Jump to content

Lake Erie Trailer Boat Ramps


Recommended Posts

After celebrating my seventy fifth birthday, I looked back at the development  of trailer boat access on Lake Erie in New York State in my lifetime. The result I found is there is none. When I was five years old my father took us out on the lake from Woodlawn Beach or the old Pillsbury Grain Elevator near Tifft Street.Both sites are gone today. Then was the Small Boat Harbor was opened around 1950 and that was it. There are three State Parks on Lake Erie, Woodlawn Beach, Evangola and Lake Erie where boat ramps could be built without acquiring purchasing tax producing property. Without nothing being done with the millions of dollars collected from boating sales taxes, boating supplies, registration fees and fuel taxes over the past seventy years. It has deposited that money in the "black hole" called Albany and disappeared. This is our fault. Millions of tax dollars are deferred to build hotels and other of tourist type features happen annually but we are forgotten by Albany and our legislators. Open your eyes and mouths to "MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN"!

Edited by jimski2
  • Like 6
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well said Jim. Remember when the Southtowns Walleye club started? Their mission was to ban gill netting and support Lake Erie access. They were able to get rid of the gill netters but lake access never improved. The "black hole" of Albany sucks all our money to support the "sh?thole" called New York City.

Edited by Locoman
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 Jimski & Locoman, you are right about the black hole & NYC shyt hole.    I agree & have said for years that those state parks should have launch ramps!  Everything is there except for the ramps, they have roads, parking , lighting, restrooms.  State should build ramps & breakwaters, with all the monies they take in from hunting & fishing.   I believe lake Ontario has 30 + launch sites in NY & lake Erie has 7-8 in NY state form Buffalo to Barcelona. Me being retired I try not to fish on weekends now but did for years I know how the crowds can be & what a pita the jet skis are,   we need more access for the best walleye lake in the country!  How would we go about it ? I know S.Town walleye did try for yrs. back in the late "80's" but they were looking mostly at private land for club members use only  if I remember right.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't understand. I trailer my boat and have no problem. There are launch sites in Buffalo (2), Sturgeon Point, Cattaraugus Creek (3 launch Sites), Dunkirk, and Barcelona  I feel they are well spaced for boat launching. I agree - Without nothing being done with the millions of dollars collected from boating sales taxes, boating supplies, registration fees and fuel taxes over the past seventy years. It has deposited that money in the "black hole" called Albany and disappeared. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Loony, You're a lucky man to live where you do, and lucky to be retired...... enjoy the good life!  You've earned it. 

Unfortunately, I trailer at least 2 hours to fish Erie, and I'm still contributing to SS. So weekends are the usual option for me. What I see at the ramps is typically weather and time dependent. The nicer the weather, and the closer to prime time for pleasure boaters, the more chaotic the launch / load / park situation becomes.  I'm usually launching before sunrise, and loading at prime time, and getting back on the trailer is the least "fun" part of the day . I think more access would be welcomed by 90% of the boating population, sunworshipers and fishermen alike.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It should be noted that the State Park sites have bathrooms, plenty of parking areas, campgrounds, Park Police on duty, access from major highways and not gridlocked on weekends with major delays from launching and retrieving too many boats. After all these years of doing nothing, it is about time we demand changes for the trailer boat community. Just simple launching sites nearby where we need them and getting our registration, sales tax and equipment taxes back.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  Maybe we need to get Pat Gallivan  involved, he seems to be on the sportsman's side.

3 hours ago, jimski2 said:

It should be noted that the State Park sites have bathrooms, plenty of parking areas, campgrounds, Park Police on duty, access from major highways and not gridlocked on weekends with major delays from launching and retrieving too many boats. After all these years of doing nothing, it is about time we demand changes for the trailer boat community. Just simple launching sites nearby where we need them and getting our registration, sales tax and equipment taxes back.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For those who are centrally located on Lake Erie things are fine but the majority has to travel thirty miles or more to access the lake it is a couple hour round trip .  There are some people who can not chew gum and skip rope at the same time. They will never learn to back up a trailer ever. There are those that can do and those that teach, they usually end up being teachers Get out of your car and give them some guidance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know how many members are on this site, but maybe the moderator could start a petition to get boat ramps installed at the state parks, and it could be presented to our representatives? The Petititon could be listed right up front, boldly so everyone can see it?  The weekend parking at the CATT ramp last summer was atrocious. The fishing was better there than at the Buffalo SBH, so Thats where I went. Yes its quite a drive. It seems Sturgeon Point would install more break wall or something to prevent the sand bar every year. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Check out the boat ramp at Crystal Beach, Ontario. The Canadians know how to put in a boat launch ramp with parking. The strange point is their population there is not ten per cent of our New York residents. They just know how to get things done. Look at the site on Google Earth at Crystal Beach, Ontario.


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Erie United

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Geneva State Park , just west of Ashtabula, Ohio has the finest boat ramp and marina in the Central Basin. Great summer fishing there. Check it out on Google Earth and see if we could have a site like that here in New York State Parks.


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Erie United

Link to comment
Share on other sites

NYS Parks don’t care about people who hunt or fish. All they care about is getting their money from campers and people who come into the parks to use the beach or have a picnic. It doesn’t matter what part of the state you are in I live up on the St Lawrence and the boat ramps/docking systems up here are mostly junk. They could spend some money and make much needed improvements on them but they would rather spend millions of dollars on playgrounds and bath houses


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Erie United Mobile App

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  I know 20+ years ago I fished Ohio & even back then any part of the state on the shores on  lake Erie was geared to fishing & boating. There are marinas & launch ramps every where.  Apparently their boating, fishing & hunting $$$$ go back to the sportsmen & hunters unlike NY. which all leads back to the black holes in Albany & NYC.!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

   I Just sent Sen. P. Gallivian  e- mail asking him to see if he can look into this & get something going about maybe getting launch ramps at these state parks.  I guess we will have to wait & see about a response from him??  Maybe some others here can contact their Reps. about this,  who knows maybe we can get the ball rolling!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You must be logged in to view content

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recent Topics

    Hot Topics

×
×
  • Create New...