Solo boating?

[ceedubya]

How many of you guys will fish alone in a boat? Aside from the trouble of lanch and retrieve of your boat? Is it generally considerd a really stupid thing to do? I just purchased a 17ft aluminum 40 hp. I use my pontoon w/motor all the time solo?
[signature]

[Kent]

I have fished occasionally alone in my boats. IMHO fishing alone is better than not fishing at all, but I much more enjoy fishing with one or more angler friends. As far as safety goes, of course it is always safer to have someone else along. That being said, there are times that it is safer to fish alone than at other times. Smaller bodies of water are usually more safe than larger ones. The colder months are obviously more dangerous. Fishing alone at night has other hazards. Of course, one should pay attention to the weather and not push it too much. Whether I am alone or not, I am always more comfortable if there are a few other boats around to render aid in case I need it. I always wear my PFD when I am on my boat alone. As you said, lauching and retrieving a boat can be a challenge, especially on a busy boat ramp -- where you feel pressured to not tie up a spot on the ramp.
[signature]

[MGB]

I fish solo all the time. I don't think it is a stupid thing to do its the dedication of fishing that is coming out of you. Most of the time when I go on weekday evenings its at the spare of the moment and have no time to waste. I don't want to waste time looking for someone who wants to go. Launching and retrieveing the boat solo is sometimes easier than having an unexperienced driver.
[signature]

[Ktrout]

I am sure that if you did want a fishing partner for the day, a post on the BFT would get you a couple of responses. Some of us (me) are without a boat and would probably like to get off the shore for a day or two, or more. And it seems like the group on this board could be trusted, hopefully. Pitching in on gas wouldn't hurt as well.

ktrout
[signature]

[ZugBug]

We spent a lot of time at Strawberry both camping and fishing. When no one wants to go fishing I go alone. The wife is not a morning person on her time off. Launching the boat is no problem. I just tie a rope to the floating dock and back her in the water. Once the boat floats off the trailer I pull the trailer out of the water and park on the ramp. I hurry over to the dock and tie the boat up short. Then jump in the truck and park in the parking lot.
Now putting the boat back on the trailer can be a little more difficult. By 10 or 11 AM the wind has started to blow and it can be tricky. But I'm getting better all the time.
I know going solo has it's safety issues, but if it's the only game in town, so be it. Zugbug
[signature]

[sillyphil]

I do a whole lot of fishing on my boat alone. Yes the launching and retrieving does suck,I seem to get wet most everytime.But I don't mind it all that much.
[signature]

[ocean]

I try not to fish alone in a boat .Sometimes if you really wanna go you have to go solo. As for loading and unloading your boat get a long rope and some waders. This way you can get your trailer in deep enough to load it properly and not get wet. I spent many days alone at yuba fishing on my boat i never got bored but i would have loved some company. If you need company there is always bftrs willing to share your boat and help out with gas.
[signature]

[BigBuck3333]

i do it all the time at willard,and really enjoy it go where ya want leave when you want.as far as loading and unloading pice of cake some of you sound like you are putting you trailers way deeper than they need to be.try backing in till fenders are bearly covered drive boat off trailer. same loading you can drive it right up to where it hooks up just a thought. most guys you see out wading and fighting to get emon the trailer are way to deep.
[signature]

[Matador]

I fish solo in a boat quite often. Like has been said, launching and loading can be tricky, but it is not that much different than taking a newbie anyway. I think the trick is to know your limits. Don't push your luck. Fish in areas where others are around. Wear your life jacket all the time. Watch the weather closer than normal. Take a phone if the lake will have phone covrage. Take a 2-way radio. If your motor has one of the safety cut-off straps you can put around your wrist, use it. Don't stand up if your boat is small. Don't do stupid stuff. Don't drink.

I think following these common sense rules takes most of the risk out of it. For me, it is often a choice between going alone or not at all. I choose to go safely. I do the same thing with hunting quite often. Just stay within common sense limits and you will be fine.

