Lost Equipment

[troutbum1]

When I tried braid for the first time. Tackle store put it on a spinning reel, I went plugging for stripers from a boat. I had braid falling off the reel in great loops on every cast. Bad part is I put everyone in the boat on fish. Fishing was hot, I got so ticked i threw the rod and reel and braid in to the Susky flats, still out there.  

[hawgenvy]

Hawgenvy, I remember Blackie Campo's.

 

We fished the Biloxi marsh but never found your watch.

Thanks, anyway! Campo's was a great deal: a sturdy little skiff with a 15 HP outboard, an anchor, and a live well full of live shrimp, all for around $25. And only a few minutes from Lake Borgne's bounty of specks and reds. Ah, the good old days!

[hawgenvy]

I was bank fishing at a golf course pond with my cousin.  From atop a five foot wooden wall, I pitched a brush hog out over some shoreline pickerel weed and into the stained water, an inch past the weeds. A bass struck it so fast and hard it took me totally by surprise, and when I set the hook it was like setting it into a moving freight train. The fish pulled the rod right out of my hands and my rig flew down into the thick pickerel weed below. The rod started jumping further away as the fish pulled on the line. This was a Dobyns Champion 734c rod with a Shimano Chronarch reel, not a rig I would give away without a fight. The rod ultimately became wedged firmly in the weeds and was stuck there, in spite of the fish straining at 65 lb braid with the drag tamped down all the way. The fish flexed the rod this way and that, and she even jumped a couple of times trying to shake the hook. I ran over to my cousin and grabbed his rig which was armed with a shaky head jig. I pulled some ottery looking creature off the hook, and was soon grateful to learn that a shaky head jig is a perfect instrument for retrieving a downed fishing rod. I snagged the jig hook on one of the line guides and reeled in my rod.  Well, the big fish was still on! I successfully landed it, 4+ pounds of very impressive largemouth muscle. Of course, I tossed him back. You know, I'd never before had a rod pulled out of my hands, and hope it'll never happen again. I truly admire that powerful fish, the first one that almost got me back.

[whitwolf]

I have shared this story before and will skip writing it in its entirety. I was fishing with a buddy in his boat and he was quite Insistent that we be there on time. No big deal as I think It's the right way but his on time meant a half hour earlier then the stated time. Again no big deal as I knew this. 

 

Long story short I had decided to take the car instead of the truck and Instead of gathering my gear and loading It the night before as I usually do,  I did It that morning In a hurry. I stopped by quick-mart and got a a couple of sausage biscuits and was off to his house to load up and go, all told I drove maybe 15 miles. I park the car, went around the back of the car, and I see my sweatshirt, wormbags, and a jacket sitting on the trunk. I was heart sick as the box with all my crankbaits, spinnerbaits, tools, and terminal tackle was not there. Yes, In my haste to get going I left them on the trunk. 

 

He left for the ramp while I re-traced my route in hopes of finding my box. I didn't and went back home to gather some more tackle and he picked me up at the ramp. As I was getting my stuff secured I bent over and my brand new sunglasses flew off my hat an into the water. I watched as they were sinking out of sight. Honestly I shouldn't have fished that day as my mind was elsewhere. In total I lost around 300.00 that day.

 

It was a valuable lesson and one I wouldn't wish on anybody. I kind of laugh about It now, kind of. lol 

[Patrick Morrow]

I have had some close calls with too tight drag, but it was years ago and It haven`t been problem in past years.

[kcdinkerz]

i've never rolled the kayak (knocking on wood now), but have lost some gear in a not so intelligent maneuver.....

i have to admit that i've lost 2 combos from my kayak. once was while casting, i hooked into the rod in my rod holder and jerked it out, somehow freeing it from the hook and sending it to the depths of about 20' of water.

a second time in a scary event altogether that involved a dog, a deep cycle battery, trolling motor and kayak catastrophe. I could have easily drowned, easily lost everything in the kayak (including the kayak). essentially the battery fell into the water and the cables remained connected and nearly rolled it, but just enough to fill the kayak about 90% full of water. somehow in all of this ordeal i had a BRAND NEW abu garcia combo fall into the water (roughly 15'). i was so scared that the yak was about to sink that i couldn't even attempt to recover the lost combo....

