"My kids find it fun to go after the sunfish or crappies. They love that these fish bite constantly and they’re not too hard to find." -Bryan Lewis

Many anglers will celebrate the Minnesota fishing opener along with Mother’s day this weekend, while fishing enthusiasts in neighboring states cast their lines last weekend, or are lucky enough to live where there is no designated fishing opener. Regardless of where you live, fishing season 2012 is upon us.

Know your lake

If you want to make sure this fishing season is a success, take time to get to know the lake where you are fishing. If you become familiar with the lake’s structure, it will be easier to pinpoint where the fish are. Walleye, for example require some planning to catch, and it’s this challenge that makes them my favorite. For example, if I head out this weekend to catch walleye I might find them in the shallow water close to shore or near a sandbar. If I were to fish for walleye later in the season I would have to know the structure of the lake since they will be more aggressively feeding and in a wider variety of depths and lake structures.

On the other hand, northerns can be fun to catch because they will sit in shallower water, can jump at anything that moves near them and provide a little fight while reeling them in. If you want to take a kid fishing, walleyes can be a gamble and northerns require some talent to be able to cast. I find it fun to go after the sunfish or crappies and just simply bait hooks and take the fish off for the kids. My kids love that these fish bite constantly and they’re not too hard to find.

If you are fishing a lake that you are unfamiliar with, it never hurts to talk with the locals or check in at the bait shop. You could find out where the sweet spots are and also learn about what bait the fish are biting this year.

Tips to catch fish

Whether this is your first fishing season or your 50th, here are some quick reminders and tips from one angler to another.

• Buy a fishing license. It’s easy to forget this detail when you are so excited to get out on the lake, but don’t get caught without it.

• Bring a flashlight. This can come in handy in case you become ambitious and stay out on the lake after dark, particularly to signal for help if you become stranded.

• Pack a map. It’s easy to get turned around on a big lake; bring a map and you’ll be able to navigate back to shore with confidence.

• Stay near the shore. Not only will this prevent you from getting turned around, but casting towards the shoreline will get more bites since fish are usually here looking for food.

• Keep a first aid kit in the boat. This can mean the difference of having to head in for the day or being able to take care of a minor injury from your boat.

• Use a variety of bait. A lot of people will use worms or minnows, but locusts are also a great choice – particularly if you’d like to catch large bass.

• Get an early start. All summer long, sunrise is typically the best time to catch fish.

Whether you need to fill up your boat or just need a snack for out on the lake, the Cenex location finder is a great tool for finding the Cenex-branded retailer nearest to your lake.

-Bryan Lewis, CHS propane risk management manager

"Using a fleet card is another tool that can help you track your vehicles by monitoring where drivers are filling up." -Andy Ernst

Every fleet owner strives to run his or her business efficiently, but administrative tasks like mileage reports and reimbursement checks can cause discrepancies in bookkeeping and are a headache to keep track of. Fortunately, developments in technology such as vehicle tracking systems and fleet cards are making fleet management much easier.

Vehicle tracking

Using a tracking system allows you to know the exact location of every vehicle. This aids in the efficient routing and dispatching of trucks to reduce customer wait time and cut down on drive time for certain drivers. The benefit of being able to do this will improve customer service and increase employee satisfaction.

Tracking data can also be used to monitor high risk driving behaviors of vehicle operators. These systems can monitor “jack rabbit” quick starts and stops, unnecessary driving in reverse, and vehicle idling. These improvements will lead to reduced fuel costs, but perhaps more important, increased safety on the road. In addition, you can use this system to monitor and reward safe driving habits.

Fleet cards

Using a fleet card is another tool that can help you track your vehicles by monitoring where drivers are filling up. This also makes bookkeeping a breeze because drivers do not have to fill out fuel expense and mileage reports – the fleet card automatically records that information. The card can also monitor fraudulent or suspicious behavior and expenses.

Using a fleet card is perhaps the easiest and most cost effective way to streamline your fleet business. With the ability to receive volume rebates, track maintenance and repair purchases on each vehicle, and monitor unusual transaction activity, a fleet card can solid improvements to your business. Visit our website to learn how to switch your fleet over to a Cenex® Voyager® Fleet Card, with added benefits, such as free Cabela’s gift cards.

-Andy Ernst – Payment Solutions Consultant

"If the gas has been sitting idle in a tank for more than a three months, this is long enough for it to go bad." -Neil Hoff

Spring is here. It’s time to bring out the lawn mower, but before you power it up, have you considered that the gasoline you are about to use might be bad?

Admit it, you have been tempted to save a few bucks by using gasoline from a leftover tank in your garage or by using what is left in the machine’s tank. In both situations, this gasoline has been sitting all winter and is no longer good.

What happens if you use old gasoline?

