here are some fuel-saving tips I found online that you might find helpful...within reason:

     * Put your boat on a diet. Bass fishermen are notorious for cramming tackle and other gear into all their boats' storage lockers. Lighten the load by taking only what's needed for the body of water you're fishing.

     * Keep your livewells empty until you catch a bass. At 8.33 pounds per gallon, the reduction in water weight will significantly impact fuel consumption.

     * Slow down. Run your boat at its optimum speed for fuel efficiency when fun-fishing and while practicing for tournaments. Save wide-open throttle for tournament days. Maintain the proper trim to reduce hull friction. Your outboard must work harder when the trim is too low or high.

     * Repair damaged props. Even a small ding reduces a prop's efficiency. That means you lose speed at any rpm and burn more gas.

     * Keep your engine tuned and replace old spark plugs. This expense will pay for itself in gas savings.

     * Consider buying a fuel-flow meter. It will tell you when you're running at the most fuel-efficient cruising speed.