Remember to Engage Brain

[Musky hunter 82]

Here's one for you, I was going fishing by myself on a nice sunny calm day. I launched my boat and proceeded to park my truck. When I got back to the dock my boat was drifting away, by this time it was already 40-50' from the dock. So Strip down to my undies (good thing they weren't white) and jump in after it. I got to the boat (a little 14 footer) and pulled it back to shore, just in time for the CO to help me out of the water. Funny things is the first thing he asks is if I have my life jacket, told him it was in the boat, while I'm trying to get my cloths back on. I did fish the rest of the day and barely caught anything, should have went home.

[Alagnak]

I don't know if you just wanted empathy, but I keep my drain plug on one of my transom tie-down straps. When the strap comes off the plug is literally in my hand so I can't forget it...plus it's easy for the Drain Plug Police to see that it's out while trailering.

+1

Works every time.

[CAMAN]

Sharing another brain fart story, my parents owned a boat on Lake Minnetonka about 25 years ago, they were out with some friends and my dad asked one of the guys to grab the anchor from the storage compartment and throw it in the lake. Well he did exactly as instructed, just didn't bother to tie the anchor line to anything. There is now an anchor and 100' of line sitting on the bottom of Tonka.

Another was my dad and a buddy of his were cruising down the Mississippi and went through a lock in Minneapolis. My dad in the stern and his buddy on the bow. Well my dad isnt paying attention to what the other guy is doing as the lock begins to lower. A few minutes later things are falling off a shelf as my dad looks around to see what is going on and notices the bow is about 5 feet in the air. Turns out his buddy tied the lock line to a bow cleat and by now there is way too much weight to untie it so my dad grabs a steak knife and cuts the line as the bow slams to the water. On their way back through a few hours later the lock master throws a coil of line at them yelling "you forgot the other half of your line!"

[CaptainMusky]

There is now an anchor and 100' of line sitting on the bottom of Tonka.

I wonder if that is the anchor my buddy hooked while trolling for muskies? Can you identify it? He will probably return it. Pulled it in since he had 100# braid on. :-)

[CAMAN]

I wonder if that is the anchor my buddy hooked while trolling for muskies? Can you identify it? He will probably return it. Pulled it in since he had 100# braid on. :-)

Haha, I'm sure it's not the only one down there! I have no idea what kind it was as I was only about 5 or 6 at the time. And it is surely too small for his current boat so your buddy can keep it and the million zeebs that are probably attached.

[BobT]

I recall one time when a couple friends were anchored at a spot and when they decided to leave they neglected to pull up the anchor. Their boat was powered by a 150hp motor and the driver punched the throttle and took off. The passenger happened to look back just as the anchor, or should I say missile, was just emerging from the lake. They didn't dare slow the boat for as it was the rope acted like a bungee cord and the anchor fell into the water just a couple feet short of the stern. Lucky nobody was hurt on that one.

[20lbSloughShark]

I've forgot to pull in anchors before, but usually I noticed before its too late. Plus I don't have a 150 hp motor. The worst I've had was I was launching my new-to-me crappy 14' (but I got it for basically free) and hooked up a pull rope so I could pull it off the trailer. I didn't just drive them off back then. The moment the trailer hit the water, the rope somehow popped loose. It was a solid clip like you use for safety chains, and to this day I never figured out how it could come off. I watched as my boat just floated away from me. Luckily someone else that just launched was there and offered to help. I now just drive the boat off and one when I can now. Luckily I have not forgot to put a plug in yet, but I will happen some day. No matter how hard you try, its one of those things that happen to everyone.

[Big Bobber]

Think I figured out the problem Bob T. When we make our best efforts to try to inform the topic originators in "Silly Town" we catch the same loss of brain cells as them, hence the problem of doing goofy things, such as failing to put in the boat plug, or trying to inform those with blinders on, LOL. Couldn't resist. If we are honest, we have all done something that does not make sense with our boats. The call of the lake tends to make us a little hyper.

