ramp question for a newbie 2024

gajpb reply :

Not new to fishing, and I've had my own baot (Tracker 165 for a couple of years, but in that time I have always had someone help me get it in the water. If I wanted to get it in myself, how do I do that? SOunds silly to a pro, but I can imagine, the boat sliding off in the water and me having to risk hypothermia. Ive seen it done before, but havent paid close attention.

HPBB reply :

Its easy.

this is what i do when i am launching any of my boats by myself.

get a long rope 30ft or so

tie one end to the bow eye

back the boat all the way till the trailer tires are just touching the water

get out of you truck and grab the end of the ropethat you tied to the bow

keep the line tight holding the slak line in you hand

get in you truck with door open holding the line in you hand.

slowly back the boat in the water as the boat starts to float, let go of all the slack line

don't forget to hold onto the end. once the boat starts to float do not keep the line tight, just let go of the slack and the boat will just float off. I see people keeping the line tight and the boat wil not get free of the trailer.

the boat will slowly float away from the trailer. put you truck in park and get out, and just pull you boat to shoar. once you get it to shoar tie it up and park your truck and trailer.

I do this all the time. once you get used to it it will take you only a few minutes to get you boat in.

dink reply :

Couple of ways to go about it. I've seen people tie a rope to the boat eyelet and then tie it off to the trailer. Back the boat in fast enough to float the boat away from the trailer and stop. Grab the rope and pull it over to the dock. Personally, I just feed out three feet of winch strap and back in until it floats. Then I catwalk on the trailer to the boat and tie it off, but I am also quite agile.

Team_Dougherty reply :

Here is how I do it at a local ramp that does not have a dock in the winter. Tie a line to the bow eye on your boat. Tie the other end to your winch stand. Coil it nicely on your deck making sure it will not snag anything as it pays out. Make sure it long enough for your boat to get far enough off your trailer.

Now the fun part. Back your trailer far enough in to the water to make sure the bunk carpet in wet. Makes it slide easier. If you have rollers skip this step. Pull your trailer out of the water. now backup just before the back wheel of you tow vehicle hit the water stop abruptly. Your boat will continue to back off the trailer until the rope stops it. After the boat is floating slowly pull in to the ramp with your vehicle. Once the boat is at the ramp untie the rope from the winch stand and go park your vehicle.

It will take some practice to do it just right. Take it easy. Do not back to fast. usually just in reverse and the slope of the ramp is enough for me. Of course ramp angles will make a difference as well. If it is windy you will have to adjust.

Here is another method that I use if the ramp angle is to shallow. Buy a second winch for your winch stand. Mount it as low a possible. Make sure is has rope or cable on it, a strap will not work. Purchase a good size pulley sized for the rope or cable you are using. Attach the pulley to the last cross member of your trailer. Thread the rope or cable from the winch down to the pulley and back to your bow eye. When you crank it will pull your boat off the trailer. You may need another pulley or two to help guide the rope under your boat from the winch.

senile1 reply :

Tracker 165? Then I assume you've got an outboard. With that it mind, here's how I do it.

1. Back the trailer into the water but keep the rear wheels of your truck, etc. just out of the water.

2. Hop into bed of pickup, etc, climb out back and onto trailer tongue and catwalk to boat.

3. Disconnect from winch strap.

4. Climb in and crank her up.

5. When she's warm, back off the trailer and park next to the pier/dock.

6. Tie her up.

7. Hop in your truck and go park it.

Tom Bass reply :

Senile 1 has made a point that is a very good one. Make sure that your boat engine is running before fully committing to launching your boat.

I have seen far too many people have engine problems and then having to figure out how to get their boat lined up and back onto the trailer pulling it with a rope or winch.

gajpb reply :

All fantastic advice--and I know it will probably be easier than i imagine. I think the toughest part is the 'confidence' issue and the idea that everyone is watching--but that's mental and not a huge deal. Thanks--I'll let you all know how it goes. Cheers.

Tom Bass reply :

One more thing, don't count on the ramp docks to have adequate protection for your baby's finish (your boat's finish) should your boat rub up against it. Get some fenders for it.

I see so many people that launch their bass boats without fenders and the rub rails provided at the ramps are just a tad above the gunwhales of most bass boats.

Pa Angler reply :

Quote
Couple of ways to go about it. I've seen people tie a rope to the boat eyelet and then tie it off to the trailer. Back the boat in fast enough to float the boat away from the trailer and stop. Grab the rope and pull it over to the dock. Personally, I just feed out three feet of winch strap and back in until it floats. Then I catwalk on the trailer to the boat and tie it off, but I am also quite agile.

That's what I do dink. I do alot of fishing byself so being agile is a plus.

Chow

senile1 reply :

Quote
One more thing, don't count on the ramp docks to have adequate protection for your baby's finish (your boat's finish) should your boat rub up against it. Get some fenders for it.
I see so many people that launch their bass boats without fenders and the rub rails provided at the ramps are just a tad above the gunwhales of most bass boats.

This is a good point Tom Bass. I've used fenders, but maybe its useless for me to do so. My boat is older and if I can squeeze it between trees I'll take it anywhere. It's going to get scratched up out on the water anyway. Maybe if I had a newer boat, I'd worry about it.

