Boat Ramp Help

[paceman]

All great advice as for launching your boat. The same applies to loading your boat. Once onto the trailor. Hook up the winch strap, safety chain, make sure the motor is raised and drive out and out of the way. to pull the plug, put on tie downs load the truck....

[Bushwacker]

All great advise. Specially the leaving your window down so you don't lock you keys in. Never happened to me, but one of my best friends did it and had to wait 30 minutes for back up keys to arrive.

As stated above, have your stuff ready. I would much rather have to wait for a guy to back in and out for 10 minutes than have to watch a person tie up the access by putting in sweatshirts, coolers, bait, etc.. for 5 minutes!!!!

[Deitz Dittrich]

i know not all access allow to do this, but if possible.. Beach your boat near the access when going to and from your boat so not to tie up the boat access with your boat tied to the dock. But like I said, not all access is this possible.

[kevfish1]

should be a real comedy with these new rediculous laws about water, bait, plugs....

[PropsterII]

The only thing I could add is when launching or loading at night with others doing the same. It would be great if everyone backing in just ahead of you or already there behind you and winching/loading up would turn their headlights off and just use their running lights. That way when you're coming back and using your side mirrors you don't have the glare of their headlights in your mirror, which keeps you from seeing anything. And it took me a bit to figure out how to turn my headlights off on those vehicles that have the auto lights - just depress the parking brake one click and that will turn them off. At least it works on the ones I've tried. Good luck, you'll be fine now that you've got all this great advice.

[fishgutz77]

Having someone in the boat won't do any good, don't unhook until you are a the desired depth to get the boat off.

Even with someone in the boat you'll wind up on the concrete.

and a sore wallet

[BLACKJACK]

I launch by myself quite a bit and unless it's flip flop weather I always throw my hip boots in the truck. Only takes a second to put them on and you don't have to play the trailer balancing act to get the boat back on.

Glad to hear other guys use hip boots!!! That idea of doing the 'trailer trapeze act' and wrecking yourself doesn't appeal to me either. Of course it doesn’t look as 'cool' as the power loaders but it gets the job done in a timely manner.

[c0untryf1sh3r]

If your heading to a bigger lake on a windy day, or even a smaller one for that matter, watch out for the rollers coming across the lake, they can swamp a boat pretty easily if its one after another. Happened to my uncle a couple years back. He launched and tied up to the dock to go park the truck, while he was gone a nice set of rollers came in and swamped his boat right at the dock.

[pike79]

I agree with a lot of tha advice here, but if your the type of person that tells someone to get out of his way while I walk down the dock with my family to get them in the boat. Maybe that person should find a less used access, or maybe a different hobby.

[Ebiz]

Quote:

If your heading to a bigger lake on a windy day, or even a smaller one for that matter, watch out for the rollers coming across the lake, they can swamp a boat pretty easily if its one after another.

If they're coming in pretty strong and the landing/dock permits it's a good idea to tie up with the bow facing towards the lake

[BLACKJACK]

Like the tip about leaving your truck window open, would be pretty easy to hit the lock button while getting out.

Two more tips nobody has mentioned:

1) Use your parking brake once you're backed in!!! I've never saw it but have heard stories of truck, trailer and everything going into the water if the truck isn't put into Park because someone is in a hurry.

2) If you're in an area with a lot of lakes, pick a lake and access where the access is on the same side the wind is out of. If the wind is blowing out of the west, pick a lake with a west access.

Like anything, practice makes perfect!!

[Finlander]

I always launch my boat in a big lake that has a safe harbor so you don't have to deal with big waves and wind.

Always try to get as close as possible to a dock as you can access the boat easier and adjust correctley the boat as it gets winched on!

When backing up your boat into the water, slow is fast. Meaning it is easier to correct your boat going backwards.

When you are launching or pulling your boat out of the water in the dark, leave your boat running lights on as you can see exactly where the boat is.

I always turn on my rear cargo light to help see!

Bring a good bright flashlight or headlamp to look for weeds, etc.

Note how far back you have to put your trailer in the water as most trailers require backing in until only the top of the tire fenders are sticking out of the water.

Before backing in your trailer to retrieve your boat, pull out the cable from the winch enough to get the boat hooked up!

Good Luck!

[lotsofish]

One thing I didn't see mentioned, but when you are backing your trailer into the lake to trailer your boat, put it into the same depth every time. It might take a half dozen times to figure out just how much of the trailer needs to be in the water - too deep and the boat floats above the trailer, too shallow and you'll have a harder time cranking it up. Once you figure out the right depth, it will be easier and faster.

