Texas Fishing Forum

Ramp For Launching Alone

Posted By: bassnman

Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/11/22 09:25 PM

Is there a ramp that would be good to launch by myself at this water level? Would need a "beach the boat" spot or a dock out of the wind. TIA for any help you can give.
Posted By: Fishinfellow

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/11/22 09:29 PM

What lake? Some lakes are full.
Posted By: David Burton

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/11/22 09:29 PM

Name a lake and someone will answer.
Posted By: MV

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/11/22 09:37 PM

Lavon east fork but park doesn’t open till 10:00 last time I was there. Buy a yearly park pass or if your older than 63 get a life time national park pass. Good for all corp parks too
Posted By: David Burton

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/11/22 09:40 PM

Originally Posted by MV
Lavon east fork but park doesn’t open till 10:00 last time I was there. Buy a yearly park pass or if your older than 63 get a life time national park pass. Good for all corp parks too

Website shows open, but I now live across the street and they had a big park closed sign up Tuesday.

I wish the would put in a self-pay station and re-open the back road to the protected ramp.
Posted By: David Burton

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/11/22 09:43 PM

If you're indeed talking Lavon, try clear lake or highland parks.

Wind direction means everything out there.
Posted By: J.P. Greeson

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/11/22 10:59 PM

You can tie a 100' rope to your bow eye hook and pretty much launch anywhere. I use a longer rope so I can brake launch and not run out of line when the boat is drifting away from the trailer.

You don't need anything super heavy. Something like this will do.
Posted By: kirbydog

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/11/22 11:10 PM

I've been launching my boat by myself for decades. The rope is just long enough to place the boat at the tail end of the trailer
when you back in. Then you pull the truck up the ramp until you can reach the rope and walk it down the dock.

Hope this helps.

A little harder when there isn't a dock but doable-you just pull the boat into the shore and leave enough of the boat in the water so
you can back out.
Posted By: hopalong

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/11/22 11:12 PM

Originally Posted by J.P. Greeson
You can tie a 100' rope to your bow eye hook and pretty much launch anywhere. I use a longer rope so I can brake launch and not run out of line when the boat is drifting away from the trailer.

You don't need anything super heavy. Something like this will do.



thumb
Posted By: ogles824 (aka Lakewaydr50)

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/12/22 12:17 AM

I launch solo probably 90% of the time and have been doing it for decades. If you are fishing a pretty busy lake like Fork it comes in handy if you have a plan and are completely ready to go once you back into the water. Fully prep everything in the parking lot before you head for the ramp. One of the things I developed that sped things up was I'd back the boat in, get out of the truck and step up on the tailer and release the winch and push the boat off the trailer never stopping walking towards the console. I'd instantly have the big motor started and in reverse and it seemed like all one motion. These days I just back out and pull up to the boat dock or shore and drop my power poles head back to the truck and park it and I'm ready to roll and out of the way pretty quick for the next guys.
Posted By: Bruce's

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/12/22 12:22 AM

https://www.amazon.com/T-H-Marine-Z...amp;hvtargid=pla-1065352451031&psc=1
Posted By: Kisndismis

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/12/22 01:45 AM

100ft rope from Harbor Freight. I have my little sidekick daughter who is 10 help me a lot and you once I taught her that it will pull a little away from you at first she digs her little feet in and pulls in it! Should see the looks we get from people thinking shes gonna let it go. She ties off on a cleat pretty damn good too. But all seriousness I launch 90% of the time alone also and tie off to a cleat and the winch strap handle and bump it off then pull up enough to get out and tie off or throw in on the bank.
Posted By: Flip-n-go

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/12/22 01:49 AM

Originally Posted by J.P. Greeson
You can tie a 100' rope to your bow eye hook and pretty much launch anywhere. I use a longer rope so I can brake launch and not run out of line when the boat is drifting away from the trailer.

You don't need anything super heavy. Something like this will do.

Just don't forget to attach to bow eye & the trailer. Floated the Ranger with a double hooked bow eye & me getting very wet, cold.to retrieve the the old girl. hammer roflmao
Posted By: toofy

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/12/22 01:53 AM

Yes this is ideal for what you are looking for:

https://www.leegov.com/parks/boat%20Ramps/davisboatramp
Posted By: SteezMacQueen

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/12/22 02:20 AM

I launch solo all the time. I ready the boat, leaving only the safety cable attached. I climb over the side of the bed of my truck, walk over to the tailgate. Unhook the safety cable and back the boat off the trailer and beach it. Pole down the back and go park the truck. Takes about 2 minutes and has worked forever. Every lake. If their isn’t a beaching spot, I tie off to the dock.

I don’t know what I’ll do when I get too fat and old to climb into the bed of the truck. Haha.
Posted By: Jiggy wid it

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/12/22 02:29 AM

I think he is asking about Lake Fork.
Posted By: K.D.

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/12/22 03:19 AM

I don't have a boat anymore, but I remember making this same post a few years ago. Climbimg in the bed doesn't work if you have an SUV or a topper on the truck.

After having a knot on a rope come untied on Grapevine and watching my boat drift half way across the lake, I got one of these. It works flawlessly. Just remember to lock the winch strap back after releasing it to hook everything up.

And for the guys that talk about leaving your boat on the ramp while you park the truck, it's no different than leaving your truck at the ramp while you beach the boat


Posted By: BrianID

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/12/22 09:51 AM

I launch all the time solo. I'm faster at launching and retrieving my boat solo than 90% of the boaters that have a friend to help. The key is to have a plan and don't waste any unnecessary time. I keep the front of the boat attached until it is in the water and quickly detach and launch after the trailer/boat is backed into the water. If it is warm, I'll get my feet wet. If it is cold, I'll step on my back tire and walk off the tailgate of my truck into the boat. I use to have a 4 runner and could step on the back tire and then the bumper without ever getting my feet wet.
Posted By: Bruce Allen

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/12/22 03:38 PM

With low water you can launch your boat and then pull it up onto the ramp next to your trailer, if the bank is rocky, and then pull your trailer out.

