Shuttle Method for Drifting Solo?

[ORpoke]

RE: when you are drifting by yourself and don't have someone to help shuttle. I have used a bike for this, but it takes some time and can be tough with the hills. Anyone have any good ideas for motorized/not too expensive alternatives? I have heard there are mo-peds (sp?) good for this.

[high_arc]

I have always thought that maybe one of those motorized scooters the kids are riding now might work. Depending on how far you have to go.

[NETONE]

Well several options here:

1. Ask your wife, or closest non fishing buddy to shuttle your rig.

2. Pay for the area shuttle service to do it for you, and hope all goes well.

3. Hitch Hike back to your starting location, and hope your boat & gear will still be where you left it.

4. Wear your jogging attire under your waders and double-time back to the lanch location.

5. Thoss a bike or some form of wheeled transportation in the driftboat, even a skate board to travel back to the lanch location.

6. Just conceed to the fact ya need a fishing buddy and have the assist.

7. Learn to be a bankie....

[Fish Hawg]

I would be afraid to leave my boat and ride back to the truck.

[RogueFisher]

I've never had any problems with the pay shuttles.
It's sure nice having the rig and trailer waiting at the take-out.
I did the bike thing once.... Just once.
Never again. When you are driving you don't notice the small hills which turn into mountains when you're on the bike.
:grin:

[ZaQ]

I used to do the bike thing, but I found out that it is worth the 9 bucks to have your truck sitting there at the lower ramp waiting for you. Saves about an hour of needless crap. :grin:

[rookie]

I like to fish the Clack and to the best of my knowledge there is no shuttle, so my wife follows me to the river we drop her car at the take out she gets in the car with me and off we go to the put in. After she drops me off, she drives the rig to the take out and and switches cars. I have had good luck leaving the boat, but I hate the idea of it. I hear off people hitch hiking but who picks up hitch hikers today? When ever there is a shuttle I pay for it, but otherwise good luck.

[Corkie Monster]

Rookie

There is a shuttle for the Clackamas, or at least there used to be. I used to have their buisness card but can't find it now . Sombody on this site should know how to get ahold of them. I would like to know too.

CM

[Corkie Monster]

What do ya know, I just found their card [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] . They are called the "Clackamas River Shuttle" of all things. The Numbers are:

Week days (Cheryl) 503-250-1387

Weekends (Laurie) 503-826-1066

They where around last Winter, Hopefully their still around this year. good Luck!! :grin:

CM

[ 01-21-2004, 09:32 PM: Message edited by: Corkie Monster ]

[cutt plug]

When I'm on the coast I pay for a shuttle, the $10.00 is well worth it.

On the Clack I get my wife to shuttle me as well.

One option that would work is a Honda trail 90. They travel well and you can get them street leagal.

The Honda method works good up on the OP, particularly on the Hoh. Shuttles are a ways from town out there.

[Old Coot]

On rivers where there isn't a reliable shuttle service I have had good luck hitching. I put all my gear into the dry box and chain and padlock it shut with the oars on top, then take the boat downstream a hundred yards and out into at least 4 feet of water and drop anchor. (I figure the lowlifes aren't likely to be willing to get wet.)

Then I drive to the takeout, and carry a rod when I start hitching back. The other hand has a spray of 4-5-6 one dollar bills sticking out. I usually get a ride within ten cars, and generally from somebody who wants to know how the fishing is. Funny thing though, I've never been picked up by somebody going to or from that particular water on that particular day.

I recognize that I am asking for trouble, some day I'm going to get rolled for my wallet. Back in the 50's and 60's my mom used to tell me I would get molested hitchhiking, butI think the grey beard turns them off.

[BuKuBass]

I drop my gear off at the put-in, leave my rig at the take-out and walk or bike back to the top. Over here, messing with a person's mode of transportation is considered a form of horse stealing and we still lynch horse thieves; cuts down on recidivism.

[Paddlefish]

Coot:

You asked 'most all the right questions, gave 'most all the right answers, and threw in jokes in-between!

I tend to have a moral allergy to burning gasoline to facilitate a manually-propelled boat trip. [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img] (Also, it smells up the atmosphere and enriches the wrong folks.) Heck, even a wifey shuttle or a paid shuttle service violates that difficult hurdle.Therefore, I've searched through the years for ways to minimize motorized shuttles.

The bicycle shuttle option has worked well for me, though I bike 2,000 miles a year, so it's not a physically daunting concept, and I've also heard stories of locked shuttle bikes falling victim to bolt cutters. Additional user tip: don't ride in your hip boots. :smile:

I'd given up on total solo trips, due to the boat/gear security issues but, even then, how old does your kid have to be in order to classify as "security" rather than "prey?"

Your locked drybox and "offshore anchor" are great, though the box would likely outweigh my boats (canoes.)

[GutshotApe]

Originally posted by rookie:
I hear of people hitch hiking but who picks up hitch hikers today? When ever there is a shuttle I pay for it, but otherwise good luck.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">I solved the problem by selling the driftboat buying a jetboat.

Back when I was a driftboater, whether solo or with a partner, I usually hitch-hiked back up to the launch to get the rig & trailer. One has to consider the time of day, river, etc. when deciding to rely on hitchhiking...there can be very few cars on some river roads headed upriver at dusk on a sunday evening. But usually, if there is any traffic at all, I've never had trouble getting a lift.

I always carried my oars & a fishing rod when standing roadside thumbing rides...when a car stops, ditch the oars and jump in.

I've met some interesting people hitchhiking back upstream.

[greenbuttskunk]

You just need to find a river that goes in a circle. :grin: I've heard of people getting in a drift boat and asking "So will we end up back where we started. Kinda scary. [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img]