Depending on how much you fish or hunt, transporting your own fuel could mean big savings
Capt. Todd Seither, a guide with Cajun Fishing Adventures out of Buras, is on the water in his 24-foot Skeeter well north of 200 days each and every year.
Depending on whether he’s chasing reds or specks inshore, heading out to Breton Island or maybe targeting offshore species at deeper rigs, Seither, 44, puts some serious miles on his Yamaha 300 when he’s on the water with clients.
He estimates that he runs an average of 15 to 20 miles every day, so he’s putting somewhere between 3,000 and 4,000 miles on his boat and motor every year. Depending on how far he has to run and where the bite is hot, he could be on the hook for 1,000 gallons of fuel or more annually.
So Seither, who lives in St. Rose, about 80 miles north of Buras, typically travels to work with six 5-gallon cans full of fuel he purchases near his home. He typically stays in Buras for two to three days before heading home to see his family, so 30 gallons is usually more than enough fuel for at least a couple days in the boat. When he gets home, he refills the gas cans and repeats the process year-round.
In doing so, he avoids paying high marina prices for fuel — unless he absolutely has no choice.
“I’m typically saving a dollar a gallon over the local marinas down here, where gas is $3-plus a gallon,” Seither said. “Right now in (St. Rose), it’s somewhere between $1.95 and $2.05 a gallon.”
Battery-operated pump
To make things easier, Seither uses a battery-operated siphon to pump the fuel into his boat, so he doesn’t have to worry about fooling around with gas or making a mess before his trips.
“The pumps cost 10 bucks at Harbor Freight. If I burn out one a month, I don’t care — but they actually last pretty good,” he said.
Filling his boat’s tank with fuel every morning is just part of what he does to get his boat ready for clients — and also save a good chunk of cash each year.
“In the mornings is when I put the gas in. I’ll set the can up on the deck of the boat, turn the (pump) switch on and then go grab a basket of ice and go ice up the boat, or go get my rods out of my locker,” Seither said. “While it’s doing its thing, I’m getting my boat ready and taking care of my morning routine.”
