Wanted: Trolling Motor and Launch Training!

[FIVEtenthz]

I feel kinda bad when I hold up my boaters during launch cause I don't have any boat or motor experiance, so if anybody wants to donate their boat for training purposes hit me up!!!! Oh and I can't be held responsible for any damages!
- 5/10

[uglystyx]

what part of operating the trolling motor and launching do you need? maybe we'll be able to help you out by giving you some advice on here so you can keep a mental note next time you're out.

[dgoldston7]

If backing the boat is what bothers you, practice with any type of trailer.. the shorter the trailer you can find to practice with the better, it will be much more difficult than that of a 20 foot bass boat. As far as the trolling motor part, maybe ask your pro if you can put around at the end of the day after or during weigh in, when there is a lil bit less congestion and better light.

[Dan Dunsford]

backing up is easy...learned this from my dad on the ranch. Put your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and which ever way you want the trailer to go....push your hand that way. Very simple.

[biteme]

I bow down to you for postin this. I'd rather see a guy ask for help then hold up the line. If your ever in Sac PM me.

[FIVEtenthz]

For sure!

[GregD]

Another good way to get some training on launching/retreiving a boat, and general boat operation, is to start fishing with a local club. That's what I'm doing right now. I've seen that the quick launch and retreival of a boat is a two man operation and you need to learn this stuff if you don't want to be a load.

I fished my second club tournament on Saturday and the boater first made sure I got some time at the front of the boat to get some practice at running the trolling motor. Not an easy task with the winds we were experiencing on the Delta Saturday. I was spending all my mental energy just trying to control the boat and I wasn't getting my jig in the water. When I concentrated on the fishing I let the boat get way out of position. Of course, it will become second nature with some practice.

The next good thing my boater did, at the end of the day, was to give me the opportunity to drive the boat up on to the trailer. I'd never even driven a boat before, so THAT was certainly an interesting and somewhat stressful experience. It took me two tries. The first time I sent the boat up cock-eyed so I had to back it off, re-align it, and hit the gas again to send it onto the trailer straight.

I don't have any friends (yet) who fish, so I haven't been able to get any boating experience prior to this, so joining a club has turned out to be a great way to learn.

[ash]

The next good thing my boater did, at the end of the day, was to give me the opportunity to drive the boat up on to the trailer. I'd never even driven a boat before, so THAT was certainly an interesting and somewhat stressful experience. It took me two tries. The first time I sent the boat up cock-eyed so I had to back it off, re-align it, and hit the gas again to send it onto the trailer straight.

HAHA its still stressful for me especially on the delta at B&W where everyone is doing everything all at once and the tide is not my friend.... man I would much rather back down a boat now!


A few tips, when you swing to the luanch ramp get the truck CLOSE to the water prior to making your u-turn and backing down. Once you do this you wont have far to travle.

2.) Pull up and get your rig strait once you can not see your fenders behind you, you are strait

3.) Now I agree that if you put your hands at the bottom of the steering wheel and move your hand toward the way you want the trailer to go is a great idea.

4. The TOUGHEST habit is oversteering! You dont need to move the steering wheel any further then how far your wrist will turn. As much as you can swivle your wrist is the MOST movement you need.

Remeber the correction you make at the truck you are not going to see at the trailer until its too late, so small wrist movements, keep rolling backward, if you dont see your trailer wheels its a GOOD THING or you have jack knifed!

[BassManDan]

Has anyone mentioned that practice is important

Seriously though, once you get the basic stuff down, learn how to launch BY YOURSELF!! Most places have a dock to tie up to and that is always a treat, but sometimes you might have to get your toes wet.
When you can launch by yourself, Quickly and Efficiently, your will be second to no one.

My little basstracker certainly ain't the biggest rig on the planet, but I can go from tied down from the haul to in the water and pulling my truck back out in about 3.5 minutes. If you can get to the point where you can do it under five, no one should give you any guff about holding up the ramp.

Good luck, you'll be a pro in no time!

BassManDan

[GregD]

Has anyone mentioned that practice is important

Thanks BassManDan, but I think the problem 5/10's has, and I know I have, is not having the boat to practice with! I know if I had one I'd be out there practicing my *** off to get good at being able to efficiently pull it off singlehandedly.

I'll get the regular practice eventually. I can see a used boat in my future, just need to get the remodelling done to the house this summer before I'll even consider running the boat purchase by the wife.

[FIVEtenthz]

Yea I jus gotta talk one of the guys into showin me the basics of using the trolling motor and lettin me try it one day after a tourny. We launch from Russo's and it gets tight in there so many guys use the trolling motor to back off the trailer.

[Guy Kelley]

Something wrong with that one 5/10z.

Did you say the boaters in your club are backing there boat off the trailer with the trolling motor and not the main motor ?

that might be why things are a bit slow! And ackward for you ?

I have been in a few tournaments both professional and club and never seen that done ?

Except on the rare occasion when I just let my boat float off the trailer and drop the trolling motor to bring it around to the dock when I launched by my self!! And no one is waiting to launch !!

[GregD]

I've got to agree with Guy... The few times I've been around a bunch of boats being quickly launched, as soon as the boat floats off the trailer, the guy IN the boat fires up the big motor and backs away. I haven't seen anyone use the TM to do that, except for one guy who couldn't get the big motor started so he used the TM to get over to the dock.

[biteme]

I often use the trolling motor. BUT I start the big motor to let it warm.

[Gator]

I will add this - I have a 14 year old motor that is a little cranky........there is no way I can guarantee a bump of the key and a start - I always launch mine with the TM - whether alone or being launched........I would waste more time trying to start the big motor.....plus, I want to let mine idle for a while prior to putting it under any load......

[Trackerbass]

Five tenths check your PM

[uglystyx]

i almost always apologize to people for using my trolling motor during a launch. i have the same problem as Gator where i will spend more time at the ramp trying to get the big motor started than to get to a close by cleat and tie off and hustle back to the truck. I wouldn't worry too much about using your trolling motor getting off the trailer. anybody who knows a thing or two about bass boats can look at your motor and tell that it will or won't fire up on the first try.