Drotto Catch and Release Boat Latch Reviews
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Based on 254 reviews
Ron Landry
14:21 06 Dec 22
I fish a lot by myself and am getting on in age. I needed something to assist me launching and recovering my 19 foot Skeeter. The boat2trailer large latch is perfect. It works as advertised and is the help I needed.
Robert Loranger
23:36 04 Dec 22
Seems like a very well built product, vert stout, was easy to mount. I have only used it twice but so far so good. I will repost in spring after many uses.
Greg Lala
01:39 28 Nov 22
Works as good as they say it does if not better. I just need to learn my trailer depth when launching for an easier release. Picking up not so deep.
Tim Quadracci
21:18 18 Nov 22
Products works as described, however I feel the company should be asking how wide the distance between the forks where the unit mounts to. I Purchased the larger unit that is only 3.625" wide. My trailers gap is 4.0" . Providing a wider unit instead of the customer buying stainless washers to make up the difference and a longer stainless nut and bolt to fit would have been nice.
Destry Foyte
21:13 07 Nov 22
Top notch company. I have owned three Drotto trailer latches. I have had them on both bunk and roller trailer without any issues. I won't own a boat without one. No more having my fishing partner or wife wade in the water to latch the boat. Makes easy for one person to unload and load if you by yourself. If I have ever needed a replacement part, it has only taken a couple of days to get.
Mark Scott
16:12 16 Oct 22
Super easy install, high quality and it worked perfectly. Love it already, although I think my dry-footed friend loved it more. No more wading in to hook up the winch.
Patrick Huggett
14:05 04 Oct 22
Amazing product. Best money I've spent for my boat. We can load the boat in about 15 seconds and be pulling out. Makes everything easier!
Tom M
10:11 04 Oct 22
Tjs St
22:59 25 Sep 22
Should have bought one years ago best $300 I've ever spent
Jeff Leonard
16:55 25 Sep 22
Almost perfect for my 2012 VS-621 Ranger boat. The boat is only 3" short of loading up on the trailer like it use to before B2T. Very acceptable.
Tom Fornkohl
18:39 23 Sep 22
Hands down the single best purchase for my boat, and immediate delivery was a bonus! Every boat trailer should have this!
rhonda hall
20:42 20 Sep 22
Easy to mount. Catches the boat everytime, unless I drive over the top, not their fault! I like it!
Joyce Jones
15:15 17 Sep 22
The product works perfectly. I deducted one star due to the somewhat misleading shopping experience. I was lead to believe that shipping was free but upon checkout it became clear that it is free only if one enters a code at the very beginning of the process. Faced with a time issue and uncertainty over where to get the code, I was not able to find a way to completely start over and instead paid the shipping.
robert penrod
21:58 16 Sep 22
Well, only have used once. It was pretty hard to get latched the first time. Rough water really gave me fits. Relaunched and 2nd time it hooked up rather quickly. Hopefully will get easier each time I trailer boat.Put on tracker pro guide 16. Installed VERY easily. I bought their locks as it would be very easy to remove in parking lot. Hopefully it will keep honest people honest
Toby Lance
20:41 14 Sep 22
package great shape, able to slid my Tracker 175 back far enough to mount on trailer, had to modify my winch hook but works like a charm. So much safer with this installed
Drotto Boat Latch Review Submissions
41 comments on “Drotto Catch and Release Boat Latch Reviews”
stephen lisieci
June 22, 2015 at 9:50 pmDoes it work with fibergalss boats?
boat2trailer
June 23, 2015 at 8:22 amYes it certainly does.
Donald jasper
July 1, 2015 at 2:58 pmWill it work on a 20′ crown line
boat2trailer
July 1, 2015 at 3:06 pmYes, It just needs the V front in order to fit the boat.
Brendan
August 17, 2015 at 11:08 pmDoes it work with different types of bow eyes?
boat2trailer
August 18, 2015 at 8:19 amYes, The latch is designed to accommodate most bow eye sizes and shapes.
