We all have one. What's yours?
I have one that I constantly fight. It's ruined more than one day on the water for me. I wish there was an easy way to correct mine, but it's hard.
Mine is: Fishing Memories
Not sure if it is due to a lack of preperation, but I find myself doing it more than I want.
Remembering you forgot to put in the plug.
Remembering you left your rods or tackle home.
Remembering you forgot your PFD.
Not realizing you have the kill switch on and going nuts trying to figure out why the motor does not start.
Should I go on?????????
The plug and kill switch have got me more times than I care to remember.
I am pretty new to boating - just got mine about 8 months ago - forgot the plug once
But the worst thing I have done so far was leaving 4 rods unsecured laying next to the lower seats (between the gunnel and the passenger seat - we got motoring at about 45mph, neighbor driving, he plowed into an oncoming wake - if jolted the boat - thus jolting the rods, jolting enough that all for bounced upward then caught the wind and flew into the middle of lay lake in some 28 feet of water or so - never could retrieve them. I have never been so ticked - this was 4 basic rod/reels - my first ones for bass fishing - I had nickeled and dimed saving and buying them - and in an instant - gone >
But, my awesome neighbor gave some 3 hand me down combos that kept me going for a while while I replaced them - thanks Troyce!!!
The plug!
Should you do the same, here's a tip:
Get on plane, and pull the plug. The water drains right out.
Just make sure to pop it back in before slowing down.
I forget the boat keys once, had to haul the boat all the way home and get them. Also, fired up the big motor and took off with the trolling motor still down. It's like "hey, why is all that water flying up around the front of the boat?" then it hits you
Bought my first new motor...had to look under cowling. Started pulling the plug wires off and forgot to put one back on. Launched boat on busy sat. morning. Motor ran like it had marbles in it. Had to put back on trailer. Felt like a jerk when I discovered what I had done.
Didn't put in the drain plug
Left the gas tank at the house
Left the fishing license at the house
Didn't recharge the battery
Didn't test the motor before taking the boat out for the first time after winter break
:'(
QuoteThe plug!Should you do the same, here's a tip:
Get on plane, and pull the plug. The water drains right out.
Just make sure to pop it back in before slowing down.
They make bilge pumps, you know...
I'm still in the redneck conversion "jon-boat to bass-boat" phase and have a clamp-on bow mount trolling motor...
It has flown off the mount at 5-power in my hands so many times I oughta start calling myself Bill Dance...
I would say the plug is number one.
Tip: I have gotten by using some mud/clay and packed the hole and it was solid as hell, fished all day like that!
I could not even get in the water. I left the transom tie downs hooked up and could not get that boat off of the trailer no matter what I did.
QuoteI could not even get in the water. I left the transom tie downs hooked up and could not get that boat off of the trailer no matter what I did.
i have done that to.
I don't want to hi-jack the thread, but if you start your boat with a key, then attach the boat plug to your key ring with a clip of some sort. As soon as you insert the key into the ignition you will realize that you forgot to install the plug.
I was on both knees on the front casting deck, pushing off the dock. A little too hard, I guess, and the boat swung unexpectedly because of the wind blowing hard into shore, and I tumbled head first into the 44 degree water at 4:30am last October. I lost both shoes in the muck, smashed my shin on the lip of the boat, and ruined my cell phone. I had muck in my ear, too, because it's only 2 feet deep there.
Luckily I had plenty of dry clothes and a Thermos of coffee so I was fishing 10 minutes later with no shoes on.
Plug - stupid
Forgot tackle box - embarrassing
fished back to the dock at night and forgot to pull the TM before I put it on the trailer. - expensive
Left it in the water overnight and got caught in a thunderstorm, 4 ft waves blowing onshore and she sank in 3 ft of water. = very expensive
QuotePlug - stupidForgot tackle box - embarrassing
fished back to the dock at night and forgot to pull the TM before I put it on the trailer. - expensive
Left it in the water overnight and got caught in a thunderstorm, 4 ft waves blowing onshore and she sank in 3 ft of water. = very expensive
I got our club's "Plug Award" this year for forgetting a hook box in my car, tearing apart my buddy's boat looking for it. Beat out one guy blowing up his batteries rewiring his trolling motor, another for yanking on his trailer hitch for 10 minutes before realizing the pin was still in, and yet another for backing the trailer right off the end of the ramp.
Forget the plug ..... done that one, several times just to prove myself that I can make the same mistake several times.
Forget to charge the battery .... boy that 's another one I do oftenly.
Forget to tighten the seat clamps ... yup, everything is fine until you put your back against the seat
Forget to tie the anchor to the rope .... well that cost me an anchor once, so that one don 't happen anymore
So many mistakes so little time to make more, hey, but I 'm trying hard !
QuoteQuoteThe plug!Should you do the same, here's a tip:
Get on plane, and pull the plug. The water drains right out.
Just make sure to pop it back in before slowing down.
They make bilge pumps, you know...
Really???
What about people who don't want to put a bilge pump in their aluminum boat?
Pulling the plug on plane works just fine, smart*ss .
i pulled up early one morning on my best spot, quietly lowered my trolling motor as i made a long cast with an instant splash a bass nails my lil sammy just as i touch my foot to the pedal an power my trolling motror the thing flies off the mount into the lake...my foots still on the pedal keeping the motor from falling farther in the water and at the same time the fish is pulling, jumping and demanding my attention...i landed the fish before i salvaged the trolling motor, thats when i knew what my prioritys were...
