Bluegrass Pit's South Concrete Launch ramp Big Hole at the end

[SkeeterSX180]

well obviously you dont have a boat that needs loaded like this. mine does. you cannot pull mine up by hand. my boat is long enough that if i back in to where that would be possible,it will not go over the roller. it goes under it. my old boat would work just fine. i could load it without the motor period and i did .but its only 17ft. a longer boat changes this alot. so, alot of peopl arent doing this just for fun...

I have a bass boat and I have no problem winching it onto the trailer. There is no excuse for loading boats at high RPM's.

Powerloading costs the DNR/Sportsman a lot of money to repair ramps. Just ask Michigan, they ban powerloading and some would like to do that in Indiana. Sportsman find a way to load their boats in Michigan just fine. Be considerate of other users and don't powerload. No one wants to lose their axle on the ramp because someone else washed the end of the ramp out powerloading. Not to mention the mountain of rock that builds up behind the ramp from powerloading. It is a little hard on props and lower units.

[Embrey]

I have a bass boat and I have no problem winching it onto the trailer. There is no excuse for loading boats at high RPM's.

Powerloading costs the DNR/Sportsman a lot of money to repair ramps. Just ask Michigan, they ban powerloading and some would like to do that in Indiana. Sportsman find a way to load their boats in Michigan just fine. Be considerate of other users and don't powerload. No one wants to lose their axle on the ramp because someone else washed the end of the ramp out powerloading. Not to mention the mountain of rock that builds up behind the ramp from powerloading. It is a little hard on props and lower units.

im glad you have a BASS boat...they arent all the same. if you have a 180 like your name, thats about the size of my other boat, which i can load with no motor period. my other boat however, requires me to leave the trailer out of the water a bit more than id like due to ramp angles versus the water versus the front roller.

[lroberts]

I agree with you Embrey......try loading a 21 foot Triton on some of those smaller ramps with a larger angle....not going to happen. I avoid these lakes most of the time anyway......just sayin'!

[SkeeterSX180]

As you mention, it probably makes sense not to use those smaller ramps if you cannot load your boat easily. Especially since Bluegrass is electric motor only unless something has changed.

I go back to my original point, Michigan has ban powerloading and people still find a way to load their boats. I understand some boats may need a little power but as I mentioned loading at high RPM's is the biggest issue. The guys that get on the throttle hard to load their boat are the one's that really tear things up.

[Moveon]

I agree with your last paragraph. But the IDNR Sugar Ridge/Bluegrass F&W property manager has allowed gas motors on Bluegrass, Loon and Otter pit for two or perhaps three years now. As long as people obey the speed limit of NO WAY or Idle Speed only when using a gas power engine on these lakes I think it will remain this way.

One thing that could make him change his mind is having to repair the hole at the end of the launch ramp ever few weeks during times of low water.

Today we got a little bit of hard rain but I fear it's not enough to raise the lake water levels.

I'm putting the boat away for the year soon unless the lakes fill up and it stays above 50 deg F.

I am thinking about driving up to Patoka one more time to fish for crappie up there with a friend. He's invited me to drive up and fish out of his boat so I may call him up and take him up on that offer. I need to get a face mask first as his boat doesn't have a windshield on the passenger side and his boat goes a lot faster than my boat. Last time I fished with him I about froze my face off riding in his boat. I am not used to going over 20 mph in my boat.

Yea I know I am getting old! I like the fact that we can use a gas motor on these lakes now. I just hope that people don't abuse the priviledge and we get it taken away from us. I have a very hard time recovering my boat without using the gas motor to drive up on the trailer. I do it slow and steady and don't have to use a lot of power to get up. But I launch a lot of the times when I am by myself and don't have anyone to help me rope the boat in if I can't use the motor. But I can do it, It's just a lot harder for me these days. I don't get around as fast as I use to.

As you mention, it probably makes sense not to use those smaller ramps if you cannot load your boat easily. Especially since Bluegrass is electric motor only unless something has changed.

I go back to my original point, Michigan has ban power loading and people still find a way to load their boats. I understand some boats may need a little power but as I mentioned loading at high RPM's is the biggest issue. The guys that get on the throttle hard to load their boat are the one's that really tear things up.

[JustinM]

They go back to no gas motors on bluegrass I'm putting a 36v 101 on my aluminum boat. Bet I can go faster than idle speed then!

[Moveon]

Yea, but, can you pull a Water Skier behind that rig?

Right now we have a good thing going for us.

Before they started letting us use the gas motors I got stuck in the H section when a high fast West Wind came up and I could not move against it using just the trolling motor. I had to anchor near the beaver lodge and wait out the high winds. It was getting near dark when the winds finally died down and I could make it back to the launch ramp with just the trolling motor. I have a 50 lb thrust Minn Kota for my aluminum bass boat. Even that would not move against the West Winds that afternoon. I had two friends in the boat that day so that added some extra weight.

Normally with just the trolling motor I can go about 2.3 mph as per my handheld GPS unit's speed reading.

I have a new GPS now and it would be interesting to see how fast my boat will go with just the trolling motor.

I noticed that the fuse holder in the back of the boat near the trolling motor's battery was melting from getting a little too hot. I need to replace that puppy with some thing that can withstand more current and heat. I have a 50 amp circuit breaker near the front of the boat. So I figure I may just take the glass fuse holder off the battery's hot wire. It's probably limiting the amount of current I can get to the trolling motor up front.

We got some rain today. Not sure how much rain fell in the area but I hope some of it rained on Bluegrass. We need the water to come up about 2 ft or more right now as it's so low.

Just think about how high the water level got two springs ago when it was up over the hand rails of the handicap platform two years ago. Back then Boonville New Harmony Road was flooded and impassible.

They go back to no gas motors on bluegrass I'm putting a 36v 101 on my aluminum boat. Bet I can go faster than idle speed then!

[SteveM4A1]

They go back to no gas motors on bluegrass I'm putting a 36v 101 on my aluminum boat. Bet I can go faster than idle speed then!

I bet you would lol, but they are illegal on lakes smaller than 300 acres. Nobody ever seems to follow that law though. I see people shootin across the hoosier lakes at about 6 mph easily with those big boys. Weird law though..

[JustinM]

At bigger tm only lakes we use my 74# 24v on the front and a 54# hand controlled on the back. She'll move fast then! I hope there isn't a law about how many tm's I can use...


The 101 thrust law is stupid imo. I'm not taking a glass boat out on a lake without a 101. Dunno why but I have a issue with small tm's.

[Embrey]

At bigger tm only lakes we use my 74# 24v on the front and a 54# hand controlled on the back. She'll move fast then! I hope there isn't a law about how many tm's I can use...


The 101 thrust law is stupid imo. I'm not taking a glass boat out on a lake without a 101. Dunno why but I have a issue with small tm's.

wow...lol. my 80 lb seems plenty fast on a 20 ft skeeter..lol

[JustinM]

I know I don't think right when it comes to tm's. Just annoying when you're cutting across a small bay or something and you're hardly moving. But at the same time I see no need to put a 300 merc on a boat and do 100mph. I just want stupid fast speed on my tm's!!!

[NFC]

I have a 16' jon w/ 50# tm and I scoot across lakes pretty good. Yeah I know, lighter boat vrs the big heavy fiberglass sure the lighter one sails with a tm. My point exactly, why use the big ole heavy boats if ya can't utilize the outboard except at idle speeds? Maybe it's the only boat ya have I understand that but if you've got a jon and a tm and/or lower horse power (20 or less) not only are ya not tempted to go faster but also not creating as much waves for the other fishermen on the lake.

Just my thoughts