Stupid Mistakes

[Big Jon]

I know this is going to show how new I am at this, but I thought someone would get a laugh at it. Has anyone done the following before?

 

I was bank fishing and traded out my 4lbs test line for 12lbs and was doing good at the end of last week. Well, Monday morning I got caught up in some standing timber and figured I would just pull to see if I could get the lure free and wrapped it around my index finger. I gave it a yank and immediately remembered that I had switched out my line. Instead of snapping the line or pulling the lure free, I sliced my finger open. It's ok though because it cauterized the cut from the friction at the same time it cut into my finger. I wasn't bleeding and I figured I would keep on fishing. That was the third cast of the morning. I moved to a different spot and, two casts later, got caught up in another tree. I gave two quick pops of the rod over my head to try and get it free, and snapped the rod. 

 

I guess you could say that it was a Monday for sure. I was a little frustrated because it's the only good rod/reel combo I have. I only have a couple of those $20 combos in the corner of the garage now. Oh well, I can use those until I can get something else. 

 

I hope this brought someone a laugh. It has taken me two days to laugh about it.

[jherm87]

I've definitely sliced a finger or two open. I broke a d**n rod tip myself this morning. Stupid things happen all the time it seems

[Grizzn N Bassin]

Yeah I few times fishing with 30 pound mono for stripped bass.. and when I'm limb fishing and its raining wet hands tie knots and sninching with fingers = surprise later when you eating some tater chips ouchhhh!!!

[BassinLou]

Stuff happens!!

[5dollarsplash]

New rod yesterday, rod meet door, the door wins

 

Then, after buying a new tip I managed to get epoxy on the lady friends kitchen table.  Bf of the year material.

[aquaholic]

i hooked a popper into some shrubbery yesterday morning. I gave it a good yank and did a matrix move just barely missing getting hooked in the side of the face.

[Bangin' Bucketmouths]

I have had two really ugly mistakes.

FIrst, I was having fun fighting a gator on my heavy action 80 pound braid combo. It was about a 5 or 6 footer. My freind and I were fighting him for about 30 minutes. I guess at which that point he had enough, for he took off and ripped drag out of the rel that would have me spooled within 30 seconds. In an act of desperation I grabbed the line with my thumb and palm. Simply said, it made my pole into a cheese grater and blood was shed. Not to mention I lost of my $30 braid, and my favorite Baby Torpedo.

 

This next mistake was more embarrasing than it was detrimental, I was fishing with my cheapest baitcaster, with some cheapo-mono spooled on it. I was night fishing with my friend, and I always carry my tackle back pack with me aroud the pond as we fish. I went to go make a long overhead cast. Since neither of us could see what we were doing, we listened for the splash of my lure on the water. When it didn't come, we looked at eachother puzzled, until he flashed my reel. The biggest rats nest of all time had occured because the lure had hooked into my backpack and my spool kept spinning... I ending up having to strip all the line of at home and my night was over.

At least it wasn't another spool of $30 braid.

 

As long as you fish, you'll make mistakes.

[Dyerbassman]

Snapped my Sellus in half Sunday trying to free a snag. Good times!

[ClackerBuzz]

yup broke a rod trying to get a snag free and cut my finger on braid.  its funny how many more trees you catch when bank fishing  

looks like u wear glasses from ur pix=good thing.  i went to wearing sunglasses full time after a buddy "unsnagged" a crankbait sailing it 12" over my head.

[wakeeater]

here's a good one....my buddy & i were fishing a tournament.  as we idled back into a cove, i decided to get my flipping rod out of the locker.  i didn't notice that the rods on top of the locker door weren't strapped down & shakey head rod & reel went over the side in 20 feet of water.  to make things worse, we flipped the whole darn cove & didn't catch a single keeper!

[Traveler2586]

I know this is going to show how new I am at this, but I thought someone would get a laugh at it. Has anyone done the following before?

 

I was bank fishing and traded out my 4lbs test line for 12lbs and was doing good at the end of last week. Well, Monday morning I got caught up in some standing timber and figured I would just pull to see if I could get the lure free and wrapped it around my index finger. I gave it a yank and immediately remembered that I had switched out my line. Instead of snapping the line or pulling the lure free, I sliced my finger open. It's ok though because it cauterized the cut from the friction at the same time it cut into my finger. I wasn't bleeding and I figured I would keep on fishing. That was the third cast of the morning. I moved to a different spot and, two casts later, got caught up in another tree. I gave two quick pops of the rod over my head to try and get it free, and snapped the rod. 

 

I guess you could say that it was a Monday for sure. I was a little frustrated because it's the only good rod/reel combo I have. I only have a couple of those $20 combos in the corner of the garage now. Oh well, I can use those until I can get something else. 

 

I hope this brought someone a laugh. It has taken me two days to laugh about it.

 

Sorry to hear about your day; and glad to hear your injury wasn't any worse.  You are providing a valuable reminder to the rest of us on how to work our line.  Don't wrap it around your body parts.

 

Last year I was launching late in the morning because I was only interested in the last two hours of an out-going tide.  While at the ramp a bass boat came running through the no wake zone and docked quicker than I have ever seen.  The driver took off at a run for the parking lot to get their tow vehicle.  I looked at his partner who was holding a wad of gauze on his hand and asked what happened.  He was pulling on braid and sliced into and along the bone of his finger.  So they were on their way to the ER.  Well, everyone at the ramp pitched in to get the boat on the trailer as soon as it was in the water; and helped to get their gear secured while I gave directions to the ER.

