Alright, Spill It...Personally embarrassing, foolish, boneheaded DOH!! Moments

[islandbass]

As the subject line says.  I'm sure we have such moments. 

 

1) Being so hasty trying to get started fishing, rapidly tying my lure on, trying to be ninja quick and cut the standing line instead of the tag end...twice in a row. ?

 

2) Teaching someone the mechanics of casting a spinning rig, showing them how to load the rod with the lure's weight, teaching them  to close the bail manually, and proceeding to make the cast and forgetting to reopen the bail. ?

 

3) One day after Christmas I was going to target steelhead on the green river. Put on my lots of layers for toastiness and waders and boots  as if it were battle armor. Rod? Check.  Reel? Check. Coffee? Check. Wallet, Phone  and Keys? Check. Required parking permit? Check. Five miles into a ten mile trip, I felt I was missing something but no amount of mental checking could dispel that thought so I let it go. I get to the spot and parked.  I was so prepared dress wise for that the sub 25 degree weather didn't phase me. Bag on shoulder, rod in hand, headed for the river bank. Tied on my lure, and ding, ding, ding .... My license! It was in the other car. ? Tucked my tail and headed home and didn't even get a chance to make one cast. I had about a 3 hour fishing window. Nearly and hour there then another to get at home, the math wasn't in my favor. Down right embarrassing and boneheaded all in one. 

 

[CTBassin860]

18 minutes ago, islandbass said:

As the subject line says.  I'm sure we have such moments. 

 

1) Being so hasty trying to get started fishing, rapidly tying my lure on, trying to be ninja quick and cut the standing line instead of the tag end...twice in a row. ?

 

2) Teaching someone the mechanics of casting a spinning rig, showing them how to load the rod with the lure's weight, teaching them  to close the bail manually, and proceeding to make the cast and forgetting to reopen the bail. ?

 

3) One day after Christmas I was going to target steelhead on the green river. Put on my lots of layers for toastiness and waders and boots  as if it were battle armor. Rod? Check.  Reel? Check. Coffee? Check. Wallet, Phone  and Keys? Check. Required parking permit? Check. Five miles into a ten mile trip, I felt I was missing something but no amount of mental checking could dispel that thought so I let it go. I get to the spot and parked.  I was so prepared dress wise for that the sub 25 degree weather didn't phase me. Bag on shoulder, rod in hand, headed for the river bank. Tied on my lure, and ding, ding, ding .... My license! It was in the other car. ? Tucked my tail and headed home and didn't even get a chance to make one cast. I had about a 3 hour fishing window. Nearly and hour there then another to get at home, the math wasn't in my favor. Down right embarrassing and boneheaded all in one. 

 

An hour to go 10 miles? If you went faster than 10 MPH you might have made up some time  

[Jar11591]

Well there was the time I left 5 or 6 rod and reel set ups and a full tackle bag on the grass next to the boat launch after forgetting to throw it back in the boat before taking off. And then there was the time that I launched my boat and left my SUV sitting on the ramp with every door wide open. It was the first trip after ice-out and I was so excited and not thinking straight.

[perd]

1. I decided to bring out my moken 14' on a very very small river in Northern Illinois during high water. I whipped around a corner, saw a log jam turned too fast and flipped my kayak lost a St. Croix premier, brand new *** and my sunglasses under the log jam, I tried to get them out but despite it being a warmish day the water was still very cold and I couldn't safely get under the log jam. As far as I know the rod and reel are still in the river I've gone back but can't find them. The kicker is a moken 14 has built in rod leashes that I decided I didn't need to use.

 

2. I rented a small boat and the trolling motor kept sliding up the transom and turning me in circles, I moved my rods took it off and started to put it back on and continued fishing. It slid up again and I lost my cool made a wild cast, on the back cast I caught my cranking rod with a 3/8th oz jig and it broke in half.

 

This is just this year, I can't recall anything in particular from previous years but I'm sure I've done some really stupid stuff because I tend to break a rod a year on average lol

[islandbass]

1 hour ago, MassBassin508 said:

An hour to go 10 miles? If you went faster than 10 MPH you might have made up some time  

Tell me about it. Ice and snow on the ground and winding roads. Maybe I should have taken my mtn bike lol. 

