Power Loading

[junebugmn]

I was just wondering how many people you all see "power loading" thier bass boat's when loading up after a tournament etc, what you think of the effect it has on the boat ramp's, I have seen considerable damage over here in wisconsin where the edge's of the concrete there was a 2 to 3 ft drop from all the material washed out!!! This is really hard on the trailer I suppose!! The dnr has also started fineing and ticketing people that do this, In my opinion if you know how to properly load your bass boat you should'nt have to help ruin a launch if you don't know how or are careless. Just wanted to know what other bass angler's thought of this. Junebugman

[Wayne P.]

A properly constucted ramp is not affected by prop wash.

[Bass Dude]

I don't know of many bass fisherman that don't power load their boats on the trailors. Not sure of the effects of this, but I've seen some ramps in bad shape that didn't have anything to do with power loading.

[Siebert Outdoors]

A properly constucted ramp is not affected by prop wash.

Yup!!!. I know most of MI has signs up prohibiting power loading. Most of the ramps I use in MO are good ramps and can handle power loading. I do not power load on crappy ramps. Not only does it wash the ramp away it is a real good way to sand blast a prop or suck sand/gravel into the water system.

My "power loading" isnt much of one either. I typically dont have to get on the gas much because I can usually see the angle of the ramp to trailer and park it just right where I give a little gas then a couple cranks on the winch and roll out.

[Fishing Rhino]

I power load unless it is prohibited. But, I know how deep to set the trailer in the water to minimize the force it takes to get the boat into place. For most ramps, the fenders need to be barely awash, just showing above the surface of the water.

That allows the boat to self center, and glide to within a few inches of being tight to the bow roller. It doesn't take much thrust to get it where it needs to go.

I don't know what constitutes a "properly constructed ramp", but the wash from the prop in some instances stirs up the water fifteen feet or more behind the boat. That swirling water can do a lot of "damage" to anything other than a rocky bottom.

Around here, they sometimes set pilings by attaching a garden hose to the piling, and slowly lower the piling into the bottom with the jet from the hose being sufficient to flush the bottom material from beneath the piling. They can set pilings several feet into the bottom using this method.

If a 3/4" garden hose can create a hole for a piling to settle into, multiply that by the wash from the prop of a 250 hp motor and it can move a lot of bottom material.

Some of the ramps around here have a concrete "wall" at the deep end that is a foot higher than the ramp. I can see where that would prevent or considerably reduce the amount of damage the wash can do since it deflects it up, away from the bottom.

[bigbassctchr101]

I have never even heard of this being a problem until now! I only use concrete ramps (which are usually very long due to the rising and lowering of our lakes. I can't see that this would cause a problem as most are also lined with rap rap rocks on the side. I'll start paying a little more attention to this, honestly though, if you are able to load your boat properly, your motor should be tilted high enough to where most of the thrust is not headed directly into the ground.

[Sfritr]

GMan is correct. Power loading is prohibited in almost every Mi public waterway. I don't really understand how you need to powerload to get the boat on a trailer?? IF your trailer is backed in correctly just idling onto the trailer should seat it enough that all you need is a few cranks of the winch and out you go.... Maybe my boat is just different than others???

[junebugmn]

GMan is correct. Power loading is prohibited in almost every Mi public waterway. I don't really understand how you need to powerload to get the boat on a trailer?? IF your trailer is backed in correctly just idling onto the trailer should seat it enough that all you need is a few cranks of the winch and out you go.... Maybe my boat is just different than others???

I don't know how much boat landing's cost elsewhere but in talking to a crew putting one in at a lake a few year's ago the cost was 8,000.00 for just a single lane one!! I wonder how much those great big one's cost on some of them impoundment's down south? I am sure if the local township's don't anti up for em' gee? I wonder who foot's the bill?? I'll give you all 1 guess!!! Junebugman

[Wayne P.]

Steep ramps are the ones that require strong power loading. If you back in so far to get the bow close to the winch stand, the bow goes under the winch stand roller. If you get the bow roller height correct, the boat will too far away to crank it up the bunks unless you have a two speed or powered winch.

Ramp design plays an important part in the need for power loading with carpeted bunks.

