BoatUS Member Testimonials:

At BoatUS, Member satisfaction and commitment to service is our priority. Please read below some of the feedback we have received from other BoatUS Members regarding their experience with our program.

Have feedback you would like to share? Let us hear from you!

---

Kevin Ledoux,
Chotaw, OK
Member since 2011

Not Exactly how I wanted to get home from Falcon Lake, but Im glad I'm a BoatUS ANGLER Member!

 

 

 

Richard Bates,
Belle Chasse, LA
Member since 1999

Thank you BoatUS. I had an opportunity to use your trailering services following a tire blowout. Your associate, Chris, did a heck of a job coordinating a tow for my truck and boat. I couldn't be more pleased with the support I received. It made a bad situation a little better. Thanks and well done.

 

Matt Lee,
2013 Bassmaster Classic Competitor and the 2012 Bassmaster College Champion
Auburn, AL
Member since 2011

I had a flat tire on my boat trailer on day 1 at Red River. No problem - went fishing anyway and when I got off at dark BoatUS had it fixed. Priceless!

 

Simple, no questions, no hoops, just got it done.. and that's what I call service. I will be renewing with them again this year. If you don't have this program then you are missing out. See the pic of my boat - I don't trust it to just anyone.

A Worthy Peace of Mind
by Louie Stout, courtesy of Bassmaster
Count me in as a BoatUS ANGLER convert. When I heard BoatUS was getting involved in bass fishing events, I couldn't make the connection. I thought the organization only catered to broken-down tuna boats in coastal and Great Lakes waters.

Not anymore. The company launched BoatUS ANGLER five years ago and, most recently, got involved with tournament anglers. “We realized that no one needs our services more than the bass angler who travels and fishes often,” says Steve Croft, assistant vice president of BoatUS.

BoatUS ANGLER is a multifaceted program that offers on-the-water towing, roadside service and a “Weigh-to-Win” tournament cash incentive program. It’s also an advocacy group for boaters, provides a magazine and fishing/ boating tips and offers boat insurance for the tournament angler. If you’re involved in an accident on the way to a tournament, they'll reimburse you for all or most of your lost entry fee.

But the towing and roadside services are key elements of the membership, and several Bassmaster members have utilized those services in recent years.

Like Jonathon VanDam. “Unfortunately, I’ve used it several times,” says the Elite Series pro from Kalamazoo, MI.. “It has saved me time, money and has helped me get to a weigh-in on time.”

That was during a James River Bassmaster Open when he broke down twice. During a practice day, he blew a fuse and his motor shut down several miles away from his launch ramp.

“They came out and towed me to my trailer,” says VanDam. “It was the fourth of July, but it didn’t take them long to get to me.”

During the tournament, VanDam broke down again. He flagged down another competitor, tied his boat to a channel buoy and made it to the weigh-in with his fish.

“I called BoatUS, told them where my boat was and they retrieved it and towed it to me at the weigh-in,” recalls VanDam.

Both tows were covered by his membership; otherwise it would have cost him a minimum of $300. “And what’s cool is they are equipped to tow you faster than a pleasure boater, so it saves time,” he adds.

Need oil or gas to get back to the ramp? They’ll bring it to you.

There are 600 BoatUS ANGLER tow vessels stationed at 300 waterfront stations across the country and the list grows monthly. Inland lakes added recently include Grand Lake, Okla.; Ft. Loudon/Tellico, Tenn.; Falls Lake, N.C.; and Lake Martin, Ala.; as well as some Great Lakes ports.

The roadside assistance package can save you as well because it covers both your boat trailer and tow vehicle if either breaks down along the road.

If you’ve ever broken down in the middle of nowhere, you know how unnerving that can be. Several years ago, my trailer’s wheel bearings spun out and I lost a wheel. My family and I spent six helpless hours on a desolate, mosquito-infested road until we found a tow company that could get the boat/trailer to a safe place. We didn’t get home until 3 a.m., and we were less than an hour from home.

Fellow journalist Matt Pangrac has a better story. He blew a trailer tire going to an Oklahoma lake and didn’t have a jack to change it. He called BoatUS ANGLER who sent a service truck to help him get going again. When he got to the lake, he caught an 11-pound bass!

The 24-hour on-water and roadside packages vary, but $72 gets you both, not to mention great peace of mind when you’re away from home with the boat.

