BOATSTIX

Clyde Holscher of Topeka, Kansas, is one of the original members of the Finesse News Network. He is also an occasional contributor to our Midwest Finesse columns.

His astute insights about Midwest Finesse fishing stem from the scores of years that he has been a multispecies angler and full-time guide on the wind-swept flatland reservoirs that grace the landscapes of northeastern Kansas.

In addition to his guiding endeavors and contributions to the Finesse News Network, he has recently become the founder of BOATSTIX, which manufactures a tool that expedites the way anglers and boaters launch their boats and secure them to a dock.

Across the decades that he has launched his boats and put them upon his trailers at these reservoirs, he has used a variety of methods and tools to safely expedite these chores. Ultimately, he created his first rendition of the BOATSTIX, and from the get go, he realized that it was by far the most efficient and safest device that he had ever seen and used.

Across the years as he worked on perfecting the BOATSTIX, he made several generations of it. And as new generations of the BOATSTIX appeared, his family members, fellow anglers, and scores of clients whom he guided lauded them.  In fact, nearly everyone who saw him employ those prototypes enthusiastically proclaimed that every boat owner should have two of them in their boats.

At the Kansas City Boat and Sportshow in January of 2016, Holscher conducted a seminar entitled "Boat Towing & Trailering Mastery."

During this seminar, Holscher exhibited a recent prototype of the BOATSTIX, and he spent a few minutes talking about its manifold virtues. He proclaimed it to be the best first mate a boater can have. He also -- with  a touch of humor -- described it as a marriage saver, noting that the tension revolving around launching a boat or putting one on a trailer can be a confounding endeavor, and at times around some of the boat ramps, he has seen that tension erupt and evolve into some heated discord between a husband and a wife.

He explained that it keeps the boat from getting too close to the dock and damaging either the dock or the boat. He described how it is especially useful when a boater has to deal with a heavy wind or stiff current.   He showed the audiences how the BOATSTIX allows the boater to secure the boat to the dock without having to make the precarious jump out of the boat onto the dock.   When an angler launches his boat, the BOATSTIX is attached to the boat's back cleat and his companion stands on the dock and holds the end of the BOATSTIX's rope as the boat slides off the trailer. Once the boat is off of the trailer, the BOATSTIX's rope is affixed to a cleat on the dock. Then a second BOATSTIX is attached to the boat's front cleat and the end of its rope is affixed to another cleat on the dock.

In essence, the BOATSTIX does all of the hard, awkward, and precarious work, minimizing the risk of damaging boats, docks, and anglers.\

Endnotes

(1) It is manufactured in two sizes: a 15-inch one and a 30-incher. The 15-incher is recommended for low-profile boats such as the typical bass boat. A pair of them can be purchased online for $39.95, plus a $15 shipping fee.

The 30-incher is recommended for high-sides boats that are up to 23 feet long.  A pair of them cost $44.95, plus a $15 shipping fee.

(2) The rope is a high-quality and diamond-braided one. It is seven feet long and three-eighths on an inch in diameter. The pipe is three-quarters of an inch in diameter, and it is a CTS furniture-grade PVC pipe. The rubberized cap that fits over the top of the PVC pipe is steel reinforced to prevent the pipe from punching or breaking through the cap. The grip is made of a rubberized compound, which makes it extremely durable and comfortable to hold, as well as enhancing a secure grip.

(3) Here is the link to BOATSTIX's website: http://www.boatstix.com/.  The website features a video, which shows anglers and boaters how to use it.

(4) It can be purchased by calling 785-251-8803 or at http://www.mcssl.com/store/boatstix.

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