Trailer Tire Blowout leads to BoatUS Angler and an 11-pound Bass

Short Story by Matt Pangrac

Norman, Okla. - May 3, 2011 - There's no better way to earn faith and confidence in a product than to put it to the test. 

That being said, I really don't have a burning desire to test out my driver's side air bag, the "emergency call only" feature on my cell phone, or the flare gun that I keep in my boat. It's nice to know that those options are there, but if I'm using one of them, well, you get the picture.  

So last week, I hook up the Skeeter and head south on I-35 fully intending to spend the morning sight fishing on a lake in Oklahoma about 60 miles from my place. Thirty-two miles down the road I blow a tire on my single-axle trailer. 

No big deal, right? Well, considering that I left my jack in a buddy's truck after helping him fix a flat last month, I was in a predicament. As I sat on the side of the I-35 pondering my next move, it occurred to me that in January I spent 38 bucks for a year-long membership to BoatUS Angler that included the Trailer Assist package. The 38-bucks also includes the chance to win bonus money at tournaments as a member of their Weigh-to-Win program.  

I called the 24-hour dispatch number on the back of my membership card and Adam from BoatUS sent a tow truck to the scene within 30 minutes. After replacing the shredded tire with the spare, I was back on the road and headed to the lake without a dime out of my pocket. 

As I pulled up to the ramp, Adam from BoatUS called back just to make sure everything went smoothly. At 26 years old, I'm slowly starting to realize that I'm not bullet proof, and things do occasionally go wrong. It was a good feeling knowing that even though I was traveling by myself, the people at BoatUS Angler had my back. 

After looking around and catching a few small ones, I finally spotted what I had been looking for - a bug-eyed, pot-bellied, sow on a spawning bed. After working on her for over an hour, I boated my biggest bass of the year - an 11-pound toad.

As it turned out, it took more time to get that bedding bass to bite than it took for me to call BoatUS Angler and get back on the road earlier that morning when I shredded the trailer tire.  That either means that I'm horrible at sight fishing or that BoatUS came through with shining colors when I put their product to the test. 

I'm going to say it's probably a little bit of both. 

A basic membership to BoatUS Angler is $24, and the Unlimited On-the-Road Towing (Trailer Assist) is just another $14. And again, for an affordable $38, you'll also be eligible to register for the Weigh-to-Win contingency program that is a must-do for anybody that fishes tournaments. Go to www.BoatUSFishing.com to check it out or just call (918) 742-6424 and ask to speak with Kendell. 

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