QuoteI forget the boat keys once, had to haul the boat all the way home and get them. Also, fired up the big motor and took off with the trolling motor still down. It's like "hey, why is all that water flying up around the front of the boat?" then it hits you
X2 I leave the trolling motor down like all the time :-[ But other than that I live on the river so forgetting things isnt that big of a deal
Plug- I dropped the boat into the water and went to park the truck. When I get back to the boat my buddy says should the boat be filling up with water. I wasn't sure if I was madder at him for being an idiot or for me leaving the plug out. In an effort to not forget the plug I left it in. I put boat into water and it would not go anywhere. I look into bilge and it was filled with water. It took nearly 20 minutes to empty the water.
Forgot to put in the plug.
Forgot to raise the motor before pulling up the ramp. New skeg.
Forgot PFD.
Forgot to pay launch fee and had to go back to ramp to pay.
Fishing partner forgot to park in non-trailered section of lot and had to get car our of impound.
Forgot to remove back tie-downs, boat and trailer floated, and a cross wind blew both partly off the ramp. Had to wade waist deep in cold water to get it back on the ramp. Never do that again - I hope!
Forgot to quit and go home to take wife out to eat. Worst of all mistakes!
Freakin' drain plug!!!!!
The bottom of my boat wouldn't get washed were it not for my seasonal drain plug amnesia.
I forgot about this one. When I launch by myself sometimes I will tie a rope to the trailer and hook it to the boat. Back in the water and the boat floats off the trailer and the hook falls off the boat. I have gone swimming at least three times.
I only have a small 8' bass buster boat, I dont have any recurring probelms really, but i did have one this past weekend.
There I was at the boat ramp, had everything offloaded, truck parked and ready to launch. Now I always put one foot in the boat and push off with the other while jumping into the boat. I do all these steps in one smooth motion. Last Sunday there was an extra step. While performing this manuver, I hear, RRRIIIPPPP!!!. There goes th crotch of my jeans!! No big deal right? Except there is a certain undergarmet that I do not wear. I am going commando all the time. This was NOT a small hole either and now I have a big decision to make. Do I leave now while there is no people at the ramp, or do I risk it and go fishing and see what happens? Well I went fishin(I had already paid the four bucks). Didn't even get a bite. So now it is time to go. I have my flannel shirt tied around my waist to cover the massive exposure on my front side. I wait out a ways from the ramp for 30 minutes hoping all the men, women, and CHILDREN will leave. They don't so I say screw it and go for it.. My timing was way off, I back my truck down at the same time as two others!! I get out taking care that the wind does not blow up my make shift skirt, and there is the guy next to me standing by my boat waiting to help me load it, which I appreciated, but I didn't want him to get the "show of a lifetime" so we made it quick and I avoided any opportunity to strike up conversaion with him about how the fishing was. I got the boat strapped down and got the heck outta there!! All this an I didn't even catch one stinkin fish!!
;D
not me but my cousin, we were coming in to the dock and he was on the front and was going to step off and go get the truck, well when he went to step his foot caught one of his rods and it made him miss the dock and he went into the lake and swam around the other side to get back to land, and got the truck all wet
Gotta be the time i forgot to re-charge battery.At a friends pond(4 maybe 5 acres)no problem getting to the far side where the stumps are.While there and on fish I notice troller isn't quite up to par,we fish for an hour or so when wind starts to blow.Look up and clouds are coming FAST,of course the wind is blowing in the exact opposite direction of the landing.Well it starts to sprinkle and looks to be ready to get worse so we stop and start back.Within 2 min.we can no longer make any headway againsn't the wind,battery croaks!!It was about this time we realized 2 things,#1-The sprinkle was now a full-fledged downpour,#2-We forgot to put oars in the boat.
Had to be one of the funniest sights the two of us soaking wet paddling with tree limbs accross that pond.
one time while launching my boat with a new classic truck (67 ford f100) it all went in the water. i mean, i was not informed that i had no e-brake, and the whole rig went into the water. engine completely drowned. ran the same day though. gosh i miss those classic vehicles...
Biggest Mistake After Putting The Boat In The Water?
Not launching sooner
My dad & I have 2 boats, 1 bass tracker & 1 deep hull big water boat that we got from my grandfather when he passed away. We decided to go up to lake texoma & see how it ran. When we take the tracker out my dad will get in the boat & i'll back him down into the water then park. Well we did the same thing with the big boat but we didn't really do a good job of looking at the trailer before hand. We had no idea that the boat was resting on rollers on the trailer. I started to back the boat down & heard/felt something weird going on & then a huge crash. Yeah, that boat had rolled off the trailer right onto the boat ramp. Man did we feel stupid trying to fix that problem while other anglers patiently waited to launch their boats the proper way ;D The boat ran fine that day & continues too. It's built like a tank.
P.S. The boat wasn't technically in the water but without a doubt the biggest mistake we ever made while going fishing.
Went out one morning to test a repair on my motor. I forgot that I had removed the prop on my trolling motor to replace it. Actually, didn't think I'd need it. Got about 2 miles from the ramp and OH BY THE WAY, forgot that I hadn't put gas in the boat either. So, two miles from ramp with no trolling motor and no gas. Rowing an 18 ft bass boat is NOT FUN...
I Got about 500 yards from the ramp and realized it would have been a much easier row if I had raised the motor out of the water to create less drag. What an idiot......
