Don't sign up as a boater if............

[Simp]

Don't sign up as a boater if your like this guys. Ok so I almost didn't post this horrible experience because I've complained before about a funny situation where I was a non boater before. I decided to post it as a example of why you shouldn't sign up as a boater unless you are prepared.

The story starts in October when for our last club tournament I signed up as a non boater. There are several reasons why I did this. Being my first year with the club I've enjoyed spending some time with some of the long time members by being a non boater. You can learn allot from these guys and I've developed some friendships that I hope will last a lifetime. One of those guys that I'd become friends with simply from the meetings and the week long club trip to KY lake we had this year was drawn as my partner. He's a good ol boy truck driver nice as could be and we got along well. At the meeting he informed me he'd be working allot but he'd try to go fish the lake at least once before the tourney. I told him that was fine and that I'd go pre fish it hard and I did.

I informed him what I'd found a couple days before the tourney so we could be on the say page. One of the big bass bights I'd found was at a certain spot with a deep diving crankbaits. He informed he didn't have very many because he doesn't throw cranks much. I told him I had plenty for the both of us and was glad he informed me so I could be prepared. He tells me nothing indicting it might be a good idea to take my boat. Then the morning of the tournament comes. It's cold and dark and he's late. I finally spot him and he's working on his out board in the dark. He told me he was installing a new ball because the other wasn't holding pressure. So I figure ok he seems to have it under control. So I load up all my gear into the back section. He finished installing the ball and starts loading his gear. I didn't realize being dark and all he hadn't already done this. Then he informs he doesn't like running the trolling motor and I'd be doing it. I thought to myself well that's nice but now I had to move all my gear and we were running low on time. I give him 20$ and informed him this was for his gas expenses for the day. I also reminded him he needed to pay his portion of the entry fee before it was to late. His fee was only 25$ so that 20$ about paid for it all.

So I back us down and park his truck. I run down the ramp and jump in the boat because all the other boats are lined up for the start. I shove off and he tries to start the motor. Well they launch with out us and he starts fidling with the outboard. He pulls the cover off and starts fiddling with it. So while he was fidling I threw out a senko at the boat ramp from the front seat. It's basicaly a 12-14ft crappie boat with two large seats. It's about this time I realize why he doesn't like working the trolling motor. His front lowed deck was very small and the front seat was very close to the front then it had another small risen section that would have been a decent platform to stand on. The problem was his Trolling motor cord was VERY long and VERY stiff and wouldn't allow me to stand up there and work the trolling motor. The only option was basically to keep it half underneath the seat.

So while I'm trying to figure all this out I drop the trolling motor because were starting to drift shallow close to some rocks all while he's working on the outboard. I go to try and move us with the TR motor and I hear WAA WAA WAA WAA WAA. Apparently some mud dobers had gotten into it but that it should smooth out as the day goes on he tells me. So right about when I'm about to commit hara kiri because of all this I get a tap and set the hook. So I got our first under keeper on a senko that sat there 5 mins. The rules for this lake is you can have one fish over 18 inches and 5 under 14inches per boater. We do a split weight in so we can weigh in a total of 6 fish for the day and four of them being over 18inches. Two per weigh in to get to four or you simply weigh in small fish if that's all you have. It's a weird system but it makes for some big fish in this lake. Anyways back to this long @%$ story. So he stops fiddling long enough to start filling up the live well. In our case a cooler and a bucket to fill it up. It sounds funny but most 9.9 boat set ups are like this. I do the very same thing but we use a long hose with the aerator to pump the water in. So he dumps several buckets in and it isn't near as high as it should be and I'm wonder what's going on. Then I notice the dang plug is not in and water is everywhere. I quickly point out the problem and he's freaking out and says to me "I was wondering why I was getting so cold". ;D

Well time passes and he isn't able to get the motor going. He informs me NOW he's had trouble with it all summer! > I calmed myself and told him we'd survive and just fish this cove the launch ramps in. I was aware there had been another club event the day before so there should be some fish in the area. Plus I had just caught one so it wasn't all bad. So I troll us to a decent deep bank with laydowns and pop out my flipping stick. He pulls out a 6'6 meduim action 2 piece rod with a 1/2 oz jig on it!!! > He makes one cast and it was like Rossie O'Donnell had just performed a cannon ball KABOOOOM. I;m not kidding I saw deer look up and run deeper into the forest. ;D It was at this point I realized I better thoroughly work each part of cover before he gets to it.

The morning goes on and I catch another under and loose a slot fish. Well his worked finally payed off and the motor started up and would run for a while if you kept it on idle speed. So we crawled to another close by area I wanted to try some crankbaits on. We get there after being made fun of by a couple club members for going so slow. I start making casts and I notice a problem. He doesn't get up off the seat for anything. His casts are all toward the front of the boat. We eventually crossed our lines and as I finish my reel in it brings his fluke and line in. I bring up the lures and right in front of him and CLEARLY and LOUDLY say "Look what I got here" in a friendly jokingly way. I start untangling the lures and then HE SETS THE MOTHER ******* HOOK!!!! It totally gave me a heart attack but luck was on my side and I didn't loose a finger or a eye. He could tell I was upset and apologized like crazy telling me he wasn't paying attention and what not. I quickly let it got and told him it was alright no harm no foul stuff happens. I got in a better mood again when I was able to pull another fish with a jig off a lay down. We headed back for the 1st weigh in after I caught that fish.

