Boat launch and retrieval tips

We have all woken up early in excitement, hooked up our boat, arrived at the local ramp, only to be greeted with a long wait.

The vast majority of trailerboaters know what they are doing and everyone waits their turn. . . except that one person.

Now no one wants to be the killjoy down the ramp, so if you own a trailerboat or are thinking of buying one, here are three basic tips to keep you in the good books with your fellow fishermen.

1. Driving with a trailer: If you have never driven with a trailer before, I strongly suggest practicing before giving it a crack on a packed Saturday morning. Drive around your block a few times, practice turning in a quiet area, and definitely head down to a ramp on a quiet day and reverse, launch and retrieve. Practice makes perfect and perfection saves time for everyone.

2. Be ready at the ramp: Make the most of your preparation time while waiting to reverse your boat. Check your bung(s), make sure you have everything out of the car, check all your straps are off, your batteries are on, and your fuel is hooked up. Ensuring everything is ready can save a lot of time and embarrassment.

3. Boat ramp etiquette: General knowledge and communication are the two keys when launching a boat. Communicate with your fellow boaties, ask if they are launching or retrieving? If you are going to take a bit longer than expected to get ready, then tell the next person they can squeeze in front. Maybe even offer a helping hand to someone if you are just standing around waiting.

Of course, local knowledge is the final key. It helps to know your ramps. If you are unsure about anything, just ask the person next to you.

But use common sense, too. Don’t push in front of someone else, snake someone on the retrieve, retrieve in the launching lane, and don’t launch in the retrieving lane (if your state operates under these rules).

Hopefully everyone reading this can relate and abide by these three simple rules, after all, when the fish are biting no one wants to be stuck at the ramp!