I launched in a local lake one day last spring, early spring I should say. There were some locals fishing on the bank, probably 7 - 10 people. I fish alone probably 90% of the time, so I jump out tie my boat off to the dock, jump back into my truck, back into the lake, launch the boat, pull back up the ramp.... and I notice the boat starts drifting out into the lake.
I had forgot to "securely" tie the rope back to the boat. I tried to grab it but it was of no use, my audience on the bank slowly started letting me know I'd have to swim for it. And I did, 50 degree water and all...
I had done this 1,000 times before and never had it happen. I now recheck my knots before I launch...
LOL HA
QuoteQuoteQuoteThe plug!Should you do the same, here's a tip:
Get on plane, and pull the plug. The water drains right out.
Just make sure to pop it back in before slowing down.
They make bilge pumps, you know...
Really???
What about people who don't want to put a bilge pump in their aluminum boat?
Pulling the plug on plane works just fine, smart*ss .
How do you get the plug in and out while on plane? Do you mean reaching down over the transom with the boat on plane to put it in our out? I'm not being a smart *ss, just curious.
The drain plug is an annual occurrence.
Last year I forgot to add two cycle engine oil to the gas until after I put into the lake. Fortunately I hadn't gotten any further than the docks so shut her off immediately. Anyway, I had to bum some (offered to pay 10 dollars for a pint) from another group of fishermen. Then, at the end of the day I backed the trailor into the lake, loaded the boat, and got back into the pickup to start it. Not a sound. What the He**?!!! The same fishermen who I bummed the oil from earlier were there. Though I didn't think it was the battery, they tried to jump start me. At first it didn't start but then it fired right up. Talk about relieved! Later I discovered that a carpet sample I use to keep the carpet dry(er) had slid forward and under the clutch-preventing it from descending far enough for allow the truck to start. Secretly I was very embarassed. Now it's public. :
Forgot the plug.
Forgot the key.
My biggest bonehead stunt was when I left both of my tackle bags on my seawall. The only thing that saved me was, I rigged all six rods before I left the house. Fortunately for me, there was a hot spinnerbait bite that morning, and I only needed one rod. After that trip, there is always a "just in case" bag in my center console.
Falcon
In a jon boat forgetting to tie the anchor line to the boat and throwing out the anchor. I was sitting there thinking the wind was pulling the boat and anchor, and then I saw the anchor line floating out in the water. I was lucky that the water was not deep.
You guys are too funny! I just bought my first boat and have yet to take her out on the maiden voyage. Between laughing my guts out, I'm trying to take some important notes. It's a guarantee I'll experience those mistakes multiple times.
Underwear - checked
Drain plug - checked
PFD - checked
Rods - checked
Tackle - checked
Gas - checked
Charge batts - checked
Dock ropes/knots - checked
Learn how to swim - TBA ;D
For sheer comedic value, this thread has been one of the best I've ever read on BassResource.com.
As a new boater, this thread has been one of the best, most helpful, valuable, things I've ever read on BassResource.com.
Thank You!
QuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteThe plug!Should you do the same, here's a tip:
Get on plane, and pull the plug. The water drains right out.
Just make sure to pop it back in before slowing down.
They make bilge pumps, you know...
Really???
What about people who don't want to put a bilge pump in their aluminum boat?
Pulling the plug on plane works just fine, smart*ss .
How do you get the plug in and out while on plane? Do you mean reaching down over the transom with the boat on plane to put it in our out? I'm not being a smart *ss, just curious.
In many aluminum boats the plug is on the inside of the transom and pretty easily accessable. Its pretty dangerous to do this on your own, if you'd fall out your pretty much screwed. It's really a last resort type of thing and better with two people. But if your bilge pump fails you can use it to help you out of a hairy situation.
I've only did it once, and it was during a heavy rainstorm that lasted all day, and my bilge wasn't working. So as my boat filled up I'd pull the plug, drive awhile, then put it back and I was good to go again.
Last year I was in my boat just about to load it on the trailer. As I make the turn to the ramp where the trailer is already waiting along with my unattended truck (I was fishing alone). I notice some delinquent has his head and shoulders stuck though my open truck window.
I'm thinkin', "Some moron is pilfer stuff out of my truck, WTH?!".
I'm so intent on watching him I'm not paying attention to what I'm doing as I nose up on the trailer. Forgot to trim up the motor in my distracted/POed state of mind.
Just about the time my lower unit/skeg/prop hit the concrete ramp the "moron" gets away from my truck. Here it was a lake staff person checking for my launch permit (which was planly hanging on the mirror, not sure why he had to practically crawly in my truck to see it).
Skeg and LU were O.K. but it wrecked two baldes on the SS PROP.
That was a $300+ mistake >
I love reading all these over... but I wonder what I will forget once I start launching my canoe on a regular basis...
road trip last year, forgot to put my tackle box in the floor- left it on the back when dick took off the box rolled off the back of the boat. didn't know it was missing until i went to change baits about 20 minutes later. $600 to $700 worth of tackle gone.
what made it so bad was i had in the tackle box 18 jitterbugh that they don't make anymore most of them i bought off e-bay during the winter. have looked this winter haven't found any to replace the ones that i lost.
Let's see:
Drain plug
rear tie down straps
winch strap
kill switch
keys
Hopefully I won't add too many more to my Darwin list. ;D
Knowing you should have bought twelve,
not the six-pack!
