Back to Kill Switch Tethers

A while back I was asking about kill switch tethers and why they were so annoying to use.
I was doing a bit of research and it seems that Merc was the first to install them on their outboards back in the ’70’s.
In the ’90’s they reported that most kill switch tether cords ended up in a storage compartment as people just didn’t seem to want to hassle with them. Makes sense. I’m one of those people.

Every darn time I do remember to hook up the tether I forget about it and when I stand up to do anything in the boat the motor kills. This is not good on the moving river. I know there’s only a few that toss out their anchor, but I’m one that does and every time I do the darn motor stops. Things go bump on the river and more so in the night!

No keep in mind that I’m seldom if ever on the water with out a PFD on. My guide boat doesn’t leave the dock until everyone is wearing a Float Tech. After watching a number of videos I realized that if my boat is moving and I’m tossed, all those PDF’s are doing is keeping me at arms height of the prop in the “circle of death”. I need to use a kill switch. At least I’ll have a chance to swim to the boat rather then to shore if my boat stops fairly quickly.

It’s 2017. With the price of inflatable dropping and the amazing comfort that have there isn’t a reason for the angler to have one on. Few people enjoy dragging the river for missing boaters. Same with the darn kill switch!

I found a little but growing company that’s making a wireless kill switch. I’ve been playing around with it tonight and right now it’s outside because I want to see how it works in cold weather. I questioned the price of them well, because I know I’m never going to fall overboard at all much less with the motor running. To be honest, I’ll be boating more this year with the FW and if I happen to fall out, I’m a bit worried that she might not stop to get me back in the boat.

Anyway, I’ll post a video below to show the easy install and a link the the bass boys that could of had a bad tumble had it not been for the inflatables and kill tether attached.

The photo below came from the MN DNR. Seems like most that (don’t boat) see it think it’s a cool picture with all the circular wakes. I’m thinking more people on a fishing website will recognize it as the “circle of death”.

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How it works video…

Here’s a link to the YouTube video of a boat in a tourney running at 57 mph when there was reportedly a malfunction in the steering. Watch the slow mo at about 2:20 when the angler pops out of the water on the left.

Youtube Link

I really like the autotether…..i do wear mine when i am running but what i did is that i made a tether out of a long telephone receiver cord on a Scotty downrigger release clip….i can snap it on my belt loop and move around the whole boat and it recoils back in place out of the way

There are a couple wireless tethers on the market now. They are starting to become popular with the great lakes trolling crowd, especially those that fish solo sometimes.

Nothing like falling out while setting a down rigger and your boat just keeps on trolling away from you.

There’s some pretty ugly stories on youtube about people falling out and getting struck by the prop. Losing limbs and so on.

Seems like after people have close calls or are severely injured is when they become vocal advocates of using tethers and PFD’s.

As with PFD’s, when they are resting on the back of your chair they do you no good. Same with tether’s, hanging from the kill switch is like not having one at all.

Find something that works for you and use it.

Yellow Fever wrote:

out of a long telephone receiver cord

What is this ancient artifact which you speak of?

My Uncle during a tourney takeoff had the boat steering cable bust loose. Uncle was thrown from boat and the driver was knocked out laying on floor inside. Motor killed I believe somehow, but wouldn’t recommend a long tether cord for this reason, things could have turned out ugly. Luckily everyone turned out fine.

Nick, watch the Youtube Link above. It’s amazing no one was hurt!

I had a family friend that Was killed and his wife was severely injured by the death circle. Motor ran until out of gas. Wear the tether!!

Mwal

I’ve thought about this a lot when I am a few miles into Lake Michigan and usually by myself. Running the kicker in the back…. and bouncing around doing everything, netting or such and at times in some pretty rough water, if I fall out, with or without my life vest, I’m screwed. Almost got tossed out when alone on Lake Erie last year by a large wave.

That video of the bass guys getting tossed was an eye opener, since seeing it a couple weeks back.

Brian, Hopefully these devices you showed here become a bit less expensive in the future if they start catching on.

It looks like from the website, that you can mount it, or have it portable. As said, I’m more concerned about falling out when trolling on the back with the kicker. If this could be attached to the kicker switch.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Nick, watch the Youtube Link above. It’s amazing no one was hurt!

Yikes, that was about the same scenario. Being in a bass boat almost seemed to work out for them better than a big walleye boat where you hit some sidewalls before going out.

Yikes. Talk about losing control in an instant. I doubt holding onto anything would’ve kept them in the boat.

Great post, I didn’t even know this option existed. Like many others, I only connect my kill switch when driving in sketchy conditions. I’d do it all the time if I was tether-free.

Looking at this one by Fell, since it’s not mechanical and the hub on the dash is a subdued color.
https://buy.fellmarine.com/products/mob-wireless-cut-off-switch.html

Chuck Melcher wrote:

If this could be attached to the kicker switch.

Chuck it’s a quick easy switch from main motor to the kicker. Just need to switch clips…unless both motors take the same clip, then it’s effortless.

Michael C. Winther wrote:

Looking at this one by Fell, since it’s not mechanical and the hub on the dash is a subdued color.
https://buy.fellmarine.com/products/mob-wireless-cut-off-switch.html

Michael, I looked at that one. It is about $30 less money but I elected to go with the AutoTether for two reasons.

1)The AutoTether is portable. As mentioned above it can easily be moved from main motor to kicker or boat to boat.

2) Most importantly to me is that the AutoTether doesn’t need a 2+” hole to mount. With my luck I would cut into all the wiring under my dash! LOL!

When I first saw the AutoTether I was thinking the yellow was a cheap sticker over the top of the white case. Not so. I’ll see if I can get a better photo up later today. These are made extremely well.

