# Helping a Stranded Fisherman



## Doctor Fish (Mar 20, 2010)

Okay Team OGF, I need your help on how to think about this. My wife and I were trolling the border (50 sheephead to 1 walleye) and the lead came off my alternator. I had a dead battery but all I needed was a jump start and I would be fine. We hailed a nearby fisherman who stated that he was busy trolling and would not help. I took an hour for TowBoatUS to show up and almost 3 hours to get back to harbor. 

Should I be pissed that he would not pull in his lines for a few minutes to help me, or is the point of a towing service to not inconvenience our fellow fisherman?


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## bhartman (Feb 26, 2009)

We should always take time to help out. It could be us needing that help next time


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## tpat (Apr 4, 2008)

When you see someone display a distress signal, you are obligated and legally required to render assistance. 

Probably a jerky thing to do, esp way out by the border, but there was no requirement to stop.


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## Jim Stedke (Dec 5, 2005)

Absolutely


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## eyecatchum2 (Mar 30, 2010)

they should have helped you, I would be really pissed. They should have helped another boater/fisherman in distress. Just goes to show you how self centered some people are.
Karma, maybe they will be stranded when the weather is a lot worse and then they will know how it feels to be dead in the water miles from shore. Glad you made it back o.k., but it probably cost you a lot. Did the other boat have jumper cables? maybe they could not help, but they should have stopped and offered.


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## bhartman (Feb 26, 2009)

May have been the same jerk that blows his horn at you before the light turns green. Every one is in a hurry slow down and enjoy, it will be there





i feel good when i can help out


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## Rik (Feb 17, 2006)

I would have stopped everything and helped you.More people need to slow down and not be so selfish.Lake Erie can be very unforgiving so I would never let someone who is broke down wait if I could help.Glad everything worked out and you made it back in.


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## fishinbula (Aug 30, 2007)

I would help because you never know when your going to need assistance ... whats a few minutes checking on another fellow fisherman


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## Runuv (May 23, 2008)

Back in June a small group of us had 2 boats out around the the Bass Islands. The boat I was in stopped running. Our friends in the other boat said don't worry your drifting towards the boat ramp and went off fishing. We were out about 5-6 miles. We made it in but who needs friends like that. I learned alot that day. Strangers would help sooner.


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## Toxic (May 13, 2006)

Dam right he should have helped you, shame on him for not doing s!

Two years ago I just set up and about 20 minutes of fishing a guy asked for assistance on the radio. We were the closest boat. I stopped everything and towed the guy 10 miles back to Ashtabula. There was no way I would have left them guys stranded out there like that.


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## tomb (Oct 9, 2004)

Refusing to help just because it cuts into fishing time is ridiculous. However, I'm assuming it was at least 2-4 foot waves where you were trolling. Would probably be dangerous to try and pull alongside to hook up jumper cables in yesterdays conditions. I don't think I would have attempted it. Would have stayed nearby, maybe still trolling a couple dipsys, prepared to render quick assistance until the towboat arrived. On a calm day a jump would be a no-brainer.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

He should have stopped and helped.

However I think we all need to be prepared to help ourselves, they may not be anyone around to help. Had the weather been nasty and no other boats around you could have been in serious problems waiting on a tow boat

I carry at all times a spare charged battery in a floor compartment along with jumper cables that are long enough to reach from my trolling batteries to my starting battery.

I had a internal plate on my battery short out once and I had no battery backup plan. I was stranded. After that I installed a second battery and a switch.

So yes they guy should have stopped but I'm guessing you will make some changes before running out to the border while being dependant on just one battery to get you home safely


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## Hook N Book (Apr 7, 2004)

He should have helped you out.

Kim, why a spare battery rather then a jump starter...? Just curious.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Hook N Book said:


> He should have helped you out.
> 
> Kim, why a spare battery rather then a jump starter...? Just curious.


It is just easy with one of the floor storage compartments in the back of the boat to keep a spare battery and jumper cables in there. If I had room in the area where the starting battery is mounted I would just mount this second battery and a switch.

I also have the two trolling motor batteries forward in the boat. That is why I picked up a set of jumper cables long enough to jump my starting battery from them.

