My boat ramp complaint

[Siebert Outdoors]

Is it me getting older and grumpier, or do you guys get extremely frustrated and mad when someone backs their boat down the ramp and then starts undoing everything to launch(this includes the pidling too).  Most of the places I fish have a single launch ramp and it just burns me when this happens.  

[mwhitworth25]

yea that gets on my nerves. we always pull over right before we get on the ramp and start undoing our stuff, and then just back into the ramp for a quick, easy launch.

[Matt Jungblut]

i live bye a state park with river excess

ive seen it all

u would not believe what i have seen tryed, done, not done and forgot to do

its amasing the people that own boats but now nothing about them

lol jetski's even more funny subject yet

my biggest pet peeve is also people backin there boats in when there not ready and leave u sitting there waitin for them to get ready to launch there boat

[Gatorbassman]

What's worse is when you stop to do the pre-launch stuff and they pull in front of you and back down the ramp and start preping their boat. I can't hold my toung when this happens.

[bassdocktor]

It's pretty bad when they do that.  I've had people pull infront of me and then undo everything. Sometimes which can be even worse are the people that are pulling the boat out and decide that the ramp is also the place to tie everything down. For some reason they can't pull up the extra 50ft.

bassdocktor

[northgabassfisher]

I hate when people park there boat at the little dock by the ramp and it takes up the hole entire dock and you cant pull in to pick your partner up or even worst to pull your trailer up out of the water the people be hind you start yelling and what not  > > > > >

[senile1]

There are a number of people out there who need to read articles on boater etiquette.  I always load up my boat, remove my straps, transom saver, and unplug my lights before I back my trailer down the ramp.  Another thing that bothers me is returning boaters who park their boat on the inside of the pier.   Boaters should always park on the outside of the piers until they back their trailer down the ramp.  Otherwise they are blocking a spot for someone else to put their boat in.  

Last week I was bringing my boat in from the lake and I tied it to the outside of one of the piers so I could go get my truck and trailer.  There are two piers and the two spots to put in your boats are between them on the inside.  One guy was already using one of the spots to put in his boat.  When I came back with my truck to back into the other spot, another returning boater had parked their pontoon boat on the inside of the pier blocking that spot.  I was just about to give them a piece of my mind when the guy in the other spot finished up and pulled his vehicle away from the ramp.  So I used his vacated spot instead.  I understand pulling up and letting someone out to go get your trailer but these people had tied their boat off and shut it down.  

[Skwerl]

There are morons at my lake that honestly believe that by putting their boat in front of the ramp and tying it off, they are next in line to use the ramp. I had to pull my truck and trailer out of the way one day because those people were chewing me out and accused me of 'cutting in line' even though their trailer was still in the parking lot.

:

[bassnleo]

What burns me is boaters trying to load their boats back onto the trailer by pulling it on with ropes or wading around attempting to get the boat on. Makes you wonder why they fiddle around when they see multitudes of people just drive their boat onto the trailer.

[cgs2004]

wow, I have never ran into the problem of guys loading their boat while on the ramp but if I did I would certainly be ticked!  One that has gotten on my nerves is people not turning off their headlights while their down the ramp.  When the don't turn the headlights off its nearly impossible to back your trailer down the ramp next to them.

[Flatfish]

I used to get upset with the headlight deal also until I got my Sonoma, the headlights are on all the time. At night the only way to turn them off at the ramp is to turn the vehicle off, set the parking brake then start it back up, when you release the parking brake the lights  come back on. It does make it difficult to back down the ramp with other people's lights on.

[Smib]

:-?  On Chevys and GMC's can't you push the parking brake down one or two "clicks" and that will turn the headlights out with the light switch off?  I'm a Ford guy but I was told that some time ago.

Smib

[Flatfish]

That is what I was told but not on mine, you have to turn the key off after applying the parking brake for the lights to go off, but when you release the parking brake they come back on. That is exactly why I like to pull my boat with my 84 CJ-7 pull the light switch half way out, parking lights, all the way out, head lights, step on the button on the floor high or low beam. The only draw back is the soft top, don't rain as hard inside just twice as long.

