Recent tackle theft sends reminder to watch belongings

Kentucky bass pro Matt Robertson and his wife, Kassie, were a long way from their home in Kuttawa last week when they got an unexpected crash course in dealing with cops, robbers and a whole bunch of adversity. Their story spread like a wildfire on social media and eventually surfaced on the East Texas evening news. It was the kind of publicity a young bass pro had rather not get.

Robertson, 34, was in Texas to compete in the Bassmaster Central Open on Sept. 10-12 on Sam Rayburn Reservoir. He and Kassie arrived at the lake a week early so Robertson could learn a few things about the big impoundment and hopefully find a few fish before the tournament got underway.

Robertson’s practice was going pretty well until his wife shared an alarming Labor Day message that thieves had broken into the camper shell on their 2004 Chevrolet pick-up while she was shopping at Lufkin department store earlier in the day.

The angler said his plain blue tow truck is not wrapped with sponsor signage, so it is not easily identifiable as one that might have valuable fishing gear inside.

But it did.

The crooks swiped his spare Minn Kota trolling motor and made off with more than a half dozen large plastic tubs stuffed neatly with top shelf fishing lures, line, reels and assorted other gear the angler likes to keep handy when traveling the tournament trail.

A swim bait aficionado, Robertson said some of the lures stolen in the heist were hand-carved, wooden swim baits fashioned with custom paint jobs. A few cost him upwards of $400 apiece.

“I’ve been collecting swim baits since I was 11,” Robertson said. “Anybody who saw my collection will tell you it was pristine. There were several Hinkle Trout, Deps 250 glide baits and Huddleston swim baits in there. I probably had close to $700 worth of Basstrix Paddle Tails, along with all sorts of Strike King crank baits, line, reels, tools, a few rods and other baits.”

Robertson estimates the gear to be worth $15,000- $20,000. He said some of it is irreplaceable, because it isn’t made anymore.

“My truck isn’t worth what they took,” he said. “Whoever did this hit the lottery, and they did it broad daylight. There was enough there to stock a tackle store. I’ve worked most of my life to accumulate that stuff, but now it’s all gone. I reckon it’ll be alright, though. I’ve got insurance. We’ll see what happens with that after we get back home.”

Robertson and his wife were staying at a rental house in Zavalla near Cassels-Boykin Park at the State Highway 147 bridge. After launching his boat that morning, Robertson said his wife returned to the house, unhitched the boat trailer and drove to Lufkin to get groceries and other supplies.

According to reports from the Lufkin Police Department, the woman visited Walmart, Academy Sporting Goods and Sam’s Wholesale Club that morning before stopping at the Pilot Travel Center for fuel on the way back to Zavalla.

“After she got fuel she noticed there was hollow body frog lure wedged in the rear bumper,” Robertson said. “She figured I dropped it that morning and didn’t think anything about it until she started hitching up the boat trailer to come get me later that afternoon. That’s when she looked inside the camper shell and saw everything was gone.”

Robertson said the camper shell was locked and that the thieves “cracked the latch” to get at the goodies inside. His wife believes the theft occurred while she was shopping at Walmart or Academy, he said.

LPD public affairs officer Jessica Pebsworth said the crime was still under investigation as of Sept. 9 and that detectives were still in the process gaining access to surveillance video footage from both businesses for review.

A LPD supplement report indicates the Robertsons received notification in a Sept. 7 social media post that a white male was observed attempting to peddle fishing tackle to patrons in a grocery store parking lot. No further updates on the case were available as of Sept. 11.

BE PREPARED

Thieves typically hit when you least expect it. It’s always a good idea to be prepared ahead of time.

If you don’t have insurance on your fishing tackle, buy some. It will normally add just a few bucks to a monthly boat premium.

If you already have tackle insurance, double check with your agent to make sure the coverage is sufficient. Be sure there are no exclusions that might render the coverage useless. Homeowner’s or renter’s insurance may not cover theft that occurs away from the dwelling.

Here are some things to consider when reviewing your policy, along with some ways to improve the odds of a favorable outcome when filing a claim:

• Make sure the coverage amount at least equals the value of the gear. It is better to have too much coverage than not enough.

• Determine whether items are insured for “actual cash value” or “replacement cost.” Replacement cost covers reimbursement to replace a stolen item at the current price. Actual cash value is better than no coverage at all, but in many cases the reimbursement will be a garage sale figure.

• Document all gear with photographs.

• Make a complete list of all rods, reels, lures and other items. Write down the serial number of electronics trolling motors, boats and outboards.

• Store all receipts in a safe place for proof of purchase.

• Engrave your driver’s license number or name on gear so it can identified.

5 Ways to Deter Thieves

Here are some things anglers can do to reduce the odds of becoming a victim:

■ When traveling, remove all rods, reels, electronics and anything else of value from your boat at night and store them in the motel room.

■ Always try to park in areas that are well lit or places where the rig is clearly visible when left unattended.

■ Avoid leaving valuable items in plain view when stopping for fuel, food or rest stops. A thief can hit and run in seconds. If your boat has locking compartments, use them.

■ Install a boat alarm system.

■ Work as a team. If you spot someone or something that looks suspect around another angler’s boat, don’t hesitate to ask questions.

—Matt Williams