Evening Adventure.

It was well after 5pm before we even got started toward the lake and we were in no hurry. When we arrived at the landing, no one was launching, and just a few were bank fishing. Carol decided it would be a great time to learn to back the truck down the ramp. In just a matter of 30 minutes or so...:Rofl she had backed across the parking lot and got the rig headed in the right direction down the ramp. A great job well done considering this was her first trailer backing adventure. We're going to wait until the next bass tournament for the second lesson.:Rofl

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Dark was on us pretty quick, but we did manage one decent white crappie and one big lipped camo crappie weighing 4lbs 5 oz. Good thing this was on the BnM jig pole and not the Ozark. I thought I was hung up and tried to break it off when the fish decided to hit the road. If I woulda been using my Ozark, I would have tried to punch the jig loose instead of breaking off. Good eats tomorrow.

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Carol nets much better than she backs a trailer:Rofl

there is nothing like watching a green horn back a trailer. I make my son back outs in for the last 4 years. he about to get the hang of it. Back when we had gravel trucks It was always fun to watch some people back them up.:biggrin

Good eating fish right there. Is that Poinsett? I've never seen that ramp if it is. I always use the one at the park.

My wife puts our War Eagle in the Lake. She grew up on a farm, so she is no stranger to backing up a trailer. Since she is not as tall as I, it helps for her to drop the tailgate. Lets her see the boat when it starts down the ramp and the truck has not.

Heck, a six pack and a lawn chair is all you need !! Watching and hearing some of the stuff you see/hear at a boat ramp !! lol some of it is more fun than fishing or a comedy club !! priceless

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Originally Posted by Slabyanker

Good eating fish right there. Is that Poinsett? I've never seen that ramp if it is. I always use the one at the park.

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That's at the dam.

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Originally Posted by RCC

That's at the dam.

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Guess need to explore the lake a little more. I never make it to the dam. Looks like a good spot.

I learned to back with a deuce and a half, and a water buffalo care of uncle Sam. For those that don't know, that's a 21/2 ton 6x6 truck with a water tank trailer a whole lot narrower than the truck With no power steering. If you seen the trailer in your side mirror it was too late. Pull up and start over, or chase the trailer to get where you wanted it. Always better to start over, trust me. Sure had a good laugh when it was all over, but your arms ached from all the turning sitting still. tight lines everyone....:fish

I've had my wife get out of the truck walk back and holler some not so pleasant words at me for trying to coach her from the boat. Lol. It will sure test a man's patients.

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Originally Posted by tonyjohn

Heck, a six pack and a lawn chair is all you need !! Watching and hearing some of the stuff you see/hear at a boat ramp !! lol some of it is more fun than fishing or a comedy club !! priceless

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Mrs. Ski Trip and I used to camp a lot at Sugar Loaf on Greers Ferry where we had our toon. We always got the campsite right across from a large (4 wide) launch ramp. Some of our most entertaining trips were the times we would just sit in our lawn chairs and watch boats launching and taking out. Funniest one was one time a man and his wife launched a tin fishing boat and came back several hours later. Man was driving the boat and he let his wife out to go get the truck and trailer. To say it was entertaining watching her back it in would be an understatement. However, she finally got it in the water and the man drove the boat on and gave her the high sign to pull out of the water. Well, she pulled out, the boat slid off back into the water and the woman just kept going! Man looked at me and my wife and just shrugged, like :dono About 5 minutes later the lady comes back and starts the process all over. I guess she got a big surprise when she got to the campsite and there was no boat and no husband, just an empty boat trailer! Seen a lot of others, but that was by far the funniest one. :Rofl

My dad taught me 2 things about trailers and ramps.
1. if you cant see the boat in the mirrors it is right behind you. That a good thing.
2 Never let your wife back a trailer if you want to keep her.
Thanks Dad!

Love those camo Crappie, much better fighters and good eating. :biggrin

Just come to Devils Fork boat on Labor Day about 7:30, better fights than the UFC

Better watch teaching her to fish and back the trailer by herself RCC. That block in the back of yer truck may be for weighting down yer body!!!!! You can do a lot of fishin with a good insurance check!!! :-)

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Originally Posted by BigRiverMarine

Better watch teaching her to fish and back the trailer by herself RCC. That block in the back of yer truck may be for weighting down yer body!!!!! You can do a lot of fishin with a good insurance check!!! :-)

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Lately the backing lessons have been going better than the fishing lessons. If I don't get us on some fish before long, I may get to see how far I can swim with that block around my neck.

We did eat that ole camo big lipped crappie Sunday afternoon, and it was purty good. I wouldn't mind having a cooler full of those.

One of the best tips I ever got for backing a trailer and I shared with my wife was "Put you hand(s) on the bottom of the steering wheel and move your hand in the direction you want the trailer to go.
She went on to drive our Motorhome cross country several times. Of course, if you are towing a car 4 wheels down you can't back up (well maybe 5 or 10 ft. but it will jack knife before you get very far)

I absolutely love when there is a guy at the ramp that take 10 mins to back his boat down the ramp then my wife jumps in the truck and backs straight down the ramp launches the boat while the guy is making the walk of shame back down the ramp.

I bet Carol will be backing like a champ in no time.

Before our camper, we used to spend a week on islands on Quachita. We would take both boats, pulling the stick steer with the toon boat once on the water. Mrs DP would park the vehicels while I rigged up the boats at the launch. On one particular time, she managed to get the toon trailer 1/2 way on top of the smaller trailer. She came down to the launch and told me she "wrecked" them. I had never seen trailers all tangeled up before.
A couple of guys were nice enough to help me get them separated. Afterwards, while me and the guys were assessing all of the damage, they asked if I was going to leave a note to the owner of the smaller trailer. They were rolling on the parking lot when I told them " I own both of them" and what had really happened.
Beware; she is pulling our camper when I get too sleepy to drive.
DP

Woman Backing up anything...is always fun to watch. :biggrin As long as it ain't my boat and trailer. HAHA!!!

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Originally Posted by SeaRay

One of the best tips I ever got for backing a trailer and I shared with my wife was "Put you hand(s) on the bottom of the steering wheel and move your hand in the direction you want the trailer to go.
She went on to drive our Motorhome cross country several times. Of course, if you are towing a car 4 wheels down you can't back up (well maybe 5 or 10 ft. but it will jack knife before you get very far)

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That's great advise. Never thought of the hands on the bottom before. Well, bottom of the steering wheel anyway!!! ;-)

How did you like the newly paved parking lot? We put our trap nets out yesterday to look at the crappie in the lake. We will be running them everyday till Thursday. We will let you know how we did.

The parking lot is great. It is an excellent place to learn to back a trailer. The only addition I would make is to add a couple of reflectors on each side at the top of the ramp because it is pretty hard to hit in the dark. Carol and I have talked about getting a couple led flashlights and putting them on some rods to stick on each side, but we would need to pull those when we left. I personally haven't been able to figure out the crappie bite in the short times I've got to fish, but I think it is just me. The few fish I've caught seemed healthy. I have moved a few from one side of the lake to the other:biggrin Anxious to see the sampling results.

Thanks for the parking lot. It was much needed.

RCC,

I'm working on the reflectors. I have put in a request to have a pair of reflectors added to the top of the ramp.

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Originally Posted by Mojorig

RCC,

I'm working on the reflectors. I have put in a request to have a pair of reflectors added to the top of the ramp.

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Thanks a whole bunch. I didn't figure I would get this response this quick.:ThumbsUp They sure will help getting lined up across the lot.

It was a good idea and needs to be done. So we are going to try to make it happen.