Texas Boating

by LENNY RUDOW :: TF&G Boating Editor

Covid Chaos at the Ramp

MOST OF US HAVE HEARD so dang much about Covid-19 at this point that when we see this disease’s name in print, our eyes glaze over. We long for the day when this topic fades into a distant memory.

Well sorry, folks. It has had such a massive impact on the boating and shing world that we’d be negligent to ignore it.

Case in point, a new outbreak of Covidgenerated boat ramp follies:

We’ve covered boat ramp etique e in the past, but it was in the distant past. e fact of the ma er is that a slew of new boat owners have hit the water since the spread of Covid 19.

In the past, countless people had only toyed with the idea of ge ing a new center console or a bay boat. Now, many have realized there is no be er, safer form of recreation than a naturally social-distant shing trip.

Countless others found that with the commute and a er school sports eliminated from the equation, they suddenly had enough time to enjoy things like shing and hunting. So, they pulled the trigger on the new boat purchase they had been holding back on.

Although this has been a boon for the boating and shing industries, there’s also been an unintended consequence—a whole lot of chaos, at the local boat ramps. Tra c volume is way up, and average experience (and thus competence) levels are way down.

To all you experienced boaters and shers, have some patience. e sudden bump in tra c and more crowded shing areas may be an aggravation, but we need to remember that as our shing community grows, our political power expands alongside.

Don’t forget that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Division (TPWD) budget consists in large part of funds raised by things such as boat and dealer registration and sales taxes, shing and hunting license sales, and state park income.

In the 2019 scal year, 46.4 percent of the TPWD’s budget was generated by these dedicated funds. In the long run, the boating boom will come back to us in the form of new and/or improved boat ramps, be er access to the water, and be er park facilities. is is a fantastic reversal of the declines we’ve seen in the popularity of our favorite forms of outdoor recreation. Generations of potential anglers and hunters have been more interested in video games and the latest apps than in ge ing out onto the water. e catch, of course, is that an awful lot of people haven’t yet learned the ropes. Our mission as responsible sportsmen and women should be to lend a helping hand.

Don’t grow irate and start yelling when a newbie clogs up the boat ramp. e next time you get ready to launch and you see something that irks you, remember to smile, speak politely, and let those inexperienced folks learn. • When you arrive at the boat ramp, pull out of the way to prep your gear rather than blocking the launch. Load up the gear, remove the straps, and put in the drain plug prior to backing down the ramp itself. In this way, others can continue using the ramp while you get ready, and the actual launching procedure takes just moments. • If you have a mechanical issue a er launching, walk the boat to the far side of the pier or to the end, if possible. Get it out of everyone else’s way while you remedy the situation.

Note: When you see an inexperienced boater having problems, this is a great opportunity for old salts to lend a hand and help someone out. Half the time, a new boater doesn’t know about the simplest snafus that can shut a boat down, such as having the thro le out of neutral, forge ing to put the safety lanyard clip on the kill switch, having a loose fuel line ing, or forge ing to pump the ball. Five minutes of your time could save these folks ve hours of distress and an unnecessary trip to the mechanic, while giving you a serious karma-boost. • When you’re pulling the boat in busy conditions, nose it up to a pier or dock so the person driving the tow vehicle can step o . en, back the boat out of the way rather than tying it o to the pier. is way the slot remains open for others to use while the driver retrieves the tow vehicle. • When you pull the boat out, move several hundred feet before you stop to put the straps on, move gear around, and get the rig road ready. Inexperienced trailer-boaters sometimes forget that other folks, potentially with larger rigs, will need lots of extra room to pull forward and align their tow vehicle and trailer before backing down the ramp. • A er cleaning sh at a sh-cleaning station, clean up your mess. If it’s in an area where sh carcasses get tossed into the water, run the llet knife through the eyes and slice the belly open so they sink and become chow for the bo om feeders, instead of oating around the docks and stinking up the area.

No ma er how nice you are about it, is there a chance you’ll encounter some pushback here and there?

Maybe. ere are jerks and know-it-alls in this world. But the vast majority of the newbies will be incredibly thankful for the help and even more thankful for a pleasant a itude, because chances are, they’ve had to deal with a jerk or two along the way themselves. Remember folks, virtually every boat ramp folly that delays your launch is a ma er of inexperience, not ill-will. e family that you help out today will be helping to pay for that new boat ramp you’ll be using tomorrow.

Email Lenny Rudow at ContactUs@fi shgame.com