Only two teams weighed in a 18 incher so I felt a little better. Plus when I heard from my pops they hadn't had a bight yet I knew everybody was having a tough time and at least I was catching fish even if they were small. The hours went by and I couldn't land any big fish but I did get us a limit of unders. We went to load up and I bring the truck down. He isn't able to get the outboard running again so I'm pulling all 300+ pounds of him in the boat up on the trailer. I can't get him up so I have to back down further. So I walk back down on the tailer and the rope he had thrown was now tangled everywhere on the trailer. I somehow untangle it and haul him up enough with out falling in the water to now use the winch. I walk down some and clip it on. I go to start winching and the things rusted shut! I put some muscle into and I'm finally able to get it to turn. After about two cranks his 20 year old crank rope snaps and it sounded like a gun had went off. So I have to take the rope used to haul him up and tie it around the winch arm to secure the boat. I was finally able to haul the boat up and a hoard of cheers let out from the 7 or so boats waiting on us. ;D

The six little ones didn't set the world on fire but it was better then most. I don't even know who won the tournament. I was so exhausted after it all I was just proud I was able to catch us a limit. He told me he couldn't understand why he didn't catch any fish and I caught so many. He said he was using the same color pattern as my jig. I explained I had downsized because the bight had been tough by trimming my skirt and using a 3/8 oz jig helped. I informed him I didn't say anything to him because we all throw what were confident in and I hoped he would catch a big one behind me with that bigger jig.

At the end of the day I shook his had and thanked him for the ride. With that said part of me felt like he should have offered that 20$ back that I gave him for gas. He played it off to others as if he didn't know his motors were in that bad of shape but had confided in me he had known. It just upset me that he didn't say something before the tourney about possibly using my boat when he knew I had a perfectly good boat we could have used. Part of me doesn't want to ever sign up as a non boater again it was so bad. I was nice to him the entire time as best I could. I think the only time I was actually even close to not being polite was when the winch rope broke and when I about lost a eye on his hook set when our lines were crossed. So folks please learn from this guy and at least make your best effort to have your boat prepared. You can't be prepared for everything all the time, but if you at least make an effort any non boater will understand. Otherwise just do you club a favor and sign up as a non boater. Our problem is usually to many boaters often.

[5bass]

Wow Simp! I feel sorry for you man....and your partner. Sounds like he doesn't have a clue. It also sounds like your non boater days are over, as they should be. You had enough non-boater dilemma's during that one tournament to last a lifetime. Just sign up as boater and kick some butt. 

[paul.]

you know we're buds and all, so i hope it won't make you mad that i laughed several times during your story.   ;D

sorry for your trouble man.  glad you managed to overcome and catch some fish in spite of the circus.

[Daniel My Brother]

That was a quality rant! A couple good laughs and lessons learned. It's disappointing that the guy didn't at least offer you back your $20. 

Better luck next time out!

[Simp]

you know we're buds and all, so i hope it won't make you mad that i laughed several times during your story. ;D

sorry for your trouble man. glad you managed to overcome and catch some fish in spite of the circus.

Are you kidding me I can't help but LOL about it. I'm not kidding every single thing is true. It just seemed to keep adding up and adding up. I guess what I really was "Mad" about was the outboard motor. I pre fished like four days that week in some heavy winds at times to break the fish down. I finally found a area I thought I could pull out some big fish at. With the motor out we just couldn't get down lake to that area.

[simplejoe]

Sorry Simp, as you know not all boaters are like that. That being said I was reading the story and a couple times I had to stop myself from spitting coffee on the screen from laughing so hard. He tried to set the hook on you Classic

;D

[brgbassmaster]

DUDE that sounds like a bad tournament to me. but at least you managed a small limit...but i did CRACK UP pretty hard a few times.

[sal669]

It somehow reminds me of Stanley Laurel and Oliver Hardy. LMAO

[K_Mac]

An excellent rant. 8-) The total lack of attention to detail and focus on the job at hand is amazing. Of all the many sins of omission and commission the greatest, in my mind anyway, is that he didn't know you had reeled in his line until after you had begun to untangle things. How does that happen? :-?

Did you see the movie, "A river runs through it?" If you did, you will remember the scene in which the the brother of one of the girls shows up late, with a beat up old baitcaster and a can of worms for a fly fishing trip. Brad Pitts character says something like, "Around here there are three things you are not late for: work, church, and fishing." The guy ended up drunk, and badly sunburned (among other things) with no fish. That's your boater. ;D

[Infidel.]

Sorry you had that happen.  Sounds like a heck of bad day.  On the other hand, I would hate to hear the horror stories of all the bad non boaters mistreating and breaking things on their boater's boat.

[cart7t]

I had a similar experience with a guy many years ago fishing a bass club T.  Just about everything on that boat that could break did.

To make matters worse, on the way home he blew out a trailer tire and had no spare and we were in the middle of nowhere.  I sat with the boat while he drove 25 miles up the road to get the tire fixed.

LOL.  Just another experience in life to look back on and laugh at.   ;D

[bwell]

That sucks man, better luck next time!!

[nUgZ]

Good grief...when it rains it pours.  Glad you at least caught a couple.

[RazorBassin]

Well at least you caught a limit.  When you said he set the hook on you I almost fell out my chair.  He had to be completely clueless.  Hopefully you won't let it ruin your friendship.

[Ranger R61]

All I can say is " o woe is me -- when is this day going to end and please shoot me and put me out of my misery"

[Sam]

Great story.

Thanks for sharing.