I've been kayak fishing going on 4 years now.  first time I have ever seen a guy load out like this.  

 

scenario:  regular pristine boat ramp.  concrete, deep full lake.  kayak Old Town electric PDL thing.  (he was fast on the water!).  Truck was a Ford F250 diesel rig, stock.

 

the dude backed his truck down the ramp and into the water.  his exhaust was just to the point of burbling in the water.  he untied his kayak from the dock, walked it to the truck, hopped in the truck and pulled it up and into the truck bed, and jumped on the dock, jumped into his truck and drove off.  he pulled into the shade and broke down his gear.  

 

it was a clean move.  I have a camper shell on my old truck, so I cant do this.   I asked and he said he drops his kayak off the same way.  

I just started doing this about a month ago. It’s fairly easy for me as I drive a Titan that has a flip down step. So, I flip the step down, grab my stern handle and pull into the back of my truck. I usually take my rods out before hand, but. I pull it in as far as I can get it and the pull up to the parking area and break down my gear and strap in the kayak. 

I tried it in my truck a time or two.  I have air bag suspension so can drop the bed down 2”.  Trying to load it from the water doesn’t work.  With the boat floating there is nothing to hold the back end in place while you swing the front end up.  the only way is to go so far back into the water that the tip of the tailgate is touching the water and then pull it from the bed like you describe.  I wasn’t liking backing in that far plus it only worked at a few steeper ramps.  The shallower ramps around it wasn’t possible.  

It does sound pretty clean. I never would have thought of that.

I trailer my titan 13.5. It's too big to try and horse into the bed of a truck. I look like a monkey having his way with a football trying to go that route.

I feel like one of you enterprising fellas could make a little rail system that slides out the bed of your truck that you can then slide your yak down to launch. Anyone? Anyone?

@VolFan

 

Thats exactly what I had been pondering around in my head. Saw it on YouTube though just recently. Dude has a small HF winch in back of truck. A ramp of 2x4s and he just winches it up from the carry handle.

12 hours ago, VolFan said:

I feel like one of you enterprising fellas could make a little rail system that slides out the bed of your truck that you can then slide your yak down to launch. Anyone? Anyone?

This has been done in the motorcycle industry for many years. This particular model could easily be adapted to a kayak.

Awesome idea. Trailer is cheaper at that price point though…

Sounds like a respectful gentleman, most people block the ramp for half an hour strapping it down like a 20,000 lb culvert