Educate us please

[RODNREEL]

I just read SpringFever and Codfathers posts in the Nootka/Esperanza reports and I think we could all learn something. So educate us from boat ramp etiquette to fishing in large groups.Anything that would make us safer and more respectful fisherman and boaters. Good stories,bad stories and do's and don'ts on the water.

 

[agentaqua]

and change the names to protect the innocent...

 

[RiverBoy]

My favourite is the guy that pulls his boat out of the chuck and then stops at the top of the ramp and is gonna install his tie down straps, pull off his cooler, etc while everyone else is trying to use the launch. he should have the butt torn out of his jeans and caned for that....

 

[casper5280]

If you are going in or out, have your **** together before you start. That means everything in or out of the boat before you start. When you back in turn off your headlights so the other guy isn't blinded. Less chance he backs in to your truck. Move your boat to the end of the dock if launching and to the front when pulling out.

 

[Ringo]

Go through ur checklist of things before leaving home ( if you're trailerung your boat) and again before backing in. When ur trailer is in the water you shoukd only be launching the boat and leaving the ramp ASAP.
Saw a guy with a 25' SeaRay at the Rocky Point launch yesterday who launched his boat with the winchstrap still attached to the bow and his kicker's gas tank floating from the back of his boat. This happened at a very busy time if the morning. That could have been avoided by going through a checklist and a few spot checks right before backing down the ramp.

I guess we can all learn new things no matter how experienced we are. Thanks for creating this thread.

 

[Original]

If you see someone launching or coming in and they're solo offer a hand as well as accept a hand rather than just walking by;-)

 

[seadog19]

when someone gets a fish on, move away from them. Last year at rats nose 18 miles out in the middle of the ocean, the wife got a 24lb'er on that wanted to run. There were boats around and 2 of them came by and closed in on us and made a wedge out of us, trying to see what we had. Serious struggle to get the fish in without tangling their gear. There is no need to squeeze someone with a fish on offshore.

when trolling in a pack, try and go with the general flow, it is usually clockwise or such, trolling close across peoples sterns, will likely wind up snagging someones gear, and then road rage erupts.. trying to cut across a pack trolling just brings out the stress in some..

is it necessary to combat fish ... rod tip to rod tip?

 

[bones]

If you trolling clockwise your getting a blast from an air horn.......right to to rock has right away, which puts it in counterclockwise rotation

 

[Sentinel]

Actually accounting for port to port passes and fishing
near the beach the rotation should be counterclockwise with boats on inside starboard side to the rocks.

 

[scott craven]

make sure your drain plug is in before launching.

 

[aheny]

My favourite is the guy that pulls his boat out of the chuck and then stops at the top of the ramp and is gonna install his tie down straps, pull off his cooler, etc while everyone else is trying to use the launch. he should have the butt torn out of his jeans and caned for that....

I think this is a great etiquette opportunity, but from the other direction. How to be in the right: most people are terrible at this, and come across angry insulting and condescending.

If somebody is doing something stupid, go up to him and offer some kind polite advice. I guarantee he's so worried about his boat and gear that he never stopped to think about other people, and will be embarrassed and remorseful if he finds out he's being impolite.
He's fishing, his primary recreational investment is a boat just like you, you probably have more in common than you think.
If he's inexperienced, help him learn rather than proving to him that the other guys at the ramp are a bunch of jerks.

 

[aheny]

If you trolling clockwise your getting a blast from an air horn.......right to to rock has right away, which puts it in counterclockwise rotation

Right of way isn't the correct term, right rods to rocks is an agreement between friends. The actual rules are the collision regulations, with the person approaching the other boats Port side having to give right of way.
I find this fascination with counter clockwise to be a holdover from people who fish at lodges which make club rules.
In some local areas/tides the currents actually make it better to fish the terrain feature clockwise, and go out around after passing the sweet spot with your left rod to the land. The lightship is a great example of this, where you troll into and across the river before letting it carry you out, swing around to the North, and repeat. If you tried to fish counter clockwise you'd be pounding the currents all day.
Tunstall Bay is a great counter clockwise troll, while salmon Rock is a great example of a figure 8

 

[scott craven]

Seen a fist fight at the ramp about 15 years ago.
all because someone was impatient.

 

[Da Bay Bye]

When in a pack of boats and 2 or more people are in the boat, please have someone drive the boat. I have seen enough out there that all onboard are watching the guy playing the fish and no one is driving.

 

[RogersonCrusoe]

This doesn't have to do with being on the water but...

If your ramp has a cleaning table, please clean it after use. Many times I've pulled into dock, eager to clean the catch, but the table is thick with dried blood / wasps / detritus. The Sidney ramp doesn't have a hose, but I carry an old pot that works perfectly for washing fish and the table.

 

[Ringo]

If he's inexperienced, help him learn rather than proving to him that the other guys at the ramp are a bunch of jerks.

X2

 

[salmonkiller01]

Once you start backing down the ramp to launch 4 minutes to drive up if its busy. Get boat ready to launch clear of the ramp. Retrieve 6 minutes to clear launch. When things go wrong and you have a clusterF*** happen relax and tell the guy waiting to pull out next, "sorry bud", they mat even help
I am in Campbell and its a gong show at times as we don't have the ramp space needed for the amount of boats.Most people are good and some will never learn.
As for combat fishing you need a crystal ball to know what some guys are gonna do.

 

[Woody]

Right of way isn't the correct term, right rods to rocks is an agreement between friends. The actual rules are the collision regulations, with the person approaching the other boats Port side having to give right of way.
I find this fascination with counter clockwise to be a holdover from people who fish at lodges which make club rules.
In some local areas/tides the currents actually make it better to fish the terrain feature clockwise, and go out around after passing the sweet spot with your left rod to the land. The lightship is a great example of this, where you troll into and across the river before letting it carry you out, swing around to the North, and repeat. If you tried to fish counter clockwise you'd be pounding the currents all day.
Tunstall Bay is a great counter clockwise troll, while salmon Rock is a great example of a figure 8

Everyone I know when trolling tight shore passes goes by : right rod to the rocks has right of way on tight shore pass...

 

[Tailwalker]

Lending a hand at the dock is a good thing to offer, I know I appreciate it when offered. Clockwise vs counter clockwise is dependent on the current. There is no "correct" trolling direction at a particular spot, it depends on the tide and current at the time. The rules of boating should be followed, boat on the right side of you (starboard) has the right of way. An overtaking vessel (i.e., faster) has to give right of way to a slower vessel. I don't believe there is a "rule" on a boat beside you heading for the rocks, but courtesy would dictate that you let the guy get out of a potentially bad situation either by you speeding up &/or steering away so he doesn't get "pinched". Having said that, people in that situation should realize that if they are being pushed to the rocks, they can easily change course just by slowing down or stop and let boats go by before changing course. The throttle is there to be used, not locked into one trolling speed.

 

[aheny]

Everyone I know when trolling tight shore passes goes by : right rod to the rocks has right of way on tight shore pass...

That's actually exactly where the confusion sets in is when everybody and all of their friends do something a certain way. It works just fine in most areas but around the Lower Mainland and the Fraser River it gets extremely complicated and there are lots of people who aren't your friends who choose to follow the real Collision regulations.
It's very obvious to see that somebody is following the Collision regulations and I'm always careful to make sure that I give them way when they have the right of way.