Is it worth it? Use it one time over a threeyear period and it will pay for itself. Win one of its sanctioned tournaments, and you're money ahead.

BoatUS Saves the Day!
Clayton Coppin
BoatUS ANGLER Member since 2011

BoatUS saves the day!! My truck broke down on me, (while towing my boat), and I had my BoatUS ANGLER Member card, so I called them and they sent a wrecker to pick me up and they took care of the bill. I saved a good 100 dollars .

So, if you don't have them for On-the-Water Towing, or anything else, you might want to check them out . I think the membership cost me $38 for a year and it has paid for itself already. Plus, if you win one of their tournaments you get paid through the Weigh-to-Win Tournament Incentive Program.

So it's a win-win - check it out you won't be sorry!

 

One Angler's Bad Day Leads to an 11-Pound Happy Ending
Matt Pangrac of BassZone.com
Oklahoma City, OK
Member since 2011

There’s no better way to earn faith and confidence in a product than to put it to the test.

That being said, I really don’t have a burning desire to test out my driver’s side air bag, the “emergency call only” feature on my cell phone, or the flare gun that I keep in my boat. It’s nice to know that those options are there, but if I’m using one of them, well, you get the picture.

So last week, I hook up the Skeeter and head south on I-35 fully intending to spend the morning sight fishing on a lake in Oklahoma about 60-miles from my place. 32-miles down the road I blow a tire on my single-axle trailer.

No big deal, right? Well, considering that I left my jack in a buddy’s truck after helping him fix a flat last month, I was in a predicament. As I sat on the side of the Interstate 35 pondering my next move, it occurred to me that in January I bought a yearlong membership to BoatUS ANGLER that included the TRAILER ASSIST® package. Not only that but it also included the chance to win bonus money at tournaments as a member of their Weigh-to-Win program.

I called the 24-hour dispatch number on the back of my membership card, and Adam from BoatUS sent a tow truck to the scene within 30-minutes. After replacing the shredded tire with the spare, I was back on the road and headed to the lake without a dime out of my pocket.

As I pulled up to the ramp, Adam from BoatUS called back just to make sure everything went smoothly. At 26-years-old, I’m slowly starting to realize that I’m not bullet proof, and things do occasionally go wrong. It was a good feeling knowing that even though I was traveling by myself, the people at BoatUS ANGLER had my back.

After looking around and catching a few small ones, I finally spotted what I had been looking for – a bug- eyed, pot-bellied sow on a spawning bed. After working on her for more than an hour, I boated my biggest bass of the year an – 11-pound toad.

As it turned out, it took more time to get that bedding bass to bite than it took for me to call BoatUS ANGLER and get back on the road earlier that morning. That either means that I’m horrible at sight fishing or that BoatUS came through in a pinch when I put their product to the test.

I’m going to say it’s probably a little bit of both.

 

Jason Williamson , Bassmaster Elite Series Angler
Wagener, SC
Member since 2008
"I couldn't be more pleased with my new BoatUS ANGLER insurance policy. I saved hundreds in my annual premium and the folks at BoatUS ANGLER were extremely helpful in expediting the process. They made it easy and that is not something you typically find from an insurance company.".

 

Mike Hastings, Fishing Guide, Git Bit Guide Service & Pro Angler
Texas
Member since 2008
"As a Fishing Guide and bass tournament angler since 1993, I found it difficult to obtain competitive quotes for marine insurance. That is until I discovered BoatUS. Not only has BoatUS Marine Insurance provided me with comprehensive coverage including $5,000 of coverage for my fishing equipment; they also provide a better policy at a lower cost.

When I had a claim, it was handled very efficiently and professionally. I recommend that all boaters (especially anglers) get a quote from BoatUS Marine Insurance".

 

Nancy & Joseph Petrozza,
New York
Member since 2002
"I have been a BoatUS policy holder for many years, and about two years ago, enclosed with my renewal application, was a note inviting me to sign up for road trailer service, the cost was $10.00, and so I did.

That was the best $10.00 I have ever spent. My wife and I live on Long Island, NY and on 9/29/06 we were traveling at night towing my trailer and boat on route to a bass tournament on the border of Connecticut and Massachusetts. We had just come off I-684 and were traveling east on I-84. About 7:00 pm I pulled into a rest stop and noticed not only a bad odor coming from my trailer brakes, but also noticed smoke - when I touched the wheel it was hot - my brakes apparently had locked up.