I don't have your kind of money Rodney, I can't just go out and buy a jump starter, I have to improvise


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## bhartman (Feb 26, 2009)

What is the best one to get, i had a champion but it was no good, wouldn't hold a charge thanks


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## Hook N Book (Apr 7, 2004)

I think mine is a Black & Decker. When fully charged, it has enough juice to start a diesel engine.


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## Seaturd (Apr 14, 2004)

I would have helped but only if you shared your sheep herding techniques....


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Yes, I think you should be pissed and the individual was a real deadhead ass.
Howerver, I will add that you have to look at how poorly you were prepared to be on Lake Erie without any secondary electrical support let alone being out as far as the bouy. With that being said I am glad that you got in safely and trust you will learn from this experience.


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## fishkiller (Feb 6, 2007)

Late last fall I went to Geneva to perch fish. When I got to the ramp there was a boat at every in ramp. The ramp I was waiting at the guy with the boat tied there was walking around talking on his cellphone he finally noticed I was waiting & moved. Got on the lake & started fishing & the same guy moved over close to me. Heard him holler & saw him waving distress flag went over & he said the boat would not start. Told him I would tow him in after I caught my fish. Went to tow him in & he was drinking beer, towed him in & it went okay but I was sure having second thought's about it. On the way in he was throwing trash overboard off of the boat. I would never leave someone out on the lake but some people make you wonder.


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## FISNFOOL (May 12, 2009)

Hook N Book said:


> He should have helped you out.
> 
> Kim, why a spare battery rather then a jump starter...? Just curious.


"bhartman 
Jump starters
What is the best one to get, i had a champion but it was no good, wouldn't hold a charge thanks"


I use a lawn tractor battery as a back up. More power than a jump starter and less cost if you already own a battery charger. I always give the main boat battery a full charge before going out and fully charge the tractor battery. I have an electric winch on the trailer and when I trailer the boat I just take the tractor battery and set it in the back of the SUV and clip the winch cables to it, *then connect the winch plug.* The battery is a Ever Start U1-75 with 275 cranking amps from WalMart.

The guy that did not help was a complete jerk. 

"When you see someone display a distress signal, you are obligated and legally required to render assistance.

Probably a jerky thing to do, esp way out by the border, but there was no requirement to stop"

If you are legally required to render assistance, is that not a requirement to stop? But then again, rendering assistance could be defined as radio call to check your condition and then calling a tow for you. If conditions would prevent him getting alongside safely, he is not required to endanger himself. But he could standby until help arrived in case your situation changed to a more dangerous one because of weather. Then he could call the Coast Guard if rescue was needed. And throw you a line if you ended up in the water.

*Even for trained responders, it is too dangerous to rig a jump start from boat to boat. If the cables pulled loose because of waves, the resulting spark, could explode a battery. The battery generates hydrogen and a spark can ignite it. That possible result, and following fire, could have sent all of you into the water. So not stopping may have unintentionally saved you life.*

That is why instructions to jump a car state to hook up the positive first then hook the negative to the engine or vehicle ground. Many years ago my nephew had a battery explode when he stopped to give a jump to a friend at work. He made the mistake of hooking from battery to battery.


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## Trautman (Aug 7, 2007)

I would have been embarrassed to have not helped! My Dad raised me WAY different than that.


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## fishingjunkie (Aug 25, 2009)

Doctor Fish, 

I agree with the other posters. He should have stopped and helped or if he had some kind of valid reason for not giving you a jump start he should have said so rather than state fishing was more important. That's just unacceptable, rude and mind boggling to me.

However, your situation and other members' responses have really taught me a valuable lesson. We just started fishing LE and my boyfriend teases me about being on OGF so much, but I have learned something new everytime I log on. We have a spare marine battery, but we don't have it on the boat. (Dumb, dumb, dumb!) I guarantee after reading this that spare battery will be in the spare compartment of the boat before we launch it again! 

Glad you and the rest of your party are okay!

PS: Runuv: I can't imagine what my response would have been if that would have happened to me. I'm sure we would no longer be "friends." Wow....