[BLUESKY]

What burns me is boaters trying to load their boats back onto the trailer by pulling it on with ropes or wading around attempting to get the boat on. Makes you wonder why they fiddle around when they see multitudes of people just drive their boat onto the trailer.

I also prefer to drive on, but there are some lakes where it is posted that power loading is not allowed. At theese lakes I still see boats being driven on to the trailers. One time I asked a boater why he didn't just drive on and he told me that it was his first time at a lake that allowed and that it was not allowed on the lake he usualy fished and that he didn't feel confident enough to try it.

[senile1]

What burns me is boaters trying to load their boats back onto the trailer by pulling it on with ropes or wading around attempting to get the boat on. Makes you wonder why they fiddle around when they see multitudes of people just drive their boat onto the trailer.

I also prefer to drive on, but there are some lakes where it is posted that power loading is not allowed. At theese lakes I still see boats being driven on to the trailers. One time I asked a boater why he didn't just drive on and he told me that it was his first time at a lake that allowed and that it was not allowed on the lake he usualy fished and that he didn't feel confident enough to try it.

BlueSky, that's interesting.  I've been on many lakes that only allow trolling motors, but I still crank my outboard to trailer/de-trailer my boat.  Once I'm off the trailer I shut it down and use my trolling motor.  I assumed that this was OK.  Are you talking about lakes that explicitly prohibit power loading?  I've never seen this.  

[Guest JoshKeller]

Makes me glad that during the week, there is basically a lane open for each person fishing.  As for the headlights thing, my chevys lights wont turn off if the engine is on - I personally find it to be a terrible design.  as for not powerloading, I dont have a drive on trailer, so I back down until the first roller is in the water, use the winch to line up the boat, then drive it on, so I'm sure it goes on level.

[Siebert Outdoors]

Michigan doesnt allow power loading on public ramps.  Talk about a huge hassle to get a bass boat on a trailer.  The boat floats off the bunks 1/2 the time and gets cattywompus on the trailer.  

On the lights on the chevy.  If its like my truck you can turn the knob to the left and this will turn off the running lights and trailer lights.  The knob is tensioned when turned to the left and will spring back but the lights do turn out until the knob is moved or truck is started again.

[Live.2.Fish]

With shutting the lights off of a Chevy, I was once told that the "dome override" switch next to the headlight switch will shut them off.  Just have to push it in and out five or six times.  This is just what I have heard.  As I am also a Ford man.

[Skwerl]

As for the guys in bass boats with 200+ hp motors that like to power load onto their trailers, they create huge washouts in the ramp. Then when the water is low, nobody can use the ramp because it's just a big hole.

I idle my boat 3/4 of the way on the trailer and use the winch to snug it up the rest of the way. Running your motor full throttle with your boat half on your trailer is rude ands tears up the ramp.

[cart7t]

I can't believe anyone here actually thinks these occasional weekend warriors, many of whom barely know how to operate their boats, would have anymore courtesy just because YOU'RE in line waiting for them.  : ;D

I've seen it all and yes, the guys that wait till the boats ready to go in the water and then begin untying and loading it always get angry stares from me.  I'll also speak up if they bother to respond to my stare.  

The absolute worst and most unbelievable thing I ever saw was a guy who backed his boat halfway down the ramp on a very non-busy day, got out of his tow vehicle, proceeded to pull the drainplug on his lower unit AND DRAINED IT DIRECTLY ONTO THE BOAT RAMP BEFORE HE CHANGED THE FLUID!!   >

I couldn't stop, I found the local water patrol officer and turned the guys boat and license number in to him.  I don't know if the patrolman ever caught up to him but I sure hope he left him a ticket on his windshield!