[McGurk]

Was fishing with my Father in Law in his 16 ft w/ a 25 hp Yamaha. I was "1st Mate" and did all of the b|tch work including anchor deployment and retrieval. Leaving the last spot to make the short trip into shore (500 yds?) and about halfway there I yelled at him to stop. I had forgotten to pull up anchor and we had been pulling it for a couple hundred yards. When we had stopped, I tried to pull it up and couldn't budge it for the life of me. So we just kept going thinking we'd loosen up whatever muck we had snagged enough for me to pull it up. When I was able to finally bring it up, we found out that we had snagged someones cinder block-anchored Christmas tree. Had a great laugh, took a picture, and dropped it back down. Picture never turned out but I did have another witness to that hilarious tale, and we never have found where we dropped the tree back down since.

[Kyhl]

Once a year I forget to remove the tie downs before backing down the ramp. Forgot on the first trip of the year this year. Backed the boat into the water before I realized. Pulled it back out. Removed straps. Repeat.

Hopefully I am done making that mistake for this year.

[fishuhalik]

As long as we're on the stupid boat operation stories:

When I was younger, a buddy and I were well known for doing some pretty crazy stuff. We always fished out of his little 12' duck boat & 4.5hp motor. It was so tiny one guy could easily lift it over his head. We actually took it to the bwca a couple times & portaged it. Anyways, one day we had the brilliant idea to try doing "wheelies" with it. One of us would get in the back & put the gas tank in the back. When you goosed it, you could get the front of the boat darn near vertical. Now, this is dumb enough, but the smart thing to do woulda been to at least take all our fishing equipment out. Well, I was doing a particularly long wheelie & didn't notice another boats wake coming at me. When I hit it I lost control of the boat & it flipped sideways, throwing me out along with all our rods and tackle boxes. Obviously I wasn't wearing a life jacket. What kinda sally wears those things anyways? The boat however stuck with the throttle wide open, turned all the way to the right. So I'm left with a bit of a predicament. I'm bobbing in the water with my buddy's boat running circles around me, about 400 yards from shore. So, being the incredibly intelligent 15 yr old kid that I was, I decided to swim next to the path of the boat, jump into it & try to hit the kill switch. Took 2 attempts but I finally got it. Then I had to swim that boat all the way back to the shore. Not my greatest moment. Kids, don't try this at home...

[ozzie]

oh the stories...went to Red with 2 buddies and launch the boat in the river and buddy holding rope is not very bright and as the boat leaves the trailer he throws the rope he is holding into the boat!! Luckily it was busy and another boat was kind enough to bring our boat back to shore!!!

My dad launches our boat and the battery is dead so he beaches the boat and leaves me and buddy at launch and goes into town to get battery...hour later he shows up puts battery in and jumps out of boat...when he does this the boat starts to float away he says get the boat and it is cold water out and I was already not happy with his boat prep so I said it ain't my boat and he had to swim out to get it!!! haha but this was the second year in a row that we showed up to the launch with a dead battery and he leaves me at the launch!

Another year the old man takes me on a crappy opener day to Mille Lacs and our boat motor dies so he tries to direct the boat into Eddy's harbour but the wind is too strong and pushes us past Eddys to the shore...boat hitting rocks he gets out and says I am going to run to car...I have to get out in waist deep water and keep the boat from smacking the rocks and he comes back 5 minutes later and says let me try the motor one more time...it starts!!!! [PoorWordUsage]

There are many more debacles from my youth and fishing with Pa but looking back those are memories over any amount of fish we caught...yes certain fish are reflected on but the situations are more memorable! Have a great weekend!!!!

[TJ27]

I always thought that I couldn't possibly forget to put the plug in,,,,,, I was wrong. Now when I remove it I hang it on the steering wheel with a velcro strap.

[RuKiddingMe]

I don't know if you just wanted empathy, but I keep my drain plug on one of my transom tie-down straps. When the strap comes off the plug is literally in my hand so I can't forget it...plus it's easy for the Drain Plug Police to see that it's out while trailering.