[Fishing Rhino]

Steep ramps are the ones that require strong power loading. If you back in so far to get the bow close to the winch stand, the bow goes under the winch stand roller. If you get the bow roller height correct, the boat will too far away to crank it up the bunks unless you have a two speed or powered winch.

Ramp design plays an important part in the need for power loading with carpeted bunks.

That happened to me this past Sunday. The trailer needed to go deeper. That presented a problem with boat alignment since the bow height was good but the hull was floating above the bunks. It was a struggle to get it loaded. I've loaded at a lot of ramps without a problem, but the slope of that one had me flummoxed.

[FD.]

That happened to me this past Sunday. The trailer needed to go deeper. That presented a problem with boat alignment since the bow height was good but the hull was floating above the bunks. It was a struggle to get it loaded. I've loaded at a lot of ramps without a problem, but the slope of that one had me flummoxed.

I fish a lot of unimproved and steep ramps in the phoshate pits around here. I set the trailer with the front bunks just out of the water. Then I trim my motor almost completely out of the water and power load it. This forces the stern down and the bow up and she glides right on the trailer.

One other trick is to spray silicon on the carpet and back down to wet the carpet on the bunks completely and pull out to the normal loading position. This makes the carpet very slippery.

[Javelin200]

18 years and 3 boats later, I can honestly say, I've never had to do it. Dip the trailer, glide her on, 5 or 6 cranks on the winch and we're on the road.

[alexofoakton]

I'm a novice with a bass tracker boat, which I usually launch and load by myself. I've only been to maybe 4 ramps, but in every case my boat basically floated off the trailer and, when loading, floated onto the trailer. The user manual says that power loading is recommended, but I have found it unnecessary. In fact, it is prohibited at most of the ramps I frequent.

[GLADES]

The alligator alley ramps in south florida became a hazard during the drought this summer. There was a prop wash crater about 30 ft off shore hidden under 12" of sometimes muddy water.

the depth in that area is generally 5-6 ft.

I am real careful about only using a little bit of throttle, and I am sure the other guys that discovered that crater think about it as well.

[TommyBass]

People should be fined for it, period. 99% of power loading is just plain laziness. The other 1% can attribute to other factors including ramp design. No way shape or form is it hardly ever "necessary". Yes it is "easier" but its not respectful to the lake you fish (unless your ramp is 300 yards long by 200 yards wide and pure concrete. There is always enough wash carried to errode the ramp, even if there is contrete directly behind you.

You can always back it in far enough to crank it on by hand if necessary. But I've owned several different boats, fiberglass, aluminum, big and small motors alike and have never "had" to do it. You can put side bunks on your trailer that are large enough to contain your boat from floating away if your too worried about backing in too deep. It would be worth it if you fish one of these so called flawed ramps I suppose. I fish several strip pits with absolutely no gas motors allowed, with some of the steepest ramps youll ever see. I can load my boat, alone, with a MinnKota Terrova in a 15 mph wind. Saying you can't load a boat because of (whatever) is being lazy. They even make powered winches for handicap and older folks.

Everyone just wants their partner to back the trailer down just far enough they can power load with their 250hp boat and drive away without getting out of the seat. The only places that are hard to load without power loading are areas where people have powerloaded so much that the huge hole behind the ramp keeps you from putting your trailer in far enough. But honestly, if you can launch your boat from the ramp then you should be able to load the boat on the same ramp without powerloading.... its not THAT hard.

[J Francho]

I know a ramp that if you don't powerload, you'll get lectured by the harbormaster, LOL.

[Way2slow]

I drive on my trailer, use the motor to get it to the bow stop but not sure you would call it power loading. When you see all the nicks and dings you get in your prop by rocks and crap sucked off the ramp, you learn how to get the trailer positioned properly, trim the motor up, use the right speed coming onto the trailer and just a little power to the motor to get it to the stop. My props cost me close to $900 and sometimes months to get by the time I buy the prop, ship it to be tuned and pay to have it tuned, and several hundred just to get them repaired after they get to many of those little dings in them. I don't like getting the leading edge chiped all up by the trash off the ramp.

By the way, it don't take but a few of those dings on the leading edge to slow you down several miles per hour. I've seen mine drop from 78 mph to 72 just because of several small dings in the leading edge, even after using a stone to dress the off. Put another fresh, refinished prop on and it's back to 78 mph.

