Ramp Fun.....

[Bodofish]

It never ceases to amaze me during pink season. Today launching at Rotary Park, at least 20 Eastern European immigrants on the launch pier casting in every direction. The Everett Police dropped by and cleared them out as I was about to launch. The Officer came back for a second round after I parked the truck. He pulled out the cuffs and they all scattered.

Next bit of fun was hauling out. Dropped off my partner off to get the truck and trailer and backed off to get some of the stuff ready. A couple pulled in to the pier and tied up, almost blocking the ramp. A number of other boats had pulled up on the beach. As my buddy backed the trailer down the ramp I pulled over to the ramp. Drove my boat up on the trailer as usual and was greeted by an angry mob. Apparently because this person had tied their boat in front of the ramp It was decided, it was their turn to use the ramp next, not mine.... Well we got the boat on the trailer and pulled out long before there was another rig to use the ramp. Oh yeah, the next in line was a launch.....
I supposed I could have started a royal donnybrook but I just agreed with them that I was the most important person in the world, they were speechless......

[Marc Martyn]

..... royal donnybrook. That's funny, never heard that one before.

[Amx]

Sometimes arguing with those people is loads of fun.

[knotabassturd]

LORDY!

LOL.

[MarkFromSea]

I had a funny one pulling out at Westport a week and a half ago. I pulled the boat up to the dock, tied off with enough room for a boat to tie in behind me, I was walking up the dock to get the van/trailer when a guy backed into launch right where my boat was sitting. He asked for me to back my boat up. I gave him a funny look but not wanting to be the wanker I moved my boat back knowing full well what was about to happen. LOL It took a bit of time to retrieve the van but the guy was still there upon my return. I knew he would be. LOL His big boat was in front of my little boat. He was pinned in, couldn't get his boat out. I backed my trailer into the water with a bit of an angle. As I was walking back to my boat the guy started to say something, I cut him off and politely told him to "stand fast" and I'd just go around him. My little boat easily maneuvered around his and onto the angled trailer. All is good, no fights, no ill words. My hope is that at some point in the maneuver he realized that he shouldn't have insisted on launching on top of my boat. The reality is that he probably didn't even notice except that he did have to wait for me to return with the van/trailer. It's all good, I was a happy camper with now 4 20lbs+ kings onboard the van after 2 days of fishing during Westport's limited 2 king daily limit.

[Mike Carey]

these stories are always enteraining.

[A9]

Thankfully I rarely have to launch my boat. It's sure nice to have it tied up in front on a buoy. A quick row out and I'm on board, no messing with launches. For the few times a year I am at the launch, Im always surprised by the lack of knowledge and efficiency some people possess when it comes to getting the boat launched. Just the other day I saw a lady back her trailer into the side of the dock and it ended up damaging her trailer. This was all after it took her a dozen or so tries to back it down the ramp.
I wish the WA State boaters Ed course had a section on trailering and launching.

[coretron22]

these stories are always enteraining.

agreed! keep 'em coming guys!

[G-Man]

I wish the WA State boaters Ed course had a section on trailering and launching.

The course I took, given by the Coast Guard Auxiliary, did cover launching and retrieval. Sadly, none of it was on the test.

['OL GREY DOG]

notice how i'm not make'n some snide remark about this post...


i DO have 1 thing to say tho...

dammit knot !!!! .. ya stole'd my line !!!!

[knotabassturd]

I have a longtime flyfishing buddy that works at a local sporting goods store and he has some funny stories of newbies (sometimes in groups) coming in just in the last week to 'learn catch pink salmon'.

When I was reading Bodofish's experience all I could think of is wow have I been there before LOL.
There are obviously a ton of newbies that are totally open to learning the rules of the game, listen and follow, so not trying to paint a wide swath here but also have seen some that feel there is no reason to worry about regs and can call 10 of their buddies down within half an hour to flood a spot with the same mindset. And by 'spot' I mean right where the one guy was standing LOL.
Watch out for the 5/0 barbed hooks flying from trout 'poles' and an ounce of lead. Plastic wrap still on the cork handle base. You guys know what I mean. Try to tell them something like no barb allowed and they just look at me like I have no idea and to leave them alone. Oh well.

Anyways...

DOG- U rubbed off on me with that one. Yuh should consider patenting that one.