 

Update: Actual distance was 15. 5 on a state hwy and 10 miles of winding road cover with snow and ice. Still probably should have take the bike.

[Koz]

2 hours ago, islandbass said:

My license! It was in the other car. ? Tucked my tail and headed home and didn't even get a chance to make one cast. I had about a 3 hour fishing window. Nearly and hour there then another to get at home, the math wasn't in my favor. Down right embarrassing and boneheaded all in one. 

 

 

In SC if you forget your fishing license and DNR comes along if you give them your name they can look up your license. You may want to see if they do that in your state as well.

[islandbass]

48 minutes ago, Koz said:

 

In SC if you forget your fishing license and DNR comes along if you give them your name they can look up your license. You may want to see if they do that in your state as well.

I actually did. Reel ess suggested the same thing to me a while back. In my state, it is entirely the call on the warden. He can verify if he wants, or if someone ticked in his oatmeal earlier in the day to put him in a bad mood, he is well within his rights to issue a ticket on the mere grounds of me not having it.  

[Bluebasser86]

 

[Turkey sandwich]

I was wearing my GoPro on my hat a few months back and forgot it was there.  I went to adjust my hat and of course the GoPro went flying.... and so did I after it.  It amazes me still how GoPro can make an incredible waterproof camera, but every cell phone I've ever had so much as touches the water and it's finished.  The most recent cell phone died after a brief dunk in Pine Creek that may have also resulted in some soggy waders.  I guess, if it's not an adventure, it just isn't fun.  

[LxVE Bassin]

7 hours ago, Koz said:

 

In SC if you forget your fishing license and DNR comes along if you give them your name they can look up your license. You may want to see if they do that in your state as well.

 

In Indiana all of our licenses can be bought on line so I'm sure they can look you up too.

[Dtrombly]

Throwing a 130 Plopper for the first time, underestimated the weight and made a loooong cast, it just kept going and going.... and going.... I looked down at my reel and ALL my line was gone. 

[JustJames]

Okay fine, I seted up GoPro on tripod in my Jon boat and within 5 mins it's gone. 

[NYWayfarer]

I had been fishing this season for at least a month with an expired license.

 

Forgot my PFD and broke the tip of my rod in a doorway in my last outing with my Father-in law.

 

Forgot some reels in a rod locker of a rental boat.

[12poundbass]

My wife and I decided to go fishing about 10 years ago. Launch the boat park the truck and noticed the boat has a ton of water in it. Forgot to put the plug in. 

 

I remember Walleye fishing with my step dad once as a kid and he forgot to put the plug in. He took off down the river and pulled the plug and there went the water. I figured that's what I'd do. 

 

I hadn't used my outboard in a while. Fired right up, I pulled the plug twist the throttle and it bogs right down. At this point in in full panic mode thinking we might sink! I moved everything to the front so we wouldn't take any water over the transom. At this point I'm pretty ticked and the wife was pretty scared. Made it to the launch loaded the boat and went home.

 

I've never forgot the plug again.

[senile1]

9 hours ago, Koz said:

 

In SC if you forget your fishing license and DNR comes along if you give them your name they can look up your license. You may want to see if they do that in your state as well.

 

Missouri has a Missouri Hunting app for your phone.  You download it for free, enter your conservation number from your license, and your birth date.  Once that is completed you can display all of your licenses, fishing included, on your cell phone when you encounter a conservation agent.

[scaleface]

11 hours ago, Jar11591 said:

And then there was the time that I launched my boat and left my SUV sitting on the ramp with every door wide open

Thats going to be hard to top .

I guess removing   hooks from basses mouths carelessly .I've done it thousands of times before getting one buried . It was only a matter of time . 

[scaleface]

Wait , this is the most bonehead thing I ever did . I launched my boat and there was this cute girl swimming on the ramp. Pulled out about fifty  feet and she swam out and grabbed hold of my boat . I didnt invite her in and took her back to bank . Man , I can be incredibly stupid .