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## eyewannago (Dec 28, 2009)

I have a Shumaker Jumper box on my boat all the time,left a guy at Huron use it last year holds a charge real well, jumper cables are a pain in the butt.Joe


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## ReelTimeWes (Aug 20, 2009)

Yes you should be pissed. I would have pulled lines and helped you no matter what. I have helped/towed several people on the water over my past years of boating and expected nothing in return knowing that some day it will be my turn to need assistance and hopefully someone will do the same for me.

Yes a portable jump start battery device is a great thing to have on board. Not only for starting the motor in a situation but if batteries fail you can always strip the wires on the VHF radio and power the radio to call for help off the jumper pack. My boat has 2 batteries with a battery selector switch. I normally run off of #1 and keep #2 fully charged as a back up.


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## eyewannago (Dec 28, 2009)

Oh Yea I would be pi$$ed too, we dont need fellow fishermen being buttheads we have enough pleasure boaters doing that. Joe


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## Doctor Fish (Mar 20, 2010)

Thank for your input, everyone. I owe enough favors to people who have helped me over the years that I will never leave someone stuck on the water.

The boat has twin 350's and two batteries. The problem was that I trolled with the same engine all day. I guess I won't do that again. (Is there a way to set the battery switches so that only one battery supplies power to the rest of the boat?)

On the plus side, it was a beautiful evening. My wife and I enjoyed dinner on the back of the boat as the sun was setting. And we probably saved enough money on gas to pay our towing membership for the year.


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## kyradloff13 (Mar 23, 2010)

that is totally crap man but you should invest in a kicker motor they really come in handy man.


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## Smokeshowin (Jun 13, 2007)

Total BS, if you did not display a flag or otherwise he was not OBLIGATED to stop and render assistance, but once he established communication with you he should have at least offered a tow. I agree with Tomb, would have been tough to jump, but a net drop of a jumper box prolly could have been arranged had he had one. On to the cure, I have 2 batteries also and a perko switch which lets me run off 1 the other, or both. I use one and keep the other in reserve, and switch batteries each time I go out. I also carry a jumper box, for me and others.
Chris


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## ErieAngler (Apr 15, 2006)

I dont know how someone could leave another boater stranded. If not able to help or tow at least assist with locating a tow and not leave until it arrives.


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

I cannot see why he didn't help you out with the battery jump. Waves too big making it unsafe??? I don't know.

This past May I was at Mosquito for a week of walleye fishing. It was getting towrds dark and I was by myself in my 14' aluminum boat. 
I motored on back up to my drift starting point but there was a big LE cabin cruiser sitting there trying to get their engine started.
It was windy as hell with 3-4'ers. 
I asked whether they had a problem. They said they were taking the boat out on their first cruise and the engine died. And then they asked me to give them a tow all the way up to the causeway!!!! I was near the south island by the state park.
Hmmm 14' aluminum w a 25hp outboard vs. your 5000lb cabin cruiser with 3-4' waves.
Told them no way. That weight would rip my transom clean off. Told them I'd be happy to give them a ride to the state park but the boat would have to stay there.

My point is what kind of boat were they in? Could it handle a massive LE boat with twin 350s and a kitchen along with a bathroom, bedroom and whatever else is on thet ship?


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## KaGee (Sep 8, 2006)

Just my opinion, but 2 motors should probably have two sets of batteries. Each with it's own switch.

If you were not in danger (obviously, you ate dinner on deck) and you had Boat US towing coverage, why be so upset with someone else?


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## 2CatchEyes (Apr 11, 2008)

Helping someone in need is just the right thing to do. Yea, you should have been better prepared but situations happen.


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## firstflight111 (May 22, 2008)

for a guy not helping.. no we are not a tow boat ... my boat not ment to tow last time i did that i had to buy a new motor . did the guy help me pay ahhhhh nooooooooo... so if your afloat i will not help sorry i am not going to go throw that again.... as for a jump what if you short my system out.... then i need a tow .. are you going to pay for that ????


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

I don't know if you guys have ever towed anyone in but it's NOT easy. I towed in a 19 ft Wellcraft one day with a wicked storm approaching in 3 ft waves from just north of the crib so figure less than 4 miles. With my hammer all the way down with a 250 HP outboard on my 21 ft boat (mind you it's a 50+mph) boat I could only go 10-11mph dragging that dead ass all the way back. Took FOREVER and sucked up a TON of gas. If I saw a monster boat with twins and I didn't have a full tank of gas 17 miles out....I would think very LONG and hard about towing someone in, that's alot of stress on my motor which couldn't potentially blow, motors aren't made to be bogged down for 17 miles heaving and howing through waves on Erie. Not to mention you need one hell of a strong rope, anchor rope busted twice when I towed that 19 fter in....things aren't so easy I'll tell you that been there and done that. 

