Boat Ramp Etiquette

Since we are venting about Barney and sky busters I'd like to point out a couple of useful tips when launching from a public boat ramp. The proper time to load your gear, check you plug, put your waders on, etc.. is BEFORE you back your boat down the ramp. Few things ticked me off more than having to wait 10 minutes for someone to prep their boat after they've backed it down the ramp. The only thing worse than that is when they drive around you while you're prepping your boat only the back down the ramp and begin prepping theirs. Also, for the love of all that's holy, please turn your headlights off when backing down the ramp.

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Yes, turn off the darn lights!!!!!!!!! Good post, I brought this up last year!

You duck hunters are sensitive.

Common courtesy.....do not be that dense folks.

I don't understand what people have to get ready? your blind bag, guns, decoys, etc should be in the boat already. As soon as pull up, I crank my motor, unlatch the front and back of the boat, turn my running lights on and back in. I do a go-light check and my big lights check as the boat is backing up. People have to put their waders on etc... I don't wear my waders in the boat. I can do all of that and drink 3 beers, and be halfway up the lake while others are still at the ramp.

I feel bad for y'all that have to hunt on the public lakes around North Texas. It seems like this kind of stuff is a much more common occurence than it is in SETX. The handful of times I have hunted public we have never had any problems with people setting up too close, parking in the ramp getting stuff ready, sky blasting, shooting at water turkeys, etc. Sure it happens down here but seems like not near as often as up there. Must be something in the water.

Its a cowboys fan thing, we wouldn't understand

The openers are always bad but for some reason this year was the worst I've seen on the lake I hunted. If you don't deal with a lot of shenanigans, you are lucky my friend.

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Get there earlier. Problem solved. If you were the first one there and pulled to the side instead of backing down the ramp that's your own fault.

Seems to be a subject brought up every year. People are people and some aren't going to change. And common courtesy well obviously it doesn't apply to some. Like beating a dead horse. Kudos to those who do have they're stuff ready to go, who doesn't sky blast, who doesn't set up to close to others. Hopefully the new guys to this obsession listens to some of the guys who been doing this awhile and takes notes.

Happened to me Sunday. Luckily it has more than one lane so it wasn't a biggie. I was launching by myself, too, so I stay out of people's way that are going to launch faster than me. Not worried about racing anyone to the X.

I got a new longer rope for the front of my boat tho. I'm gonna start implementing the ol' fisherman's trick. Unlatch the front of the boat while prepping and clip the end of the rope. Back up, let the boat drift off the trailer, pull up and the boat comes right in behind the trailer on the ramp. I tried this once with my old winch. Well, it turned out my clip was hosed up and when I backed off the boat it DIDN'T STOP! Luckily there was another guy there that was nice enough to fetch my boat for me...

I solo launch and load 90% of the time and that is exactly how I launch the boat. I have a slip knot tied onto the tag end of the rope and I cinch it up tight around the post that the bow stop is mounted on. One thing to remember about a long rope on the bow..if it can reach your motor, it will if not stowed properly. Trust me on this one, it's not fun to dig a rope out of the prop, in the middle of the lake, in the dark when it's 30* out.

This is exactly what I do.

OK, I *usually* don't race folks to the X. But this morning that wasn't true. I got there and had the ramp to myself. Took my time, got launched, and was walking back to the boat when another group pulled up. Normally I'm not worried, but I recognized the boat. Last week while I was scouting they were checking out the same place I wanted to hunt!

My area is different than on a standard public lake. The race is to the check station. You pick your spot there; makes things way easier than having to deal with the DD crowd out in the marsh. My typical launch routine: pull up in line at the launch. Get out and get everything boat wise prepped and ready to launch (plug, running lights, straps off and in the bed of the truck, gear in the boat etc.) That way if they move fast I can at least launch and put my waders on in the boat. If they move slow then I get waders and everything on before launch.

It shouldn't take more than a minute to launch your boat, get it off to the side, and move your truck out of the way.

And turn off your damn LED lights on your truck! You DO NOT need them at a lighted launch!?!?!

I don't launch boats in the dark, I hunt private when I can, and walk in public. I know there are people who have no clue how to get a boat off the trailer or back on. But what is this about? Do you get mad when someone is driving on the road towards you with there lights on? How hard is it to not just stare into their headlights? I mean your not going 65mph your just sitting there. Can someone enlighten me?

You can't see where your own boat is going (while backing it down) with headlights in your face.

Ok, so the people waiting to launch need to dim their lights, not the guy launching the boat?
The first post says turn off your lights when backing down the ramp?

No, if you're backing down kill em. Otherwise anyone coming in behind you won't be able to see when they try to back in. They would be looking into your headlights instead.

It's pretty simple...when backing down an angled ramp the headlights are pointing upward at just the right angle to blind anyone else trying to back down the ramp. it pretty much blinds everyone "downrange." The comparison of passing someone at 65mph isn't the same thing. Those lights are pointed at the ground, not your face.

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If you can't see to back a boat (or anything) because of lights, how do you drive in traffic or in a parking lot at a mall. I have never seen anyone pull into a well lit mall parking area and turn their lights out.

Did y'all know duck season started 6 days ago? Me either, 0 dead duck pics and here we are 20 posts deep about backing down boat ramps. Gonna be a long season fellas.

Here ya go...tired boy, tough retrieves. We may have been a bit lax on off season conditioning and the reeds have gotten thicker and taller.

It's just a courtesy, if you want to be a dick just leave them on.

The last thing I'm doing first is starting my motor while I get other things ready. A spinning prop while you unlatch the front and rear of your boat? You must not have a longtail then. Your way is a classic example of why people have to do things different. I think launching my boat with waders on is a plus. I have gator glide on my boat....no way I'm unlatching my boat before I get backed down. See, you must not have GG on your hull. It takes me about 5 minutes to ready my boat all by myself (includes putting waders on) I do this away from the ramp. I back down, I have a rope attached to the eye hook. I unhook the wench strap and just shove my boat off.....while standing in usually about 6" to a foot of water (dam them waders!) Tie the rope off and go park.

my post above was to you pintail

Im just happy to be out there

This will always be the case. If you have been hunting public for long you will know. New hunters take up our sport every year, there is no way for them to know our code. I was new once too. Then I became a whiner about newbs or barneys. Now I just understand public hunting. It is the way it has always been for 20+ years I've hunted public land.