:
Have forgotten the drain plug numerous times, that is always fun. The last time I had forgotten the drain plug because it was raining the night before we were fishing and I left the plug out so the boat wouldn't hold water over night. We get to the ramp and drop the boat in the water and I go park the truck. As the boat is filling with water the plug apparently floated to some other place in the boat and we couldn't find the plug. We had to drag the boat transom first up on shore so the back end of the boat was mostly out of the water. Never did find the plug, but luckily I had some extras I hadn't thought of in the livewll.
Haven't had to many other mishaps besides the very infrequent rods gone swimming and one time forgetting my tackle bag in my fishing partners driveway and had to go back and get it. Luckily it was only about 6 miles back to his house.
I haven't forgotten my boat key yet, but I have only had a boat with a key for about a year. I usually keep the key in my truck so I can't leave the ramp without it and it is close by.
One of the stupidest things I have done recently was before I got my own boat I was using my Dad's boat who hasn't used the boat for about 5 years bc he got into deep sea fishing. I was working and I was going to have my partner take the boat to the mechanic for an impeller change. Well I had the key for the trailer on my keychain and my didn't have a key. My fishing partner had to drive 30 miles to my work to get my key so we could fish a TX the next day.
QuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteThe plug!Should you do the same, here's a tip:
Get on plane, and pull the plug. The water drains right out.
Just make sure to pop it back in before slowing down.
They make bilge pumps, you know...
Really???
What about people who don't want to put a bilge pump in their aluminum boat?
Pulling the plug on plane works just fine, smart*ss .
How do you get the plug in and out while on plane? Do you mean reaching down over the transom with the boat on plane to put it in our out? I'm not being a smart *ss, just curious.
Well, I should clarify I have a 15' aluminum jon boat.
Since I have tiller steer, my transom is only inches away. I got up on plane, reached back and pulled my plug, and watched the water drain out of the boat.
Putting it back in only took a second. I only have to reach a few inches since I'm steering from the back of the boat anyways.
It's a little scary to think about, but as long as you keep going, water can't enter the plug hole. Pop her back in, and you're good to go.
behing tied up to a tree while wtaching Ike fish and later he comes our way and throws at it as we are still tied up
my uncle has a house on smith mountain lake, and it seems like its a nightmare everytime he goes to take his boat out. first, once he lets the boat lift down and lowers it into the water he refuses to start it up and back out of the dock. i end up having to get up and push the boat backwards out into the lake before he will even start it. of course last time the batteries were dead because he hooked the charger up wrong, so here we are drifting away from the dock with no paddle, i had to open up the door on the side, get down on my knees and paddle us back with a floatation device(i made my aunt by an oar and put in the boat that weekend). but back to backing out of the dock, hes yelling to keep it straight when im pushing from one side afraid he is gonna get a tiny scratch on it if it bumps into the dock.
and pulling back in is just as bad, he wont drive the boat in there slowly, he cuts it off and drifts to the dock and wants me to pull it in steady and even on both sides and gets mad when its not center the whole way in. then he gets really mad when i ask him how my aunt/his wife can pull the boat right in there with no problems and no one having to get up and do all this unneccesary stuff. she only drives it when hes not there, so he doesnt believe me because he has never seen it...
after going through all that id almost assume to stay back on the dock and fish there all day and night. atleast then i can bypass the 6 pack or 12 pack, and go straight for the 24 pack and a bag of ice =]
Years ago I had a job selling boats. One day my boss told me to deliver a boat I had sold to a local lake, launch the boat and take the new owner for a test ride. When I got to the lake, the owner and his whole family were there on the dock to watch me launch the boat. I backed it in the water cranked it up and backed it off the trailer. It wasn't until I felt something cold around my ankles that I realized I had left the plug out. :-[ The only thing I could think to do was drive it back onto the trailer. However, I didn't take into consideration that the boat had a lot of really heavy water in the bilge so was a lot lower in the water. when I drove it back onto the trailer with the motor still all the way down, I hit the ramp and broke the lower unit. needless to say, the sale was cancelled and I had to look for a new job. :'(
My oopses seem to always happen when someone else is around to see them, where are these people when I catch a decent fish?
Only left the plug out once, and discovered it before I launched, but it had bounced into the drain hole of my third seat, and a kind gentleman helped to fish it out.
I think it was that same trip, we got into the water and realized that the PFD's were at home. One other time, I forgot to put them in the boat, and had to row all the way back across the 60 acre lake to the landing.
The worst one I think, was when I was using a private landing (with permission) and the owner had already helped me back the rig down (was just learning) and I was trying to launch the boat, pushing and shoving and it wouldn't budge off the trailer. The landing owner was also kind enough to point out that I'd forgotten to unhook the bow strap. DOH!
Can't wait for the water to open up!
Remembering as I motor away from the dock that I forgot my new license.
1. Many years ago: (not directly boat related, but fishing related).
buddy and I left home for a weekend fishing in a lake 7 hours drive away. Stopped to eat on the way. I offer to pay. No wallet. Left it at home.
Too far to turn around and go back. Buddy has small amount of cash and credit card.
Restaurant doesn't take cc's. Buddy needs to save the cash for the trip since I have none. I hate washing dishes and really don't want to go to jail.
Restaurant is one that fisherman stop at all the time--they see we are fishermen and give us a copy of the dinner check and say to mail them a personal check when we get back home.
We did.