[RHuff]

I like to take my aluminum boat sometimes up the backs of creeks and coves. I always till my motor up so I don't drag. I've started it up to run up the lake and forgot to lower it a time or two. That wakes you up. 

 

I forgot my boat keys once after driving an hour to the lake. Luckily my dad had his set. Luckily there hasn't been many major issues yet. I'm sure there will be...

 

 

Once I saw a man prep his Bass Tracker to launch. He put his plug in and took his straps off and got his rods ready. He jumped in the boat (in the staging lane) and started his motor up dry then jumped in and backed the boat down. I don't know if he doesn't know better or if he thinks he is saving time letting it warm up. He's the only person I've ever seen do that. I started to tell him but didn't wanna step on his toes. 

 

 

I watched a young married couple pull up with a brand new Nitro bass boat once. The guy was kinda being hateful with his young wife talking to her like a child he said "Now you hold this rope and don't touch anything or do anything until I get back. He launched the boat and drove to park his truck. The boat started to fill up with water. He noticed it and eventually came running down the dock. He yelled at the girl and said "WHAT DID YOU DO." She said "Nothing you jerk I held the rope like you told me to." He forgot to put his plug in. He loaded it up and they left. Bet she never went fishing with him again LOL 

[BassNJake]

Many moons ago when living in Ohio and getting my first boat in February I couldn't wait to get it out on the water.

The beginning of April rolls around and the ice is off the lake.

I back down to the ramp unhook boat from trailer and dump it into the water.

I'm watching it out my rearview mirror and it just keeps floating farther and farther away.

This dummy forgot to attach a rope to the boat.

 

I had to strip off about 3 layers and swam out to get the boat.

Not as easy to climb into as I thought, so I ended up swimming and pushing it until I was able to get it back to shore.

 

I believe the water temp was mid 40's and think my fingers and toes may have been a little frostbitten.

 

Since then I developed a routine that I go through each and everytime so I don't make that mistake again.

[Gundog]

I remember sitting in the break room where I worked at the time talking with my coworkers when my boss came over and sat down with us. The topic came around to fishing and boats and my boss got real quiet. Someone spoke up and said "Tell'em what happened to you Mike". My boss said he had just bought a brand new $15,000 waterski boat and trailered it to the lake with his wife and brother. He lowered his head when he told me that as he launched the boat he didn't know it would float that far off the trailer or that it even had a drain plug. All the 3 of them could do is watch as the boat sank. When he made it to a phone he called a tow company and asked if they could tow a boat out of the water. He said all he heard on the other end was laughter and a "no". 

[lo n slo]

i may have told this one before, never the less, here it is. it was early March and still chilly. i had some new crankbaits and was eager to snag some pre-spawn fatties. upon reeling in a fish, the hook popped out and my new crankbait flew into the boat...nobody got stuck. then we decided to crank up and move. after a nice drive wayyyyyy up the lake, my left leg felt wet. wth? as it turned out, my errant crankbait had grazed my plastic bottle of Sundrop and it was "peeing" on my leg the whole time. sticky, wet Sundrop was now all in my cousins cup holder and carpet as well. lol

[PAbasser927]

Just last weekend... Spent the entire summer restoring an old Stratos bass/walleye boat.  Drove an hour to one of the few lakes in the area that allows gas motors and doesn't have a horsepower limit.  Got there and realized we forgot the lanyard for the kill switch at home.  Newbie moment at its finest.

[Catt]

I'm pretty meticulous about tackle & boat preparation!

 

One Saturday morning I loaded everything in the truck, hooked up the boat, drove 1 1/2 hours to the launch. Launched the boat, started loading tackle in the boat & realized my rod-n-reels were still at home.

 

Kind a need them!

 

 

[Bankbeater]

First fishing trip since shoulder surgery.  I checked my tackle, rods, reels, and boat about 3 or 4 times before I headed on the trip.  After about 2 hours on the water I start looking around for the water jug and realize that I left it at home with all of my food. 

[Rick Howard]

Launched the boat without the plug in once.