Bingo - this is the best advice, that is where mine is and I have never had an issue with forgetting it and I use ADHD meds due to being forgetful. LOL

[FshBloodRiverMud]

Good stories.

MIstakes happen.

Here's my latest.

Friday night, Prescott Landing 9pm.

Arrive at landing, prepare boat for a 3 day trip. Double check everything. Decided to let everyone else load their boat just becuase i was in no hurry. Back the boat in, push off, tie off, park trailer.

SInce i fish over 110 days a year, i get pretty quick at launching n loading and am pretty confident that the boat will start Immediately...

So, get to the dock, untie the boat. Push off. Start cranking over motor....Didn't start instantly. Thought "What the heck?" Primed bulb, (did that before i launched too) but the bulb stayed squished. Confused i turned it over again...Nada. Looked at fuel line, it was disconnected from the tank...LOL OK< HOok it up. Crank it over. Crank it over....Boat is floating away in the Mississippi current. Not starting, oh craap. WHat the heck.

Look at my kill switch..Not connected.

I laugh and look at the guys on shore...admitting my foolish mistake.

Put the kill switch on, motor fires right up and off i go.

Darn Murphy got me twice.

[RuKiddingMe]

Man I did the killswitch dance a couple years ago in the very early spring on the Mississippi - I had my little boy with me and while he was playing around under the console he must have trip that lever, turned the big motor over multiple times and started getting that white-faced oh-oh look on my face, until I sat for a minute and stopped to think about it logically. Looked down and bingo there it was - now checking that visually has become a very common part of my time in the boat.

I have a very task oriented process when I'm unloading/loading the boat, even when I am not fishing solo I just left my partner stand and watch, that way I know I went through the process and haven't forgotten anything, tie downs - plug - transome saver - safety chain - motor in full tilt - key in the ignition, and if something is forgotten then it's MY fault. lol

[RGR]

Took the wife and kids out two days ago for their first boat ride in the boat since i bought it last fall. Get the boat in the water, kids and wife in the boat, and hop in. Key won't turn. Tried for five minutes. Kids crawling everywhere, throwing stuff in the lake. Wife looking less than impressed while netting items out of the lake. Decided to just use the trolling motor to putz out and catch some sunnies. Figured out I grabbed the storage locker keys by mistake. Dho.

Next day I'm getting the boat ready to go fish the river. Put my rods in the locker and closed it. Grabbed the right key this time. Get on the river, drop anchor and go to get my rods out. Locked. The day before while figuring out my ignition key mistake I locked the locker and when I put the rods in and closed the latch it locked shut. No locker keys on me, they were at home...

Ended up just bending the latch up to get my rods out. Made me realize how easy it would be for a thief to get in there. Got home and marked each key and ordered a beefier lock. All good lessons learned!

[Duffman]

One of the best things offered here at HSO is learning from the mistakes of others.

We all make them, but threads like this help others keep those brain farts to a minimum.

[leech~~]

Took the wife and kids out two days ago for their first boat ride in the boat since i bought it last fall. Get the boat in the water, kids and wife in the boat, and hop in. Key won't turn. Tried for five minutes. Kids crawling everywhere, throwing stuff in the lake. Wife looking less than impressed while netting items out of the lake. Decided to just use the trolling motor to putz out and catch some sunnies. Figured out I grabbed the storage locker keys by mistake. Dho.

Next day I'm getting the boat ready to go fish the river. Put my rods in the locker and closed it. Grabbed the right key this time. Get on the river, drop anchor and go to get my rods out. Locked. The day before while figuring out my ignition key mistake I locked the locker and when I put the rods in and closed the latch it locked shut. No locker keys on me, they were at home...

Ended up just bending the latch up to get my rods out. Made me realize how easy it would be for a thief to get in there. Got home and marked each key and ordered a beefier lock. All good lessons learned!

Would it maybe help to put both keys for the boat on one ring maked "The boat" then you would have them both at one time in the same spot, the boat!

May even keep another set in the glove compartment in the truck?