There is no question that getting into and out of boats gets more challenging all the time. Fenders were not made for standing on and tongues of boats can be slippery and dangerous when loading and unloading a boat. Trick Step by Mark Peiser Manufacturing, Inc. has taken the troubles of getting into and out of a boat out of the picture with their custom step that attaches to the bass boat trailer. They look cool, too.
I just put one on my boat trailer and I wanted to share the details with everyone.
Installation
Installation is simple and basically takes two wrenches and possibly a buddy to hold the step and with my boat, I easily did it in 10 minutes by myself.
The Trick Step has tight tolerances and is built like a tank to easily support up to 450 pounds and the welds are neat and precise. The Trick Step mounts onto the front guide post on the trailer and it comes with everything you need including washers, boats and nylon-coated nuts to make it tight and secure.
After determining where it would go, placing the four bolts into the step side allows for the plate on the back side to be positioned and locked down with two provided standard 11/16-inch nuts to hold it into place. Snugging them allows one person to position the nylocks and washers on the other two bolts. After they are placed removal of those nuts and replacement of the nylocks is simple.
Here is a simple how-to video on the Trick Step website, too.
Why Trick Step?
I have bad knees and it is almost comical to watch me get in and out of a boat. I look like a walrus climbing onto and off rocks most of the time with boats that are not equipped with Trick Steps.
With the Trick Step, I can easily get into and out of the boat by walking up the steps and the handy grab pole makes if simple even for those that have balance issues. Those who are less gravity challenged will love how quickly they can walk in and out and speeding up the loading and unloading process especially alone. Even old anglers like myself are more stable and light on my feet getting in and out of the boat. I didn’t know what I was missing until I got one.
MLF Big5 professional Bill McDonald was an early adopter of the Trick Step and says it best.
“I use all the tools at my disposal in my fishing, why wouldn’t I use them for entering and exiting my boat too?,” McDonald said. “I have had one on my boat for years and I believe it is a tool to extend my career, too. Too many times I have seen anglers have difficulty getting in and out of the boat and the Trick Step takes that out of the equation.”
Trick Step materials and customer service
The Trick Step is a detachable boat access step made of mild steel square tubing and TIG welded for solid, long-lasting integrity. All of the components are coated with a marine industry Tuff Coat to eliminate scuffing and adding to its lifespan.
The graduated step alignment works well for both tall and short folks and the non-skid materials on the steps are grippy and solid. For the record, I recommend them from both a material and function standpoint and will always have one for my boats moving forward.
Trick Step customer service is second to none and steps are available for Ranger, Phoenix, Vexus, Triton, Tracker, Legend, Skeeter, Falcon and Nitro boats. They also build custom steps for Lund, Champion, G3, Bass Cat, Xpress, Stratos and a host of others.
The Trick Step retails for around $490.00. It is available at TrickStep.com.