Gasoline has a very specific chemical composition to ensure it burns properly in an engine. One of those characteristics is volatility, a fancy word to describe how easily the gas vaporizes. The volatility decreases over time, so it can’t effectively burn in your engine. What this means for you is that your lawn mower engine may start and run, but it will not run well.

If that does not sound serious enough for you to change your ways, then consider that another side effect of using bad gasoline is the development of gum and varnish deposits in your fuel system. Over time, the composition of gas can change, creating deposits and impurities that can clog up gas lines, filters and carburetors. Removing deposits is costly, and your engine will assuredly not run until these clogs are removed. Read my blog post from last month if you are interested in learning why these impurities develop more often with major temperature changes, like from winter to summer.

How can you tell if the gas is bad?

There are several ways to tell if gas has gone bad. The first is by smelling the gas. I know this sounds unpleasant, but the fact is that everyone knows what gas should smell like. If it smells sour or off, then the gas has gone bad. Another way is by pouring some of it into a clear glass and comparing the color with that of gasoline you know is fresh. If the color is obviously darker, then the gas is bad. Finally, the easiest indicator is time. If the gas has been sitting idle in a tank for more than a three months, this is long enough for it to have gone bad.

What can I do to prevent gas from going bad?

With spring newly arrived, it’s hard to think forward to the coming fall. But, if you top off your tank and mix it with a stabilizer before your store your equipment in the fall, then you won’t be faced with this dilemma come next spring. A stabilizer is not a cure-all, but it will slow down the decomposition of the gasoline and keep it fresh for about a year. Still, the best bet is to safely drain your gas tank at the end of the season.

So, before you start up your mower, use our location finder to find the nearest Cenex® branded retailer and fill up your equipment with fresh gasoline to extend the life of your engine.

-Neil Hoff, CHS Manager of Product Marketing for Refined Fuels

"Sampling and analyzing oil on a regular basis establishes a baseline for normal wear and can help indicate when abnormal wear or contamination is occurring." - Jim Rossbach

Oil analysis has been around since the early 1940s when railroads began using the technique as a predictive and preventive maintenance tool for diesel locomotive engines. After the success of oil analysis in the railways, the American Navy used spectrometric techniques to monitor aircraft jet engines in the mid-1950s. Today, routine oil analysis with programs like LubeScan® is an important part of equipment maintenance programs all over the world.

What is oil analysis?

Oil analysis programs monitor wear and contamination in an engine, transmission or hydraulic system. Sampling and analyzing oil on a regular basis establishes a baseline for normal wear and can help indicate when abnormal wear or contamination is occurring.

Oil that has been inside any moving mechanical equipment for a period of time reflects the condition of the equipment. Because oil is in contact with the engine, any microscopic wear particles or contaminants found in the engine will also show up in the oil. These particles are so small they will remain suspended in the oil.

By identifying and measuring impurities, you get an indication of the equipment wear rate and of any excessive contamination. Using LubeScan® to test oil will identify component wear, lubricant conditions and overall component operating conditions.

Why use LubeScan?

• Reduced repair bills

• Reduced catastrophic failures

• Increased machine life

• Reduced non-scheduled downtime

When used on a regular basis, oil analysis can help operators determine equipment or engine health, including how much wear is taking place and what maintenance practices are necessary to keep equipment in good operating condition.

- Jim Rossbach, CHS Director of Technical Services and Quality

"A warmer than usual spring means that planting season is already in full swing throughout much of the Midwest." -Neil Hoff

A warmer than usual spring means that planting season is already in full swing throughout much of the Midwest. Spring is typically the busiest time of the year for farmers, and when rushing to take advantage of ideal planting conditions, it can be easy to neglect simple steps for staying safe and healthy while in the field.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average of 700 deaths can be attributed to farm work injuries each year and an additional 120,000 agricultural workers sustain disabling injuries from work-related accidents. Many of these accidents occur during spring planting season.

Most farm workers are extremely cautious while performing tasks around the farm, but sometimes accidents are unavoidable. Luckily, many deaths and accidents can be prevented when proper safety measures are in place and followed.

Here are my top three safety reminders for this planting season.

Use caution at night. Field work doesn’t always end at dusk, which can limit visibility. Before pulling any equipment onto the road or highway, clean off dirty headlights and taillights to reduce the risk of traffic hitting you or your equipment at night.

Ease up at the end of the day. Studies have shown working several consecutive 10-hour days can increase your chance of hurting yourself or others. Take a break during the day to rest, and for the last two hours of the workday, try to avoid driving or operating complex machinery. Ask for help if you’re feeling fatigued.

Tie Your Cargo Down. Spend a little extra time carefully tying down seed bags, chemical shuttles and other loads so that nothing falls off your truck. And remember to slow down when going around corners.