I am an engineer, as well as a plumbing heating and a/c mechanic, so I crawled under the trailer, and opened the bleed screws for the brakes. we used the facilities and went back on the road within a few miles I could see in my side view mirror that smoke was emanating from my trailer wheels. I pulled off the road at about exit 8 on I-84, and once again tried to free up the brakes, it was to no avail.

By that time it was about 9:00pm we should have already checked into the hotel we were to stay at overnight, and so we had to make a decision as to stay where we were and give up fishing the tournament, trying again to fix the brakes that seemed to be foolish, and then I remembered I have a trailer towing policy.

I called BoatUS Towing and the person on the other end of the line couldn't have been more helpful. He told me that someone would be calling me back, (I was on my cell phone), within a half hour. The original person I spoke with called back within fifteen minutes and told me that I would hear from the service provider within an hour.

The service provider called me for my exact location within twenty minutes, and was standing beside me within the hour. He removed both wheels and disconnected my brakes so I might proceed on my way. We got back on the road and finally arrived at our hotel about 1:00 am. My wife and I got about 4 hours sleep and were able to fish the tournament, thanks to The Best $10.00 ever invested.

I am a traveling coordinator for Atlantic Bassmaster's, and I have recommended BoatUS to everyone. I would liked to have said that we won the tournament but that didn't happen. Please convey not only my thanks but my appreciation for your people who provided me with excellent service, but also thank the provider for his prompt response."

 

Michael Graham,
New Jersey
Member since 2007
"Today was the first time I've used your services and I am very pleased with everyone involved that helped me, and I am very pleased with BoatUS Insurance. Thank you very much."

 

Steve Davis,
Arizona
Member since 2007
"You have saved me over $300 a year on my boat insurance - I'm very happy!"

 

Thomas Chastain,
Georgia
Member since 2008
"I enjoy BoatUS ANGLER Magazine and the peace of mind from having BoatUS Insurance"

 

Steve Chaconas, Fishing Guide, National Bass Guide Service
Virginia
Member since 2007
When I have a claim, I want an insurance company that specializes in fishing boats, covers my gear and knows my business. That's why I have BoatUS ANGLER Insurance."

 

Mike Schmidt,
Ohio
Member since 2008
"Your BoatUS ANGLER Magazine is very informative, especially the claims and photos sections. GREAT INFO. Keep it up. I look forward to your magazine"

 

Bill McGoldrick
New Jersey
Member since 2001
"I am so happy to be writing you an email about one of your customer service representatives, Mr. James Vinci. Unfortunately, I had some boat damage from a wind storm in Southern New Jersey a few weeks ago and I called the 800 number to get claim information. I received a call very swiftly from Jim Vinci. What a great experience that was. In a world where people are so short and rude, Mr Vinci was the master at making me feel like I was being helped. He answered every question I had very courteously, he was very informative and even hung up and called my voice mail to provide additional information because I did not have a pen and a pencil.

His directions to file the claim were clear and understandable. His report and approval document was clean and clear and his follow up to assure I had everything I needed was awesome.

I hope you appreciate his hard work and professionalism, I did."

 

Robert Smith,
Virginia
"I love what you guys do at BoatUS ANGLER - I look forward to the Braggin' Board and other features in BoatUS ANGLER Magazine regularly"

 

Richard Rambow,
Minnesota
Member since 2008
I broke down on the road with a flat, I thought 'no problem, I'll just change the tire' - but, to my surprise, I discovered my local marine dealer installed the wrong bearings on my trailer.

I called BoatUS, they sent a tow truck, he confirmed my suspicions. Now he took us to the nearest town to have new bearings installed, the only thing was this was a small Wisconsin town, and oh sure it was 3:30 quitting time for most repair shops. Well to my amazement the tow truck driver went from shop to shop until he found one that agreed to stay open and install the new bearings. Then to put the frosting on the cake the tow truck driver stayed there until we were back on the road.

One last thought - thanks BoatUS - The Best Service Ever"

 

Carlton Veirs,
Texas
Member since 2006
"I was very pleased when I received a quote for my new 24-foot center console boat, but even more pleased when I had to file a claim. My boat was destroyed by a tornado. I called Boat U.S. in the middle of the night and by 9 am the following day a claims representative had already arrived on the scene. By the end of the day my claim was settled!"

---