[TruthWalleyes]

One thing I didn't see mentioned, but when you are backing your trailer into the lake to trailer your boat, put it into the same depth every time. It might take a half dozen times to figure out just how much of the trailer needs to be in the water - too deep and the boat floats above the trailer, too shallow and you'll have a harder time cranking it up. Once you figure out the right depth, it will be easier and faster.

Get some ez-loaders, i just dump my trailer in as deep as i want, walk the boat up to the winch. Attach chain/cable, pull out and boat settles into the perfect spot!! Also helps in wind and current.

[TMF89]

TruthWalleyes, do you have any pix or a link to that product? I'm interested since I do a lot of fishing by myself and anything that would make loading the boat easier would be great. Thanks!

[Northlander]

Opener is not the time to be learning how to launch a boat. Either get someone experienced to go with you or wait a few days or find a nice quiet lake.

[hamms-scooter]

I kind of agree with Northlander on this one. You need to do things on your time at the landing not on everyone elses. Being reading before backing into the water and taking up that spot is huge. Opener is a holiday for the avid fisherman and it can be started off on the wrong foot quick by inexperienced people. I have alot of patience but some things I have seen at landings makes me crazy. That said good luck to all of you tomorrow or tonight at midnight.

[Capt. H (Ret.)]

I've seen people that knew how to use a boat ramp but still don't get it and they bother me more than someone new. I forgot my sweatshirt or I forgot my sunglasses or I forgot sunscreen or I forgot where the ramp was or I forgot my brain!!!! I would much rather share a ramp with someone who is at least trying than someone who is just an silly-me!! Have your act together as best you can and don't worry about it.

Mike

[trappingaddiction]

I've seen people that knew how to use a boat ramp but still don't get it and they bother me more than someone new. I forgot my sweatshirt or I forgot my sunglasses or I forgot sunscreen or I forgot where the ramp was or I forgot my brain!!!! I would much rather share a ramp with someone who is at least trying than someone who is just an silly-me!! Have your act together as best you can and don't worry about it.

Mike

X2. Or the people launching in the only boat ramp spot for 20 minutes with 3 boats waiting to use the ramp.

[TyGuy02]

I've heard alot of good ideas, my biggest tip when loading up would be to only put the trailer a little bit into the water, hook up the winch rope, tighten, back up as far as possible and still being able to keep feet dry, then crank the rest of the way. I learned this by always launching and loading by myself 20-30x a year, and always struggling with getting the boat into the middle of the trailer (especially if there is no dock!).

And like everyone else has said...BE PREPARED! 5 minutes of preparation before leaving the house, is worth 30 minutes of angry glares when at the dock.

Also, when on a lake with only one access, don't perform boat repairs in the launch and be mad when people ask to launch their boat. Waited for a full hour one time with someone dinkin' around when they could've just tied up on the other side of the dock and done all the tinkering they wanted.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Lots of good advice here. One thing I'll toss in, and it's sounds weird but it's true....take your time.

If you feel like you're being rushed, then you're being rushed, and you're going to mess something up. When it's your turn to back into the landing then it's your turn. If you don't want to hold others up, that's cool, let them go ahead of you.

And there's no shame in asking for a hand, or lending others a hand. I've helped a lot of people at landings.

[TruthWalleyes]

TruthWalleyes, do you have any pix or a link to that product? I'm interested since I do a lot of fishing by myself and anything that would make loading the boat easier would be great. Thanks!

[Ziesmer]

My trailer is a roller trailer and has those. They really help a lot. Thanks to everyone for all the advice. I learned a few lessons, some the hard way, but for the most part everything went well! The access I went to was empty so that helped.

[bASS_BLASTER]

Yesterday was such a B-EAUTIFUL day for fishing! Like always, its entertaining watching people load their boats. Everyone is afraid to wet their SUV/Truck tires. Saw a guy break his wench rope because he didn't back up far enough and another had is trailer in the water, instead loading his boat, he decides to clean his boat first. Thankfully, there were no jerks around.

I think for most ramps, if you almost bury your trailer tires you will never have to power load, wench heck out of your trailer and the line will be so much faster. Except for steep ramps.

Another thing that helped me is having the right hitch, example: 2, 3, 4, 5 inch drops to level your boat and hitch.

[paceman]

I was at two busy launches this past weekend and I have to say i was impressed. Boats were loaded and unloaded very quickly and effeciently at both spots.