Launching a boat.

[ROBZILLA]

Steps

1
Step One

Find a ramp in a traffic-free area. You'll launch the boat from there.

2
Step Two

Tilt the boat engine to give you enough clearance to get down the ramp. If the ramp is steep, keep the bow rope attached until the boat is close to the water.

3
Step Three

Make sure you have good visibility before launching, and check again that the area is free of traffic.

4
Step Four

Slowly back the boat down the ramp. Have someone stand nearby to tell you immediately if another boat or person gets in the way.

5
Step Five

Continue to back the boat down the ramp until the stern begins to float. Have your assistant push the boat off the trailer. Remove the bow rope if it is still attached.

6
Step Six

When the whole boat is afloat, move your car to the parking area and move the boat to a docking area or safe stretch of shoreline. If you’re doing this alone, secure your boat with a line before you move your car; otherwise, have a friend stay with the boat.

7
Step Seven

Get your equipment and anyone else who’s accompanying you on board.


Tips & Warnings

• <LI class=lstTip>Practice backing your boat and trailer in and out of your driveway—this will give you a feel for how sharply you need to turn the wheel and how the trailer will respond.
• Make sure your safety equipment, including life jackets, is on board before you head out.
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Using Your Boat to Align With Structures

Steps

1
Step One

Position your boat directly over structures that are deep and fully submerged, and then fish vertically.

2
Step Two

Position the boat so you can slice-cast toward the bank if it’s flat, or at an angle of up to 45 degrees.

3
Step Three

Position the boat for parallel fishing off structures that are steep or vertical.

4
Step Four

In heavy currents, use both the front and rear anchors to hold the boat in the area you want to fish. Cast your line upstream and let the bait and lures flow with the current.


Tips & Warnings

• Bass tend to congregate in or near underwater structures such as depressions, sandbars and ledges. These fish are predators, so you often find them waiting for their prey.

[Bender]

Thanks for the tips! One thing I might add is for you to get all of your gear into the boat and release the rear straps in THE PREP AREA! Not on the ramp. Thank you. With 2 people putting your boat in and getting it out can be very fast process. It is needed up here where most lakes have only one ramp, a few with two, and only a very few with more.

[Bender]

Also over the winter I am going to study up on safe boating practices:
http://www.boat-ed.com/mi/course/index.htm
Also a lot of states have online tests: http://www.boat-ed.com/

[Rebbasser]

Zilla, you forgot one step:

If you have them, make sure the rear tie downs and transom saver are removed and MAKE SURE YOU PUT THE DRAIN PLUG IN, AND MAKE SURE IT IS IN THE DRAIN HOLE AND NOT THE LIVEWELL DRAIN. (Been there and done that)

[pig n jig]

It is best to keep a spare drain plug in your glove compartment, just in case someone else needs the one you had in the boat, or you noticed it got lost once your at the lake, ready to launch . Been there done that, repeatedly.I anit sure if someone does take them, but they have known to come up missing. P N J

[1FASTLASER]

LOL I always love it when I am unloading by myself and ferget to undo the transom straps. DOH! Boat wont float werth a crap when ya leave em on.LOL

[InEccess]

I just wanted to add something I learned launching boats at the club level. As a non-boat owner, my boat launching experience was non-existant. Being a good co-angler though, I'll do whatever it takes to help my boater get on the water faster. I learned that if you place you hand at the bottom of the steering wheel (the 6 o'clock position), the boat will go in which ever direction you bring your hand up. Keep that in mind, co-anglers.

[tntitans21399]

I usually forget my drain plug and then start seeing water, and then realize I forgot the plug. Luckly I have a auto switch & manual switch for my bilge that will pump the water out faster then it can come into the hole so I'm good and the boat wont sink. I think that's the only time I get water in the boat.

[BassAddict]

We put my brothers 21' Triton in the James River one time without putting the plug in. We ran to our first stop and I'm in the back of the boat and all of a sudden the boat starts puking out water. I asked Mike "what the hell is that all about?".... "you did put the plug in the boat right?". Then I heard a "OH SH$T... I don't think I did". We fished like that for several hours. The boat just pumped the water out of and on. Guess you can't sink a Triton. Was kind of annoying though having the water spewing out like that while I'm trying to fish!

[Fish2win]

Here one more helpful tip for launching alone. Follow robzillas directions.when you get to the part where you disconnect the bow line on the trailor add another rope that is about 20 feet longer than the trailor. Tie it to the trailor and the bow of the boat. Let the boat float off the trailor by its self. When it reaches the end of the rope slowly pull slightly forward The boat will come back to shore. Then move it to the docking position.Keeps your feet dry and does not let the boat get away from you. Fish2win

[flfireman]

Nice tips. I load the boat in the parking lot first, disconnect everything also. My bow line is about 10-12 feet longer then my trailer, I close this in my tailgate and back in. The boat goes out, I pull up a little if there's water, then pull the boat to shore or wherever Im staging it. Drain plug and livewell plug. Ive done both and my bilge doesn't pump that fast.

[Mac10]

I read a tip that works well for me....when backing down the ramp, take the truck out of gear first....just easier to control when backing down and using the brake when and as needed. Great thread!!!