Steve Foust
February 8, 2016 at 2:43 pmJust got it today, took about 10 min. to put it on, it fit like a glove
Mark Gilsdorf
June 26, 2016 at 10:14 pmIt was very easy to install, took about 10 minutes. I’ve used it 5 times already, works like a champ. It is a must for those of us that do a lot of fishing by ourselves. A real labor saving device.
James F Hansen
June 27, 2016 at 6:00 pmI fish the river and the water goes up and down so can I adjust the angle on the boat2 trailer. I now have a boat buddy and does not work well because it is cheaply made
boat2trailer
June 29, 2016 at 5:32 pmYes during install you can adjust the Boat2Trailer product however you see fit then tighten.
Kelly Dollinger
August 30, 2016 at 2:04 pmThis product has been awesome! Put one on my 2014 Triton 186 Fishhunter and love how it works. My Dad is now going to purchase one and put it on his Sylvan Viper. I truly think this product will extend his love for fishing. Thanks Boat2Trailer!!!
John workman
October 6, 2016 at 1:30 pmJust got mine tryed it once works great
Adam T
May 24, 2017 at 7:54 pmWhat a great product! I love going to the launch by myself and watching two people try to put in or take out as I am taking off. Easy install and pure genius idea. Love the simplicity of everything! Thank you very much!
Vern J.
June 9, 2017 at 3:00 pmI see that most use your product on a roller trailer. I have a Lund Tyee 1800 on a bunk trailer. Is your product as effective on a bunk as a roller trailer?
Robert Waterbury
June 13, 2017 at 1:39 pmYes it certainly is. Many customers install the product on bunk trailers and roller trailers alike.
Jim Stoudt
June 23, 2017 at 1:22 pmThis is an amazing product and takes the stress and work out of launching my 18′ Lund Alaskan tiller. Very easy to install on my Shore Lander trailer. A couple of things to watch for, after the installation check to see where the back rollers on the trailer are in reference to the transom. I had to move my winch ahead 3 inches to accommodate the new unit to get the transom on the roller correctly. Only one thing that I noticed was that I have to place my trailer on the water a little shallower when loading the boat so the boat was resting on the rollers, then it went into the catch on the new unit perfectly. Great unit so far.
Robert Waterbury
July 10, 2017 at 10:12 amThanks for the great insight and tips Jim!
Robert J.
July 9, 2017 at 12:21 pmDoes it work with Tiller motors?
Robert Waterbury
July 10, 2017 at 10:13 amYes
Tom Trudell
July 16, 2017 at 4:15 pmI just put one on my Lund pro guide tiller with a shorlander roller trailer. Makes loading and unloading the boat much easier. Wish I would got one sooner!
Francis kelley
July 24, 2017 at 1:12 pmJust installed on a ez loader roller trailer with a new alumacraft 185 competitor tiller boat,easy install,just had to move winch bracket 4″ forward to keep boat in correct spot on trailer,no better way to load & unload !
roger hetzel
August 11, 2017 at 8:47 pmI have had mine now for a while and it has made launching and retrieving a boat so much easier. once that chick sound is heard that boat is locked secure and will not go anywhere. the handle release makes a one person operation easy as well. well worth the price. I have showed it to quite a few people who seemed interested in how it works and I have seen more trailers with these units mounted on them. installation was easy as well. good product.
boat2trailer
August 12, 2017 at 12:00 amThanks for the feedback Roger!
Judd Rux
August 12, 2017 at 12:24 pmInstalled on my Crestliner 1800 Superhawk. Matched my galvanized trailer ((Shoreland’r) perfectly. Worked perfectly the first time which was the setup installation and the five times I’ve trailered it since. Saves me and my better half a lot of stress at the boat landing. Great invention
Russ
September 23, 2017 at 11:55 pmInstalled on my 2016 Tracker Pro Staff TXW… Was concerned because the bow eye is constructed of Aluminum and is welded to the boat. It’s a but thicker than the eyes seen on the videos… But good news… It’s works great! So happy with this product!
Wayne Hock
March 22, 2020 at 5:18 pmThis is a great product , I have been using this on my panga marine 18′ skiff for 5 years works great every time . very easy to install well made product Thank You.
