# Almost a nightmare!



## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Sunday just before dark I stopped about 2 miles downstream from the cabin to bass fish the last light of the day. At dark I jump in the seat and turn the key and get a weak buzz outta the motor. Dead battery. I hit it a couple more times and get the same. Oh geez! Wife and I have discussed this a couple of times but I was completely unprepared. I quickly text her and get a reply. That was a relief since I didn't need her to worry something bad had happened to me. But now what. When we go to the cabin, we just take the truck. I quickly feel in my pocket for the keys. Good - I don't have them, which means they are in the truck. The wife will now be able to come get me somewhere downstream. But where? I dunno. Roland Cooper I guess which is 14 miles away! Did the math and figured I might make it there by daylight. There may be something closer but not sure. By now the river is very dark and very quiet. I text the wife and tell her nobody was hurt or dead and that it would all get solved - eventually. I settle into the front seat and look up at the stars when all of a sudden I hear the automatic aerator come on. Hmmmmm. Not a dead battery, must be a bad starter..... I'm no mechanic but the wheels begin turning. About 20 minutes later I've found the flywheel, and a piece of trot line. I yank and yank and yank and yank........then I turned on the key and yanked one more time - the 50 horses sprang to life and I jumped like a rabbit into the driver seat and took off! Almost blew the cowling and flywheel cover outta the boat. Wife was plenty happy to hear me roar up to the dock. Looked like my pet boat mouse may have chewed thru most of my power cable allowing enough juice to turn the starter but not enough to raise it to engage. 
Felt like I dodged a bullet. Gonna do a little investigating downstream ramps and get an extra truck key made


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## lees way2 (Oct 7, 2007)

Glad ya made it back safe. I wind up with red whelps on my back every time I have had to pull start one. Make ya one with a thick nylon rope and a palm size wood handle and put it in your dry box just in case.Ps the key thing does help with the blood pressure.


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## sureicanfish (Sep 30, 2007)

So it took you 20 minutes to find the flywheel? I bet I coulda found it in 10!


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

sure said:


> So it took you 20 minutes to find the flywheel? I bet I coulda found it in 10!




Man, bad knees, no tools, iPhone flashlight, and some little plastic wing nuts that were wayyyy too tight! I knew where it was but couldn't get too it!


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## DMC (Nov 28, 2010)

You need to check the battery cables. The wires could be bad causing you to lose power to starter.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Yeah, that could have made a long night fer ya!!! Glad you made it back all good!!!


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

I came around a bend in a creek last year and saw an old retired-looking man with his motor cowling off. Said he had a dead battery. I said, "I'll jump you off."

"You have jumper cables on your boat?"

"Sure do."

"Well, kiss my heavier than lead ass!"

I jumped him off and he said, "I guess I'm gonna have to start carrying jumper cables!"

He putted off around the bend, and shortly putted back and gave me his crappie minnows. Later that day, I turned one of them into a 5 pound bass.

Ain't karma a wonderful thing?


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

That's one you won't forget anytime soon!!! Glad it turned out OK


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

Did you catch anything?


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

jlw1972 said:


> Did you catch anything?




Couple small bass.


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

I'm not a mechanic by any means but I've been in plenty of situations like that on the water, most times by myself, and dang do I sure feel like the best mechanic in the world when I solve the task at hand. 

Glad you got it figured out.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

skiff89_jr said:


> I'm not a mechanic by any means but I've been in plenty of situations like that on the water, most times by myself, and dang do I sure feel like the best mechanic in the world when I solve the task at hand.
> 
> Glad you got it figured out.




Same here! My shock that it cranked was quickly replaced with fear it would go dead before I could get to the throttle and choke which was soon surpassed by my elation over not getting to spend the night on the boat. As I recall I belted out the chorus of "I'm your boogie man" before I got a mouth full of bugs! Good times!!


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## basnbud (Jul 20, 2011)

you wanna borrow a couple mouse traps?


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

basnbud said:


> you wanna borrow a couple mouse traps?




lol- no thanks. Left him a little cup of green pellets. He should be gettin really thirsty by now.


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