Fishing Q&A
Wheelchair bound Bass fishing from boat?
I want to take my nephew out on my Ranger 20' Bass boat and was wondering if there are any precautions I should take. He is 25 years old veteran of war in Iraq and been in a chair since 2004. He has amazing upper body strength but he has no legs. He loves to bass fish and I would love to take him on a nice fishing trip to Lake Texoma. Are there any of you with experience in mobility impaired boating and fishing and if so, what do I do to make a safe enjoyable trip. Thanks for all help. Thanks for the blessings but I need to know what modifications are necessary to my boat and his chair so we can go blast down the lake at 80mph without any problems.
Public Comments
- I am sure that if he is 25 years old and has been in a wheel chair for 3 years he probably knows the do's and the dont's. good luck and God bless you and him!
- Well I am not experienced with this but I think its a great thing your doing and I would say just have necessary saftey gear keep a life vest in him and maybe keep a rope with a float on it in on board incase he was to fall in and a fire extinguisher on board . Also some sunscreen . Just one suggestion since he is in a wheel chair and dont get out much as the rest of us you may want to slow down to like 20 or 30 mph so he can take in the sceenery and stuff , I wish the both of you the best of luck fishing I hope its a great time
- The fishing seat posts on your boat are probably threaded on the bottom and if they are you can get a bolt of the same thread pattern and attach a plate with two holes, one for the bolt to go through and another to attach a large clevis that you can tie his chair to with ratchet straps or turnbuckles. This would allow him to wheel around in a semi-circle (using the bolt as a pivot point) while fishing and stay securely fastened. As for motoring down the lake, his lack of legs should create no problems anyone else would experience. Having grab handles between passenger seats and on the inside of the gunnels would be nice for anyone to hang onto during those high speed runs. Make sure you always have your PFD's on whenever the big motor is running (of course you already knew that!) and all should be well. I hope you both have a fantastic time at Texoma and catch a few of those famous stripers while you are there. Please let your nephew know that I apprecaite his voluntary service and contribution in the war against terrorism. How lucky of you to have such a hero to fish fish with!
- I would think a life jacket that supports the head (like a kid's style) would be safer. if he ever became unconcious in the water (hit his head while falling overboard or something), his legs would not balance him upright like the rest of us, so he might end up floating face down. Maybe he would end up face down anyways, so consider trying it out in a pool before you go. Don't strap him in!! Have fun, and be sure to catch some nice fish!!!
