Get your stuff ready before you are ready to launch.I've waited more than a few times for people putting poles,coolers and tackle boxes in there boat while sitting at the ramp.I even waited one time for a guy to take the cover off his boat wile backed up to the ramp.This is all stuff that cold be done before "GO TIME". I always try to keep my launch time to a minimum by prepareing before I get to the ramp. Still its cool we get to talk about this subject finally. WINTER IS OVER!!!!!!!!! I love the ice but bring on summer.

Good tips, I think everything is about covered, but a little check list I have;

Things to do before the boat gets backed in:

Rods, tackle bag, cooler, bait are in boat.
Unhook trailer lights.
Prime fuel line bulb, helps for a quick start
Hook rope to front eye, unhook saftey chain
Unstrap trailer tie downs
Plug

Things to do while unloading:

Back trailer in deep enough
Unhook winch
Push/drive off trailer (depending if I have someone driving truck)
Tie up to dock or idle around waiting for partner

Loading is just the oposite, and make sure to pull out of launch area when unloading boat/draining water ect.

Also if you unhook your trailer lights be sure to hook them back up.

Patience is the most important tip, but no one has covered about parking your rig. Many times at ramps we have seen vehicles that are parked kittywompus or diagonally leaving less room for others, or as once happened to us actually blocking us so we had to jockey around to get out. I actually wanted to leave a nasty note but the hubby said "forget it, if he is ignorant enough to do that to us in the first place do you think he will read and learn from the note".

If you are fishing alone, like I do most of the time. Go quick. If there is a dock move your boat to a non launching side or beach it as not to take up space while you are parking your rig.

If you are launching watch for people trying to get back in. Just because you slept in and diddnt get to the lake untill 10:30 or 11:00 doesent mean there arent people who have been on the water since 4:30 and are looking to go home. They are in line for the ramp too.

When loading up and leaving, make sure all your water gets drained (live & bait wells, boat plug, etc) & thoroughly check over boat & trailer to remove lake weeds or other invasive stuff that may be clinging to the boat or trailer. We don't want these things being unintentionally tranferred to other lakes.

I have seen people pulling out at night that don't make any attempt to do this ... not sure if it is because the forgot their flashlight, or just don't care. This was at WBL where they have Eurasion Milfoil!!

Here is one I saw a week ago that got me worked up.

Let's say you go to the lake to launch your boat pre-opener just to make sure everything is working right. Don't leave your truck parked in the ramp (especially the single shooter the guy used) while testing everything out on the lake.

A guy a week ago Sunday did that on a metro lake and tooled around the lake for 30 minutes, not always in view of the access either. Just left the trailer in the water with the truck sitting on the ramp while he went out and tested his boat. No consideration. If I would have been driving the boat I was in, I may have went over and parked on his trailer, just for fun.

Neighbor Guy, You touched on something I wanted to talk about... I fish alone sometimes and it can be tricky to unload/load a boat by yourself. So if you are in line and you see someone by themselves, offer them a hand, everything will go faster and you will get where you want to be faster. Thanks for your help the next solo trip I have on a busy launch...

Always help others, or at least offer. Make sure you get in and out as quick as you can. If you are new, do what you can to move it in and out quick, but at the same time take time enough to do it right. Everyone has been there before. I'm only going on my 3rd year and just now getting it down to get it on and off pretty quickly. Biggest things is to get everything in the boat and ready hit the water before you back down the ramp and do the opposite coming off as others have stated.

If it's cold or rainy out and you need to get ready, do it before you are putting the boat in the water. The rest of the line doesn't need to watch you put on your rain gear and boots and all that jazz. Be prepared and ready to go. Also, if you like to take your boat cover to the lake access with you...take it off before you line up to put your boat in. Don't wait until you are sitting on the concrete bunks to unsnap the 50 snaps on your boat cover one at a time while we all watch and then roll it up and pack it away crease by crease. Or when pulling out, don't stop on the concrete bunks to towel off you boat...you can do that in the lot!

One thing to keep in mind is if you're going with a couple guys, have the guy with experience in backing a trailer back the truck down the ramp. I went with a couple buds one time and assumed my one friend knew how to back up a trailer...well lets just say I was wrong. There were a lot of unhappy people waiting while he attempted to back down the ramp. Another good reason to practice launching your boat before you head out to that busy day on the lake.

I agree with all of the above tips. I would like to add just one thing. Teach your wife, friend, whoever, as long as they are old enough and mature enough, how to drive the boat on and off the trailer. It never fails. Every summer you see a family standing on the dock waiting for Dad to launch the boat. Dad backs it into the water while the wife holds on to the rope from the dock. Dad gets out of the truck unhooks the boat and launches it. The wife then stands there at the dock holding onto the rope and blocking any other boat from being launched while hubby finds a parking spot for the truck and trailer. Or she is holding the rope blocking the ramp while hubby goes to get the truck and trailer.

When we bought our boat three years ago, I taught my wife the first time we took it out how to drive on and off the trailer. We now have a system. We prep everything while waiting in line for the boat ramp. She and everybody alse gets into the boat, then I back it in and release it from the trailer. She motors away from the launch as I park the truck and trailer. She then comes into the end of the dock not the side, so we don't block the ramp, and I jump into the bow of the boat. It is quick and painless. It's also great not having to do ALL the work by muself.

If you saw my automobiles, you would know why I will never let my wife drive the boat.

First and foremost. If someone is having trouble launching or loading making rude comments or giving them dirty looks only makes them more nervous and they start to rush more...which rarely helps the situation.

I did have an experience with parking the truck and trailer in the only open spot with two trailers parked at "kittywhompus" angles. I walked around to the back of one trailer and bent down and the owner comes running up yelling at me to get away from his trailer...When he saw me pick up his tandem axle trailer and straighten it out to make room to park he just turned around and said "never mind" When I got back down to the dock I heard his wife say "Gee honey, maybe you shouldn't yell at THAT guy." LOL.

I know this not a tip, but maybe you can give me some tips. I have a 16 foot Lund Rebel, a roller trailer, and lately have been fishing alone. I have always brought my boat into the launch, tied it to the dock, back the trailer in, then hook the winch to the front and crank it in. Then I pull it out of the water and do my thing out of everyone's way. The other day a guy told me I should drive it on the trailer, then hook up, jump out of the boat and drive it out. I am by no means a Twiggy and at 61 I am not all that agile, so jumping out of boat is out of the question unless I am going for a swim. I try to make this as smooth as possible when there are other people around, but sometimes it goes awry, any tips?

As stated above, I also do most of my fishing alone. I rarely if ever drive my boat on. It is much easier to keep control if I just crank it on.