Paddlin’ with Madalyn—Step One: Kayak Launch
Photos and Story By Madalyn Roberts
Kayak launch and loading is an aspect of kayak fishing that doesn’t seem to get the attention it deserves. Advances in technology and equipment in recent years mean each angler’s rig is unique. The one commonality, however, is that most kayaks are made to be launched and loaded in numerous ways. Taking the time to fine tune the preferred process makes all the difference in starting a day out smoothly and ending it on a positive note.
Admittedly, my favorite places to fish for crappie are in nearby lakes—the closer proximity the better as less windshield time equals more fishing time. Trailering my kayak means having the ability to use boat ramps, generally making kayak launch and loading a breeze. I have no doubt there are many adventurous anglers out there who will pull up to a bank spot—boat ramp or not—and drop it in without any issues. I’ve even met a few of them, but I personally value the peace of mind using a boat ramp provides, always eliminating the chance of encountering an unexpected drop-off. Plus, if things go sideways, chances are more likely you’ll find help at a boat ramp versus a more remote location.
There are various types of kayak trailers out there, but one important factor to consider when deciding which type of trailer best suites your needs and your kayak is whether or not you want the ability to stand on the trailer during launch and load.
When I purchased my fishing kayak, it came bundled with a jet ski-style trailer that had double-carpeted bunks, which I later upgraded to a modified jet ski trailer with a carpeted flat bottom. Fine tuning my launch and loading process was a long, arduous journey that was not pretty at first. I backed into the water and waded in to push the kayak off the trailer, turning it so the bow was deep enough in the water that I could deploy the trolling motor and motor it to the courtesy dock.
Then I discovered I could load my kayak on my trailer backward, which was the ultimate game changer. Because my trolling motor is remote controlled, reverse loading the kayak meant I could deploy the motor before launching, back into the water and hit the power/propel buttons on the remote to effectively direct the kayak to the courtesy dock—no waders required.
Once I had this process down, I quickly got used to not having to get in the water, and I didn’t realize how much difference the flat-bottom trailer made until the day my trolling motor died. The moment I had to paddle back to the ramp, I knew neither getting the kayak back onto the trailer nor my exit strategy would be pretty. My army crawl over all my gear to exit the vessel was less than graceful, but I was extremely thankful I had a flat platform to find my footing on in some pretty frigid water temps.
Even if a trolling motor isn’t part of your setup, kayak launch from a trailer is still super straight-forward with the use of a rope secured to the kayak. Simply release the kayak into the water and either pull back onto the shore/ramp or use a tie-off on a dock if one is nearby.
(Madalyn Roberts is from Kansas City, Missouri although she considers herself a southern transplant having lived in Kentucky for 17 years. She serves her Louisville community by working for a non-profit organization facilitating free home repairs for elderly and disabled homeowners. In her spare time, she enjoys being in the outdoors in all capacities, especially fishing, hiking and camping.)
