Use the Mustang but now you got me thinking..... Maybe that�s selfish and should start using a full vest when running big engine!

After following the missing angler at the Big O I am adding a ACR locator beacon. The accident reportedly happened at about 7:30 am. No way that anyone other than those involved could know until the boat failed to check back in.

In a typical year I fish a number of different places where your not getting any help if something goes bad. Just a couple of weeks ago I was in the Arroyo Colorado area of the LLM. We were way out there in about a foot of water maybe less. I was thinking I hope he knows what he is doing and can get us out of here.

We also go to Venice and go out to the Breton Islands in bayboats. We always take a minimum of two boats there. Your pretty much 7 miles out in the open gulf.

No matter how experienced and prepared you are things can go bad fast. Unsuspected weather, quick changes in weather, equipment malfunctions, hitting something, run out of fuel, motor breakdown, loss of gps, etc can all come into play.

The ACR beacon is about $250. It doesn't need a subscription service like some other like the Spot locator. It serves one purpose to be able to send out a signal in a life threatening situation. You can register it so they can call your contacts. You can also send a signal out several times so they know it's not been accidentally activated. Seems to me that's it's extremely cheap to have it as a piece of insurance.

I have been out a few times over the years where I thought, "that was pretty stupid, I am glad to be back". I never have been close enough but one time that I would have activated the beacon. That was over 30 years ago. We sunk a small boat in the middle of lake Conroe south of the 1097 bridge. Right at dark. It took me close to two hours to swim out. It was in Sept and the water temp was perfect. If it had been December who knows if I would be here today. The other two stayed with the boat until it sank. I decided to swim to shore earlier. I was never so glad to see to guys in my life when a boat picked them up after I called once I got to shore. It seems the flotation cavity had filled with water. As we were going forward we had the weight distributed too far forward. The boat had real low sides anyways. Water came in and it was upside down in a couple of seconds.

Buddy you nailed it.....and i started this post before reading about the accident on the O.

I think i just bought my fathers day present.