Where to Launch

Hi,

I have been watching closely the people having issues launching at the Bluffs which is where I normally go. Is there any better options (not beanies) I thought Hudson was charging an arm and a leg now also. Thanks.

Pal

I launched out of the Bluffs on the 12th of May and everything was fine, what’s going on down there???

check out the string – A couple weekend observations and the one on non residential, a number of comments on the bluffs launch

You could launch at Prescott if you like fishing around the Bluffs area. I believe Hudson charges around $8.50 for non residents. That’s not an arm and a leg, but I would get there early if you want a spot. Especially on the weekends.

I just emailed Wash Co Parks the following:

“I understand the budget is tight, but you are losing revenue due to the state of the boat launch at the Bluff’s (my kids spend a ton on the ice cream every year!). This is an active topic recently on various fishing websites, below is an example. I spoke with the office yesterday and was told that you have no plans to repair the launch as you did last year, is this true? I realize this is mostly caused by misuse of the landing (excessive power loading), but it could sure use some TLC. Thanks,

Bob”

Email to: [email protected]

There’s also a launch down in the marina in Afton too, right?

Hudson is now $10. I for one classify that as “arms and legs”

Thanks Suzuki, I agree. Can you send your dog over to my house. My kids loved watching a Hawk chase down a rabbit a couple weeks ago…

The downside of rabbit vs dog is the transference of fleas.

Yes,rabbits are the cutest carriers of quite a few things you do not want to deal with

Quote:

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The downside of rabbit vs dog is the transference of fleas.

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Is the Gooooooose sleeping in your bed tonight?

I went tonight, landing on the right wasn’t too bad, unbelievable perfect night on the Croix! Fish still have lock jaw from what I’m used to, reeled in a few keepers but was too taken with the sun set and my family to focus too much. There’s always Friday, that’s the guy night, I’ll be focused.

Reply from the Parks below, looks like they are trying to stay on top of things, nice guy!

Good Morning Robert,

I am writing in response to your note about the boat launch at SCB Park. I also am an avid fisherman and fish the St. Croix once or twice per week. I have been fishing out of SCB before we purchased the park. You are correct about power loading causing problems at the launch. The launch was designed for boats up to 19′ not the larger boats that are using the park. In addition, a lot of boaters now have bunk trailers and they need to use their motor to get onto their trailer. Last winter we contacted the MN DNR to find out how they were addressing the problem and found that they really had no good answers. To be proactive we installed “no power loading” signs at all of our launches to educate boaters in hopes that they would take some personal responsibility to protect their launches.

In your note you mentioned that the launch was in need of maintenance. Two weeks ago we brought in our large backhoe and filled the power loading washout with larger rock to try and hold it in the hole better. Maintenance like this is done quite often. We spent $20,000 to add cement as you come out of the water and hopefully this fall we will be dredging the harbor again. We do our best to provide the best to provide well maintained launches for the public, but there are also many other activities in our parks.

Lack of use at the launch is not one of our problems. Actually extensive use is a bigger problem! I oversleep a couple of Saturdays ago and got the last parking space at 8:00 a.m. We spend a lot of staff time just trying to ensure that the launch is operating smoothly.

Thank you for your note and good luck fishing! If you see a blue 20′ Crestliner Sportfish with an inboard its probably me out fishing. I fished Devils Lake, ND last weekend and am planning to hit the lower St. Croix tomorrow.

Mike Polehna

Mike Polehna, CPRP

Parks Manager

1515 Keats Avenue N.

Lake Elmo, MN 55042

651-430-8375 Office

651-430-8369 Fax

[email protected]

Ok…dumb question here…what does power loading have to do with anything? Isn’t it due to the change of the angle of the ramp? I’ve been to plenty of other launches where people power load and there are not issues like this. I use Hudson a lot and don’t have any issues. Why? The ramp has a consistent angle into the water. Unless the claim is when the water is high, the blow out from power loading causes the steep drop off when the water is lower? I guess I don’t buy that as you can see where the cement steeply drops off.

Now part of my problem is I have a poorly designed Ranger trailer where the spare tire drags on a lot of ramps that have a change in angle at the ramp. But as I said in the other post, I actually got my trailer crossbar stuck at the point the angle of the ramp changes. I have seen plenty of other trailers scraping this year also. I’m used to the sound now but the look on a guys face when he drags his $30k-$50k rig on the cement is priceless…Been there, done that.

Power loading has tremendous effects on ramps. The most destructive force there is. It’s a bad habit that many of us have gotten use to doing. On some ramps its practically impossible not to.

OK, you are stating how bad it is. But explain the tremendous impacts? I understand the blowout area, but explain why it makes the Bluffs so bad and other ramps are fine. I ‘sort a’ power load as I have a fiberglass boat and bunk trailer. I really don’t have to in Hudson as I can get right up on the trailer. The bluffs? Yeah, I give it some juice there, but that is because the ramp is crap. If someone doesn’t like it, well they are more than welcome to crank it on for me.

I still say if it had a nice slope to launch there wouldn’t be any issues.

Actually, I get the picture now…

See bottom of the page

Nice link B! Could it also be that there are many larger boats that launch here also? Just a thought.

Great illustration. I’ve had a little bit of a different problem at Lake Front park in Hudson and have watched others suffer the same wrath. When the ramps are busy I have seen people impatiently waiting for others to get their boat out of the water quickly. On more than one occaision I have seen the waiters cuss the person cranking their boat on for not power loading and getting the @#$% out of the way. It has come close to blows. I now make it a point to stay away from the busy times.

Does the fact that Hudson has some ‘current’ make power loading less of an issue there as the current brings back in other sediment?

The bluffs launch has no current as its in a protected harbor. I was in Michigan once and the landings are all marked clearly no ‘power loading’. I didn’t realize what an impact it made.

Eric

OK, I was down at the Bluffs this weekend with Tweak (great day by the way), and when he puts his heavy fiberglass boat on his trailer, he does the same exact thing I have to do with mine, he brought it up to the trailer, gave it some gas to get on the trailer, and then I cranked up the last 3-4 feet to get to the bow. He did not rev/crank it up to get the boat get right up to the bow.

As soon as he did this, somebody walked over and said he should not power load. He reply was much like mine would be “How would I do it differently on this launch ? “

So how can you do it differently ? Is the real problem that they allow 20 foot plus boats to launch there ? I think those boats have no choice but to power load and I have seen some huge boats launch there.

On other launches here in the TC, I pretty much just put my trailer in the water, bring my boat over by hand, and I can winch it up. I do not think that is possible at the bluffs though.

Pal