Way2slow reply :

My methods is about like senile1. I leave the winch hooked, back it in until the back just starts to float. Depending on how far I had to back it, I either climb in to the back of the truck and over the tailgate to the boat or just onto the trailer and into the boat, unhooking the winch strap on the way. I then crank the motor and back it off the trailer, pull the boat up to the bank and park the truck.

I have used the rope method but invariably, you pull the boat up hard on the concrete ramp and it don't take long to eat the bow out doing that.

cart7t reply :

Usually, I just loosen the bow strap, back the boat in till it's about to float, walk out on the trailer, unhitch the strap and then push the boat off while climbing in. I DON'T do this if the water is extremely cold. My other method is to tie off some long line to a cleat, keep the end of the rope inside the window of the truck, back in till the boat floats and then just hold onto the line and pull the boat to a sandy bank or to the courtesy dock.

HPBB reply :

I used to do it the way some said and back in till the boat floats and the climb in the bed of the truck onto the trailer and then in the boat. Then i got an SUV. can't do that anymore, and when your on a shallow ramp and the back tires are wet to get the boat off the trailer is why i use the rope. Also I never pull my boat up on the ramp. I'll pull it up on shore near the ramp so its not on the cement. or just pull it to the dock.

Long Mike reply :

Launching the boat is easy, as the respondents above have shown. I had a 16" aluminum v-hull. My problem was with Retrieving the boat. In Oklahoma, the wind always seems to be blowing. In the wind, trying to line the boat up on the trailer, keep it in position, and then get it out of the water without help was a major pain in the a$$. That's why I sold the boat and bought an inflatable. BTW, I'm sixty so my agility ain't what it used to be.

justfishin reply :

The old rope trick. I have a eye on my cable winch stand just for this purpose. Jet drive outboards reverse is not very powerful and the rope trick works fine. I do it all the time.

scbassin reply :

I fish by myself most of the time. In the winter I put on a pair of boots , walk in the water, unhook the strap, climb in the boat & back it off the trailer. Tie it up, go park the truck & trailer, put my sneakers on & go fishing. I do the reverse when I load.

Water Dog reply :

In addition to the other comments don't forget to disconnect your brake/tail lights before you back into the water. No need to short out the system. :-/

cravenfish reply :

Most bassboats that have brakes, wont back up if you unhook your lights

senile1 reply :

My bassboat doesn't have brakes. :doh:

I know you mean the trailer, Cravenfish. 8-)

gajpb reply :

I did it! First time ever on a solo run and no hitches. Easier than I thought, but then again, the ramp was virtually empty. Now I just need to do it twenty more times to get used to it. Thanks for all the help--truly appreciated!

llPa1nll reply :

Quote
Couple of ways to go about it. I've seen people tie a rope to the boat eyelet and then tie it off to the trailer. Back the boat in fast enough to float the boat away from the trailer and stop.

Well I had tried this once when I found myself alone on my first voyage with my "New to me Nitro", on a shallow ramp. Now I have a friend who has a tracker that ties off to his trailer and floats the boat then pulls up and gets in and parks the boat then the truck and trailer. Well lets say that it didnt work out exactly the way I had planned. I tied off about 5ft down the trailer from the winch, floated the boat pulled up and the boat following the taught line went diagonally across the trailer and put a large scratch in the hull, when it hit the lights on the trailer.

So from now on I just undo the lock on the winch and let the boat unroll the winch and then pull up and have it slide back up unto the trailer. and I just ease down the trailer and hop in. So if anything learn from my mistake.

mudcatwilly reply :

Solo Launching:

Tie rope to bow

Get in truck with window down, rope in hand with a little slack

Back into water

When boat floats, drive truck forward, letting rope out, but don't let it go totally slack.

Get out of truck and tie off to dock

Park truck

Fish

Solo Trailering:

Tie boat to dock

Pull out about 2 or 3 feet of the nylon front hold down strap on the trailer (I do this right after I launch)

Set the front trailer crank to pull in the strap, but leave the 2 to 3 feet of strap out

Back trailer into water

Drive boat onto trailer as far up as it will go and put it in nuetral

Jump onto front of boat, grab the strap that you left hanging and clip it to the boat

Crank up the strap from inside the boat to pull the boat fully onto the trailer

Raise your prop and shut off motor

Hop onto trailer and then into bed of truck and then onto the ramp

Drive away

guest reply :

When the ramp is deserted (like it usually is when I launch 20 minutes before light), I back my boat to the water line, tie a rope to the bow eye, then to the courtesy dock, unhook the winch strap, float the boat off, drive up and park the truck, then go pull the boat in with the rope.

Bean Counter reply :

All good advice. Just one more thing to remember, DON'T FORGET TO PUT IN THE PLUG! Don't ask me how I know.

NBR reply :

I back almost into the water very close to the dock and loosen the winch a few turns then back up until the boat floats. I walk out the dock, get into the boat and start the big motor unhook the winch strap. Tie the boat to the dock and move the van and trailer to a parking spot.

I fish alone a lot since I haven't found any one else who is retired that likes to bass fish and I no longer fish on weekends or holidays.

Nyper reply :

back to the top for me & others 8-)

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