As I get older, a lot of my fishing purchases have come to be for convenience sake more than following a hot new trend. I’ve had some injuries and I’m a busy guy. So, things that make my life easier are always at the top of my list these days. That’s why I recently purchased a set of Trick Step Trailer Steps.
I fish alone a lot. Not because I’m standoffish, it’s just some weeks I work 60 or more hours and I can only slip out here and there to get on the water and it’s mostly to test new stuff. So I never know when I get to go, which makes coordinating with others difficult at best.
But because I fish alone, loading and unloading a boat is a chore in the winter on lakes like Kentucky Lake that draw down to winter pool because it often means knee boots and climbing over the bow of your boat from the trailer. A lot bigger ask at 50 than it was at 30.
So I reached out to my buddy and co-worker Terry Brown, our boat guru if you will, and asked who had the best trailer steps out there. Without hesitation he said Trick Step was the best and gave me the company contact info.
I had a brief conversation with them and purchased steps that would fit my Xpress X21 trailer. Here’s my quick run down of these new steps in photos and explanations.
The box came in a few days. A large package but not terribly heavy. Just cumbersome. I was able to do everything by myself but a second set of hands would have made it a bit quicker and easier. I unloaded the box and found the stair assembly, the hand rail, the hardware for installing and instructions.
It was well packed and easy to unbox.
I laid out the pieces and then prepped my trailer.
The steps go on the driver’s side of the trailer because my trolling motor is on the passenger side (opposite of your tow vehicle). Which meant I had to remove my spare tire and mount it elsewhere. So I took the tire off and then held the stair assembly up to the front boat arm on the trailer to eyeball where I wanted to mount it.
You don’t want to mount it too low so your steps are below your trailer tongue and you don’t want to mount it too high where it’s hard to get up on the first step.
The stair assembly is a solid 1 piece construction, capable of supporting more than 450 pounds. The lag bolts were heavy duty as was the backer plate to sandwich the mount on to your trailer arm. My arm is 3 inch square tubing so I got the appropriate mounting plate.
It was a little cumbersome to hold it all in place while I fed four bolts and nuts through the bracket and the plate on either side of the arm, but I was able to do it by myself in 15 minutes.
A quick and simple install and then some heavy duty tightening to make sure it didn’t slip under load.
The kit even comes with an additional traction pad to mount onto the gunnel of your boat so you don’t slip stepping into the boat. But I already have a nice SeaDek piece there that serves the same function.
The construction and mounting proves to be very heavy duty and able to withstand a lot of weight. It is mostly out of the way, although becareful making steep right hand turns.
The additional hand rail mounts with two heavy duty bolts and makes climbing in and out of your boat quick and easy. Up a few steps and you’re in and the same getting back out. I love how easy and safer it is to get in and out of my boat.
I felt out of my boat in a parking lot 3 years ago. The doctors think that might have been what herniated my discs years ago. My pant leg got hooked and I tumbled out of the boat onto my hip. I have not been the same since with three compressed discs in my back with no spacers anymore. So climbing in and out is harder.
But now I can enter from the front up right and easy.
The steps hold my weight no problem getting in and out on the water and on dry ground alike. The steps are big enough and sturdy enough for my big size 12 waterproof boots. And they have plenty of traction even if you get that boat ramp slime on your souls.
And it sure makes getting out of the boat on the ramp a lot easier. No more climbing a tire, feeling for the tongue hoping I don’t miss a step in the process on an icy morning. Now I just jog down 3 steps and I’m loading up in no time.
These steps are a bit of an investment at around $489. But it’s a tremendous add-on to your ease of use of your boat. Because everyone knows loading and unloading the boat is the biggest hassle of a fishing trip. So I will take the added convenience, safety and simple solution for more enjoyment on the water.
Find the Trick Step at trickstep.com.
