Would you help your fellow anler - when fishing a tournament?

[5bass]

It goes without saying that you have to help. I always have a couple of paddles handy to fling to disabled boats as I drive by on plane at wide open throttle.

LMAO!  ;D 

[SDoolittle]

It goes without saying that you have to help. I always have a couple of paddles handy to fling to disabled boats as I drive by on plane at wide open throttle.

Too funny!

[Bankbeater]

I would help them.  I have been in that situation myself, and it ain't fun.

[evrgladesbasser]

In the 30 years I've had a bass boat, I've stopped & given assistance about a half dozen times, There's also about the same number of times that I didn't. Also because of the damages that could occur to either parties boat from towing, I'm very hesitant to get involved in that type of situation.

As always , I'd stop & investigate. Someone injured, or any type of medical emergency, it's a no brainer, yes.

However, if I had spent 2 days practicing, hotel rooms, 3 hour drive one way to the lake, entry fees etc. , and I come across Billy Bob & his cousin Gomer who had a six pack of Pabst for breakfast & forgot to fill their gas can, tough luck.

I'd offer to call someone for them, that's about it.

It just depends on the situation. I've been stranded on the water a few times myself & know how depressing it can be.

I agree 100%.

I was fishing a tournament in Texas a few months ago, and the wind was blowing like crazy. My partner and I thought we heard someone yelling, but we were unable to identify the source. A little while later, we noticed several puffs of smoke coming from the far (downwind) side of the lake. We fought the wind and waves to the other side where we found a young couple and their three year old child stranded. The puffs of smoke we had seen turned out to be them signaling by discharging a fire extinguisher into the air. Their motor had died, and the wind pushed them across the lake and nearly capsized their boat. It was no easy chore getting them out of there, but it was obviously the right thing to do. We spent the last 90 minutes of tournament fishing time towing them back to the ramp.

Another time, I was fishing a tournament in Kentucky. It was maybe 9:00 AM when another boat pulled up beside me. They had been out night fishing all night, and they had obviously been drinking. Their boat was now out of gas, and we were probably five miles from the ramp. The lake was calm, the weather was nice, and the trolling motor battery still had life. I pointed them in the direction of the ramp and continued fishing. No way was I going to give up the morning bite to tow two drunks in who had failed to fill their gas tank.

Good points, I tend to agree with you guys on this one

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

In my club it is mandatory to help any club angler, if you pass him up while stranded you are automatically disqualified from the tournament and may go under review of the board.

That's a good rule!

X2 We're all under review by the man upstairs.

[Ima Bass Ninja]

In my club it is mandatory to help any club angler, if you pass him up while stranded you are automatically disqualified from the tournament and may go under review of the board.

That's a good rule....and definitely stop to help out.

[gobig]

In the 30 years I've had a bass boat, I've stopped & given assistance about a half dozen times, There's also about the same number of times that I didn't. Also because of the damages that could  occur to either parties boat from towing, I'm very hesitant to get involved in that type of situation.

As always , I'd stop & investigate. Someone injured, or any type of medical emergency, it's a no brainer, yes.

However, if I had spent 2 days practicing, hotel rooms, 3 hour drive one way to the lake, entry fees etc. , and I come across Billy Bob & his cousin Gomer who had a six pack of Pabst for breakfast & forgot to fill their gas can, tough luck.

I'd offer to call someone for them, that's about it.

It just depends on the situation. I've been stranded on the water a few times myself & know how depressing it can be.

X's 2

[YeahSure]

One word, KARMA.

[fishermantony]

In my club it is mandatory to help any club angler, if you pass him up while stranded you are automatically disqualified from the tournament and may go under review of the board.

That's a good rule!

X2 We're all under review by the man upstairs.

What a better world we would have if more people realized that.

[Hot Rod]

A slightly different scenario, but at my last tournament during launch there was a Striper fishing boat floating around near the ramp.  You know how crazy it is at boat-check when everyone is dipping ther boats in on a 3 lane launch in the pitch dark.

I had no sooner backed my boat off the trailer and I can see this striper fisherman is trying to get someone's attention.  So I idle over to see what's up.  Here his trim'tilt wouldn't work and he couldn't get his motor down.  So he was adrift and had no way back to shore.  No one else offered to help him out (not too suprising cause it often seems striper and bass anlgers are at odds on this lake). 

After we strugled to secure a line between our rigs, I drug his big deck type boat back to the dock area through a swarm of other bass boats that were launching.  A difficult and time consuming task to say the least due to the traffic, close quarters of the ramp/doc/bay and size of his rig.  But I managed to get it done without damaging either of our boats and still had time to make it to blast off.

Well anyway I ended up finishing 4th for the tournament with my best payout yet!

Karma indeed!

[sodaksker]

I have pulled guys to the weigh in and would again.

[SusqyMusky]

All I can say is WOW...!!!

I can't believe this needs to be asked.

[Mudwalker]

Besides the right thing to do it is a matter of maritime law to render assistance.

[basspro96]

In Tennessee its illegal to pass any boater in distress. No matter what is wrong.

[roadwarrior]

A fish over helping someone out, for me it's a no brainer.

Nothin' to talk about.

;D ;D ;D

[haydenf96]

I would help him immediately. I would want the same done to me (:

[Fishing Cowgirl]

Help them. We've done it and we've had help too, when our boat broke down. I've caught a ride to the weigh in with our bag of fish, then caught a ride to get the boat (and hubby) towed in.

[etommy28]

In Florida you are legally required to help a boater in distress unless it puts you in a dangerous situation. So yes, i would stop and i would expect every other boater out there too as well. Just remember you get what you give.

[Dave P]

Stop and help, if possible, 100 percent of the time. Sucks being broken down.

[wrat]

I was a co angler in one of the first FLW the pro I was with totally blew by an angler in distress I was ashamed I also did not catch a single fish that day

[zip pow]

Always help a fellow angler in alabama if you don't help who ever is stranded they can turn you in and you'll lose you boating license and registration.