Intervening years: about everything already mentioned here! At least once!
2. Last spring:
went to boat dealer to pick up boat after having it serviced -. Paid and then dealer employee helped me back up to trailer and hook up. Then he left.
My boat (aluminum) was parked between two large pontoons. Got too close to one and scraped my boat. Not much damage to it and none to the pontoon. But--could not get my boat back in position to get out-there was a fence in the rear and I was not able to go back far enough. Embarrassing-had to go back in and ask them to come back out and help me get out of the parking space!
3.. Last month:
launched my boat --started motor no problem. Could not steer it--steering wheel would only turn an inch or two each way.
Forgot to take the clips off of the steering arms that keep motor from turning side to side while trailering.
Looking forward to finding new ways to mess up--ways no one else has done (or will admit).
Forgot to put in plug (more than once). Drove 80 miles to lake without gas hose (paid $25 {20 yrs ago} for an extra that another boater had-it was old but better than nothing). Left boat key hanging on hook by the back door. Left tie-downs on transom (more than once). Left rain gear at home (rainy, cold late fall day). Fallen off front twice (losing prescription glasses and trashing cell phone both times, plus one good spinning rig). These are the ones that come quickly to mind and is not a comprehensive list. :
On the inaugural trip with my first boat was maybe the best(?). It was a 16' Polar Craft V on a trailer that hinged in the middle. For reasons unknown, we decided to pull the pin from the trailer so it would pivot. We were OK until I crawled in the boat and sat down in the back seat (raised on a pedestal ~12"). As soon as my brother started down the ramp, the trailer pivoted. Now I am nearly standing on my head, hanging off the back of the boat, with both arms wrapped around an 18 HP Johnson. The lower unit of the motor scraped a few feet, before my brother stopped the vehicle. Luckily nothing seriously hurt but my pride.
This was not the last time I found myself upside down, hanging on to that motor for dear life. That old Johnson would start in gear. One of the first trips out, I left it in gear when I stopped. When it was time to go, I gave the throttle a twist and gave her a tug... It was a very exciting couple of seconds. I told the friend I had bought the motor from about this and he got a big laugh, having warned me. A few months later he was fishing with me, and did the same thing. It was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. I was young and in good shape then. Any one of these happening now and my falling off the boat number would go up.
Was on a fishing trip a few years ago with some guys from work. I had just purchased a Bass Tracker and was excited to take it out on a big reservioir for the first time (i usually just fish small strip mines). We get there on a Friday afternoon and just shore fished for a few hours. That night we all went out to dinner and i got really really drunk. I get up the next day and I have a hangover for the record books. We launch the boat and motor to the spot around 2.5 to 3 miles away. I take out my rods and start throwing my spinnerbait. I wanted to tie on a different color, only to realize all my tackle was in the hotel room (30 min away). Luckily i had a few things in the boat. We go to leave and motor about 30 feet and motor shut off. Ran out of gas. Started to troll and the battery died after about 10 min. Only had one oar in the boat, so there I am rowing a boat in 100 plus degree temperatures with a hangover. Finallly my buddy flagged down a boat and he thankfully towed us in. Now i have two trolling motor batterys in the boat and never leave the ramp without a full tank.
I had a friend forget the cooler of beer on the dock :'(
QuoteThe plug!Should you do the same, here's a tip:
Get on plane, and pull the plug. The water drains right out.
Just make sure to pop it back in before slowing down.
im not sure, but i dont think i can swim that fast. then theres trying to get back in the boat...
This is a real story and it happened to a man who needed to be rescued . . . . . .
The incident began at the fuel dock. After refueling, this man realized that he had spilled a considerable amount of gas which had formed a sizable puddle on the aft deck of his boat. He then started his boat and moored at his normal slip in the marina. Next he went to his truck, got an electric wet/dry vac, plugged it into an outlet on the dock and started to Vacuum up the gasoline. You got to see where this is going. It didn't take long for the gas fumes to collect in the metal vac can. Within minutes - BOOM ! The vac exploded launching shrapnel into the guy and blasting him off the boat and into the water. His boat caught fire and exploded which in turn caught 5 other vessels tied up next to him on fire too. When we arrived on scene (USCG) the marina personnel had managed to pull the man to safety, then they cut all the boats on fire free. The burning vessels were drifting around and taking turns blowing up, all of them eventually burned to the waterline.
I later found out this fine mariner was employed as a family physician.
A-Jay
Immediately after launching I saw a huge front coming in....ckd my weather radio and it said huge storm and probability of tornados....I ran for 45 minutes to my #1 spot thinking it would be protected some what. It wasn't and it was a long, Long, LONG night.....
Did I say LONG NIGHT...it was
Big O
www.ragetail.com
While fishing a tournament once I arrived at my spot where I was going to win the tournament and found four boats already on the spot. I was so ticked that I made a tight right hand turn to head to another spot and launched my partner at least twenty feet into the air. Nobody got hurt but I learned a lot.
wow that is some survival story need....glad you are here with us today ;D
This happened to my buddy. He kept his boat at a dock on the lake, one day we were walking out the dock to his boat and someone up on the shore yelled something at him. He stopped, turned around and answered them. They exchanged a few comments and then he took two steps and stepped off the dock into where his boat should have been........ it wasn't..... It was an empty slip his boat was in the next one . He went down with a handful of rods, his tackle box and all of his dignity. I could hear him cussing under water. He had a nice audience for that one.
