Facebook group reunites boater with overboard chair

The Manatee County Fishing Network group on Facebook has slightly fewer than 3,200 members. After what happened recently, those numbers may grow a bit.

Fishing Network member Tom Howard loves to fish — like the other members of the group. He recently purchased his dream boat, a 26-foot Gause Built with a full tower, with all the bells and whistles he wanted. He added a pair of custom bean bags that matched the color of his boat and came with the Gause Built logo at the cost of about $175 each.

Last Sunday he went out early to catch bait before he planned to pick up his family for a midday fishing trip. The bean bags were part of the trip for his family to use when they joined him.

After a little bit of running around, he noticed one of the bean bags was missing.

“It was a little choppy and I guess one blew out. I assumed someone had picked it up, so I didn’t trace and run all the way back,” Howard said. “I put a notice on the Facebook Manatee Fishing Network from the boat pretty confident someone in the online community would find it or know someone who did.”

“Blew a bean bag out of boat between Palmetto and Long Bar,” the post said. “Blue/white with tarpon logo (Gause) if anyone finds it and would like to return. Thanks!”

Around 10 a.m. on Sunday, angler Luke Hurban was running between Sister and Jewfish key when his fishing partner for the day, Andy Kutz, noticed something floating in the water. It was a new bean bag with a custom color and Gause Built logo.

“It was pretty random; we just saw it floating,” Hurban said. “There were a few other boats around drifting the flats for trout, so we just scooped it up. It didn’t look like it had been in the water long and looked clean and new.”

Hours later, Hurban saw a post on the Manatee County Fishing Network, of which he is also a member. “Tom Howard call me,” he replied while leaving his phone number. “I found it.”

The two got together, and Hurban returned the bean bag.

“He was definitely excited,” explained Hurban. “I’m just hoping there are other people in the world who would also have returned it like me.”

The grateful Howard said he would love to repay Hurban in the best way possible. “Great guy, I owe him a fishing trip!” he said.

This story was originally published April 22, 2017 at 6:24 PM with the headline "Facebook group reunites boater with overboard chair."