Corpusfishing.com

Johninaustin · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 1113

i've been going back and forth on posting this for a couple of days now. I'm usually an easy going guy but I'm still boiling over it all.

Note that I'm in Austin. When I get a fishing day offshore I have to leave at 1am to get on the water by dawn. Then I have to drive home after. It's a pretty major effort but hey, it's fishing. Very Happy

Put in a Packery. No issues, water was wonderful and I made it out to the Packery reef after stopping at a rig to jig up bait. The place was pristine, flat water, light breeze. Kings were everywhere. After a couple hours I notice a boat that showed up right after I did is waving a T-shirt at me so I go over to see what's up. It's an older Aquasport with a 115 Johnson. He had followed me from the rig.

His boat was dead. Dad, mom, two kids. (no life jackets on the kids) No radio, no cell service, no EPIRB, no GPS. Not even a fish finder. No bimini, no WATER. Dad does have beer though.

After pretty much cranking his battery dead and screwing around under the cowling he finally checks and finds HE'S OUT OF GAS.

My kicker motor tank is not oil mix and is useless to him. I offer to call SEATOW for him. No can do, no money. By this time we've been drifting together for about 45 minutes and the kids are in really bad shape. Mom is not much better. she's taken to dragging a towel in the ice chest and wiping the kids down. Out comes the tow rope, I pass mom a couple jugs of Gatorade and my lunch and and off we go. Bit of a rough start since the idiot is STEERING HIS BOAT AT THE END OF THE TOWLINE. That resulted in a bit of cussing on my part. 4 hours and some very seasick kids later, we're at the ramp.
Not even a thank you. Dad piles everyone in the truck and is gone so fast he did not even tie his boat to the trailer. Probably drunk as everytime I looked back he had a beer in his hand. The trip is toast and I was pretty flagged out, (that was my Gatorade supply) But at least I had a bimini and bottled water. Mom and the kids boiled like crabs in a pot. Gave two kings away as I did not have the energy to clean them in the heat. Back to Austin I go with a stop for a nap in Pettus as I was falling asleep driving. Finally got home at 3am. I'm convinced that if not for the perfect sea conditions and the pure luck in me seeing him in the first place the guy would have killed his whole family thru exposure. Maybe a shrimper or another fisherman would have happened by, maybe not.

One of the things that has me still ticked? This is not the first time I have come across this. Granted, this was the longest distance but it's nothing new. I'll probably have to stop fishing solo (I'm 62) because of it. I cannot help others if it's going to kill me too.

Tyler · Site Admin Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 12865

Wow, good on you and that really sucks but someone had to do something for the helpless kids and mom. Hopefully Karma will work in your favor next time.
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Donnie · Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 11:05 am Post subject:

What goes around, comes around, it really does. A bit older than you, and a bit damaged, i fish solo as well, and encountered a somewhat similar situation down pins last winter - though no kids or spouse with him.

Was treated the same way, oh well. If I had known this guy was drinking - a lot - i would never have stopped, in your case had you not stopped , some precious kids may have died.

Thanks for being a good guy.
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maxthelab · Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 12:07 pm Post subject:

Good job, senor! It's too bad it messed up your day of fishing, I know how precious days off are, but hopefully what you did will come back to you threefold. So sad that a googan messed up your fishing day by not checking his fuel supply and then not even so much as a thank you. I pulled a guy who was from Kansas from Shamrock to Wilson's cut boat ramp and he was very appreciative, sad your experience was not the same. Had a fuel pump fail coming in from north PA jetty and nobody was out there and had to use trolling motor to come back in with a ripping outgoing tide and that was a gut wrenching experience, was hoping someone like you would come by but not a soul. Once again, good on you.

BayFly · Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 1:02 pm Post subject:

I agree with the other posters here that your good deed will be returned somehow, somewhere, and hopefully sooner than later. I can't help, but think you should have called the Coast Guard for them to assist him, then offered to take the wife and kids to shore to wait on his arrival. The guy obviously needs some attention or direction from the Coast Guard and needs to pay a pretty heavy penalty, and your kind assistance will only assure he does the same thing, or worse, next time. Please understand, I am not faulting you at all, but people like him just continue their stupid actions until they finally have to pay the fiddler. I'm not sure what the correct action should have been, but towing a fool four hours, while putting yourself and equipment at risk is not the answer in my book. I'm sure if the kids and wife had not been present you may have done otherwise. Better luck next time, and may God bless you for your kindness!

Hook · Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 6:11 pm Post subject:

Like Tyler said. Thank you John! Nothing worse than non appreciative people.

sit_and_bull · Horse Mullet Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 154

Without you they would not be alive. There was a reason why you were out there and the reason was to save them. Even though the guy showed no appreciation, you had a purpose for being out there.

Salt On the Brain · Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 7:30 pm Post subject:

No good deed goes unpunished.
You know how to tell if you are a good person?
You know this and keep doing good anyway.
Keep being good people regardless of what others do.
Nice job.
You Are a hero in our eyes.
LF
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Savageman · Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 9:15 pm Post subject:

ziacatcher · Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2019 6:27 am Post subject:

Good for you. Ended your day but probably saved lives. Good karma will come your way

panthera · Horse Mullet Joined: 26 Jul 2007 Posts: 185

what a sad story. sorry you lost your fishing time to someone elses negligence. i have only been towed in once in my life and it was only about a half mile from the ramp but was so thankfull I gave them all of my bait and even a rod and reel to the young kid that was with them. I also gave them forty dollars as they were anchored fishing for drum and I felt really bad. for us with no experience with towing can you please explain steering at the end of the tow line so we do not make the same mistake and look even more foolish. thank you. you did a good thing.

Rebecca of Sunnybrookfarm · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 3974

panthera · Horse Mullet Joined: 26 Jul 2007 Posts: 185

thank you Becky

parttime · Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2019 8:06 am Post subject:

Nice job, you did the right thing.
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DawnPatrolVeteran · Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2019 3:20 pm Post subject:

Good on you. From what you stated its a drinking problem. The kids know somethings wrong, the wife knows and is in a cycle of either abuse or enabling and maybe is afraid what lies ahead without this guy. I feel bad for all of them.

Just pushing off the cuff armchair psychology, but he sounds like an alcoholic and the only focus is the beer... everything else is secondary. Its a selfish addiction.

You may be bombarded with karma cliches and the such but you shouldn't worry about that the only thing that matters is that the wife and kids are safe because of you and by knowing that it should cancel out the jackass and his actions. I think my signature quote below sums it up pretty well.
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