QuoteI forgot about this one. When I launch by myself sometimes I will tie a rope to the trailer and hook it to the boat. Back in the water and the boat floats off the trailer and the hook falls off the boat. I have gone swimming at least three times.
Done that a time or two, but the worst part here is cotton mouths. The guy at the marina wouldn't let me jump in and threw me an oar and told me to chase my boat with one of his canoes.
As a new boater guess ill have a make a check list LOL ;D
How about this one. The night before a big trip you and your buddy spend a good hour and a half at your favorite Chinese buffet for dinner. Get up before daybreak and head out to the marina, stopping for breakfast at an all-night greasy spoon and walking out with a huge cup of black coffee to go.
After launching the boat and heading 20 minutes out toward the upper end of the lake the coffee suddenly kicks in and you realize you haven't made a trip to the bathroom in more than 24 hours. Your colon gets the workout of its life as it attempts to maintain the last shred of any dignity you still possess. Every wake feels like the bottom is going to fall out as you endure a living hell of clench, release, repeat. As you waddle toward the men's room at the marina the hottest college co-ed you've ever seen in your life comes idling past with a knowing smirk.
At least we caught fish that day - and yes, not just crappie. (Let me go ahead and get that one over with)
I was fishing Lake Fork with a buddy. He was running the trolling motor pretty fast to move out of the area. I was standing on the back deck near the edge and casting to some pads. He hit a stump very solidly with the TM and I went right into the water with a rod and Shimano Chronarch combo in my hand. It was March and cold. I went all the way under water and came up with the rod in my hand telling him to take the rod..take the rod...We had to go back a long way to where we were staying...Did I say it was March? I almost froze...but I held onto the rod.
I'd just gotten a new Ranger 360. First time in the water. Backed off the trailer and was going to tie it off at the dock when my feet felt a bit wet. Water was up to my ankles. Forgot the *#)(%)#& plug. Got it back on the trailer and pulled it out. Took awhile to drain, even with the bilge pumps helping. Luckily, I was alone at the ramp at the time. Last time I ever pulled that one.
I've also been had by the kill switch a couple of times, along with the winch strap. Other than that, nothing major.
I have a Jon boat. the first time I took it fishing, I remembered everything except oars. I was two and a half acres from land when my battery on the trolling motor died, and no one else was on the lake. I had to hand row my way back to shore.
Allowing Dozer to get in my boat
Talked to a good friend and decided to meet at the lake around 4pm to do a lil fishing he thought I was bringing my boat and I thought he was bringing his. We laughed so hard our stomachs hurt. ;D
QuoteTalked to a good friend and decided to meet at the lake around 4pm to do a lil fishing he thought I was bringing my boat and I thought he was bringing his. We laughed so hard our stomachs hurt. ;D
That may not be a winner, but it is high on the list. ;D
My biggest mistake one day WAS putting the boat in the water!!
I fish out of an old Coleman Crawdad, it is great for getting into the smaller ponds in Plymouth and down Cape Cod, but there are times when the wind can push it around. This story is one of those times .Easily my worse day on the water.
(i copied and pasted this from another site that I posted it on.) Sorry it is so long.
March 15 2008
I tried to fish today ,first off I went to Glen Charlie and the only ramp I know was blocked with two big sand piles ,so I headed down the street to Halfway pond ,it was raining and there was a little wind ,but I launched the boat anyways(first mistake, I should have gone home when I could'nt get on Glen Charlie)
I knew it would be raining and I was dressed for it,as I motor away from the ramp I noticed my motor wasn't spinning as fast as usual so I switched batteries and problem solved (one battery down) ,I thought I would head towards the other side of the pond to get out of the wind however when i turn the corner there is another boat fishing that area, so I head across the pond to use the trees as a wind break, which worked well, so I start throwing jerk baits towards the shore hoping there was a shallow bite because the wind is picking up and to move out away from the shore I would have been blown all around, I come to a big tree and pick up my jig rod and make a cast and the top 8" of my rod breaks off, so I reel that in and again throw the Jerk bait(one rod down).
Well now the wind is really blowing so i say screw this and start to head back to the ramp,well once I get into open water the wind starts really pushing me around,(why does it seem you are always heading into the wind when you are heading back to the ramp?)with the waves now crashing into the front of the boat and I being about as far away from the ramp as I could be, my second battery starts to slow down, I make the turn around the island and can see the ramp,now the waves start to crash over the front of the boat and the boat is slowing down(down two batteries) I pick up the paddle and start paddling along with the trolling motor and after a few minute my paddle breaks in half (one paddle down), so with that being the only paddle I brought I continue to paddle with it but I am not making much headway,I am starting to get a little nervous now, I know I am not going to make back to the ramp and I also notice that there is a lot of water in the boat, more than I think there should be, I know it is raining but I don't think it was raining hard enough to put that much water in the boat, I look around to see what I could do and I notice the pump house that has the little inlet to it, the one that has the rock walls, so i spin a 180 and start heading there, now the wind is at my back and I moving pretty good now I aim for the inlet and the wind pushes me right in, I hop out, tie the boat to the shore and make the walk back to my truck,
I drive back to the boat, now if you know the pond you know were I am, I have to figure out how to get my boat up and over this rock wall(it is about three feet from the water to the top of the wall), well I jump in the boat and unload everything except one battery and the trolling motor onto the this little deck that is on the front of the pump house, it is now pouring freezing rain and wind is howling, I turn the boat around and start heading out into the lake again.