[Basscrazie]

Originally Posted by BassAddict

We put my brothers 21' Triton in the James River one time without putting the plug in. We ran to our first stop and I'm in the back of the boat and all of a sudden the boat starts puking out water. I asked Mike "what the hell is that all about?".... "you did put the plug in the boat right?". Then I heard a "OH SH$T... I don't think I did". We fished like that for several hours. The boat just pumped the water out of and on. Guess you can't sink a Triton. Was kind of annoying though having the water spewing out like that while I'm trying to fish!

Done the same thing more than once fishing out of a friends skeeter and he doesn't have an auto bilge.Fished four hours and got ready to leave and that 200 yammie said help.The later model boats seem to be very boyant..Have left the straps on before too.....Now i check everything twice but my buddy still doesn't get it.

[bassintxlady]

bet and i ....well bet didn't put the plug in one time .....but thankfully i can swim ...we floated into a shallow and i got off the boat and into the water and put the plug in....what the hell was i thinkin????

[zooker]

i use the rope trick to get my boat off the trailer. i then tie up to the dock -if possable- then park the truck.. if i am fishin with the boys i either let one of them back it in or if i am early i free slid it.. thats just launching the boat no rope no nothing. and catch a ride from one of them out to my boat..

zooker

[bassnman30]

Badin, Tuckertown,and Tillery have ramps that are close to the dock. You can back your boat down and unstrap it then back it off the trailer and secure it. Take your vehicle out, park it and then off you go.
Note: Finding a ramp with no traffic (esp. in summer) can get somewhat difficult.

[zooker]

Originally Posted by bassnman30

Note: Finding a ramp with no traffic (esp. in summer) can get somewhat difficult.

he's right..
average launch time at the big ramps during the summer round here are 20-30 mintue wait..i have waited over 90 mintues to get in.. even when i put in at 2 am during the summer i normally have to wait...

zooker

[JB]

You guys just starting out, learn to read the side mirrors only, while backing the boat down the ramp.
and grab the steering wheel by the bottom center. Sooner or later you'll end up putting a boat in the water, and the truck has a camper or shell that you can see through with the windshield mirror.

[zooker]

jb i am a top center guy but than i drive for a living..

zooker

[WallStreetAmigo]

It must be nice to have actual boat ramps to launch from! I don't have a big fancy boat (just a little 12' aluminum one), but that's okay because of the places I fish where you could never get a bigger boat. The steps I take when launching my boat are:

1) Drive as close to the water as I can
2) Handbomb my boat to the water.
3) Load all equipment and motor into the boat
4) Go Fishing

LOL

To make my life easier I have installed a set of launching wheels on the transom (now I can load and unload the boat myself) and next spring I will be getting an automatic cartop launcher for my truck. It's a great system for guys like me who like to fish alone in out of the way places. Then I will be able to back my 4x4 down to the water, hit a button, and unload my boat. Great system!

[ROBZILLA]

And My biggest tip is always walk down the passenger side of the truck and around the front when you go to get in. This will avoid getting ran over like iI did near the boat launch.

[zooker]

Originally Posted by ROBZILLA

And My biggest tip is always walk down the passenger side of the truck and around the front when you go to get in. This will avoid getting ran over like iI did near the boat launch.

you young guys listen to zilla here.. the man was run over and left, at a boat launch..

you still having problems from that zilla??

zooker

[WTL]

Different boats have slightly different procedures. I almost always unload solo, even if someone is fishing with me because I am familiar with the best way to get it done with my rig.

A couple things:

I don't mind the rope technique if you are dealing with a ramp with a good incline or high water, but on lower grade ramps or when the water is low I don't like backing too far down the ramp. You can do two bad things backing too far in, one is you get all 4 tires on the truck in the water I think thats too far in general and I just don't like submerging the tailpipe; two, many people have found with long trailers and short ramps that the end of most boat ramps is a dropoff, and if your trailer tires are backed off the edge of a ramp that can be a real pain. So when I canI back down the ramp a reasonable way, put the truck in park with the parking brake on, get in the bed and then walk down the trailer pushing the boat off instead of fully floating it off.

Another thing, when loading the boat with my trailer the worst thing you can do is actually back the trailer too far down the ramp again so that when you drive on the boat wont hit the bunks; you will get a very heavy boat on crooked that way and its a pain in the *** to get it on the bunks right when you pull up. So I only back in so that I can cneter the bow onto the bunks maybe halfway or a lil more. Beforehand, i pull the winchrope as far down the frame as I can so that then I can then winch the boat up on the trailer the rest of the way - straight. This is better than powerloading, which can further deteriorate the boat ramps that we depend on.

[MississippiBoy]

Originally Posted by zooker

you young guys listen to zilla here.. the man was run over and left, at a boat launch..

zooker

I'd bet money it was by someone other than a fisherman. Either skiers/kneeboarders/slalomers or jet-skiers.

[ROBZILLA]

[quote=zooker;171948]you young guys listen to zilla here.. the man was run over and left, at a boat launch..

you still having problems from that zilla??

zooker[/quote

I STILL WALK LIKE A WELL USED HOOKER! BUT GOT A GOOD LUMP SOME OF MONEY, BUT RATHER LIKE TO WALK BETTER THAN HAVE THE MONEY.