I would however would have assisted in someway even if I didn't tow a guy in.


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## Flashball (Aug 26, 2009)

The term "helping" is a relative one, and to me means doing what you can with your available resources. I couldn't tow a twin cruiser with my tin can, nor would I attempt to flank it in Erie waves. My resources would permit "welcome aboard", or "we will keep an eye out until your tow arrives".

That said. I have 3 batteries on my small boat. The ALT charges the main, then the isolator charges #2. Battery #3 is independent of the system and used only for a few low draw items. All 3 get a GUEST boost after each adventure. Having # 3 is the contingency plan if the ALT quits. Plus BOATUS Tow also.

Redundancy should be standard on larger boats. Better storage capacity!

I know little about the bigger boats. But if I had Twin 350's, I would have several batteries. Try looking into VSR and your power system.


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## Double J (Jan 7, 2009)

I would make sure help is on the way.I agree with KGone about towing.outside the breakwall is 1 thing,but on the Ca line is a different story.I have boat us and would use them if needed.and just an fyi from a recent post in this thread....I have fished mosquito my whole life and I cant remember a time the lake had 3 to 4 footers on it.If it did I highly doubt that you would see a 14 foot aluminum boat out there,I'll bet you wouldnt see any boats out there because there would most likely be storm/tornado warnings posted.


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## tomb (Oct 9, 2004)

Is there a safe way to jump another boat? Never thought about the fumes I should have known better. Have given two jumps in the past to other boaters w/o incident. 

Have a spare battery and switch myself. Have needed it numerous times when out night trolling. Alternator on OB doesn't supply much juice at idle. Ignition system, VHF, running lights, stereo, fishfinder, gps, spotlight for netting fish all add up to more than alt. output. If my motor bogs down from a long night of trolling I've had to switch batteries to restart it. Quick and painless w/ a switch.

Have also towed in three other boaters in the past. It takes a little while. Would be faster for all concerned to just wait for the towboat at the Canadian border.


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## Evileye (Jan 29, 2006)

tpat said:


> When you see someone display a distress signal, you are obligated and legally required to render assistance.
> 
> Half the boaters on the lake dont know what one looks like. Case in hand,
> about ten years ago my motor died. Called Cleveland Marine Towing. They
> ...


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## Tommybouy (Jun 5, 2005)

My opinion is we are all we have out there...We dont have a highway of cars passing by..People on shore can't help..Only a boat can help a boat. 

Would you rather go home and say you got a limit of fish and didnt help someone or say you helped a boater get back safely. Should be an ez answer.

What a Bonehead.


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## boatnut (Nov 22, 2006)

I think a little more info from the boat owner is needed.

1) did he have jumper cables? if so, how long were they? If i'm rafted off a boat with twins in it, I'm assuming its fairly big boat, and not sure if standard car jumper cables would reach to my batteries.
2) what were the wave conditions? If flat calm, I'd have no problem tying up to a bigger cruiser, but if it was 2' plus? not so sure. Of course if life or death situation that's a different story.
3) did he have tow insurance? I'm sure he did. No way could I tow a boat that far with my lil' boat.

Bottom line, I would of offered assitance to a point but not put my own vessel/crew in danger. Making sure they are ok, calling for a tow, hanging around, whatever is required. I'd be a little leary about "jumping a boat". Who knows if there might be some fuel in their bilge , stray spark etc.

As others have said, with a boat with twin engines, I think more then 2 batteries only makes sense. I believe there are also gadgets that will prevent the battery from discharging below a certain point in order to allow enough juice to start the engine. Something for owner to think about.


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## eatwhatyoukeep (May 2, 2005)

I would have been p***** if someone didn't help me and I would have been really irritated at my ex friend who left me drifting while they went fishing. 