Although in the past I have used the rope method
Posted By: Bill Durham

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/12/22 05:05 PM

I use a 50' rope attached to the nose loop of the boat when I launch solo. I tie the other end of the rope to the trailer, coil it up and lay it on the trailer under the winch. I back the boat in and dump it off the trailer, pull up a little and get out and detach the rope from the trailer and pull the boat up to beach it next to the ramp. I fish a Joe Pool and use the Loyd Park ramp. Once beached, I park my SUV and I'm out of the way.
Posted By: bbexotics

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/13/22 01:26 AM

In Lake Fork, Mustang Resort has and has a usable boat launch.
One of the best around.
Posted By: ezbassin

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/13/22 02:28 PM

Originally Posted by SteezMacQueen
I launch solo all the time. I ready the boat, leaving only the safety cable attached. I climb over the side of the bed of my truck, walk over to the tailgate. Unhook the safety cable and back the boat off the trailer and beach it. Pole down the back and go park the truck. Takes about 2 minutes and has worked forever. Every lake. If their isn’t a beaching spot, I tie off to the dock.

I don’t know what I’ll do when I get too fat and old to climb into the bed of the truck. Haha.


I do the same except climbing into the bed of the truck. Mine has a hard cover on it so I just back it down with the cable attached like he said, then unlatch the boat and climb in using the front trailer steps and back the boat off. Simple as that.
Posted By: K.D.

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/13/22 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by ezbassin
Originally Posted by SteezMacQueen
I launch solo all the time. I ready the boat, leaving only the safety cable attached. I climb over the side of the bed of my truck, walk over to the tailgate. Unhook the safety cable and back the boat off the trailer and beach it. Pole down the back and go park the truck. Takes about 2 minutes and has worked forever. Every lake. If their isn’t a beaching spot, I tie off to the dock.

I don’t know what I’ll do when I get too fat and old to climb into the bed of the truck. Haha.


I do the same except climbing into the bed of the truck. Mine has a hard cover on it so I just back it down with the cable attached like he said, then unlatch the boat and climb in using the front trailer steps and back the boat off. Simple as that.



I think we are talking about shallow, flat ramps where the back truck tires are in the water. Or at least that's my interpretation. In that case, other than getting wet or wearing muck boots the climbing on the trailer tongue doesn't work to well
Posted By: David Burton

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/13/22 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by K.D.
Originally Posted by ezbassin
[quote=SteezMacQueen]I launch solo all the time. I ready the boat, leaving only the safety cable attached. I climb over the side of the bed of my truck, walk over to the tailgate. Unhook the safety cable and back the boat off the trailer and beach it. Pole down the back and go park the truck. Takes about 2 minutes and has worked forever. Every lake. If their isn’t a beaching spot, I tie off to the dock.

I don’t know what I’ll do when I get too fat and old to climb into the bed of the truck. Haha.


I do the same except climbing into the bed of the truck. Mine has a hard cover on it so I just back it down with the cable attached like he said, then unlatch the boat and climb in using the front trailer steps and back the boat off. Simple as that.


Example - Crockett.

Yes, I do the bed trick. Step on the tire and then into the bed. I also power unload. My next truck will be 4WD, and will have a bed-step to assist. If I can't get the weight off my frame and really gets bad, I'll have to find another solution. Time to try and change again...
Posted By: Kodyjoe

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/13/22 06:43 PM

Yep Crockett is terrible by yourself.. The whole truck is in the water trying to load and unload
Posted By: dk2429

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/13/22 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by Kodyjoe
Yep Crockett is terrible by yourself.. The whole truck is in the water trying to load and unload


Y'all talking about Houston County?
Posted By: ChanceHuiet

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/13/22 06:57 PM

Stop launching at the resort at county and won't have any issues. That ramp is straight trash
Posted By: David Burton

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/13/22 06:58 PM

Originally Posted by dk2429
Originally Posted by Kodyjoe
Yep Crockett is terrible by yourself.. The whole truck is in the water trying to load and unload


Y'all talking about Houston County?


Lake Davy Crockett up in Honey Grove.
Posted By: Allen Bass Fisher

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/14/22 02:45 AM

Welsh is a pretty hard ramp to recover from if you are by yourself. Launching, no problem but for recovering at least for my boat I have to get the boat up on the trailer at the right angle first then back to trailer a little more and goose it up on the trailer to touch the stop. Steep ramp.
Posted By: David Burton

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/14/22 04:04 AM

Originally Posted by Allen Bass Fisher
Welsh is a pretty hard ramp to recover from if you are by yourself. Launching, no problem but for recovering at least for my boat I have to get the boat up on the trailer at the right angle first then back to trailer a little more and goose it up on the trailer to touch the stop. Steep ramp.

My problem there is the Rear Wheel Drive... I was the last person out of the lake one day and had to put stones on my tongue-mounted toolbox to get the traction to pull the boat out of the lake.
Posted By: reeltexan

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/14/22 08:01 PM


I rarely use a ramp.
Posted By: toofy

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/14/22 11:46 PM

Originally Posted by reeltexan

I rarely use a ramp.


Thank you. Very helpful.
Posted By: redskeet100

Re: Ramp For Launching Alone - 03/15/22 01:46 PM

I have always left my winch connected but in reverse, when it backs in and floats off I can winch it up a little to get in, unhook winch, then start her up and pull up to courtesy dock or beach it.
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