 

I know these two guy's were overwhelmed by the events of that morning, I hope none of us find ourselves in that position.

 

Play safe out there everyone.

[papajoe222]

Guess I'm lucky when it comes to breaking rods.  On the other hand, if sticking myself with hooks was a side event during a tournament, I'd place in the top ten everytime.  Wearring eye protection is mandatory for anyone aboard my boat.  I am glad to hear that you're taking it all in stride, I mean at least you didn't sink your boat, or your buddies. Not that would be cause for beating yourself up.

[Big Jon]

i hooked a popper into some shrubbery yesterday morning. I gave it a good yank and did a matrix move just barely missing getting hooked in the side of the face.

 

I have learned to be a little quick and flexible myself

[Big Jon]

yup broke a rod trying to get a snag free and cut my finger on braid.  its funny how many more trees you catch when bank fishing  

looks like u wear glasses from ur pix=good thing.  i went to wearing sunglasses full time after a buddy "unsnagged" a crankbait sailing it 12" over my head.

 

Yeah, I finally got contacts and my first purchase was some polarized sun glasses. I was surprised how well polarized glasses help improve my ability to see fish in the water. It's amazing. I'm never going back.

[Big Jon]

Thanks for all the comments everyone! I feel a lot better now. I know fishing mishaps happen, but not many people seem to fish around where I live, so I don't hear these stories very often, and thought I was just a super newbie. 

[Traveler2586]

Thanks for all the comments everyone! I feel a lot better now. I know fishing mishaps happen, but not many people seem to fish around where I live, so I don't hear these stories very often, and thought I was just a super newbie. 

 

Don't give it a second thought, we've all been there, some of us more than once; so expect the unexpected every time your line is under tension.

 

I got this tip from a professional fishing guide (but I think it depends on how your pulling on your lure with the rod) - "In the split second when your lure pops free, and is flying back at you at high speed, collapse, drop to you knees, hit the deck/ground as fast as you can; this should get you under the trajectory of the lure; don't bend at the waist, turn you back, or put your hands up; these will increase your chances of impalement"; (I know this first hand).

 

Kim Stricker, host of the Hook & Look TV show put his hand up to protect himself and his jig impaled his finger;it  had to be cut out at the ER.

[roadwarrior]

How 'bout triming the the wrong "tag end" and tossing your jig in the lake?

 

 

 

 

[BrianinMD]

Mine, putting my face in line with a chatterbait flying thru the air...to my defense I never knew it was coming though....

[Ratherbfishing]

Left the drain plug out of my boat AGAIN.  Fortunately, the access is on the inside of my boat.  Unfortunately, the plug itself had worked its way under a board that secures a spare battery and I couldn't see or get to it.  But I knew it had to be there.  So, with a couple of mighty heaves, I ripped that $&^(*# board off to get to it.  (Didn't like that stupid piece of wood anyway!)

 

As I write this, I'm picking a piece of dead skin off my finger where I'd dug my fishing line into it earlier this week.

 

***** happens.

 

 

[Texfisherman]

Fish long enough and dumb things will happen.

I once got a lure snagged in a tree limb, so I wrapped the line several times around my hand and closed my fist to where it looked like I was giving a thumbs-up.

I pulled with all my might and the lure flew out of the tree... and right into the top of my thumb!!! The hook was completely buried, all the way to the bend!!

So what's the very first thing I did??? Yep, grabbed a camera and took a picture of my thumb!

 

The mind is a curious thing...

[JunkYard814]

How 'bout triming the the wrong "tag end" and tossing your jig in the lake?

 

 

 

I've done this one more than once. 

 

I once watched a friend reach his hand into muddy water to lip a bass, only to find out he had a pickeral on his line. 

[airborne_angler]

Bought a rod on Ebay, brought it inside to install a reel...closed the front door on the tip...

[BassAssassin726]

yup broke a rod trying to get a snag free and cut my finger on braid.  its funny how many more trees you catch when bank fishing  

looks like u wear glasses from ur pix=good thing.  i went to wearing sunglasses full time after a buddy "unsnagged" a crankbait sailing it 12" over my head.

Always, always, always ALWAYS wear sunglasses while fishing. The risk of a hook hitting you in the face or eye may be small but we all know Murphy's Law!

[Bluebasser86]

I caught a 3/8oz chatterbait right off my ankle bone after it came screaming back to the boat out of an overhanging tree I'd cast into. I didn't move because I didn't think it was going to hit me. I was moving afterwards though, hopping around the boat cussing. Probably one of the more painful things I've done while fishing for a little bit. 

[fadetoblack21]

i hooked a popper into some shrubbery yesterday morning. I gave it a good yank and did a matrix move just barely missing getting hooked in the side of the face.

 

I've done the matrix move before, the problem was that I was twisting my upper body out of the way as the 1/2 oz. jig flew straight towards my manhood. . . . . . it was not a good afternoon. . . . 

 

How 'bout triming the the wrong "tag end" and tossing your jig in the lake?

 

 

 

 

 

Throwing pliers overboard instead of the fish after unhooking said fish. . . . 

 

 

We've all been there and will all end up doing something stupid again. It doesn't matter how experienced you are, we all have dumb moments.