Unfortunately there are way too many people who think that their time is the only thing that matters. I still enjoy going to kentucky where my farming uncle has neighbors who would drop ANYTHING if he really needed help.


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## harle96 (Aug 2, 2005)

boatnut said:


> I think a little more info from the boat owner is needed.
> 
> 1) did he have jumper cables? if so, how long were they? If i'm rafted off a boat with twins in it, I'm assuming its fairly big boat, and not sure if standard car jumper cables would reach to my batteries.
> 2) what were the wave conditions? If flat calm, I'd have no problem tying up to a bigger cruiser, but if it was 2' plus? not so sure. Of course if life or death situation that's a different story.
> ...


I agree. I would make sure the crew was safe and out of harms way before I headed in.


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## The Big Ugly (Jan 5, 2010)

He should have at least taken the time to try and help you. It sounds like he just ignored you completely, What a Jackass! good thing you have boat U.S.


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## bhartman (Feb 26, 2009)

whats a tow like that cost any ideas ? boatsus just quoted me $ 250 a year for insurance that covers tows at 250/500. is that enough


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## KaGee (Sep 8, 2006)

bhartman said:


> whats a tow like that cost any ideas ? boatsus just quoted me $ 250 a year for insurance that covers tows at 250/500. is that enough


My BOAT US policy for towing is under $70, includes the trailer coverage.


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## wanderin_eyes (Jan 14, 2009)

The boat us is insurance is totally diffrent than the one KaGee myself and alot of others have.
Become a member and add the towing and trailer service to the membership its $70 a year and worth the piece of mind. 

Then you can get the insurane if you want. Check them out for the membership worth it IMHO.


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## Smokeshowin (Jun 13, 2007)

bhartman said:


> whats a tow like that cost any ideas ? boatsus just quoted me $ 250 a year for insurance that covers tows at 250/500. is that enough


You pay port to port for marine towing. 3 years ago needed to use my towboatUS policy. Cricket (the owner) said she would bill BoatUS for about 600 bucks. Received the letter from boatUS a few weeks later and it was 535 bucks. Best 50 bucks I have ever spent.
Some insurance policies have towing both on the water and trailer, but usually you have to pay and then get reimbursed from your insurance co.
Just my 2 cents


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## bhartman (Feb 26, 2009)

Thanks for the reply guys. Im sold on the tow insurance. Thanks brian


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## surffishn (Jan 20, 2010)

Yep! join Boat US. $157.00 a year covers you in the Great lakes and East Coast.I fish NC A lot. So this seemed rather cheap to me. Less if you just want inland.About the same As A new rod.But being prepared is still the best thing. I hope to never use the towing service.But I would stop fishing to help another that is A no brainer.


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## bad luck (Apr 9, 2009)

I guess I'm in the minority here.....I have been towed off by other boats (fisherman and tow companies) and have towed other boats off (as soon as 4 weeks ago).


I would have:
-offered to call assistance for you
-offered a jump if you had long cables AND lake was calm (my cables are most likely not long enough for boat to boat)
-made sure you were safe and stayed within mile or 2 til tow boat got there.


I would not:
-have towed you in 10 miles....there's a reason I spend my hard earned dollars for boat towing insurance, so I don't have to rely on others to take care of my misfortunes....theres a reason I have a spare battery AND spare hand held ship to shore, in my boat....again, why should my fishing trip be disrupted over some one elses inability to plan for the worst?

-have stopped unless I saw a distress flag.....just did that a few weeks ago, guys boat was going on the rocks, I asked him if needed help (he didn't ask me) as he appeared to be losing his stalled out 22 footer on the rocks, so I towed him back to dock, he wouldn't even make a 1/2 an effort to get his boat to the dock, I had to do EVERYTHING, up until the point my boat was seconds from drifting into rocks....I'm not so sure that guy wasn't trying to get some insurance money off his boat....


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

> *3 to 4 footers on mosquito?give me a break already.*
> I would make sure help is on the way..and just an fyi from a recent post in this thread....I have fished mosquito my whole life and I cant remember a time the lake had 3 to 4 footers on it.If it did I highly doubt that you would see a 14 foot aluminum boat out there,I'll bet you wouldnt see any boats out there because there would most likely be storm/tornado warnings posted.


