I had just picked up my new Sport Trail Trailer the day before to carry my new 23 Hydra Sport Bay Bolt. Pulling up to the launch at Bayou Caddy in Lakeshore, MS my chest was poked out like a strutting rooster. It was 4 AM and only one boat was in the water, Capt Toni Malini. He politely offered to help me launch and I replied, “Nah man, I got this.” I had launched a boat several hundred times by myself, but never with this new trailer. Kevin Desselle at Sport Trail told me, “this trailer is the smoothest thing you will find, the boat will shoot off of it, be careful.” Being the seasoned “Professional” that I am, I gently eased the boat and trailer into the water, hoping to run the boat off with the motor. One slight pump of the brakes was all it took and the boat went floating down the bayou. My new boat was heading down a bayou full of parked shrimp boats! After Captain Toni quit laughing, we chased the boat down and tied up quickly before anyone else could enjoy the show.
Fishermen, both seasoned and novice have at one time or another had problems at the boat launch. Whether it is brakes, electrical, mechanical or just plain old poor planning, stuff happens. I like to think I have spent enough time putting boats in and taking them out to maybe dish out a few pearls of wisdom. Some people just don’t spend enough time at the launch to know the right and wrong way to do things. With just a few pointers, you can save yourself a lot of time and embarrassment.
As with any fishing trip, it should begin the day before. If the boat has sat for a while, run your engine with a set of “ear muffs.” They are cheap, and a little fresh water run through the engine never hurts. If you really want to see an angry mob start tinkering with your motor in the middle of a public boat launch on a Saturday morning. If my boat has sat for more than a week, I try to run it for 20 minutes on the hose. Make sure your batteries are holding a charge, but still bring the jumper cables to the launch (stuff happens). Check your bilge pumps and your electronics at the house, not right before you start backing the boat down. All of the aforementioned could end your trip, at least at the house; you don’t interfere with other people’s day on the water. Go through everything before you even hitch the boat up.
Speaking of trailer hitches, make sure the right size ball is connected to your trailer. A smaller sized ball will fit, but it won’t hold under pressure. Yes, it is very comical to watch a trailer shoot off someone’s pickup truck into the water, but someone could get seriously injured. The wrong size ball at a launch could ruin an early departure for countless people. If the trailer calls for a 2″ ball, that is the only size that should be used. Using a smaller ball could cause a catastrophic disaster before you even get to the launch.
I know at our public launches in Hancock County there is usually a line of boats on any given day. Every launch I have ever been to is a first come, first serve operation. If you are tooling around on a parked boat and trailer it disrupts the flow. If you must address something with the boat or trailer, simply pull to an out of the way area. If and when the problem is solved, wait for a convenient time to get back in line. Be prepared to wait, you may have missed your shot for the time being. Keep the line moving and if you have a fishing buddy, decide who is getting in the boat, and who is driving the backdown vehicle. Do not block any boat trying to get in or out of the water. I know it sounds crazy, but it happens on a daily basis. Keep the flow of boats moving and get out of the launch itself ASAP. Most launches have areas to park your boat out of the way of other launching vessels. Get there and stay there till you are ready to leave or pick your boat back up.
I highly recommend not putting your rods in the boat till your boat is parked, safely away from the launch. If you put your rods in your rod holders during the commute to the launch, several bad things can happen. Tangles can be a nightmare; with loose hooks flying around at 50mph, they can get broken, or even stolen. Simply walk your rods over to your boat after it is in a convenient parking spot. However, if you would like to make some enemies very quickly, start tying on lures while the boat is blocking 12 boats waiting to launch. Works every time.
If you have a crew of people going with you, by all means, get them to help you put the boat in the water. I strongly do not encourage filling the boat with people while the boat is in the trailer (especially children). It wastes time at the launch and it is just not safe. The rocking of the boat on the trailer is simply not a stable platform, and could easily cause injury. Make sure everyone is out of the way and get him or her to load up while your boat is out of the way of the launch.
Once the boat is in the water, bring the empty trailer to a designated parking area. Your vehicle can and will get towed if you mess this up. If you are new to a launch, simply ask another person, or put it a very conservative distance from the launch itself. This act is almost as important as launching. Look around and make sure other patrons can navigate their trailers safely and effectively to the launch.
If you take anything away from this article, let it be this, “MAKE SURE YOUR DRAIN PLUG IS IN THE BOAT!” The “plug plunge”, is one of the scariest things you will ever have to do as a boater. I am no insurance adjuster, but you might not get a check for sinking a boat in the middle of the launch. I carry 3 plugs at all times, one in the rear of the boat, one in the toolbox and one in my truck. They only cost a few bucks but can cost you thousands if they are not used. Get in the habit of pulling it coming out of the water, and replacing it before you hitch up.
I see many different things every time I am at the launch. I see strangers helping strangers and rookies making enemies with veterans. A launch is a cool place in my mind and a neat place to hang out. You get to see old friends and make new ones. It is not against the law to help someone who is struggling to launch, you might make a new fishing buddy. Everyone gets excited pulling up to the launch. You are going fishing, so why shouldn’t you? Just try to keep your cool and remember that everyone had to learn how to do it. As always, have fun and be safe.
Capt. Sonny Schindler
Shore Thing Fishing Charters
Bay St Louis, MS
228-342-2295
www.shorethingcharters.com