We were fishing out of Lorain on Sunday about 5 miles out and we trolled by a 16 foot boat that has a distress flag out. We ended up towing this guy in and he did have a cell phone but no radio. I for the life of me can't figure out why no one stopped to help him....he had his flag out for at least an hour before we went by him and it was so packed with trollers somebody had to see him. He offered my money but I declined cause someday it will be me out there holding up the orange flag. Is this how it is out there now, everybody cuts each other off so much when we are trolling and fishing to important to help someone in need? Sorry but had to vent a little as it bothers me that so many people look the other way instead of helping.
Good job Limitman. Have towed a few over the years and figure someday it will be me needing someones help.
Ya never know what is needed when that flag is out. It could be an adult down with a heart attack and a kid waving the flag. It's a good idea to always respond.
Thanks for the reminder.
Its the law is it not? If a distress flag is displayed stopping not only is the right thing to do but I believe its the law to stop and render assistance. Doesn't matter to me I'm stopping. WTG limitman pay it forward.
Chris
He should take that money he offered and purchase tow insurance no one should be on the big lake without it. You should never asume someone will tow you in.I will say you did the right thing,but next time you may not be there to help. Good Job
I have towed at least a dozen in the last 20 years plus pulled two Blow Boats off the reefs in the Western Basin. One of the BB's tossed me a six pack of Bud which I accepted.
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Thanks to Dad for teaching me how to fish
Yup yup thanks guys.....I have been towed in myself a couple of times not fun. Yes everyone should have tow insurance I think even boat us has unlimited towing for $50.00 I thought I saw. When I broke down twice once on Erie and once at West Branch it's kind of a helpless feeling.....On West Branch I had to light a hand flare off cause I put the flag up and was waving and no one would come.....that kind of made me mad then when somebody came they said they thought it was a divers flag....oh well thanks guys and good fishing to you all.
Limitman,
I too was towed in last year, called on radio for help and the few who answered, were just too busy fishing , sad to say. I gave money to the guy who did tow me in which he took, ironically though he was on his way in from limiting out. NO One should be out there without the proper safety equipment, especially a marine radio, as BobInStow mentioned in case it's a medical emergency on a distressed boat. Since then I've purchased the towing insurance (great advice from many), and will always stop to help someone in need out there.
There are great people and great fisherman, and there are both.
Thanks for being the later.
I was trolling the 31/15 area Sunday and thought someone was displaying a distress flag. I trolled straight to the boat displaying the flag. It turned out to be a boat with a Cleveland Browns flag flying. We got a laugh and kept trolling. I was ready to pull rods and give a hand if he needed it.
I have towed at least a dozen boats off the lake over the years. One guy was out 14 miles steelhead fishing with his 10 year old son. There was a major storm approching with high winds and he was pleading over the radio for help. His fuel pump went out and he called the tow service. They told him it would be about 3 hours before they could reach him. They wanted him to anchor and wait. He wanted to get his son off the lake before the storm. I asked him for his GPS numbers and went 2 miles out of my way and threw him a line. I towed him back to a different port 8 more miles out of my way. We almost made it in when the storm hit. The winds hit and were blowing west at 40 out of no where. The lake whipped up to 5 - 7 in short order. Luckly we were only a mile and a half from his harbor. We were met at his ramp by Denny Braun. He retired this year. He used to own/opperate the Sportsmen Den in Vermillion. I have know Denny for more than 35 years. The fellow and is son I towed in were his friends. Denny received a cell phone call from the broken down boater asking he if he could try to find someone to get him off the lake. When I pulled up towing his friend, Denny looked at me and said " I should have know it was you that would pull a guy in 14 miles. Stop by the shop, I have something for you." I never collected. But hope that if I were in the same situation that someone would do the same for me.
A month ago we drifted past a guy who's outboard quit running. Told him we'd keep an eye on him as we were on our last drift. Claimed he had Boat US, but never tried to contact them (??) Somebody else got to him and towed him in before we were through. Had it been a life threatening situation I would have stopped.
With the reduction in cost to now $54 a year, anyone who goes out without the insurance deserves what ever might happen.
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"He who knows the way of the worm possesses the power of the fillet knife"..... Capt. Kevin
Myself and a couple guys were fishing off Beaver park last year when we blew a head gasket on the outboard. Sat adrift for a little while figuring out what to do when 2 guys trolled within 50 yards of us. I asked if they could give us a tow (less that 1/2 mile from the harbor) and the one guy said "we just got started fishing, mabey later". Few mins later another guy came buy and was eger to help.
i know its not a boat, but before i knew better i was on a borrowed jetski at baypoint and went for a ride by cedarpoint. on the way back just passed the end of there breakwall, it stoped running and wouldnt start. i tried and tried and nothing.... i ended up swimming it all the way back to baypoint. i bet there were 100 boats that went by and totaly ignored me waving my hands and swimming with the tow rope in my hand. about 3 and a half hours later i made it to the beach, with the coast guard starting to look for me. my dad and uncle had been looking for me freaking out. they then promptly showed me how to turn the knob to the reserve and she fired right up........ you never know you might stop for 2 minutes and help somebody out. you won't always have to tow them in.
My towing is included in my insurance. Well worth the price. Good job on the help. I would have stopped also. You never know what happened. This cold one is raised to you
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"Wanderin_eyes"
Steve
A veteran - whether active duty, retired, National Guard or Reserve - is
someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made
payable to "The United States of America", for an amount "up to and
including my life". That is honor, and there are way too many people in
this country who no longer understand that. ~ Author unknown.
we had coverage as part of our insurance to but it only covered up to 500.OO we were only 2.5 miles out of the vermillion river and the tow by boat us was 750.00 thay get 250.00 an hour from when thay leave thair dock till thay get back to thair dock
we had coverage as part of our insurance to but it only covered up to 500.OO we were only 2.5 miles out of the vermillion river and the tow by boat us was 750.00 thay get 250.00 an hour from when thay leave thair dock till thay get back to there dock
Lorain Sunday distress flag
Lorain Sunday distress flag
, sad to say. I gave money to the guy who did tow me in which he took, ironically though he was on his way in from limiting out. NO One should be out there without the proper safety equipment, especially a marine radio, as BobInStow mentioned in case it's a medical emergency on a distressed boat. Since then I've purchased the towing insurance (great advice from many), and will always stop to help someone in need out there.
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