boating tips for beginner

[basspro05]

I just bought my first bass boat last week, it is a tracker pro team 175 with a 40HP merc.  I am just wondering if anyone has driven one, and do you have any tips, I have never driven a bass boat, the only boat I have driven is a pontoon, any tips will help, I plan on taking it out this weekend, so keep me from killing myself   ;D

thanks

[duncast48TN]

I guess I would advise you to just take it easy,start out slowly and use common sense. Watch out for other boats too. Please wear your lifr jacket! I got my first bass boat 2 yrs ago and I was as green as they come. I am comfortable with it now but I still learn something everytime I go out. Good luck! 8)

[settle1]

my biggest thing to remember when i first drove a bass boat was to trim engine down before taking off or you will take off straight up lol...very important with big motor

[BuckeyeRon30]

I bought my first boat last year, and learned alot.  the best thing I can tell you is do everything real slow and deliberate.  do not get nervous, even if denny brauer is waiting on you to clear the ramp, take your time.  load and unload real nice and easy until you get the feel.

[Basstronaut]

trim engine down before taking off

and up before driving back onto the trailer, it's shallower than you'd expect. Stupid lesson to learn the hard way but hey...

[BuckeyeRon30]

and a even more stupid less is trim up in your driveway, especially if you have to go uphill from your garage to the street.  dont ask how I learned this lesson.   I trim down to put boat in garage, pulled out to wash and #LHFOISDHOI what was that? skeg dug into soft driveway.  lucky no damage.

[Glenn]

Above all, put the plug in before you launch.  I think we've all goofed on this one at least once.  How many here have tried sinking their boat?!  

[Skeeter6598]

OHH Pick me, Pick me!

Well I didn't sink my boat but did suceed in sinking dad's OLD boat. I was 16 and so excited about getting to use the boat for the first time by myself I overlooked the drain plug. I backed it off the trailer and parked in on the bank. Went pulled the truck out of the water(I was by meself). Got back in the boat and at that time didn't know that the hull was just about full. As I back it off the bank there she went. Luckly I was only in about 5 ft of water at that time.

That was a hard phone call to make to get dad to come and help me. I'm now 24 and he still doesn't trust me taking HIS boat out! LOL! ;D

[gamblerOH]

I left my plug out one morning before a tournament. we were sitting waiting on daylight and heard the bilge pump kick on and then it hit me,NO PLUG! luckily we were close enough to the ramp to get the boat out and put the plug in.What would we do without auto bilge pumps????The guys in my bass club sure loved it though!

[flippnfish]

Practice , Practice, Practice. Do every thing till it becomes second nature. Make yourself a check list to begin with....Add trim motor after loading. Seen alot of scags torn up on a ramp..

One tip for after you have left your plug out. Drive really really fast. It will help suck the water out of the hull. Bass boats today won't sink that easy, but they are hard to load when they are full of water.

[NCBASSIN]

Glenn i think to get the least of responses id ask who hasnt? lol ;D And like everyone says take it easy till you get the hang of it .I bought my first last summer, an older Ranger . Well i was use to a tiller handle 25 horse and to go to a 200 was incredible . But believe me these things will hurt you if ya dont know what your doin . They do put out books and stuff to help you with this , i purchased one from wally world . It helps a lot!!! And read and learn before ya go out on the water with other people in your boat unless its someone that has a bass boat and knows what they are doing and can advise you of what to do !!!!!! I almost throwed myself out of my boat at a high rate of speed tryin to turn too short . thank god nobody was in the boat with me at the time. I must say the best advise is to read and find someone that knows how to run one to go out with ya the first couple of times. JMO

[Fisher of Men]

Leaving the plug out. . . let me see. . .

been there, done that! (more than once) :-[

The worst thing I ever did was to accidentally push the door lock with my elbow right after I had backed the trailer in the water.  As I got out, the door slammed shut with the truck engine running.  My wife had already shut and locked her door.  There I was with the boat trailer in the water and my truck running with keys locked inside.  The nearest phone (this was pre-cell phone days) was more than a mile away and noone was around.  I was borrowing a buddy's boat and there were no tools, wire, etc. to use to break in.  Fortunately a guy came up to launch his boat and he had a flat head screwdriver.  I found out just how easy it was to break into a sliding rear window.  That was a pretty helpless feeling for a few minutes though.

I teach boater education in Texas and offer some more advice that I tell all my students:

Practice, practice, practice.

Practice backing your boat in an empty field or parking lot.  You can practice docking by using plastic bottles with weights tied to them.  When your ready, go to the ramp at a non-peak time and practice launching and loading several times.  Make several trips to test-drive and become familiar with your boat before fishing.

TWO VERY IMPORTANT RULES:

#1  Wear your life vest anytime the big motor is cranked.

#2  ALWAYS use the attached kill switch.

[Dex202]

The hardest part of having my first bass boat was the launch and loading. Having several other boats on the ramp just waiting for you to get out of the way can get on your nerves. Just relax and take the time to see if you have forgotten anything. Everyone has been in these shoes before and most won't give ya a hard time. Just in case someone is giving you a hard time, take a little longer. It pays to be nice. You never know, they or you might need a tow back in at the end of the day.

2-cents! ;D