winterizing

I know it's early for this, but I'm wondering what I need to do to winterize my outboard. Evinrude model 55EL79C. It's on a pontoon and I don't have a trailer yet so it will be in the water all winter. Our lake froze over several times last year and I'm assuming I need to tilt and lock, but what else do I need to do?

I moved to Florida back in 1977 and haven't winterized any engine since then. I'm hoping that someone will jump in here with the proper procedure for your engine as I know many things have changed in the past 33 years. Anything I have to say would be outdated.

However...... As you state, you're located in a area where freezing weather occurs.
Simply tilting your engine will not allow the water passages in the lower unit drain completely...... the remaining water will freeze and crack the lower unit. Best to either pull the rig out so that you can store the engine in an upright position OR remove the engine and put it in storage.