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

[Troy85]

Leaving trolling motor down and taking off with big motor.  In case you're wondering what happens, just before you get on plane it starts spraying water over the bow like crazy, it gets you pretty wet and amuses anyone in boats nearby.

[IndianaOutdoors]

Just yesterday, I rammed a dock and broke the prop on the trolling motor, left the boat tied up at the bow cleat only and came back to find the stern banging on the rocky shore.  Last week I launched the jet sled with the tie downs on and forgot my backup paddle.  Got a warning a couple weeks ago from DNR for not having enough life jackets on board.  Honest mistake.  I had been sharing pfds between boats but after that incident I now have life jackets for both boats.

[MassYak85]

Me trying to do an underhand roll cast and accidentally hitting the lure against the surface of the water, causing the worst backlash of my life, and subsequently ruining an entire spool of sunline sniper. 

[RPreeb]

A lot of years back, fishing the Swan River in Montana.  We were in a buddy's '53 Ford 4 door sedan with the flyrods in the back seat.  We got parked, I jumped out and grabbed my rod, slammed the door and turned to walk away.  When I reached the end of my arm, I realized that my thumb was still in the door.  About then the pain began.  I opened the door and my thumbnail was already turning black.  Put a real damper on the fishing that day.

[the reel ess]

Left the plug out when taking off from the landing. Once we discovered our mistake we tried to run it out at tops speed, but there was too much water already in the boat and it wouldn't plane. Barely made it back to the ramp and had to pump it/ hand bail it out in public. 

 

Accidentally pulled the kill switch on my fish/ski boat and didn't fish for most of a year because I didn't have the $ to take it to a mechanic. My dad called me one day out of the blue and asked if I'd checked the switch. GRRRR!!!!

 

My dad and I were out fishing in his aluminum bass boat and we ended our trip up at a stump. We pulled up the trolling motor and my dad cranked and took off...right into the stump. We ran up on it and slid off the side. We both almost fell out and it loosened some rivets on the hull. At the time I thought the boat was going to flip.

 

I've fallen out of the kayak by setting the hook on a fish that was no longer on the hook. I just kept on going and slid out of the seat. I didn't lose anything and it didn't turn over. I had my PFD on and got line wrapped around one leg. My daughter will never forget it.

 

Wired my hand controlled bow mount trolling motor (backwards), checked it and it spun. Went fishing and had to use it in the three reverse speeds all day.

 

My dad had an old Glassmaster boat with the cable steering setup. The cable broke at home and he rigged it so that the motor turned. He was satisfied and took off to go fishing. Well, it turned backwards all day. He said there's nothing more confusing that trying to steer like you're backing when you're going forward.

 

My dad was very absent minded about trolling motors, anchors, etc. He was known to drive his pontoon with the anchor out. Both of the welded lugs on the front of the pontoons were bent from it. But I'd sure LOVE to take a boat ride with him again.

 

 

 

 

[Willis]

Fifty plus years ago when I was a senior in high school, my uncle was kind enough to allow me and a friend the use of his lake house and boat for a week of crappie fishing on Kentucky Lake during spring break.

Aside from our fishing gear, we decided it would be a good idea to bring some cigarettes and a case of Pabst Blue Ribbon quarts – the latter being purchased with a fake I.D.  My friend also brought a Zippo lighter he had lifted from his dad’s lighter collection.

 

First day on the water we had caught several nice slabs and decided to take a break, enjoy a beer and have a smoke.  That’s when the trouble began.

 

After finishing a beer my buddy decided to have a smoke.  Unfortunately he had not checked the Zippo to see if it had any lighter fluid in it before he left home.  Undaunted by his inability to light the cigarette he proceeded to unhook the fuel line to my uncle’s Evenrude and added gasoline to the lighter.  After re-installing the fuel line, Robert leaned back in his seat on the Alumnacraft and touched of the lighter to ignite his cigarette.  He apparently had not noticed that aside from thoroughly soaking the cotton in the Zippo, he had also doused the front of his shirt and jeans with a potentially lethal amount of gasoline.  He was successful in lighting his cigarette albeit turning himself into a human torch at the same time.

 

Had the lake into which he jumped not been real handy he might not be with us today.

[fishwizzard]

On 9/1/2017 at 11:19 AM, lo n slo said:

 wet Sundrop was now all in my cousins cup holder and carpet as well. lol

Not a fishing goof, but I have a pelican case I keep all my tools and such in for work.  One day I decided to throw a 24oz can of energy drink into my already overly full case.  And then decided to bump it down two flights of stairs.  Sugar water all over all my tools.  It took me three days to clean, dry, and re-oil everything.  

