Lake D'Arbonne. I've been anticipating fishing for sometime with partner Jason Ewton. I had been doing all the pre-planning I'm known for. Results from such endeavors are a completely different story. I'm going to share the abridged story due to today's attention span being short for most of us.

I was fired up for the CAT tournament on Lewisville. I use to consider it my home lake but have since grown bored with it. With over 1400 wpts, I don't lack places to fish it. With the weather being what it was, I was watching it closely, and as it neared, I really liked what the weather was doing. Light winds with rain in the morning. I figured most teams would be under the bridge while I would fish the milk run first. Jason decided to skip due to the weather so I was looking to put a whipping on the field to 'show' him a thing or two.

So, fired up I went to bed early (11pm - that's real early for me). I couldn't sleep - thinking of those black crappie I figured would be staging/spawning at 'this' place. I even hitched the boat up the evening before the rain to fill the tank so I could leave and have no stops, except of course for the best bait in the world - minnows! Oh, I can hear the purist heads explode all the while thinking they should take up fly fishing instead. Anyway, alarm wakes me from a slumberless night. First thought; already? I roll out of the bed and get the usual things done. It's going well. I'm ahead of schedule. Why, I think I'll just head over the Mickey D's for biscuit sausages since I'm running ahead of schedule and it's not raining... yet. I get to MD's, take care of that, exit onto Legacy, quickly decide to turn right onto Coit (less red lights) onto the far left lane (3 lanes north, 3 lanes south) for the upcoming red light at Hedgecoxe for a left turn. But... soon after turning right, and beginning to speed up after the turn, I hear a loud BOOM. Now is when time travels in nanoseconds. Immediately I think, a #$@% blow out but its not raining, yeah! Then suddenly the truck lurches forward as foot is released from the accelerator. I'm thinking what just hit the back of the truck and since when did this portion of Coit have a swale as the truck felt like I had traveled over a deep dip like at the intersection of Alma/Legacy... but I know there isn't one. Ok, I quickly need to get to the far right lane. I look in the rear view mirror and thankful no traffic is coming. But... but... THAT'S MY BOAT/TRAILER PASSING ME ON THE RIGHT! Gosh, those sparks are pretty. Oh no, the curb is fast approaching. Do I really have to watch the boat flip. Ah, curb is jumped and trailer/boat comes to a stop some 7 to 10 yards later, half in roadway, half on the sideway and the boat is upright. Ok, the delight of knowing the boat is upright fades more quickly than I can think ah, what a wonderful landing.

I pulled up to the back of the trailer and turn on flashers. Of course, as I muttered to myself, the rain starts. Fortunately, I had the bibs already on and placed the rain jacket within easy reach. I had even thought to bring along extra beach towels expecting to have some drying off to do at the boat ramp.

It's still dark out as I exit the truck to assess damages. Can I just stay in the truck I ask myself and all this will go away? Getting out, flashlight in hand, I go to the side road and immediately observe not only a flat tire, but a hole the size of a ping pong ball, maybe larger on the tire's sidewall. It's a new tire (July 2017). What the heck is this about? Then I go to the front. Despair sits in as I see the new Motorguide is ruin after jamming into the EZ Step. The whole bow area seems smashed in the rain and darkness. I was relieved to learn later as daylight approached, the damage was to the trailer and trolling motor. The boat is intact as far as is known at this time.

Called 911 to get a patrol car to keep the soon to be busier traffic out of harm's way. Called insurance, and had the trailer/boat towed to my house about 1/2 mile away.

There is lot to be thankful for. No one else was involved. I was safe and unhurt. Better yet, nothing else was damaged except a 'thing'. This can be repaired and/or replaced. Truly fortunate this happened when and where it did.

That day, after further inspection, I realized the LiftSaver by BlueNitro (Ron Duran) didn't bulge - the trolling motor did. The chains had snapped off the trailer as what was left of the chains was still attached to the truck. Trailer chain connectors were sheared off. And of all things, after working all day the day before fixing the trailer lights, they still worked if properly grounded. The ground was broken too.

Trailer and TM are in their respective repair shops. I am now working through the insurance process thinking all the while D'Abonne is gone, gone, gone... ah, there's next year!

And to think, just how lucky all those D2 teams I wasn't at Lewisville. Ha!

I did go to the weigh-in and kudos to all participants and winners. I especially would like to thank Bob Hutchins for loaning me some real tow chains to allow me to get to the repair shop.








LiftSaver integrity remained in place.


D'Arbonne be gone! But there's next year!

Sory to see such devastation with equipment. I then stop and imagine how much worse things could have been. Glad you and others were ok.
Let me know if insurance needs a quote for the damaged goods. I know a guy....

Some days you are the windshield, some days you are the bug...

Man, I hate to hear you missed that trip, you were so pumped up about it...

Well, the good news is that just some of the Hang ons were all that was affected, the bad news is that some of them can be expensive to replace...however, better have someone check out the transom...just looking at the TM, and hearing your story, you very easily could have transom damage, just due to the stress involved, in that ride.

So, how long you gonna be out of a boat?

Glad nobody got hurt. I lost my boat a few years back and it's a sick feeling to see your boat free wheeling down the road. My safety chains also broke but they did last long enough for me to get the boat headed towards the shoulder.
Maybe by the time the repairs are done your nerves will be back to normal. Good luck to ya!

So Jimmy, now that I have had a bit to reflect on your bad luck, it seems the trailer hitch/ball didn�t gehaw correctly. Which made me realize, that is why, I put bulldog hitches on all of my trailers, including boat trailers...with a bulldog hitch, the trailer will be behind the truck, no matter what happens with the truck...while you got the trailer in the shop, get them to install a bulldog hitch...doesn�t look pretty, but never fails.

Yep Bulldogs on all my heavy stuff.

Dang!


Cracked fender?

Dang Jimmy, I didn't realize it was that bad of damage. Just glad you were safe.

Any idea what poked the hole in the tire?

Wow. Sorry to learn this, but glad you were OK.

Thanks Kirk - I hadn't noticed that and I bet the adjuster didn't either. He took pics of it and did say there was damage but didn't mention or point to this specifically. It is at the trailer repair shop. I'll call and have them check it out if they haven't already.

To all the others, I appreciate your comments and suggestions. I had already decided to go with a Bulldog coupler per the recommendation of the trailer place and after researching it. Real chains will be used to replaced the cable type I had. The Bulldog and chains will be rated higher than recommended per the repair shop.

I have no idea what caused the blowout. Like said, it was basically a new tire from July of 2017. I haven't hit any or rubbed against anything since it was purchased. It looks to me it was blown outside in but the trailer guys says blowouts come in all shapes and manner. You just don't know. They have seen the kind I have.

As I said, thankfully, no one else was involved. It would have been real messy and possibly deathly at another place and time.

Dang Jimmy, glad nothing else was damaged, especially yourself.
I see the coupler is in the locked position. How did the trailer come off the ball?
Someone hit my trailer at the ramp last Sept and ruined a figerglass fender. Was cheaper to order a new fender from BassCat than get that one repaired. New fender was $350 but shipping was $155 for something that big.

Sorry to hear this happen, but glad nobody was hurt. My heart was sinking as I was reading your story! Hopefully insurance and repair folks will get you back on the water again sooner than later.

I think I'm going to go check out my chains etc... as I'm always paranoid something like this may happen

Dang Jimmy!! I thought the fishing was a rough day! You my friend had a rough day!!

Sorry to hear that UJC. Glad you are okay.

Blown tire is from jumping the curb. Sidewalls are thinner and don�t take lateral abuse well. My wife clipped a curb recently with similar results.