Putting your name and # on your gear

[JSK76]

I always thought my grandpa was little strange for putting his name on things but then a few days ago I went to go fishing and couldn't find my lakewood rod case. My first thought was I bet it bounced out of the box of the 4 wheeler on the way back in the dark, after all it wouldn't be the first time it happend. The next thought wasn't of replacing the 4 rods I had in there but of the 20 years worth of jigs and how much it would cost to replace them. Then I thought if I would only have put my name and phone number on it someone might do the right thing and give me a call. You can't expect someone to return them if they don't know who they belong to. I think 99% of ice fishers would see the phone number on it and think "I would hate to have this happen to me" and give you a call. Long story short I forgot the case in the fish house and every thing was safe and sound but I will be putting a label in it with my info.

[Vitreus]

It's a good idea. You'd need heavy duty labels that wouldn't come off...

[live4chrome]

I do. I lost a rod bag with a ton of stuff in it a few years ago. Put it on top of my vehicle and drove off the lake. Made posters and had it back with in a day

[BoxMN]

Yep, I do it on everything. Because I know there are honest people out there.

But same thing, we used to chuckle at Grandpa for doing it, but when I see my stuff/tools not coming back after people borrow it (usually relatives or neighbors) I now think old Gramps was a genius I also put a piece of easily identifiable colored duct tape on MY stuff (ice chisel, drills, 18v batteries, Otter hitches, even the hitch pins, etc.) so I can easily tell what is mine. Some people use spray paint too, works great.

edit - oh yeah, spray paint the bottom of decoys too, for when you have huge spreads with several peoples in it. Makes pick up sorting easier.

[Twins Guy]

I used a label maker and stuck a few on my rodcase, Marcum and Rose Creek jig cases. I included my name, phone number and offered a reward for safe return. Hopefully I never have to depend on a stranger to do the right thing but I figure the labels make it easier for them. I also hid a sticker deep inside the Marcum case (so I could identify it/prove ownership) on the outside chance that my flasher is lost or stolen and turns up on Kregslist. Next step is Lojack;)

tg

[pikerliker]

I wish I had done that with a soft sided tackle box that I used for ice fishing. I think I set it down on the ground near the landing of a lake I was ice fishing when I was loading stuff into my vehicle. When I realized it was gone I went back to the lake landing only to find it gone. Several years and a few hundred dollars worth of ice jigs, etc. Made somebody's day but definately not mine. Maybe a phone # on there would have saved me the grief.

[Mike Dumas]

I always thought my grandpa was little strange for putting his name on things but then a few days ago I went to go fishing and couldn't find my lakewood rod case. My first thought was I bet it bounced out of the box of the 4 wheeler on the way back in the dark, after all it wouldn't be the first time it happend. The next thought wasn't of replacing the 4 rods I had in there but of the 20 years worth of jigs and how much it would cost to replace them. Then I thought if I would only have put my name and phone number on it someone might do the right thing and give me a call. You can't expect someone to return them if they don't know who they belong to. I think 99% of ice fishers would see the phone number on it and think "I would hate to have this happen to me" and give you a call. Long story short I forgot the case in the fish house and every thing was safe and sound but I will be putting a label in it with my info.

Agreed! There are those out there that go... OOOOH a new rod. But a majority of the fishermen out there would give the number a call.

[Lusid]

Painters tape + marker so it's not permanent.

[Creek Kid]

Saw a bucket on the road a few years ago w/a nice storage seat & stopped & picked it up. Was pretty stoked @ my lucky find. I opened it up and there was a fishing license in it. White Page searched the name left a message w/my address & said it'd B by my back door. I saw a truck pull up the next day, he walked up my sidewalk, grabbed the bucket & left. Never knocked or nothing. Happy to the right thing but was surprised I didn't @ least get a thank you.

[Whopper Stopper]

I had a similar experience a couple of years ago. I notice something fall off a sled from half way across the lake I was on. I drove over there and found a tackle box full of stuff. I followed the person’s tracks and after about ¾ of a mile I found where they were setting up. I asked them if they lost a box. They looked at it and said “oh”.

Not another word was spoken.

WS

[CAMAN]

Painters tape + marker so it's not permanent.

Why wouldn't you want it permanent? In my experience painters tape hardly even wants to stick to itself or a clean dry wall. I'm not trusting it to stay in place on cold wet fishing equipment. May as well use a post-it note...

I use a paint pen or sharpie and if I need to remove it usually a little acetone or paint thinner will get it off with little to no remnants.

[Pat K]

3 years ago I found a Marcum flasher and a tackle tray in the parking lot at a lake access. I posted on this web site and another MN based fishing site that I had found some fishing gear at that lake on that date, tell me what you lost and you can have it back if you know what I found.

I was expecting to get a few messages with people just guessing to score some free equipment. I only received 3 pm's. One from the person who lost the flasher, one from a friend of his giving me contact info for the person who lost it, and one from someone who had lost a couple of rods at the same access a week earlier and was just hoping it was his stuff.

[Lawrence Luoma]

My old man left a bag full of crankbait tackle boxes at a public boat landing. Must have been $500-1000 worth. Someone found him on Fishingmn.com and sent him a PM. Got it back no problem.

Second story my old man dropped off by the bomber on a LOW trip and couldn't find his own ice scoop. When he got picked up he saw the scoop in the bomber and he said hey that's my scoop. The driver said "no no that's my scoop" and my Dad said "then your name must by Larry Luoma".

Goes to show putting your name on it can't hurt!!

[SkunkedAgain]

Had my huge gear bag bounce out of my boat on Hwy 65 north of Mille Lacs. My name and number were written in two spots with Sharpie. I got a call as I was driving since the bag was in the road. I gave the lady all of my cash. The bag had rain gear, clothes, cabin supplies, my nice digital SLR camera, etc.

Totally worth it. Cross out your name if you ever sell it. No big deal.

[WalleyeBIZ]

Had my name and number on my summer tacklebox and it blew out of the boat on the way to the lake!! 2 days later a little old lady called and asked it I had lost it! She said her and her husband pulled over and picked up all my lures along the highway!! Amazing that there are people out there like that!! When I went to pick it up their great grandson was amazed at the amount of rapalas I had, I laughed and let him pick out a few for their families good deed!! He was so excited it made me smile!!

[CAMAN]

Had my name and number on my summer tacklebox and it blew out of the boat on the way to the lake!! 2 days later a little old lady called and asked it I had lost it! She said her and her husband pulled over and picked up all my lures along the highway!! Amazing that there are people out there like that!! When I went to pick it up their great grandson was amazed at the amount of rapalas I had, I laughed and let him pick out a few for their families good deed!! He was so excited it made me smile!!

You know what that means? You have nowhere near the proper amount of tackle. A well stocked tackle box should not move in a hurricane.

[gonehunting]

A person could use a luggage tag for things like rod bags, tackle boxes, heaters, or even on your vexilar. May have to pick some of this week.

[WalleyeBIZ]

I was only 15!! So the tackle supply was low!! lol