By BassFan Staff
It doesn't matter whether you're Roland Martin or somebody who's never won a cent in a bass tournament before. If you're competing in a Bassmaster Open this year, you can rest assured that a mechanical breakdown won't leave you stranded in the farthest reaches of Table Rock Lake or the James River.
Martin, the 9-time B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year (AOY), was one of the first beneficiaries of the BoatUS Angler sponsorship of the 2012 Opens during last month's event at Florida's Harris Chain of Lakes. There will be others to come as the nine-event season (spread across three regional divisions) unfolds, with the second event set for this week at Lake Lewisville in Texas.
For the first time in B.A.S.S. history, an official towing service is available to assist in safely helping mechanically disabled anglers get back to the launch. In the past, such unfortunate competitors had to hope they could get a patrol boat, a fellow competitor, a camera boat or a Good Samaritan recreationist to perform that function.
The sponsorship pertains only to the Opens – not the Elite Series, Federation Nation or Weekend Series events. Official BoatUS tow boats lead Open anglers out of the launch area and into the competition waters each day, much like a pace car in an auto race.
“On more than one occasion last year, we saw first-hand the value of BoatUS Angler being able to provide much-needed assistance to our anglers during competition,” said B.A.S.S. senior tournament manager Chris Bowes, who's the organization's lead on-site official at the Opens. “Entering a formal agreement to have BoatUS Angler towboats officially available to all Open competitors is a very logical relationship.
“It’s a reassuring benefit to our anglers, as well as the B.A.S.S. staff who, first and foremost, want to see all of our competitors return safely to the dock each afternoon.”
No Need to Panic
Bassmaster Elite Series angler Britt Myers got out of a sticky situation during practice for last year's event at Wheeler thanks to his BoatUS Angler membership. He'd fished until sundown, then discovered a serious problem with his engine just as he was about to head in.
"I thought about calling my buddy Gerald Swindle, but it would have taken him well over an hour to get to me and, honestly, towing one bass boat with another places a serious strain on the outboard that’s doing the towing, which may have in turn hurt Gerald’s engine," he said. "I was a long way from the ramp, it was getting dark and I was getting really uptight."
He recalled that he'd joined Boat USAngler earlier in the year and dialed the number on his keychain tag, still thinking it was a longshot that he'd be on his way toward the ramp anytime within the ensuing couple of hours. To his surprise, a tow-boat captain was on the scene less than 30 minutes later.
"It was unbelievable," he said.
Patti Campbell took advantage of her BoatUS Angler membership last year when a trailer hub caught fire on her way home to Texas from Old Hickory.
Works on the Highway, Too
Patti Campbell was on her way home to Waxahachie, Texas last year following a Lady Bass Anglers Association event at Old Hickory Lake in Tennessee when she looked in the driver's side mirror of her Toyota Tundra and saw that a trailer wheel was on fire.
“There were flames shooting up from what turned out to be a burnt hub, and there was very little room to pull off the highway safely," she said. “I pulled over the best I could and called (husband and fellow tournament angler Ricky Campbell), but he was 600 miles away."
As had been the case with Myers, it dawned on her that she had a BoatUS Angler membership. And like Myers, she quickly got the help she needed.
“I told the wrecker driver that I’d spent $38 to sign up for the BoatUS service, and he looked at me and said that my membership had just paid for itself about four times over."
Tournament anglers who buy a BoatUS Angler membership will also benefit from free participation in the Weigh-to-Win cash bonus program. Competitors don't have to win to cash in – they just need to be the highest-finishing registered member of the program in sanctioned events.
Full details about the Weigh-to-Win program are available here.
Notable
> BoatUS Angler memberships are available for as little as $38, which provides only on-the-road towing assistance. Full memberships that provide on-the-water service as well are $72.
> To sign up, visit the BoatUS Angler website or, for more personalized service, call Kendell at (918) 742-6424.