It may be tempting to take short cuts and finish your work faster, but a few extra minutes can be all it takes to prevent unnecessary accidents and ensure the safety of yourself and others.

To learn specific safety measures for various farm hazards like chemicals, falls from tractors or power take off (PTO), check out the National Education Center For Agricultural Safety at www.necasag.org/.

-Neil Hoff, CHS Manager of Product Marketing for Refined Fuels

Dylan Stearns (left, with sons Sutton and Stetson) receiving a check for $18,454 from Todd Monroe of CHS.

Earlier this year we told you about the Cenex® Total Protection Plan™ warranty program that keeps you running. Although the warranty plan may sound too good to be true, the Total Protection Plan™ extends beyond equipment manufacturers’ warranties and covers new equipment for up to 10 years or 10,000 hours (8 years or 8,000 hours on used equipment), with no deductible. Most important, getting coverage is as easy as using Ruby Fieldmaster® premium diesel and Cenex® lubricants exclusively.

Still not convinced? Just talk to Dylan Stearns of Ludden, N.D., who recently received a big check from CHS — and we do mean big. Stearns has three tractors and one combine enrolled in the warranty program. The 3-foot-long check, made out for $18,454, covered the costs associated with a broken crankshaft on one of his John Deere tractors. The oversized check represented the amount of money paid to Stearns for his claim submitted under the Cenex® Total Protection Plan™ warranty program.

As the check proves, the Total Protection Plan™ can be a great way to get big coverage with little hassle. Click here to learn more about the program.

"You never know when the weather is going to change, so it’s important to eliminate the worry that your fuel quality will prevent you from getting out in the field." -Neil Hoff

The recent weather has felt almost like summer, but believe it or not, Tuesday was actually the official first day of spring. Whether you are looking at the calendar or the thermometer, it’s unquestionably the time to start getting ready for the spring planting season.

Most people prep their ag equipment for the season, but they neglect the most important task to ensure a successful planting season – maintaining a good fuel storage supply. Since you never know when the weather is going to change, it’s important to eliminate the worry that your fuel quality will prevent you from getting out in the field.

Your fuel storage tank should be cleaned annually, but you should be draining the water from your storage tank every three months. Water enters the fuel storage tank system through condensation, and this is particularly true when there is a major temperature change from cold to hot, or from winter to summer. If the water is left in the tank, it will create rust and corrosion that contaminates the fuel supply.

Draining the water from your fuel storage tank will keep impurities such as rust, sludge and dirt from entering your fuel system and hampering engine performance. So as you start this season, remember to drain your fuel storage tank of water quarterly and have it completely drained and cleaned yearly. This is my number one tip, but make sure you are crossing everything else off the tank maintenance checklist, too. Follow these tips, and you can start the planting season confident that nothing, except maybe the weather, will keep you from the fields.

Tank Maintenance Checklist

• Drain and remove water and contaminants every three months.
• Change bulk storage tank filters at least twice a year.
• Clean pump screens regularly.
• Clean tanks annually.
• Ensure tank is tilted to direct water and debris away from outlet.
• Replace vehicle tank filters as recommended by manufacturers.
• Drain condensation periodically if vehicle tank filter has a drain valve.
• Check caps, sumps and vents for integrity and proper function.

-Neil Hoff, CHS Manager of Product Marketing for Refined Fuels

"A 7,500-mile oil change is recommended for vehicles driven under ideal circumstances." -Greg McAfee

In the 1990s, driver’s education classes taught students to carefully mark both mileage and oil checks in a neat little notebook.

Students were taught: Change your oil every 3,000 miles. Check the oil at every fill-up. Note how many miles you drove in between tank fill-ups. Track the miles per gallon (mpg) at which your car operates in between fill-ups.

New drivers learned that a decrease in mpg or a low oil level indicated your car might need an oil and filter change.

Now most new vehicles complete this task for us. When it’s time for an oil change, a dash light says “Time for an Oil Change,” based on the manufacturer’s recommendations for the make and model of your car, truck or equipment.

This recommendation, based on “normal” driving conditions, can range from 3,000 to 7,500 miles, depending on the engine and the make of the vehicle. Many manufacturers recommend an oil change at 7,500 miles these days.

Why have recommendations changed?

Oils have changed in the last 20 years. The ability of an oil to clean and also to sit in the crankcase, without releasing the dirt trapped by the oil and oil filter, has improved greatly. Engine efficiency has also improved tenfold as emissions requirements nudged auto manufacturers to make engines more efficient.

So how often should you really change your oil?

A 7,500-mile oil change is recommended for vehicles driven under ideal circumstances. But few of us have ideal conditions. Frequent short trips (under 10 miles in cold weather), driving in dusty or gritty conditions (as on gravel roads), and stop-and-go traffic are all considered “severe” service. For this type of driving, most experts still recommend changing your oil and oil filter every 3,000 miles or every six months, whichever comes first.