I plan on pulling the boat up on land right at the mouth of the inlet,the wind pushes me sideways into the shore and I throw my anchor onto land to keep me from blowing back into the inlet, I undo the trolling motor and put that onshore and in doing so i breal the prop(down one prop) I get out of the boat and it immediately blows back into the inlet so I trypulling back with the anchor line but it keeps getting stuck on a big 4x4 that is sticking out of the water, well I finally pull the boat out of the inlet over the rock wall, load the truck and head home ,when i get home and start unloading the boat I realize that my life jacket is missing(down one life vest), the perfect ending to a perfect day.
Final tally two batteries, one fishing rod, one trolling motor prop, one paddle , one life vest, and no fish ,I think that is everything.
Easily the worst fishing trip I have ever been on sad.gif
Sorry this post was so long.
;D
Let's see......
Left plug out-check
Trying to start with kill switch pulled-check
Left TM down when trying to get up on plane-check
Transon tie downs still attached when launching-check
Pulling up ramp with engine still down-check
Probably missing a few
1. Tackles, rods, and reels locked in the back of my truck.
2. Forgot to plug in the plug.
3. Forgot to take off the back straps on the trailer.
That's it...and I hope it stops at 3. ;D
QuoteHow about this one. The night before a big trip you and your buddy spend a good hour and a half at your favorite Chinese buffet for dinner. Get up before daybreak and head out to the marina, stopping for breakfast at an all-night greasy spoon and walking out with a huge cup of black coffee to go.
After launching the boat and heading 20 minutes out toward the upper end of the lake the coffee suddenly kicks in and you realize you haven't made a trip to the bathroom in more than 24 hours. Your colon gets the workout of its life as it attempts to maintain the last shred of any dignity you still possess. Every wake feels like the bottom is going to fall out as you endure a living hell of clench, release, repeat. As you waddle toward the men's room at the marina the hottest college co-ed you've ever seen in your life comes idling past with a knowing smirk.
At least we caught fish that day - and yes, not just crappie. (Let me go ahead and get that one over with)
You called it. That's when it's handy to have that roll of TP in the glove compartment.
True story, a few years ago about this time I talked my dad into using the boat for the day and to my suprise he said yes, i was pumped and ready to go. got to the ramp and got in way to big of a hurry, i was by myself got out unhooked the boat and immediatley got back in the truck and backed it on in then hit the brakes a bit to slide the boat on out, watching in my mirror to see if it came off ok, and it did but hey im by myself there goes the boat. So then i was just in shock of what i just did, luckily the wind was in my favor and the boat didnt go to far, but the ramp is really shallow and it stays like 2ft deep for like 20' off the bank, so off comes my shoes and sock and i go walking for the boat, remember its march in northeast missouri and the ice just melted. i wanted to keep my shoes and socks dry so i could still fish later. so i got back in the boat and started to get my tackle ready and then looked down to to bottom of the boat and noticed water, guess what forgot the plug, crap. trollled back to the ramp got in the truck backed it in then ran the boat back on the trailer to do the plug. lazy me didnt feel like pulling out to put the plug in so i bent over the back to put in and yah dropped it right in the frigid water, back in the water i go. so i finally finish all this nonsense and i got to fish, i think i caught one over about 4hrs of fishing, time to go and i load the boat just fine and as im cranking ther strap on the front to make it snug.. snap! there goes that. i couldnt beleive it. all in all it was some tough lessons learned that could of been worse, i was so used to having a second person with me that i just forgot everything.
of btw when i got all the water in the boat i had my nikon coopix camera in a bag on the floor, bye bye coolpix and the 200 i spent on that.
QuoteI was fishing Lake Fork with a buddy. He was running the trolling motor pretty fast to move out of the area. I was standing on the back deck near the edge and casting to some pads. He hit a stump very solidly with the TM and I went right into the water with a rod and Shimano Chronarch combo in my hand. It was March and cold. I went all the way under water and came up with the rod in my hand telling him to take the rod..take the rod...We had to go back a long way to where we were staying...Did I say it was March? I almost froze...but I held onto the rod.
you might call me crazy but was that in early march in some really cruddy cold weather. we seen a guy fall last year about that time. we were on the west bank to from the 154 bridge a mile or so.
Couple years ago me n two friends launch my boat in the river at about 3:00 AM, still pitch dark, and noticed the water was a little low, but didn't give it any more thought than that. Well, we worked our way down for an hour or so, and the pre-dawn light was just enough to fire up the big motor and make a run, so we did, and all was fine for the first mile or so, until we came under a bridge, and discovered just how low the water really was when we wrapped the lower end around a pile of rocks, and tore two huge breaks in the hull, and we were taking on water with a dead motor, and drifting down river quickly. Very bad day, and a hard lesson learned! That whole rig ended in the salvage yard.
- Left the plug out
- launched boat by myself, usually i tie the boat to the trailer, but i forgot. Boat went floating off. Luck i had a extra rod i keep in the truck, cast out and real the boat in.
- My buddy and i drive 1 1/2 hours to a lake, he forgot his fishing license. Nearest store open at 4:30 am was walmart 30 min. back.
- I was in the middle of guntersville lake, tried to start the boat to move to another spot and it didn't start. after 30 min.s of checking batteries, starter and wiring, i realize i had the boat in gear.
