Below is a loosely plagiarized article published in the latest edition of Kayak Magazine, offering tips from Mark Anderson, a Texas Game Warden

1. Know Before You Go – If you’re coming to a boat ramp and it’s your first time out there, do a little bit of research online first to see if there’s any special rules or regulations. There might be signs posted that have any information on that body of water. Be observant of those as well.

2. Having Safety in Place Is Essential – First and foremost, make sure you have a lifejacket. If you’re going out alone or in a kayak, make sure you let somebody know where you’re going, when you expect to return, and how long you’re going to be gone. Also, if it’s early in the morning and it’s dark, make sure you have Coast Guard-approved lights if it’s going to be after sunset or before sunrise.”

3. Be Ready to Go Before You’re on the Ramp – Any boat ramp can get super busy. Having a plan, having everything ready, having everything loaded before you take up that space on the ramp—the more you can streamline that process, the easier it’s going to be for everybody.

4. Stay in Your Lane – If you’re at a boat ramp with two spots, try not to take up the whole thing by parking in the middle. Go to one side or the other. Be careful around trailers. Visibility is going to be reduced for those that are backing in a big boat, and a smaller boat or kayak is relatively harder to see by operators of bigger boats.

5. Clear the Ramp for Others – After boat is in the water, clear it from the path of the ramp so other people can use the ramp while you go back to park your vehicle. Make sure you move your craft out to the side so it doesn’t get hit.

6. Stop the Spread of Invasives to other Ramps and Water Bodies – If you fish or intend to fish on enclosed water bodies (lakes, ponds, upper rivers or creeks), clean, drain and dry your boat. It’s really important to help reduce the spread of aquatic nuisance or vegetation, or even fish disease.

7. Be Kind To One Another – Being mindful of others. Being patient with others and try to do things as safe as possible. Just understand that there are people of varying levels of experience that are going to be using the same ramp. Be ready to help somebody if they need help.