Man Do I Feel Dumb

[kms399]

went fishing last night, all went well till i tried to pick up the boat.

I backed in like a pro went around some dork parked in the middle of the back up lane pushed the boat out and pulled it right on the trailer every thing centered there were a couple other people waiting to pick up so i felt pretty good about how quick i was. i hopped in the truck and as I pulled out i looked back and the boat was way off, the back end was hanging off the trailer, so I backed back in and centered it, pulled out again and the same thing well the boat isn't that heavy so I went to the back and tried to brute force it back to center. wouldn't budge so I back in again the boat gets hung up on the something so I have to push it back out and realign everything now there are 4 boats waiting on me I am up to my crotch in the cold water got everything centered finally and pulled out. I felt like such a moron like it was my first time. strapping everything down i watched this guy driving up and down the lake and realized his wake must have pushed the end of the boat off the trailer as i got in.

[Lund Explorer]

I don't think you're alone in that club as I've seen it happen to quite a few people including myself. The Lund has to have the trailer backed in just the right amount and requires some amount of hand cranking to get it on the trailer perfectly straight. It is a lot harder when you are doing it all solo too.

[Sam]

Ever try to trailer a Tracker in the wind?

I have to get in the water to get her straight.

I feel your pain.

I bet you were and will be the topic of conversation among the other boaters for a long time.

[ripinthem]

We were in a big tournament last year, and boats lined the shore, except for the ramp. Well, a guy goes to launch, and had forgot one back strap. Well he sees the boat float up off the trailer, and then pulls up. The strap holds and turns his boat sideways hitting and sliding over the closest boat, damaging the console and electronics, and the right side of his boat. "things happen"! The worst screw-up I had, and I'm blaming my partner(lol). I was in the boat, and he backed in to a small ramp, and got out to help strap the nose. We then we go to pull up, and he locked my keys in the truck(it running). Had to call my wife to get her set of keys. People were waiting for her to come so they could trailer. I felt really small on that one.

[BASS fisherman]

Ha ha!! It happens to most people. And its always so funny to watch.

A few years ago I was fishing a tourney on the Ohio river and the water was a bit high. It was windy and raining all day but the most hectic part was trailering after the check in. It was a tiny ramp with a huge dropoff to one side and the current was fast. It made me very nervous watching the guys try and try again to line it up. Most took a handful of times and when they did get it, luck and good timing played a huge role.

Another club member told of a time when he went to a launch extra early, hoping to beat any other fishermen or tourney anglers to the lake. He was alone so he had a rope tied to his boat and would launch it with a rope tied off on the shore. Doing it often he didnt look behind at the boat as he drove away to park the trailer. From the moment he pulled out of the water till he parked and walked back down to the ramp, maybe 5 min has gone bye. When he gets to the water he sees his boat floating farther out into the lake. Thinking quick, he rips off his clothes and races in after the boat. He climbs in, starts her up, and back to the ramp he goes. Right as he gets to the ramp, one of the local bass clubs was arriving for a tournament. He said he was standing there naked and all of the sudden this line of trucks comes through the woods and he is scrambling to dress. Im not sure if he took off or what happened after that.

My favorites are the folks who back in way too far so the tail pipe is bubbling.

[Shad_Master]

When my son was younger, it was his job to hold the rope after we floated the boat off the trailer while I parked the truck. One Saturday morning when the rampe was crowded, I handed him the rope, backed it and started to pull out when I heard all this yelling - looked back and there was my son, holding the rope while the boat "floated out to sea". The hook eye had come loose. The other boaters retrieved the boat for me but laughed a lot about the look on my son's face when the boat started floating off.