What happens when you don’t change your oil regularly? Does it matter that much?

Oil collects dirt from your engine like blood collects contaminants from your body. The oil filter traps that dirt so the engine can run smoothly and efficiently. If you drive in “severe conditions” often, dirt will accumulate more quickly in the oil and the filter.

Not changing the oil and filter when your car needs it most means the filter will clog and the dirty oil will by-pass through the oil filter without catching and holding it. Dirty oil will also continue to circulate through your engine. Over the long term, all those additives in your oil, like detergents, dispersants and other things that help keep the engine friction-free and rust-free will wear out and cease to be effective.

The end result of not changing oil on a regular basis is that your engine won’t operate as efficiently or last as long as it could.

It’s easy to figure out the “right” time between oil changes for your vehicle with these easy steps. Oil is cheap but replacing or repairing an engine isn’t.

1. Check your oil levels every few hundred miles. The engine oil level should be in the upper half of the operating range on the oil dipstick. If it isn’t, change your oil or add new oil.

2. Check the color of the oil. If it looks dirty, not light and syrupy in color like it did when it went in, it’s time to change the oil.

3. Watch your gas mileage. If it seems to be decreasing, it may be time to change the oil and filter.

4. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your vehicle. At the very least, for the best efficiency of your car or truck, follow those guidelines for oil and oil filter changes.

-Greg McAfee, CHS Director of Marketing for Lubricants

"Come March 17, everybody is a little bit Irish." Bryan Lewis

Come March 17, everybody is a little bit Irish. But how much do you really know about this centuries-old holiday? Here are some quick St. Patrick’s Day facts to help show your Irish side this holiday weekend.

• Saint Patrick wasn’t Irish, he was born in Wales.

• The original St. Patrick’s Day color was blue, not green. In fact, green was previously considered to be unlucky.

• Every year, 40 pounds of dye turns the Chicago River green for about five hours.

• Traditionally, the Irish leader hands a crystal bowl of shamrocks to the U.S. president in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. The Secret Service destroys the shamrocks immediately after the exchange.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by picking up a few green items the next time you stop at a Cenex Retail Store. Try one of my favorites below or look for your own green treats to get in the St. Paddy’s Day spirit.

• Green tea

• Wrigley’s Extra® Gum in Spearmint, Key Lime Pie or Mint Chocolate Chip

• Mountain Dew

• Wonka® Laffy Taffy® in Sour Apple

For more St. Patrick’s Day facts, check out the History Channel website: http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/interactives/st-patricks-day-by-the-numbers.

-Bryan Lewis, CHS propane risk management manager

"The result of the extreme pressure and heat can literally “cook” typical #2 diesel fuel, resulting in fouled fuel that re-circulates in the fuel system." -Neil Hoff

Did you know diesel engine manufacturers have modified their engine designs in order to meet new EPA specifications for reduced emissions? This is a good thing because it means better efficiency and cleaner air for our environment, but it also means we need to change the way we think about our fuel. If you own a new diesel vehicle – or are in the market for one – here are a few things you should know:

Diesel fuel engines burn hotter and operate under extreme pressure

Newer engines operate under higher temperatures and pressures than ever before. Imagine the entire weight of an 18-wheeler … put within one square inch (about the size of a postage stamp). That gives you an idea of the amount of pressure going through a single fuel injector.

Under extreme pressure, the temperature of fuel increases. The result of the extreme pressure and heat can literally “cook” typical #2 diesel fuel, resulting in fouled fuel that re-circulates in the fuel system. This leads to a number of problems, including injector failure, clogged filters, reduced efficiency, power loss, poor starting, costly repairs and even engine failures.

Fortunately, there’s a solution. Cenex® Premium Diesel Fuels are specially formulated with an additive package designed for new fuel systems. Users who have made the switch from a standard #2 diesel to a Cenex Premium Diesel report that it’s effective at eliminating the problems mentioned above. (For more information, visit cenex.com/roadmasterxl.)

There may be an “extra” cap next to your fuel tank

That extra cap near the fuel tank is for Diesel Engine Fluid (DEF), an operating fluid required by Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems. DEF is injected into hot exhaust as a fine mist and passes over a catalyst, to convert NOx (nitrogen oxide) emissions into nitrogen gas and water vapor – effectively reducing NOx emissions to the levels required by EPA.

A clear, odorless solution of urea and water, DEF is not explosive, flammable, toxic or subject to any hazardous product regulations. DEF is increasingly becoming available at public fueling stations, truck stops, automatic filling stations, chemical distribution depots and truck dealerships; its shelf life is about 12 months.

-Neil Hoff, CHS Manager of Product Marketing for Refined Fuels