Kayak launch protocol

Chattanooga Fishing Forum

Help Support Chattanooga Fishing Forum:

granger

Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2016
Messages
10
I'm new here, and while I am still researching what to get for my first kayak for fishing, I am not familiar with boat ramps and launching your kayak. I assume it is just whoever is there first, but I don't know if people with powered boats give you problems for being there.

The closest boat launch to me is the one at wolftever creek.

Granger
 
Wolftever Ramp has a side area to the right of the ramp and dock that most yakrs use to put in. It has some rip rap along the shore but the bottom of the lake is like a sandy gravel mix.
 
You have the same right to launch from the boat ramp as anyone regardless of vessel type. Just wait your turn as you indicated.
Obviously at some places you will have more options from where to launch than folks with boats and trailers and I personally would take advantage of that whenever possible.
 
95% of the time when I am at a boat ramp I either have customers with me or a camera crew filming an episode of our show. So time is money. However if a guy was ahead of me with a yak or a trailer full of yaks and isnt standing around talking but diligently launching his boat(s), then I just have to wait and dont mind at all. Yak guys have just as much right to the ramp as any of the rest of us. If you can find a slide next to a ramp be courteous and use it. But if not dont feel bad about being in the way and taking your turn just like everyone else. Good luck!
 
Always prep your yak away from the launch area. Get everything in order on your yak so when you do launch you are ready to go.

You have as much rights to the ramps and lake as anybody else.
 
Yes, what fischnrod said.

I've only had one bad experience... a commercial paddleboard concession letting clients out below the Dam. There is only space to launch one boat there. Not only did he take forever to unload two paddleboards. He proceeded to stand there, on the ramp, conducting his instructional class for the clients while two of us were waiting to launch. I politely asked if he could move to the side of the ramp to clear the way for us and he said, "In a minute." Then proceeded to spend 10 more minutes conducting his class. emoBang
 
Yep, the single biggest complaint that power boaters have is the "newbie" kayaker ( or even boater) who doesn't prep his boat before getting to the launch. I am both a PBr and a yakker. I was guilty one time myself..just not thinking.

You can load everything on the yak and THEN launch. Same thing on recovery. Haul the yak out of the way and THEN unload your gear. Just common sense but we all forget from time to time. richg99
 
See.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20160810_7496.jpg
    IMG_20160810_7496.jpg
    189.1 KB
I have a couple of yaks and a bass boat but the beauty of the yak is I can launch from pretty much anywhere. I have never launched from a boat ramp though... There are so many better areas along Harrison bay road to launch from that one of the boat ramps. Any one of the sloughs up that side of the lake have areas you can launch a kayak. Even in HBSP I usually launch over at the picnic circle. That way I can either choose the lake side or the marina side without a lot of paddling. I have ever looked but I bet you could launch from over at pinky's point somewhere... There is a picnic table by the water so there must be access to it from some road.

The ramps I am sure are fine and most gave good advise for that.

Just my thoughts.

Greg
 
Those are some good ideas. I have only been living here for a couple of months, so I don't really know where anything is or what the laws are for accessing the water other than boat ramps and parks.

Are the places on Harrison Bay road you mentioned public areas? I mean like you just park along the road or ???

Granger
 
There is a pull off with a gravel road by the water. It's public but they close gates on both ends around dark. That whole area is full of grass as well so should be decent yak fishing.
 
The places I mentioned are a mile or so past the entrance to HBSP. One has a gravel ramp area for launching a small boat or kayak. Plenty of room to park there as well. The next one you can pull down a dirt driveway that could be tough in a car but a SUV or Truck should be fine. A little more difficult launch but I have done it by myself a few times. Then further ip the road you can launch near a bridge that crosses over the creek.

I bet you could launch at skull island as well.

All those on the same road. May be more further up but I haven't been up there.

Another area is the bridge on snow hill road as I was told you can launch from the side of 58 i a cove on wolftiever creek. Might check that out on google maps.
 
Back
Top