Calabash North Carolina
Richard Hansen
May 9, 2020 at 3:28 pmThese products are fantasticI I’m now a 74 year old fisherman & got my Drotto catch & release2 years ago, with this unit and getting my trailer steps today(Easy Step system) I have built in safety features t allowing wife and I to continue our fishing trips in safety! Thank- you, to both for building such great products! We recommend both of them Highly for easey to install, strength ,good looks! Everyone should invest in these boating products they’re 5 Star item’s! Thanks Rick & Linda Hansen
Ricky Comer
June 16, 2020 at 8:30 amRichard,
Thanks for the review of the catch and release. I’m ordering both today. I jumped from the boat to the dock and it was wet of course and I busted my butt and sprained my hand. Come home and started researching. Started reading post and read yours. Always want to be safe so I have ordered the Boat2Trailer and the easy step.
Safe Boating is the only practice. Can’t wait to receive them.
Thanks!
Richard Hansen
May 9, 2020 at 3:31 pmGreat, must have items!
John Martyny
April 29, 2021 at 2:05 pmInstalled the Drotto on my trailer that loads an 18 ft. Seaswirl and it is fantastic. Works well and greatly simplifies single person loading and launching. Now having just bought a much bigger boat (a 24 foot Grady White) I am wondering if the Drotto will work on it also. It seems like it should but I thought that I would ask if you have seen it on a bigger boat.
David Witt
May 7, 2021 at 7:04 pmInstalled on a tracker trailer. The eye on the tracker pro guide 175wt is a bit small and the winch hook a bit large. Ground the hook down a bit and now it fits fine. Works great and makes loading the boat a breeze. Would highly recommend this product.
John Thalacker
June 13, 2021 at 11:22 pmDefinitely one of the best products I’ve purchased for boating. Put it on in 20 minutes. Works slick. No more winching and taking up time at the boat ramp. Last time I came in I met someone going out who had just installed a Drotto boat latch that very day. Thanks for making the boating experience so much easier.
Rick
July 3, 2021 at 9:12 amWorks as good or better than advertised. Well worth the money spent.have recommended product to many people.
Jeff Nemish
July 11, 2021 at 10:39 pmThis product isn’t just great. IT’S AWESOME!! I belong to a pretty large local Walleye Club and other members that’ve seen me use it, are simply amazed. I do have to say this, though. Whoever came up with this idea, deserves to be a gazillionaire!! I have quite a few other anglers, including fellow tournament anglers that’ve seen me use at various types of boat landings and just say WOW! I have my own guide service. Once I had it on my personal rig and used it, it went on all my other boat trailers. I’m VERY particular about what product(s) I endorse and promote. BUT it’s easy to do both, when it comes to this system. THANK YOU for building such a GREAT product. I’m 63 yrs. old and the Drotto system makes me LOOK like genius, when it comes to working smarter, not harder!! PLEASE keep up the great job!!
Larry
August 6, 2021 at 7:24 pmThis product far exceeds our expectations. Installation was simple,instructions clear and accurate. Saves alot of wet feet when we are exiting the water. Not any chance of slipping on mossy docks. Minor adjustments were simple to make sure boat was solid on trailer. We own a Lund, and this fit perfectly and launches smoothly. Could not be happier with performance and quality.
Don Sisk
March 3, 2022 at 6:52 pmThis great product should have won a Pulitzer Prize. Prior to this latch I have had many problems loading my boat. I had to install extra bunk boards. A new winch and roller. On and on. Then a friend of mine told me about this latch that he saw on a fishing show. I looked you up online and ordered it that day. I installed it. ( easy installation by me ). I pulled on to the trailer in a crosswind the next afternoon. The boat slid into the Drotto latch like a hand into a glove. Click and I was locked in place. In the last year I have loaded the boat many times on many types of ramps. The latch has worked like a dream. Thank you Drotto
Clayton Loesch Jr
April 13, 2022 at 3:32 pmThe Drotto latch is FANTASTIC!!! I honestly bought a competitors latch because of price. What a mistake. That latch went back before I even put my boat in the water. Their plate is flat and nothing really comes in contact with your boat but a tiny sliver of the plate. The Drotto latch is worth every penny. I made my final adjustments today at a ramp. And was I amazed. Pull onto the trailer till you hear the click, shut the engine down and pull out of the ramp.
