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If it is really cold out, let the water drain off of your boat and trailer at the waters edge. If you crappie fish and it gets cold during that time try to carry some sand and salt to throw on the ramp, nothing better than going side ways down the ramp
If you fish the winter............ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS lower your motor on the ramp to dump the water trapped in it......if you don't and it freezes overnight, you just purchased a new motor..........
Later,
Geo
Find an empty parking lot and practice backing your trailer. Learn to use your side mirrors. If it is a two lane ramp DO NOT USE THE MIDDLE OF THE RAMP. Lots of good advise being posted.
If your trailer starts fishtailing, you need to be keenly aware that applying the brakes is the wrong thing to do. This will only make a bad situation worse. It is best to accelerate slightly until you regain control.
Before you dock at a marina, be sure you know for sure the owner is sane. Not joking! Our new marina owner was a woman who was schitzophrenic and changed the rules and security gate codes every other day. We had been docked there for 4 years before she bought it and she had never owned or run a marina. The first thing she did was fire the security guard and turned the thieves loose. Then she turned off all the dock lights except one on each end which left about 600 feet of darkness to maneuver through after 10 p.m. She stopped selling gas, snacks, soda, and beer and turned the marina over to the birds for a roost. It didn't take me long to pull out and not look back.
I launch the boat and load it back on the trailer as good as a man; better than my husband. LOL
A note of caution; be sure the drain plug is in the boat BEFORE you launch or you will be in a hurry to get back to the ramp.
Catch a big'un for me!
I have a boating checklist you can use as a basis to modify and make your own. I have it in Excel or Word if ya prefer. Email me at [email][email protected][/email], and I'll respond back with an attachment. I put an image of the checklist on the Photoboard, with my email address as a reminder.
Key to me is not only the prep of the boat and fishing gear, but all the other stuff that can wreck a trip. Things like finding out you have no vacation approved, or no one to keep the dog, and all the stuff you got to do around the house to be sure while on the lake, you don't worry about what's happening at home. Or whoops, no rain gear, or dead cell phone battery.
FYI if it helps.
[QUOTE=mybentrod;385027]AHHHHHH after using my families boat for 18 years, I FINALLY bought my own boat and whoooo what a doosie. I bought a 20' 96 Nitro 205 Fish and ski sport with a 200 Merc EFI.[/QUOTE]
A boat is a hole the water that you throw money into. Fancy boats are just bigger holes.
Get a 2nd, or 3rd job and start saving...
Make sure you lift the motor up before driving up the ramp. Saw a guy this past weekend forget and he drug his scagg up the ramp. No more scagg.
I have been in the presence of some mental giants at the ramp....lol I have seen alot of people make some silly mistakes. My dad told me the best tip ever. When putting in, give your wife 5 bucks to go get something at the Marina, it'll save your relationship. Alot of divorces start at the ramp....lol OHH my ole man is making me wise beyond my years.
Invest in a product called Boat Saver. It is like a spray-on wax/protectant/shine enhancer that you can spray on and wipe-off at the ramp, or after washing it. You can put it on any surface on the boat/trailer...it really is great stuff.
If you fish in the winter, NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER did I mention NEVER, unstrap your boat before backing down the ramp, ESPECIALLY on day 2 of the trip if it got below freezing the night before. Your bunk boards will have soaked up water from when you took out the night before and now they are frozen so the first time you hit the breaks OR BEFORE as you back down the ramp, off slides you boat on the ramp. Saw it happen first hand at Holly Creek, Nice NEWER Skeeter back in 2006. The guy looked at me as I was idleing out and I looked at him and he said the best one liner ever "Guess that about ends this fishing trip". I told him where the pay phone was around the corner of the Marina because like me, he does not have cell phone service either at Dale Hollow. Nothing I could do, wished him the best of luck and went out chasing Brownfish. Boat was gone when I took out at dark but the nice gouges in the concrete were still there. He had even lowered his motor some before backing down which made it all more worse for him. Back to the waters edge and unhook the back, back on into the water a bit before unhooking the front and make sure even then you have either part or all of you in the boat or a rope tied to it for she will go sliding off when the front is loose. Lucky for me I have an electric wench for my boat that I can be inside the boat and still unloosen the front just in case.
just what I asked a few years ago. The best thing to do is ask questions and run it. No substitute for seat time. People on here really helped me.