Boat launching -- boots

[wngardner]

The weather's going to be getting cold soon -- this is my first cold water year.

What has worked best for you to keep your feet dry while launching -- waders, boots, etc..

Thanks...

[Bob G2]

I find the best thing to do is to just put on a pair of waders. With more and more ramps having no power loading (mine doesn't power load very well anyways), it's not worth messing around with boots.

[REW]

As far as launching and loading - particularly early in the year, where there is an absense of docks - add walk ways to your trailer.

Most trailers, can have a walkway added to them, so that as a boat is either loaded or unloaded, you can walk (safely) on the walkway - to either launch or load your boat.

You can often, just bolt a board to the trailer frame, or perhaps, you might have to add something similar to a roller support - to support the walk board.

I use 5/4 rough sawn ceader boards (they don't rot) and cover them with carpet.

Then, in general, you don't need boots. Simply use the trailer to get to your boat - for launching and loading.

For those times that it doesn't work, I just use inexpensive knee boots, and usually they are high enough to take care of any launching problems.

Take care
REW

[Ohio fisherman]

Here is what works for me. I added those nice walk strips to my trailer and that sometimes works, although that system is an accident waiting to happen. The strips can work, but for me only in some conditions. So, I put my hip boots in the back of the truck and a quick change before launching or loading - usually only necessary for loading. That way, I stay on the ground, not on a slippery walk strips. The boots really make loading easier. Good luck. Ohio fisherman

[rebs]

all of the docks I use allow driving on and off the trailer
I have found this to be the best and easiest way

but if you cannot do it this way then I would agree with hip boots or waders

using walk ways on your trailer is good but be careful in the winter months as water on the carpeted walk ways may freeze and be very slippery

rebs

[Mike W1]

Thought I was buying a cheap pair of hip boots for that task but when I got back to the lake found out I had waders. A pair of scissors took care of that and for this chore only I prefer them to hip boots as there's no straps inside making them easy on/off. Last spring the lakes were so low I used them virtually all the time. Everybody else waded out barefoot!