[Lotech Joe]

Jerks. If they don't do something stupid or selfish every once in a while they begin to bloat. I understand newbies, and I'll bend over backwards to help them out. But jerks are just plain obvious. I always wish there was something covert I could do. Mental telepathy and drain plugs come to mind.

[sickbayer]

Sometimes launching your boat can be tough by yourself or when you have the family in tow. Im gonna blow my trumpt here and say ive yet to see anyone launch as fast as me and my mates can and it pains me that they dont do the simple things before they launch it is the same old stupid stuff eveytime. Some people have no idea on the rules of launch and retrival or have any common sense, and annoyingly they dont even read rules that are posted.
As for all the people fishing illegaly slap 5000 dollar fines on them.

[MarkFromSea]

Jerks. If they don't do something stupid or selfish every once in a while they begin to bloat. I understand newbies, and I'll bend over backwards to help them out. But jerks are just plain obvious. I always wish there was something covert I could do. Mental telepathy and drain plugs come to mind.

Lotech, our best revenge is a smile and the appropriate amount of laughter. I've sent a few of those heart attack candidates into deep shades of red with out a word being spoken, over the years.

Sickbayer, you and I gotta race solo launching our boats!!!!!!! I got it down! LOL

[natetreat]

I have been watching a lot of people at the Snoho and Puyallup and dang, there are some crazy pepole out there. Fishing from jet skis, pleasure cruisers, big ole yachts even, throwing over peoples line.

I don't have a boat, but I'm dreading launching now. After seeing the guys down at Lowell road chucking buzz bombs off of the launch docks, just not caring, and all the craziness. It's like a lot of these guys only go fishing once every two years.

Then there's the newbs, that I don't really mind. I helped this one kid that was green as can be, with a big ling cod rod, and 40 pound test "salmon" fishing for the first time, figure out how to catch pinks. If people are willing to play the game, then they're on my side. If they're jerks, then they get an earful. And if that doesn't work, I leave before I give 'em a facefull of fist.

[Rivercamp72]

You guys hang in there. Over there on the west side. I'm one of those newbs. I still have much to learn but launching the boat is one of the things I've learned the fastest. It is annoying to me to take too much time. And although launch traffic is really low here, oh, alright, I usually launch on gravel banks, now you know, I still go as fast as I can for the eventual launch at the crowded improved put ins. What can I say. The grumpy people are always thinking about, hmm, not really sure. WA Lake folks have got to be a better adjusted lot I would hope. Central WA. Home to a few and hoping to be there for the rest.

[Mike Carey]

I am so lucky to have days off during the week! I can't imagine dealing with some of these places on the weekends.

[Bodofish]

I am so lucky to have days off during the week! I can't imagine dealing with some of these places on the weekends.

Yeah me too, a couple week days and one on the weekend. It always turns out my fishing partners have to wait till Sat.

[Jaksonbrown]

I had a good one happen to me yesterday at the Everett Launch. It was a madhouse as usual on Labor day. Got the boat in with little trouble, but when I went to get it out.... Oh Man! I pulled into the 2nd to last take out ramp. There was a boat in front of me with two old guys and a guy about my age already trying to get their boat on their trailer. My truck was parked clear back by the wash down hoses. Quite a walk if your not familiar with the parking lot at Everett. I walk all the way to my truck, drive it back, and they are still screwing around with their boat, trying to get it on the trailer in the water. So I pull my truck up and get lined up to back in as when they finish. About 8 more minutes go by and I finally walk down to them and ask them if they need some help. They say "no" they just got it. So I walk back up to my truck and they begin to pull out. Get this... they pull the boat up to the top of the ramp and turn it just slightly blocking both lanes and stop. Totally blocking me from backing down. The guy gets out, shuts the truck off and begins to secure the boat right there!!!! I finally had to go tell them to move and that they could pack up their Sh$t somewhere other than on the ramp! I had 4 other boaters come up to me shakin their heads and saying "now ive seen it all!"

[Amx]

Monday morning watched 3 guys, with women and lots of kids sitting in the boat, take about 10 minutes to get their boat off the trailer. All this time the trailer was in the water. They pulled the trailer out a couple feet, then screwed with the boat, then rocked and pushed the boat's bow sideways back on the trailer, then pushed it off the trailer, then it wouldn't start. All they had to do was back the trailer back into the water those couple feet.