 

As for fishing, well, I fish out of a kayak and I like a lot of coffee in the mornings.  My yak is pretty stable, but I was fishing a crowded area and didn't want to pee over the side.  But I had a wide-mouth gatorade bottle on me, so I used that, nice and stealthy.  When I was done I dumped it down the scupper hole.  The scupper hole with a plug still in it.  

 

Still up in the air if urine is a fish attractor, but I did pretty well that day.  

 

[lo n slo]

people like us should avoid things like boating, and fishing, and the water.

[the reel ess]

33 minutes ago, lo n slo said:

people like us should avoid things like boating, and fishing, and the water.

The problem is we get too excited and the cart outruns the horse.

On 9/5/2017 at 6:46 PM, whitwolf said:

Long story short. I was talked Into fishing on my buddies boat. He was and Is neurotic about time. I usually get my gear ready the night before but I unfortunately didn't. I woke up late and was rushing around to get ready. At the last minute I decided to take the car instead of the truck and not thinking of anything but getting to the ramp I didn't realize I hadn't loaded my tackle bag, worm bag, or sweatshirt in the car. It was on the trunk. I got to the ramp and as I was walking around the car I noticed the worm bag and sweatshirt on the trunk .....BUT $300.00 worth of crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and other tackle gone. I retraced my steps but didn't find it. I went back home and got a few more baits and as I was boarding the boat my new sunglasses fell off my head and right into the water. All In all a crappy day.lol

I lost a pair of Ray Bans for a year in my boat. I eve used the boat, but where I dropped them was not very obvious.

[mattkenzer]

Forgot to unplug the on board battery charger and towed a 50ft extension cord 40 miles.

[lo n slo]

4 hours ago, mattkenzer said:

Forgot to unplug the on board battery charger and towed a 50ft extension cord 40 miles.

git r done

[WRB]

Several years ago I agreed to fish a tournament with a new partner and picked him up at 2AM  to travel 3 hours drive north, stop for a quick breakfast and be at the lake to luanch and fish at 6 AM. Everything went OK except I ended up at the wrong lake!

Tom

[Further North]

On 8/31/2017 at 8:59 PM, islandbass said:

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. 

I'd have winged it on that one.  It not like you didn't have a license, you just forgot it.  Most wardens are going to forgive that, call it in to check you out...and even if they don't it's cheaper than wasting a day of fishing.

 

BTW, trick to avoid this: Printed copies in:

1. Wallet
2. Boat and/or canoe.
3. Vehicle
4. Tackle boxes that tend to get used for different things.  I have one in
   1. My trout sling pack for fly fishing
   2. My smallie sling pack for wading rivers for smallies
   3. My musky sling pack.
5. The rod bag I use when I fish with other people on their boats.

[Sword of the Lord]

About a month ago I went to a new pond with my wife and son. I met a guy in the pub who told me all about it, how it was great for bass and he'd caught an 8 pounder out of it. We show up and it's surrounded by weeds and trees. Very little space anywhere to bank fish. We finally found a decent spot. There is a concrete slab about 3 feet off the shore. Looks like a better place to fish, I think. I can get out there further and it's further away from the trees. Great! My wife remembers hearing, "Hey, do you think I can stand on..." *splash splash splash, flailing, drowning* Nope, I can't stand on that slab of concrete. It was like stepping on ice. It cost me a new phone, a new rod (broken eyes), and what should have been stitches in my right leg but I'm stubborn. 

[flatcreek]

About ten years ago my friend calls and tells me there's a hot bite on Clarks Hill so I better head over.I shut down my remodel job and run home and get the boat  and I'm off and running.It happens to be Friday the 13th. I get to the ramp,launch and rush up river to my hole and I forgot to put the plug in. haul butt back to ramp and drain all the water,put the plug back in,sit there a minute shaking my head then head back up river.Then I start loading the boat catching bass like all get out and my brother calls says he needs my help back at the ramp putting in this new pontoon he's bought. I swear, run back to help him launch.The wench hook gets caught up  and I reach in to free it and he zigs and I zag,somehow the boat drops down on my hand and slices half my index finger into. Park Ranger rides by and calls paramedics and they take me to hospital in Augusta. They said they might have to amputate my finger and I said wait just a minute now. I was lucky I got a good saw bones that was able to save it and didn't have to cut it off. It don't pay to get in a hurry does it?