Howdy folks,

Haven't posted lately, but here goes:

There are many crimes, but one thing that really chaps me are thieves.

My fishing partner and I stopped at the Fisherman's One Stop on Hwy. 515 near Lake Fork yesterday morning right around 5:30 a.m. Pulled right up in front of the doors near the gas pumps. It was still dark, but has canopy lights and store lights were well lit. We were in there maybe 3 minutes tops. Partner has a center console boat, and my rods and reels were down on the floor, not visible due to the height from the floor to the top of the gunnels in a center console boat unless you were standing right next to the boat. Partner's rods and reels were strapped down on the deck up front.

After leaving Fisherman's One Stop, we launched at the 515 public ramp. Got all the way out to our first spot in William's Creek and I look down and ask, "where are my rods?" Partner asks, "did you leave them in the bed of the truck?" I said no...... he said maybe they blew out of the truck coming over to the lake from the store. No, I said, don't think so......but, we run back to ramp, I jump in his truck and drive all along 515 all the way back to the store. Nothing in the road or alongside the road. I go back in and talk to the owner John. There was only one other person there when we were. An older guy with Arkansas truck plates on a silver colored newer model Silverado and Arkansas plates and tags on his boat and trailer (a white and black Triton). The store owner said he too was going out of the 515 public ramp and fishing in Duck Call Creek in Birch. I go back to ramp, we re-launch, and head towards Birch. Could not locate him. Decided there was not much we could do at this point.

We fished the rest of the day using my partner's rods and reels. We had a tough day... when we got back to the ramp at 3:00, the truck and trailer (and Triton boat) were already gone, so didn't have a chance to speak to him or ask if he saw anything.

Public Service Announcement- don't leave your gear or personal belongings unattended for a minute, no matter what time, how well lit, or how trusting you might be of the human race. Either the man we saw took my gear, or someone was lurking there waiting for an opportunity. I lost several thousand dollars worth of my gear in the blink of an eye. Thieves are some of the lowest scums of the earth, taking what doesn't belong to them..... and leaving you feeling helpless and frustrated and angry.....

The gear can be replaced.......it will take me a while to get over the internal injury of being violated by a fellow human being. Ok, rant over......going back to have a nice rest of the weekend. Time to rebuild my fishing arsenal. What a pain.......

Sorry to hear that.

People suck.

I hate liars and thieves! They deserve to be hung on the nearest oak tree!

Did you see this post where someone found some rods near Lake Fork?

http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbt..._8#Post12877248

OMG....!!! Could be my stuff. I just tried calling him and left a message. Will be sad nonetheless if none of it is salvageable, but would at least feel better about humanity if the gear wasn't stolen. Thank you so much for pointing this out to me!!!

I would not have thought that having 3 rods bundled and another 4 bundled with wraps would blow out being down on the floor in a center console boat since they would be 16-18 below the gunnel. I would have bet my paycheck that would be enough weight to hold them down. We'll see.......thanks again!!!

Cool, maybe they are yours.

That's weird a thief would throw them out in the road. Hope they are yours and they are somewhat salvageable

If they can fly out of a boat at 55-60mph, surely they can fly out at 65-70 going down the road. Specially when an 18wheeler passes going the other way.

Hey folks........a guy fishing a charity tournament at Fork found my gear along Hwy. 515 early yesterday morning. Don't know if they blew out of partner's boat going from Burnin Stump to Fisherman's One Stop, or from One Stop to the 515 public ramp. A gentleman in Longview has my gear, although it's in pretty rough shape. Won't know until I drive out there this week to pick it up how much of it is salvageable.

Thanks to the guy who found it, and his boss who took the gear back to Longview with him. At least I don't have to think that there's a thief out there with my gear any more.

I am still shocked that having a bundle of three rods and reels, and a bundle of four rods and reels laying down in the floor of a deep center console boat would blow out............lesson learned and won't make that mistake again!!

Thanks TFF for providing this forum, and mystery solved!!

There are good people in the world! Glad you got your stuff back!

That�s pretty awesome. In my mind it just goes to show the high percentage of anglers who read the TFF. If you lose or find something chances are high the other person reads the forum

I've seen it happen before in a center console. It was just 1 rod but it certainly blew out. It's like the open cavity of the floorspace creates turbulence when going down the highway. Similar to the bed of your truck when nothing is in it.

This^^^^^

Its even worse if you have rod covers on your rods. I always tie mine down to the leaning post. I had a close call, I went about 30 miles and stopped for ice, and a couple of them had turned 180 degrees and were sticking out the back of the boat. They hung on a rod holder, that was all that saved them.

Lots of thieves out there, just as many people losing stuff and blaming it on the �thieves�.

Good to know this, I'm going fishing this week with a guy who has a 22' center console. I WON'T be laying my rod and reels in the bottom of the boat and take a chance on them blowing out. Glad you're getting your tackle back and so sorry they got damaged. Hopefully you can at least salvage the reels.