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 fishing world that we’d be negligent to ignore it.

Case in point, a new outbreak of Covid-generated boat ramp follies:

We’ve covered boat ramp etiquette in the past, but it was in the distant past. The fact of the matter 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 getting a new center console or a bay boat. Now, many have realized there is no better, safer form of recreation than a naturally social-distant fishing trip.

Countless others found that with the commute and after school sports eliminated from the equation, they suddenly had enough time to enjoy things like fishing 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 fishing industries, there’s also been an unintended consequence—a whole lot of chaos, at the local boat ramps. Traffic volume is way up, and average experience (and thus competence) levels are way down.

To all you experienced boaters and fishers, have some patience. The sudden bump in traffic and more crowded fishing areas may be an aggravation, but we need to remember that as our fishing 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, fishing and hunting license sales, and state park income.

In the 2019 fiscal 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, better access to the water, and better park facilities.

This 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 getting out onto the water.

The 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. The 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 after 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 throttle out of neutral, forgetting to put the safety lanyard clip on the kill switch, having a loose fuel line fitting, or forgetting to pump the ball. Five minutes of your time could save these folks five 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 off. Then, back the boat out of the way rather than tying it off to the pier. This 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.

• After cleaning fish at a fish-cleaning station, clean up your mess. If it’s in an area where fish carcasses get tossed into the water, run the fillet knife through the eyes and slice the belly open so they sink and become chow for the bottom feeders, instead of floating around the docks and stinking up the area.

No matter how nice you are about it, is there a chance you’ll encounter some push-back here and there?

Maybe.

There 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 attitude, 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 matter of inexperience, not ill-will. The 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@fishgame.com

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