2 lessons learned: i no longer keep a rod in the rod holder on my right side since i cast that way. and i will never try to use a trolling motor and battery until it is rigged properly and not just thrown together like i did on this instance.

did the same thing lucky I was in shallow water and got my rod back, since then I put floats on all my rods.

[kcdinkerz]

last year I had just bought one of the king cat combos from cabelas and on the first trip. Used a tree branch to hold my rod up, I was 10 foot away jigging for bluegills when I heard the bells on my catfish rod jingle. Turned around and saw my new combo go into the water.

[Senko lover]

I wade in after my lost stuff from the bank if it's close. I can't afford to lose too much. Typically this only happens in the warm months, but not always .

[Dogface]

 I have "rolled" my kayak twice. First round about $150 worth of misc. gear. The second time stung much worse. A brand new Calcutta 200B paired on a brand new Falcon Lowrider CB Rod. Ouch!

 

 

That's a double "ouch"!!

[fisherrw]

I've lost expensive cranks but that's it.

[Bluebasser86]

Fishing out of my 2 man I threw my anchor without realizing it was wrapped around both rods I had with me. Thankfully after quite a bit of swimming and feeling around on the bottom in the muddy water I was able to recover both, one of the rods was broken but at least I got the reel back. 

[RB 77]

I've got a new kayak and these stories concern me a little. I know there's a risk to rolling, but I 'assumed' it to be rather uncommon. I bought some leashes and assumed that they'd be on the paddle and rods at all times. Is it impractical to keep a leash on a rod while using it? Certainly, I'd plan to keep them leashed when behind me, but I suppose when in use or in a forward rod holder, they wouldn't necessarily be tied down.

No need to worry, it is rather uncommon. I've kayaked hundreds of times and only had the two incidents. Thats two more than I would like, but i'm safe and thats all that matters. The first one was similar to Buzzed Baits situation of hooking and casting a combo off the yak fishing a local reservoir. I tried to grab it from the water (instead of netting it like I should have) and lost my balance. The second time I was fishing a blind bluff corner in one of our local saltwater bays and the U.S. Navy was running some exercize drills in thier gunboats which came screaming behind me. By the time I saw what had happened it was to late. I took a large wave over the bow of the yak and into the drink I went. Lessons learned. Be aware of your situation at all times just like in boat or float tube. Stay safe out there!

[RB 77]

That's a double "ouch"!!

Yeah, the Calcutta and Lowrider stung quite a bit! I probably catsted that combo less than a dozen times! Good grief!

[DILLY07]

I was out prefishing upper river in Dubuque for Fall State for Iowa Bass Nation. I was pitching and flipping sweet beavers in lily pads, little tight pockets. Had a huge bite. It was cloudy that day, had my brand new oakleys on my hat bill. Hooked set that so hard, and didnt realize my oakleys went flyin in to the water backwards. I was like I just bought that last week. Oh well, bought a new one, same exact ones.

[RSM789]

This story is about equipment, albeit not fishing equipment, but it still happened on a lake.

 

My parents had a lake house when I was growing up and one day my older brother found a floating golf ball.  He grabs my dad's 9 iron & hits the ball off our dock (which was covered with astroturf) into the cove about 80 yards away.  We had an old surfboard there, so I paddled out & retrieved the floating golf ball.  He hit it another dozen times or so, with me retrieving it until I told him I wanted to try.

 

I climb out of the water, take grip of the club, swing...only to watch the club fly out of my wet hands out into the middle of the cove.  I knew I was in big trouble, my dad really valued his golf clubs.  Alas, my older brother did what older brothers are supposed to do, save the day.  He paddled out to where the club entered the water & dove down (it was about 20 feet deep).  Thirty seconds later he emerges holding the club.  He said the air in the grip made the club literally stand on end on the bottom, making it easy to find.  Dad was never the wiser.

[matuka]

I was out prefishing upper river in Dubuque for Fall State for Iowa Bass Nation. I was pitching and flipping sweet beavers in lily pads, little tight pockets. Had a huge bite. It was cloudy that day, had my brand new oakleys on my hat bill. Hooked set that so hard, and didnt realize my oakleys went flyin in to the water backwards. I was like I just bought that last week. Oh well, bought a new one, same exact ones.

I guess this isn't so uncommon and I can now admit it! Same exact deal down the sweet beaver, except I'm going for largies in grass. That fish wasn't worth the $125 though.