Wow, fished it your whole life and never seen 3-4'er's??? See, when we camp for a week or two at Mosquito, we fish unless it's lightning or there is a tornado on the lake. Our boat is in the water the whole time.
We are not fair weather fishermen.


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## fishingguy (Jan 5, 2006)

I remember the ogf members outing at mosquito, in '06'(I think). It blew hard out of the North the whole weekend. We were camping at the state park and yes there were 3 and 4 footers. I think there are a few here that might remember. Wasn't so bad up on the northern end, and just south of the causeway.


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## allwayzfishin (Apr 30, 2008)

i can surely say that there has been 3-4ftrs on skeeter. i had to be towed in due to motor failure two years ago. had the distress flag up for 2 hrs. two guys came by and gave myself/girlfriend a tow from the dam to causeway. we were taking on water and had the bilge running the whole time. if it werent for the kindness of those 2 men, who knows what woulda happened. hope those 2 had run into some good luck or great fishing. thanks again you 2. 
i always try to help out anyone in need, its just the kind of compassion i cant seem to hide.


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## rod bender bob (May 19, 2004)

I agree he should have stood by and assisted in any way he could. But, if waves were 2 to 4 as was stated I would not attempt to jump start a boat. Boaters are required to assist other boaters in distress but that does not mean they have to put their craft in peril to help. I won't tow other boats but I will help them in any way I can like getting them a tow boat and standing by until the tower arrives if they want me to. I would do everything possible to make sure they are safe. I also don't expect others to tow me -- there is just too much room for problems with liability. That's why I carry towing insurance.


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## Doctor Fish (Mar 20, 2010)

This has turned into an interesting thread. Let me paint the whole picture...

It was a beautiful day. Warm and sunny. The lake was calm and flat. As I had mentioned, we were trolling and running lots of gadgets off the batteries. We pulled our rods in to go home, and when I turned the key all I got was that horrible clicking noise. 

I quickly found the problem and reattached the wire to the alternator. So now I had a boat that was fully repaired. I just did not have enough juice to turn the engine over. The only other boat was heading towards us and I had my wife wave them down. 

"Are you okay?" they shouted. 
"No," we responded.
"Wave your arms if you are okay," they said.

My wife stood there with her arms folded. (Who waves their arms if they are okay?) Finally they gave us their radio channel and we were able to explain our situation. They said that they could not help because they were trolling and that we should call the towing service.

If the roles were reversed, I would have pulled in my lines and come along side. If there were no jumper cables, I would pull out one of my batteries, transfer it to their boat, get them started, and be on my way. It would cost me 10 minutes and save them 3 hours.

I do believe that every boater should have towing coverage. We should not expect other boaters to ruin their day to help us, let alone risk their boats to do it. My tow would have cost over $1000. But I didn't really need a tow. I just needed a jump start.

Anyway, if any of you needs help, give me a shout and I will do what I can.


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## Flashball (Aug 26, 2009)

Doctor Fish said:


> I took an hour for TowBoatUS to show up and almost 3 hours to get back to harbor.



One of the services of BoatUS Tow is providing jump starts. Why did they tow you for 3 hours versus jumping your battery?


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## Iowa Dave (Sep 27, 2009)

I thought the rules of the water were never leave someone stranded? I would never do that neither should anyone else. Yeah I have two extra trolling motor batteries and charge all batteries every night when going out as well as have jumper cables however just short ones to jump from my TM batteries to my main.


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## rod bender bob (May 19, 2004)

I agree with Kgone, if you haven't towed a big boat it is different! Your motor and tranny are not designed for towing, take a look at a tow boat. I towed a friend's 27 footer in when I had a 27 footer and it worked the h3ll out of my motor and tranny and I had almost no control when we got into the marina. Didn't have a way to shorten the tow rope enough and still keep him off my transom. The weight of his boat drove me past a turn so we dropped back and tied of side by side and I took him to a dock. Never again, I'm not a tower. I would have considered a jump - if he had cables -- and he lake were flat. No chance in waves. I use to have Boat US tow insurance and they were great. My boat was towed one time and the tower claimed salvage. Boat US took over and reahed agreement with him and paid the bill in full. NO hassel at all. i now have South Shore and tow insurance on my boat ins. policy.


