Moose
Jerry Blake (if I recall correctly) posted a slick way that he launches his boat by himself. He attaches a rope from trailer post to the boat that allows the boat to float free from trailer. He pulls the trailer forward but the rope is just long enough to keep the boat within the trailer side bunks thus keeping the boat from blowing into rocks with crosswinds. He added a small walk plank on his boat trailer to walk to and get into his boat thus being able to power his boat to a safe docking before taking the trailer off the ramp.
I had been using a rope tied to the truck bumper and bow eye that would allow the boat to float out past the trailer. But with cross winds one does not have as good of control using the rope and standing from shore.
As for your fishing challenge with Canepole I can't root for either one of you since you both sound like decent sort of fellows. You both suffer from one of the predominate and defining characteristics of crappie fishers and that is alot of BS. :D Though I can root for you both to have a safe and good time on the water.
“There is no difference between communism and socialism, except in the means of achieving the same ultimate end: communism proposes to enslave men by force, socialism—by vote. It is merely the difference between murder and suicide.” Ayn Rand