[matuka]

last year I had just bought one of the king cat combos from cabelas and on the first trip. Used a tree branch to hold my rod up, I was 10 foot away jigging for bluegills when I heard the bells on my catfish rod jingle. Turned around and saw my new combo go into the water.

Here's a similar incident. My friend lives in Hawaii. They went fishing crevalle Jacks. They cast a heavy weight off the rocks then tighten up and prop the rod. A snelled live mullet is hooked and clipped to the mainline by a snap, and zip-lined into the water. A jack crushed his bait as soon as it hit the water and took the whole rod and reel with it, oh well.. A week or so later the same jack was caught by a guided fishing boat on the other end of the island. The rod and reel still attached. By hook and by crook, my friend got his equipment back from the  guide, but it was hopelessly beat the shreds on the rocks and coral.

[Catch 22]

I know a fellow [not me] that left a very expensive rod /reel combo  laying on the cap of his truck while securing the other tackle.He never saw it again.

 

A rod/reel "found" post was listed on another site that I use. A few days later I overheard a yaker talking about leaving a combo at the ramp while he loaded up. I hooked the two of them up and all was well. 

 

I found a snow skiing outfit along I-95 yrs ago. I searched the gear for ID  but didn`t find any thing.I looked again to find a tiny piece of paper with enough info to contact the owner. He was  3 states away and it took 2 months to come together. I wasn`t at home when he showed up because I would have refused  the "C note" he rewarded me with. I found out that he was  high dollar surgeon, so that eased my conscience.

 

It pays to have ID in or on your goodies. I had a T bag returned twice  already. Getting old is tough

C22

[hoosierhawghunter]

Funny story but 100% legit.

I was probably 10 or so. And when me and my brother would go fishing with dad, he would just hand us some of his combos to fish with. He gave me a brand new shimano reel and bps rod and a spinning rod. I fished with the shimano all day because i was just in awe at how awesome it was. We came up on a point so i decided to pick up the shakey head... laying the new setup down on the boat i started casting the shakey head. We go passed some submerged grass which grabs the lure on the new.setup and drags the combo into the water and down to the depths. My dad looks back and says. "I know that wasn't my new rod and reel" i said it was...

So he went on getting pretty mad and lecturing me about how i never let lures hang over the side of the boat on a rod thats not in my hand.

Fast forward about 3 hours and AT LEAST 100 yds away from where it went in... dad sets the hook, and pulls up that combo. Lays it down on the deck and keeps fishing. Me and my brother just look at each other like what just happened lol. Crazy but true...

[primetime]

if I kayak is not meant to stand in, don't get greedy and go for a kneel etc.... I could of lost all my equipment and I would have still felt like I won the lottery when I made it back to sure, glad I was near land when it happened...I probably should not use my kayak for stealth at night and follow large splashes hoping they are bass. I realized in the water that your feet feel super vulnerable at night and kicking in a panic...

 

I bring my less expensive gear and most tackle is stored away but getting in was not an option, and 2 combos gone, so now I just need to make sure I never attempt to stand again for the 4th time in past year, but getting shut out for 4 hours when you imagined fish every cast at work makes you do crazy things.

 

I never feel crazy since I know a guy who dives for golf balls at night with scuba gear and some ponds he frequents have legit T-Rex's in them that have to be hungry on a golf course. The bass fishing is not so great, and not sure what it eats, but dude has scars and stories...Good guy to know...He knows where the bass hang.

[Robeng]

Lost a Gold Zebco 33 to Lake St Clair when it was a brand new gift from my bride at the time.  Wave hit and slipped out of my hands...yes, you watch it sink and can do nothing.  lesson learned.  (at least it wasnt an expensive setup - still it upset me to lose that gift and she has since departed this planet)

[ThePackMan]

One of my fishing buddies was absolutely terrible at tying knots. I must have shown him how to tie a Palomar knot 15 times. Most of the time I ended up tying on his baits. Well when I was busy he was on his own. On at least 3 separate occasions I witnessed him tie a knot, proceed to trim what he thought was the tag end then toss his bait off the side of the boat as he picked up his rod as he watched his bait sink and his line blow in the wind. Luckily one of these times was a hollow body frog so he could scoop it back up. plus there's all the baits I've seen go sailing a mile due to his poor knots.