[bassdocktor]

I see the no power loading all the time when I'm up in Michigan. Most people including myself usually just put it in gear and let it idle on or off. Generally just back the truck up a few more feet and no problem. Plus to get it back on everyone just uses the winch. However, I do see many people gun it while trying to get the boat on.

bassdocktor

[Rattlinrogue]

Yeah, it burns me up when 2 of 'em do it at the same time.I always pull up into the designated "get her ready" area and then 2 armchair boatmen whip in there and take forever to "get 'er done".I can have mine ready to launch in 2 minutes and be riding down the lake in about 2 more.Learn how to do it or fish off the bank.

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

I've spent whole shifts thousands of days working the ramps as a Corps Ranger, trying to keep activities civil. There's no telling how many folks got fined yet every day there's always the absurd behavior that gets lots of folks fighting, yelling, even shooting guns in the air to clear up the moronic behavior. Tow trucks have been rammed out of ramp rage, people shoved into the water by irate truckers plowing into them, some folks hunted down out on the lake and beaten up. The stuff that keeps happening:

Plug left out, sinking boat tying a slot up for an hour, nearly impossible to load back on a trailer full, so it has to be pumped out in the water after someone gets in the water to plug it.

People setting out chairs to fish off the ramp to hold a slot for partner. I've seen those chairs put in the water and fishing gear run over, drivers swearing they didn't see the people sitting there.

Leaving a trailer in the water for a "soon" re-loading so they can just try out the used boat they might buy, returning an hour later.

Trailers starting to back down left side, ending up on the right side, terrifying all the new truck owners. Some jack knife their trailers and want to get out to inspect for damage before attempting to straighten it out, trapping others down at the ramp or blocking others from getting on the ramp. Those are the ones that take two slots.

Bringing the trailered boat to the water's edge then driving 3 vehicles to it to offload camping equipment to island camp. They say it's easier to load a party barge atthe ramp rather than hoise everything up to it on the trailer above the ramp. Their operation can take an hour, then at the last moment one more SUV arrives late with another ton of stuff.

Angler deciding to tie baits on his rods before plunging the boat into the lake. Or angler stowing gear sitting in the boat, working toward power loading on the trailer, stopping as soon as the boat is clear of the water, pulling drain plug, setting tie down straps, hooking up tow eye, afraid the boat will flip off trailer going up the ramp.

1977 Ford pulling big bass boat decides to let the drive shaft bust half way up or down the ramp, and by the time its stopped the whole rig is 45 degrees to the ramp.

Power loading is a really big headache at low sploe ramps. The dirt from the washout piles up 15-20 feet out forming a ridge that blocks access to the ramp in low pool. You might see 5 feet of water at the edge of the ramp, but your lower unit slaps into the ridge when backing off the trailer. That ruins at least a prop. It takes a drag line to fix ours, done when pool drops low enough, as the soil & rocks have to be put somewhere other than farther out. A big loader falls into the deep hole before getting to the ridge. Contract price to correct it averages $7,500, involving transport of a drag line, the digging,  dumptrucking it away, and installing some 4" crushed rock to fill the hole. We used to drag the ridge back into the hole, but it's too easily redeposited back into a ridge.

Jim

[senile1]

Jim,

It sounds like you've seen it all.  When fisherman start brandishing guns, hunting people down and beating them, and ramming vehicles, etc. its getting way out of hand.  I've been fortunate, because I haven't seen any of these things, but then, I'm not a Corps Ranger either.  I didn't realize how dangerous your job could be.  Interesting post.

[BassKing813]

What burns me is boaters trying to load their boats back onto the trailer by pulling it on with ropes or wading around attempting to get the boat on. Makes you wonder why they fiddle around when they see multitudes of people just drive their boat onto the trailer.

I have to pull my boat onto the trailer with ropes, but that's because I have a little 14ft fiberglass boat and the trailer isn't a drive-on. I have tried to drive the boat on and off but it just doesn't work. I don't know if there's a way to fix this, but it might be because an 8hp motor isn't powerful enough to back the boat off and push the boat on the trailer.