Launched out of Marine City this morning after all this rain. The water was like chocolate milk. Motored south until I finally found clean/stained water. I fished the edge of the mud line in the cleaner water and picked up 7 before 10:30, then it shut down. I lost another coho near the boat (2nd of the year). The wind was less than they forecasted and it was very pleasant out there until the rain returned. Nearly all fish were caught in 40 fow on the set up shown in the attached picture (edge of live-well).
While out there today, can't help but think I saved 4 lives. I was on my drift when another boat struck something while making what appeared to be another run back up to the top. I heard them attempt to start the engine several times to no avail. Just then I noticed a freighter make the turn around the island and head north. The disabled boat was in the middle of the shipping channel and had a kicker motor on it. After a minute or two nobody was on that kicker attempting to get it started, all while the freighter was heading right at them. I yelled to them "freighter" while pointing. No response, and didn't even look. Two more attempts, nothing. I threw my rod on the boat and motored over to them. I told them they better get out of the way a freighter was heading right at them. They literally just looked at me like a deer in headlights. They had a rope in the front of the boat, so I began yelling give the that "effing" rope, I gotta get you out of here. Finally one of them threw me the rope while the freighter was sounding the horn. I didn't even have time to hook the rope to my cleat. I held the rope with one hand while throttle/steer with the other. I even had to yell to the guys to steer the boat while towing them. We got out of the way with seconds to spare.
With my blood pumping, I looked over to the 4 guys and the driver says "someone forgot to take the thing off the motor." I look, and I see the transom saver stuck in the prop. I asked if they were good to get back to shore, and the driver said yes. There was a little language barrier however, I find it hard to believe none of the four guys knew how to say "thank you."
There is no doubt that freighter would have hit them because they were not signaling they were disabled at all. The freighter captain would have just figured they were "some stupid/stubborn walleye jiggers."
My very next drift I punched my ticket after a my longest drought of the day. Apparently the walleye Gods were watching.
While out there today, can't help but think I saved 4 lives. I was on my drift when another boat struck something while making what appeared to be another run back up to the top. I heard them attempt to start the engine several times to no avail. Just then I noticed a freighter make the turn around the island and head north. The disabled boat was in the middle of the shipping channel and had a kicker motor on it. After a minute or two nobody was on that kicker attempting to get it started, all while the freighter was heading right at them. I yelled to them "freighter" while pointing. No response, and didn't even look. Two more attempts, nothing. I threw my rod on the boat and motored over to them. I told them they better get out of the way a freighter was heading right at them. They literally just looked at me like a deer in headlights. They had a rope in the front of the boat, so I began yelling give the that "effing" rope, I gotta get you out of here. Finally one of them threw me the rope while the freighter was sounding the horn. I didn't even have time to hook the rope to my cleat. I held the rope with one hand while throttle/steer with the other. I even had to yell to the guys to steer the boat while towing them. We got out of the way with seconds to spare.
With my blood pumping, I looked over to the 4 guys and the driver says "someone forgot to take the thing off the motor." I look, and I see the transom saver stuck in the prop. I asked if they were good to get back to shore, and the driver said yes. There was a little language barrier however, I find it hard to believe none of the four guys knew how to say "thank you."
There is no doubt that freighter would have hit them because they were not signaling they were disabled at all. The freighter captain would have just figured they were "some stupid/stubborn walleye jiggers."
My very next drift I punched my ticket after a my longest drought of the day. Apparently the walleye Gods were watching.
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