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## JMJ (Aug 30, 2009)

I came across a stranded boater..low battery.. In the cuy. River,i did turn around and ask if they needed help,they refused but i did moniter the situation,then they got goin.


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## JMJ (Aug 30, 2009)

Im a boat-us member, they will bring a jumper box out,had it done once


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

rod bender bob said:


> I'm not a tower. I would have considered a jump - if he had cables -- and the lake were flat. No chance in waves. .


i agree 110% with this statement, with that said, i would not leave the area until the tow boat arrived. 

i ALWAYS have 3 batterys and a jumper. 2 batterys on a selector switch and one fully charged back up in a battery box, up in the cuddy right beside a fully charged jumper. might be overkill, but i think you can never have enough juice on the water. and yes, ive loaned out the jumper on more than one occasion at the ramp, but never had to on the water.


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## mkalink (Mar 28, 2010)

#1 You are not bound by any law to render assistance to a disabled boater, reguardless of what flag they are displaying. But, I feel as a fellow boater and fisherman I have a moral obligation to help you any way I can.
#2 If you plan on fishing Lake Erie I do recommend that you purchase towing insurance (about $100.00 a season). I would not tow anybody. My boat is not a towboat, it is not designed for towing. I will call a towing company for you and give them your location. 
#3 If there was any danger of life or limb I would allow persons on board my vessel and notify the Coast Guard of the situation and await direction from them.
I have no problem helping any one but I will not put myself or crew in danger for any one.


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## qpan13 (May 30, 2010)

I fish mosquito every week and have seen some pretty intense waves out there. I dont know how big because I was getting off the lake lol. But the 15 ft we were on was being tossed a bit. 3-4 sounds about right.


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## FISNFOOL (May 12, 2009)

qpan13 said:


> I fish mosquito every week and have seen some pretty intense waves out there. I dont know how big because I was getting off the lake lol. But the 15 ft we were on was being tossed a bit. 3-4 sounds about right.


Mosquito can get ruff. A few years back a guy was using the large waves to conceal the fact that he was using pipe bombs to stun the fish.

The guy got caught when his boat flipped. One of the guys assisting in helping him, mistakenly took the tackle box from the bombers boat home. When he opened it to check for phone number, he found the pipe bombs and called the police.


More than once there have been multiple victims on the lake because the would be rescuer became a victim too. You are not required to endanger yourself.

MKALINK Nailed it. Except:

From the Ohio Boaters Course:

"*Remember* ... When you see someone display a distress signal, you are obligated and legally required to render assistance. "


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## tpat (Apr 4, 2008)

mkalink said:


> #1 You are not bound by any law to render assistance to a disabled boater, reguardless of what flag they are displaying.



the information i found on this came from this site...
http://www.boat-ed.com/oh/course/p4-6_distressdevices.htm


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## 21579 (Jan 15, 2010)

Mkalink, I don't know where you heard that but you ARE legally olbligated to assist a boat if displays it's distress flag.


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## Flashball (Aug 26, 2009)

Still interested why BOATUS Tow didn't jump start the battery but chose to do a 3 hour tow instead?


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## Doctor Fish (Mar 20, 2010)

They did bring out a little jump pack, but it was hardly able to get the engine to turn over.


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## FINSEEKER II (Aug 19, 2009)

My newest purchase, a jump-starter. This should be a part of everyones equipment. Small, light, powerful, and when kept at a full charge, very reliable. Better than an extra battery, just make the proper connections and you have power.


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## ApeShip (Apr 17, 2006)

Just make sure the jump starter has enough power (MCA) to turn your motor over. Just as happened to the originator of this post; the tow boat had a jump starter but not enough power to start the motor.


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## Offshore Limits (Dec 23, 2007)

He should have checked to see what you needed, Im sure he was nervous that you were going to ask for a tow and moved along.. You do not legally have to assist anyone out in the middle of the lake. I always try to be of assistance when I see a distress flag up or am flagged down. Be advised that if you do hook someone up for a tow you become responsible for that vessel and crew and in many cases you have just voided your insurance. I have a towing endorsement on my captains license that allows me to do so. You need to take a look at the situation and determine what is the right thing to do. In your case I would have given you my one spare charged battery that I carry along for that purpose.


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