chickamauga-would you tow in a fellow angler even if you're fishing a tournament

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c17lat

New member
Just curious as to how you all would respond if asked to tow another angler in need of help...even if you are in the middle of fishing a tournament.

At about 10:30 AM on a saturday my outboard stopped working, and I was in the area of the middle portion of island cove marina (the marina just south of the harrsion bay islands), in between the marina and the channel. The wind and current were two strong for me to make it back to the wolftever creek ramp on my trolling motor.

I waved down two boats and asked for a tow just to the wolftever bridge because from there I would be able to troll back to the ramp. They were both fishing tournaments. The first boat said that they would be able to tow us after they fished an area for an unspecified amount of time. They zoomed off into the distance. The second boat said they would come back and tow us after 2 pm if we were still there (i guess their weigh in was just before this time).

We eventually drifted to a private boat ramp where two gentlemen offered to help. We ended up getting a ride via car to wolftever ramp and drove the trailer to the private ramp to pick up the boat.

I towed a couple on a pleasure boat back to a ramp right away when they asked me... even though I was fishing a tournament (and frustrated with not catching much). I assumed that this is what you always do in such a situation(#goldenrule).

If there were other non-tournament/non-fishing boats out there I would have preferred to ask them.

How would you all would have responded if asked to tow in a fellow angler in such a situation if fishing a tournament?
 
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fischnrod

Active member
Your gonna get some different answers on this=== A lot of people are going to tell you to get Tow Boats USA membership. I have towed another angler in when I was in a dogfight tournament but I hadn't layed down a bunch of cash to fish. It would be hard for me to leave somebody stranded on the water personally
 
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JEEPnFISH

New member
Had a somewhat similar situation last night, except on dry land. We were trail riding in the Jeep and I got flagged down by a car.
A guy said his buddy got his dually stuck. My TJ has an 8000 pound winch, so I told him I would at least see what I could do.
They were past the gate on a gated (gate was down) fire road.
The truck was just a little way in and it was BURIED on the right side in deep mud. The jeep wasn't going to budge that huge truck.
I offered other assistance but they going to camp out anyway. They were greatful for me at least checking on them then and on my way home also. They got in touch with someone that was going to pull them out today.
I think someone should offer some kind of help, you never know when it maybe you needing help.
 
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jb366

Member
Depends. If it was a small $20 entry dogfight, sure. Something bigger like a cba, probably not unless they were in big big trouble.
 
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Volfish

Member
I have done it and also had people help me. Jerry Malone and I towed in a family one night and we lost the dogfight by one pound. We were one fish short and were catching fish on every cast toward the end. Dog fights were ten fish back then. The couple were mixed race and I can still hear Jerry cussing. LOL!
 
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dd22fish

Active member
IF YOU WHERE CATCHING EVERY CAST , YOU HAD TO BE ON MY FISH. THATS WHY YOU PULLED THEM IN . YOU DID NOT WANT ME TO CATCH YOU ON MY FISH. emoLaugh emoLaugh DD22FISH
 
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Bkg904

New member
Yes i would. I believe that we all are faced with decisions each and every day that are placed there for a reason. I will answer for mine.
 
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VolsFan24

Active member
No question I would. I don’t fosh tournaments, and if I do it’s a small dogfight so I can’t say what I would do of I was paying $100-$200 entry fee, but I’m 99% sure I would still stop and help. I’ve been real late to a previous engagement (dinner with wife and inlaws) because I had to tow a boat from near the Vincent ramp to the ramp by the dam.
 
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sdfd29

Member
Yes, I have. My son was driving the boat and I didn't even see the other boat until he stopped. We towed the gentleman from just below Sale Creek into Dry Gulch. Never been prouder of my son.

I have Tow Boat US and would use it if I needed to. The reason I got though was because I was passed several times when I broke down and no one would help (several years ago and before cell phones). I have always stopped and helped when I was aware of another boater needing help. It's a bad feeling to be broke down and no one will help.
 
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camaro88z

New member
Yes I would. But the tournaments I fish are not that much. But even if they were it would bother me to know someone was stranded and I didn't help them. I have been help and have helped other. I have also seen times when I couldn't get someone to help me. Not a good feeling.
 
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BMANN

New member
If it were me. I would definitely tow you in. Karma has her way with you if you don’t. And helping someone in distress is worth more than my entry fee no matter how much it is. One day it might be me that needs help
 
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finbully

Active member
I'm sure there will be haters to this response. I would make sure you were safe. My boat is not made for towing and I would incur liability as soon as a tow line is hooked up. We have a moral responsibility for safety and that goes to the boat owner in distress too. I would not risk the liability of towing someone unless it was a life or death situation. You could be the nicest person in the world but there are many horror stories of good Samaritans trying to help out and then getting sued or worse. Too bad it’s this way but that is the fact of the matter. I'm not risking what I've worked for all of my life.
 
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TR20bh

New member
Yes, I believe tournament anglers should always offer assistance to a distressed boater. Doesn't mean you should always tow them. Brent & I towed a family in a pontoon that broke down during a CBA a few years ago. But I also would not try to pull a grounded boat off a bar last year. I called TowBoat for them, but I've blown an engine trying to get a grounded boat free years back and won't do that again!
 
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thepoolguy

New member
I would tow someone in no matter how big the tournament was I fish. I know I was broke down I would want someone to haul me in. With someone does tow me if I broke down or not.
 
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AreTheyBiting

Member
If you were with in trolling motor distance of Island Cove Marina and your post sounds as if you were,
You weren't really stranded
You ask too much of someone to by pass the closest marina and tow you to your trailer
While I would help, I would only tow you to the closest place you could call for help
I have been stuck more than once before and called both my wife & my Son to get the extra key and go get my Truck
 
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