Six Tips to Ensure a Fun First Float of the Year

A few basics to ensure a great first float of the fishing season.

May 02, 2026

Just like boning up on river etiquette or revisiting basic safety tips before the season starts, a little bit of planning can make your first outing this spring in a boat a heck of a lot smoother.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, but the six items below have all stymied me at some point in the past.

I know a few of these recommendations may seem ridiculous, but I’m a slow learner and need constant reinforcement.

Make sure your trailer lights are working. This has to be one of the most common problems facing boaters. Just the other day, I pulled out my boat and sure enough, the ground wire on my harness had worn through and the lights weren’t working. It was an easy fix with some electrical tape and spare part or two, but many are not. Check the lights now and fix if they’re not working. Take the trailer to a mechanic if you need to. This will keep you from getting pulled over, or not being able to go at all, due to safety issues (at night) or in bad weather. Check out our recently published article on trailers for more in-depth info: Boat Trailer Lights: Troubleshooting and Fixes.
More trailer ailments–forgetting to tighten your lug nuts. It’s always good to ask yourself: When’s the last time you did this?
Trailer tire pressure–another major “boo boo” I’ve made is neglecting the tire pressure on my trailer. I stopped to fill up my truck tires last year and randomly thought to myself, “When’s the last time I checked the trailer tires?” I couldn’t remember putting air in them for–well, a LONG time. Sure enough, they were dangerously low. Check your trailer tires before the first float of the year and frequently throughout the season. Pro tip: Do not forget to check the spare tire as well; it’s an often-neglected piece of the transport puzzle.
Hard boat owners–do you have a spare drain plug or plugs? My dory has midships drain plugs and halfway through last year, I started noticing an inch, then an inch-and-a-half of water standing in the floor of the boat. I checked the plug tightness and bilged, but the water kept returning. At first, I thought I had a leak in the hull, but that wasn’t the case. The rubber for the drain plugs had dry-rotted and was slowly letting water in. Occasionally, I’ve bumped out my stern drain plug on rocks as well. The bottom line, always carry a spare drain plug, or three, in the boat. Check out this nifty piece of equipment we found for this job from Riverguidegear.
Raft owners–check your valves. Do they seem to be leaking air? One of the simplest fixes to this problem is 303 UV Protectant–fill the entire valve and let it soak overnight or when you put away the boat for the winter. Voila, this almost always fixes slightly leaking valves. This is the same stuff you put on your rubber boat every year for UV protection. Like my rowing friend likes to say, “It’s like sunblock for your dinghy.”
Lastly, double check all of your safety gear before you head out. Is your throw-bag in your boat? Does it work? Do you have a spare oar-lock or tower? Spare oar? (Read this oar debacle.)What about a patch kit? Are all the glues and solvents okay and up-to-date? Is your trailer winch rope in good shape? Do you have the tools to adjust your raft frame or fix a busted tower or lock?

While many of these tips may seem tedious and boring, keeping your boat and trailer up-to-date and in good working order ensures that your first trip of the season doesn’t end up in a completely preventable disaster.