I like this idea…

Not wanting to tie of topic, but anyone here using a Minn kota Terrova see how far, or if at water level – if you can shut it off, or turn it with the controller? Was just thinking, killing the kicker would be cool – but I use the trolling motor up from at the same time.

It’s all about safety Chuck…you’re good!

Here’s a quote from a good friend as we were talking about PFD’s and cordless tethers.

Lots of things change in life as we get older and I think being aware of how frail and fragile life is now has helped me see things in a new light.

So true.

Thanks for pointing out these products. I have been thinking about the kill switch issue for a couple years and after reading this I’m ordering an Autotether.
Already received my Standard Horizon HX870 marine radio because of a previous post. Dang, you guys are costing me a lot of money but when it come to safety cost is relative.

Chuck Melcher wrote:

I like this idea…

Not wanting to tie of topic, but anyone here using a Minn kota Terrova see how far, or if at water level – if you can shut it off, or turn it with the controller? Was just thinking, killing the kicker would be cool – but I use the trolling motor up from at the same time.

Same here, I’m in the same boat as you. Pun intended . When I bought mine it had a range of like 50′. Now I can’t go 15′.

That still presents an issue

gill when was the last time you changed batteries?

Better have that controller attached to you and if in the drink, turn it off FAST! LOL!

Wouldn’t be a bad idea to send that suggestion to MinnKota.

The photo doesn’t show it well, but as I mentioned earlier, the yellow is a solid piece and not just a tape on label like I thought when I first saw them on line.

Dale, if you do decide to order one make sure you list what make of engine you have. There are 5 “clips” that come with it, but my Merc side mount kill clip didn’t. There isn’t a charge but I’ll have to wait…not that it matters for me this time of year. My boat’s in a shed with too much shituff in front of it to get out.

The photo of the AutoTether below shows the LED’s lighting up when they recognize the fobs. After about 3 minutes all LED’s go out except the Power on the receiver and the LED on the fobs. They blink about once every 4 seconds (it could be less I should read the manual) to let you know they’re working.

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Changed the batteries a couple times last year trying different brands. No luck. I heard it could be the motor batteries. I don’t have the motivation nor the change to change 3 yo batteries.

I should mention it to Minn Kota, Motorguide too while I’m at it since I’m thinking of buying that next time.

Another option I’ve been mulling around is to clamp some sort of rudder to the trolling motor rather than actually running the motor. Then I could put the safety switch on the kicker and not have to worry about it motoring away if I fall out.

From a River Rat Friend with permission to repost:

I personally know how fast this can happen because it happened to me once. One second I was cruising up the river the next I was treading water. I did not have my kill switch attached and I did not have a life jacket on. I got very lucky somehow the motor killed on its own. That could have ended very differently.

It was a scary deal, for sure. I made so many mistakes that trip I am truly blessed I came home.

The main thing I remember of that incident was flying out of the boat and feeling the hull slide over me while I was underwater.

When I surfaced I was very lucky the motor had killed on its own. I came up nearly 100 feet away from the boat. I was dressed for the cold with boots and bibs on. (Edit: It was winter)

Again I was lucky my throwable and the gas tank from the boat were ejected too and were floating near me. I was able to grab them and they helped me stay afloat.

I am not sure I would have been able to make the swim back to the boat if it wasn’t for that.

It was definitely a learning experience for me.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

The photo doesn’t show it well, but as I mentioned earlier, the yellow is a solid piece and not just a tape on label like I thought when I first saw them on line.

Yes, I looked at them pretty closely online too, watched the videos, etc. The color actually makes me less likely to buy that one, as I don’t want a bright yellow thing on my boat’s dark dash. Most important thing is being pro-active about safety, so luckily there are other (better looking) options for me like the Fell unit, and drilling a hole in the fiberglass is something I’ve done many times, easy work with the right circular saw bit.

I am curious about perceived or known advantages/disadvantages of a mechanical solution like the AutoTether versus an electrical solution like the Fell.

Michael C. Winther wrote:

The color actually makes me less likely to buy that one, as I don’t want a bright yellow thing on my boat’s dark dash.

I like the looks of that Fell one, too. Of course, I don’t have a boat to put one on, so…

Michael C. Winther wrote:

Most important thing is being pro-active about safety

That is a fact! I’m just posting about a device that I found to take care of a safety issue. Whether anyone buys this one or the Fell or uses the kill tether, well that’s really the point of this whole post.

I just don’t want the people that fall out of their boat, get cut up or worse, die to come back whining here.

I can’t comment on the mechanical over electrical at this point beside that it looks solid in my hand. I guess I can say that I haven’t found any complaints in my research.

BTW when I was talking with the company rep asking about them, that was one of my comments. Yellow wasn’t very pretty. LOL!

Another tether story: Last summer we were slowly tooling around the lake in a buddy’s pontoon when my young Labrador retriever, sitting in the front, saw something interesting enough in the water that she decided to jump in after it. The boat went right over the top of her. The son of the owner/driver saw this happen and very alertly reached over and yanked the tether kill-switch faster than the driver could shift to neutral. The pup surfaced behind us and swam back to the boat, apparently no worse for wear. I was a wreck. But that switch and Brett’s quick thinking saved a dog’s life that day.
Next time I need to tether that Lab to the boat!

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Every darn time I do remember to hook up the tether I forget about it and when I stand up to do anything in the boat the motor kills.

I’m pretty good about using the tether cord. However, I have it set up to wear around my wrist. (Left had on tiller, right hand on wheel boat throttle) You usually feel the tug when standing up or reaching for something before pulling the cord and killing the motor. But, yeah it does happen on occasion.

-J.