[J Francho]

I drive on my trailer, use the motor to get it to the bow stop but not sure you would call it power loading.

I thought that was what they meant - is there another power loading? It only takes about 1/4 throttle to get the boat to shimmy up that last foot.

[Way2slow]

The standard pratice around here is to have the motor down, the trailer too shallow because they're scared they're gonna get their feet wet, they ease up to the trailer until the boat is touching the bunks and then it takes balls to the wall on the throttle to get it to the stop. Some even hold it their while their partner sinches the winch down. I've seem some that couldn't get it to the stop under full power and have to back their trailer a little deeper. That was what I thought they meant by power loading.

If I'm by myself at my normal lake, I usually don't even use the big motor. I park at the dock next to the ramp, get the truck and back it down and just use the TM. A couple of turns on the winch and the bow is lifted up and locked in place.

[Nick]

Lots of larger boats, depending on the angle of the ramp, necessitate "power loading" to some extent. My Gambler will nose up under the bow tie if I back it too deeply in the water. FInding the sweet spot to nose it up corectly requires a bit of throttle, not much, but enough to get a ticket in Michigan. I doubt that 5% of the bass boat owners in the lower Midwest or Southeast even know what "power loading" is unless they have ventured north.

[GLADES]

Excessive power loading at full throttle is probably not very healthy for the transom and trailer bunks.

[South FLA]

I power load just about every time!

[TommyBass]

I drive on my trailer, use the motor to get it to the bow stop but not sure you would call it power loading. When you see all the nicks and dings you get in your prop by rocks and crap sucked off the ramp, you learn how to get the trailer positioned properly, trim the motor up, use the right speed coming onto the trailer and just a little power to the motor to get it to the stop. My props cost me close to $900 and sometimes months to get by the time I buy the prop, ship it to be tuned and pay to have it tuned, and several hundred just to get them repaired after they get to many of those little dings in them. I don't like getting the leading edge chiped all up by the trash off the ramp.

By the way, it don't take but a few of those dings on the leading edge to slow you down several miles per hour. I've seen mine drop from 78 mph to 72 just because of several small dings in the leading edge, even after using a stone to dress the off. Put another fresh, refinished prop on and it's back to 78 mph.

You make a good point Way2Slow, that I failed to mention. You can always get more of a running start and achieve any extra "umphh" that you may need. Im not trying to argue that you should use absolutely no throttle when loading your boat, just not the thousands of RPMs you see most people using out of sheer laziness.

[Al Wolbach]

As FishinDaddy said, You can power load without much damage if you trim up the motor. I trim up until I hear the exhaust then just a touch down(watch water pressure gauge). This will lift the bow up with very little power and will not damage the end of the ramp. Boat slides easily and very little prop wash.

Ramps will vary from state to state or even lake to lake. I always power load in East Tennessee because our ramps are as much as 100 yds long(water levels drop as much as 60 ft) on TVA lakes. In Florida, South Carolina, Alabama some other southern states the water is so shallow around the ramps on some lakes, power loading can cause craters at the end of the ramps. Some of these ramps even have signs saying no power loading (Camp Mack comes to mind). At these shallow ramps I will winch the boat on the trailer.

The point I am trying to make is there are no hard, fast rules about power loading. Some places it's a good practice and accepted, others it can cause ramp damage, and some even have signs. Common sense should tell you the difference. But as Way2slow pointed out you need to trim up to help prevent prop damage if you power load............Al

[CWB]

I fish a lot of unimproved and steep ramps in the phoshate pits around here. I set the trailer with the front bunks just out of the water. Then I trim my motor almost completely out of the water and power load it. This forces the stern down and the bow up and she glides right on the trailer.

One other trick is to spray silicon on the carpet and back down to wet the carpet on the bunks completely and pull out to the normal loading position. This makes the carpet very slippery.

X2 on the wetting the bunks. Never had to "power load". If I get it within a foot or so of the front stop roller, I hook up the strap and a few cranks and its done. This also give you a chance to shove front end one way or the other for minor centering adjustments. Good idea to hook up the strap anyway before pulling out. Ramp angle does play a role in this.