I have a Shoarlander roller trailer. What a pain for somebody that’s 65 to hop out a boat at the ramp while the boat engine is running so you can hook up the winch strap and then climb back into the boat to shut it down. No more of that after installing the Drotto. Thank you Drotto!
Larry Hendry
May 2, 2022 at 11:40 pmVery satisfied with the Drotto Hitch & Release System! Ordered it on Tuesday & it was delivered on Friday. Opened the box Saturday night and discovered that the Linch Pin & Bushing were missing. Emailed the Co at 8A. M. Sunday morning to liform them of the missing parts. Received a reply from the owner of the Co. around 9 A. M. expressing his sincere apology for the problem & promised quick delivery. Received the parts on Wednesday! Mounted the 3” model on a MagicTilt trailer pulling a Lund boat. Works perfectly every time!! Well worth the money!
A Johnson
August 18, 2022 at 5:44 pmI never leave reviews on products, but I hope this helps out someone who had the same issues as I did.
Bought my Drotto last summer. Arrived within a day or two from time I ordered it. Super easy to install! Done in minutes.
BUT….
All last year, right up until yesterday, I struggled in loading my little Smokercraft 161 Milinta. Trailer is a bunk trailer and does NOT have side guides. Offloading the boat was a breeze, but when loading, I had to really power into the Drotto quite hard to literally drive the bow up onto the Drotto. The front of the boat had to rise up so much that it made my bunk boards worthless as far a keeping the boat centered on the trailer. Often the boat would run off the side of the Drotto and I would overshoot it, back up and try again (and sometimes again and again and again). I tried to adjust both the bunk boards height as well as the winch plate deal supporting the Drotto. I’d be excited to get it to the lake to see if my adjustments helped at all and nothing I did seemed to make a difference. Probably tried readjusting things on my trailer about a half dozen times, never with any remarkable results.
Now, I’ve never claimed to be real bright but sometimes we all maybe overlook the obvious…..
Yesterday I was looking at the set up when suddenly I realized that when my trailer is hooked to the truck, the trailer wasn’t quite level. (I’ve got a Chevy with a small lift or leveling kit, sitting on 35s) so the tongue of the trailer was slightly high (I had a 4” drop hitch). I ran to the local TSC store and grabbed up a 6” drop hitch to replace the 4” that I had been using. This leveled out the truck and trailer pretty well.
Today took the boat fishing by myself. When I loaded my boat! HOLY F…. COW!!! JUST LIKE THE VIDEOS!!!
I backed the trailer into the water until I could just see the tips of my bunks sticking out of the water, fenders just below water level. I putted up in there even with a pretty gusty crosswind. I felt the bunks start to straighten and center to boat and “CLICK”!!!
By lowering the front of the trailer just a couple inches, I do not have to back in nearly as far so now the bunks do their job which allows the Drotto to do its job! So much frustration could have been saved had I only realized this adjustment sooner!
I am a disabled 50 year old with a bad heart. There isn’t much I can do these days to find enjoyment but fishing helps me feel a little normal again. Until I got this Drotto, I was always afraid to launch & load the boat by myself. Now I am very confident and able to go as often as I’d like rather I have a partner or not. Even before the “ah ha” moment about the lowering the hitch, the Drotto still allowed me to go alone. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE DROTTO! I will never have a boat without 1 again! And yes, still crank her down snug with the winch and use your safety chain! Stuff happens so why not…?
Jeff Dyer
October 12, 2022 at 8:31 pmLove this Drotto would definitely recommend it to anybody that owens a boat .never go with out one agin best money ever spent
Henry Perkins
October 18, 2022 at 12:51 pmFollow up review-Installed Drotto on Tracker 1860 MVX about 2 yrs ago,easy install. The Drotto has never failed and is a real convenience and safety feature. Have witnessed
some pretty nasty events by people trying to trailer their boats,especially in windy conditions. This is the best safety device I have ever seen on boats etc. Guud Job Drotto.Thanks
for a nwell engineered products that works every time. Well worth the price.
best regards Henry P