And good luck...
[signature]

[Hellsangler69]

Agreed , most people have there trailers too deep when loading thier boat . When I load my boat to trailer I have my tires showing and let the bunks and rollers guide my boat on . I have always launched and loaded by myself .
[signature]

[kadyn99]

if your going fishing alone in your boat .''wear your life jacket'' especially if your trolling.one wave comes up tips the boat and your sitting in the lake with your boat trolling away from you,now if you have a life jacket your pretty safe but imagine if you diddnt.out in the middle of the lake with the shore 100s feet away trieng to tread water,ill give you maybe a minute or two of treading water before you start cramping.if you fish alone wear a life jacket,and if you fish with somebody,it doesnt do you any good to be with your wife or one of your friends if they dont know how to start big motor when trolling and turning in the wind with you trolling motor is hard sometimes. teach these people how to operate your boat good enough to turn arond and come back for you.cause i know most boats have there little secret on how to start easy and if you are the only one to know it,it doesnt do you much good. guys out there teach your wife or friends how to operate your boat so they dont have to watch you drown because they cant figure out your boat. hope this does some people good!
[signature]

[iconoclasticPaul]

I always love to take my boat out by myself and I take pride in doing it right the first time! I make my own decisions on where to go and what sort of fishing methods being utilized whether its going bottom bouncing for walleyes or downriggers for suspending eyes. Its really hard to find a hardcore walleye addict so I go by myself.

One thing to remember, you dont want to go solo on a busy day where you might tie up the dock when there are a thousand of blowhard waterskiers. Go during the week or go somewhere where there arent a lot of boats tying up the docks.

It can get interesting when the winds pick up and things gets dicey... commonsense is required if soloing... gotta know the place before you go. For example: Willard... when the winds pick up you gotta head to the dikes where it is protected from the winds or go to the sandy shoreline and park your boat there until the winds subsides.

One more thing to consider, I strongly recommend that before you go solo, you must be a strong swimmer... you will be glad you swam better than Rulon!

Always check the air/water temp because hypothermia is a serious threat.

I love to swim and surf... those skills came in handy because boats are rather similiar to a surfboard in rough conditions... it helps you read the waves as you motor through them like hot knife through butter. You had better not slice straight at a wave but rather go cross-angle... then straighten the boat out and then go cross angle. Here is what happens when you go straight at a wave, there is always a second or a third wave behind the first wave that can swamp a boat as you jump over the first wave, there is a trough that the boat lands and the wave will sweep over the front part of the boat.

Hope this helps!
[reply]
[signature]

[MACMAN]

The best item I've found for solo launching is a retractable dog leash. I clip it to the front eyelet, back down, hold the leash out the window and push the release button. It is a snap and no coiled up rope to deal with. Try it, you'll never go another way!
[signature]

[macscabin]

I also will go out alone. I have a 22' pontoon and used to get wet launching and tailoring my boat until I got some hip waders (now no more cold legs).[] I live so close to the lake (Heber) and if I have some time I will just go. Most of my friends are at work or busy so I go without them. The wife is just not interested in fishing. I make sure she knows where I am going and when I expect to return. I also have a cell phone, GRMS radio as well as marine radios.
I would prefer to have another person but I love to fish and I go when I can. Usually DC, Nelle or the Berry.
[signature]

[Kent]

Great idea -- I will get one of those right away.
[signature]

[neveronsunday]

[red][size 3]Many of my days off are during the week and it can be tougher to find a 1st mate than the fish! I go solo a lot then but always enjoy fishing with others. Depending on the slope of the ramp I usually have to wade out a bit to get the boat on/off the trailer but nothing to exciting. It does make me nervous to not have a live body in the truck sitting on the ramp when I pull the boat off but usually block a tire and leave the window down and keys in it before I leave it. Sometimes it gets a little busy working on boat control and managing two lines when out on the water by yourself. I enjoy meeting new folks so if anyone has some days off during the week and tired of being land locked let me know. [/size][/red]
[signature]