- All of these happened last year. Hopefully this year wont be worse.
I haven't kep up with this thread, so if this has been posted already I apologize:
One of my favorite things to do when I can't go fishing is watch Mythbusters. They aren't doing any new episodes right now, but I can DVR old episodes on the upper cable channels. Night before last, they had one episode entitled "Son of a Gun" (not related to this topic, but really wild if you ever get a chance to watch it). One of the segments on the show had to with a "myth" about two guys taking their new boat out for a test run and they could only get it up to 5 mph even at full throttle - so they called the local mechanic from the marina - he checked out the motor and everything was okay - he kept inspecting and found that the boat was still attached to trailer - not knowing they had launched the boat and trailer at the same time. The Mythbusters checked this out and it was confirmed.
QuoteThe plug and kill switch have got me more times than I care to remember. :
;D ;D ;D me too
Quote- launched boat by myself, usually i tie the boat to the trailer, but i forgot. Boat went floating off. Luck i had a extra rod i keep in the truck, cast out and real the boat in.
haha thats pretty funny, reeling in a boat
Fishing was slow one day so I decided to do some on the water electrical work behind the dash to fix a guage that wasn't working. I plugged something back into the wrong slot which killed a fuse. This was a new boat, so I did not know where the fuse was. So, we used the trolling motor to get back to the marina. I had used the boat the weekend before, and had neglected to charge the battery. So, now we were trolling on low power to try and conserve energy. Eventually, we make it into the closest marina just as the power dies completely. Unfortunately, the marina was a 45 minute cab ride to the marina where we had launched from and where we were parked. So, 2 hours later, I get back, haul the boat out of the water, then find the fusebox complete with a spare fuse.
Lesson: no on-the-water electrical work.
BrASSmonkey
I have all the same issues you guys have after launching....but I always forget to bring the trolling motor up after fishing an area.
haha.so far ive been lucky and remembered before actually launching the boat. best one i got is me and two other friends were putting in one of their boats. it was a stick steer that would also start in gear. the owner of the boat back my other friend in. it not being his boat had alot of trouble getting it to start. so he started giving it more gas when it finally did start he had the motor kicked all the way to one side and wide open. lol he was not ready for this. he fell out of the seat and was on his head and shoulders wedged beside the batter while the boat was standing at about 60 degrees in the air and going in circles. hahaha the momentum was enough it took him a long time to get back up enough to cut the engine back off. meanwhile we layed on the shore crying we were laughing so hard at him.
I always keep the plug in, and I figure as long as I concentrate the 1 min that I am draining the bilge and live well and put the plug back in that I won't have to worry about it. I have only taken my boat out twice so far and keep a meticulous checklist, or just email my gf from work what she needs to do as I remember it the day before. I keep a table in the garage and put everything on it that I need to remember to take. Getting up at 330 am after getting off at 1 am it can be tricky to remember everything.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Launching a boat... You're doing it wrong.
When I take the boat out alone, I have to make sure I backed the trailer far enough into the water, so I can get the boat off the trailer. I put the Emergency brake on, truck in gear (manual shift), crawl into the bed of the truck, (because having to back so far, most times the water is past the front of the boat) then crawl over and balance on the trailer tongue. Then I can un-hook the front strap.
But I love wearing those comfortable foam shoes, that are Crocs knock-offs. Those things have zero traction if there is dew or the trailer tongue got wet. Yep, you guessed it. Feet slip off, mad grabbing for the trolling motor, shoes hit the water and those concrete slab boat ramps have just enough algea, it feels like a slip and slide. Submarine impersonation, with one hand still hanging on to the trolling motor cable. Shirt half hung up on the front of the boat winch, (thank goodness for bathing suit top) and luckily just most of the shorts got wet and it was summer time.
I get my self back on the boat, with what diginty I could muster, get the boat off, park the truck and get to fishing. So I can say I was the boat ramp entertainment for that morning.
I took my grandpa out fishing or tried to a couple years ago, we launched the boat and for some reason the motor just wouldn't start I pulled till my arms burned I tried every thing i could think of my grandpa had the cover off trying to fix it well we never got it started so we put the boat back on the trailer and when we got back we drug out a drum of water to test the motor in as we looked the motor over I noticed that the kill switch was un-clipped! man did I feel like an idiot, a complete day of fishing wasted.
another time while duck hunting I launched the boat and it was pretty cold so I went to start the motor to let it warm up while I got things together, well after a couple pulls it wouldn't start so I gave it a little more throttle sure enough it started and it was still in gear and I was standing in the water next to it! thankfully it was pointed towards shore but it shot right up into shore and bent the crap out of my prop and broke the sheer pin, so ended a potential day of duck hunting.
Plug...definitely the plug...Twice last week. Once on my boat and once on my buddies. No sinking though!!!
Was fishing with a friend who backed the boat into the water and parked the trailer before getting in the boat with me. We were tied up to a bunch of downed trees and brush. As my friend reached down to untie us from the branch, so we could load up and head for home, we both heard a small splash just beside where the boat was tied. Yep, sure enough, he had put the keys in his shirt pocket which promptly sank to the bottom in the brushpile about 10 feet deep. He dove in after but, it was fruitless. We were about 2 hours from my house on a leased pond. Luckily, I had an old analog cell phone and called my girlfriend who went by my house and picked up the extra set of keys and brought them to us. I love technology. He He!
I forgot my paddle to my canoe once had to use my net to get back to shore