The Fishing Day from Hell

[RHuff]

 

 Have you had one? What went wrong? How bad was it? Was it as bad as it gets? Could it have been worse? Let’s hear it.. Mine was officially yesterday and when I get my temper cooled I’ll share what happened to me...

[kayaking_kev]

I have some trips start badly with rods getting tangled, lures getting stuck in clothes, getting snagged on the bottom, the weather turns bad, but usually end ups as a decent day anyway.

 

However, I will never ever forget two years ago when my wife and I went to take a kayak trip on a new section of river and thought it was about a 9 mile trip. It started out fine as usual, I was catching some decent smallies, but time was moving quickly and the river was very low in that section. We ended up having to get out of the kayaks over and over to drag it through shallow spots, which took a lot of time to do. Next thing we knew it was dark out and we was no where near the end of our trip. It was a full moon out, but with a pretty narrow river and trees lined on both sides and lots of curves, the moon light didn't help and it was pitch dark. The lights we had with us didn't help at all, and the river had big patches of weeds that would only have a small pathway for a kayak to barely fit through, but finding these paths were nearly impossible in the dark. Some paths would look like they went all the way through, only to dead end. We would have to then backtrack in total darkness back out and try to find the opening. In a few places, it didn't seem like there was a path to get through, so we had to get out of the kayaks and drag it through muddy weeds a couple of hundred yards with leeches and snakes everywhere. At about 2 am, 12 hours after we started, we hit one of those patches where we had to drag across the weeds in the dark and we just stopped and debated whether or not we were just going to try to sleep in our kayaks until it got light out. I wanted to, but my wife didn't so we pushed on. We kept paddling forward in the dark, praying that we would get to the end soon, but unfamiliar with this section, we had no clue and that made it worse. In some spots the catfish were just grunting all over the place and I kept hitting some with my kayak, which was a little freaky in the dark. Finally, after 4 am and over 14 hours later we made it to the end and I don't think we've ever been so happy. We get home and my wife has a leech on her foot and the next day I pull out of my kayak to go fishing again and notice several bait fish had jumped in with me while I was paddling and didn't even know it.

 

Although it was pure misery for us when it was happening, it's something we laugh about now and will never forget, so I wouldn't change anything about it. 

[MGF]

I fish from a small boat with a transom mount trolling motor. Most of my bad days are centered around fighting to control the boat in the wind. I've also had some tough times in the river when I got caught off guard by super shallow water with my trolling motor stuck in the rocks with the current doing it's best to bend the shaft.

 

I remember fishing with a buddy on some Mississippi river backwaters. The fishing was great but the water was shallow and weedy. We were catching bass on spinner baits. It seemed that I'd no sooner cast and I'd have to get one hand on the trolling motor and my bait would be hung up in the weeds. Almost every cast was ruined in such a way but I still managed to catch a few.

 

Still, at one point he accused me of positioning the boat so I would catch all the fish. I told him to get out of my boat and walk home.

[Bird]

Yes, had a nightmare on the river about 20 yrs ago. 

It was a planned 2 day trip through some tremendous SM water, had our camping gear. A trip we've done many times. 

 

One bad spot where we go under a low water bridge in swift current had a large tree root laying sideways just on the other side of bridge. 

We ducked to go under bridge and before we could get paddles in the water we slam this huge root.

 

Front of boat rides straight up the wall created by root and boat flips backwards on top of us.

We lost many Shimano reels, phones , cameras and all tackle. 

 

We eventually caught up to some of our camping gear which was soaked and useless. 

My friend ripped his leg open and required stitches. 

 

I now own dry bags and tie-downs. 

 

 

[12poundbass]

My worst day was about 13 years ago. I forgot to put the plug in my jon boat. The wife told me after I got back from parking the truck. I put the plug in fired up the 15hp and headed out and pulled the plug to drain the water. That didn’t work too well because of the weight of the water! I almost sunk our boat!
 

Made it back to shore and needless to say my nerves were shot and the wife wasn’t too happy. I loaded the boat, pulled the plug and we went home. Coming down from the stress we both took naps, we woke up, and the wife says, “let’s try fishing again”. We went out, and had a pretty good time. We still laugh about it to this day! 

[SWVABass]

Worst day ever was my first tournament. The tourney director was nice enough to let me go as his back boater that day. I spent all day hanging and busting off cranks and never sniffed a bite. About 20 mins prior to weighin we get ready to leave and I make mi final cast. Wind blows my crank off target and I’m hung in a boulder. My boaters says ok, goes to spin the boat and in the process drops his rod. I watch in horror as a g loomis rod and shimano head to the depths. I felt horrible about it.

 

seven years later I was still fishing with him. Every time we got near those rocks he would ask if I had something I could drag bottom with in 40’ we would laugh and go back over all the times we fished together. Turned out that my worst day was the beginning of a fishing friendship that I miss today!

[N Florida Mike]

The worse one is real long and I’ve shared it already in a couple old threads. I may share it later, but I’ll start with a little shorter one.

Me and a friend went fishing/ camping on a remote stretch of the Ocklawaha River in N. Central Florida.

We got set up to camp in the ramp area, launched, and made the mistake of drifting downstream instead of cranking up and going upstream, then drifting back to the ramp. We got miles and miles away caught almost no fish as I recall, and it started getting dark. So the motor wouldn’t start. We both did what we could, but no go. Since the few people on the river were already long gone we had it to ourselves. We trolled a little ways back but the battery was dead from using it all day.So we began paddling- and paddling. Against the current- into the night.We would go as far as we could stand it , then grab ahold of a branch and rest awhile. I vaguely remember having one flashlight and it going dead. The Ocklawaha is full of cottonmouths, on limbs of trees, in the roots and snags. With no light , we would get tired and pull up to a tree , hit around with the paddles , and then grab on and rest. At some point, barred owls began hooting. Dozens of them. You couldn’t tell when one started and when one finished. “ Who cooks for you, who cooks for you aaallll .“

we finally made it back in the middle of the night, nearly eaten alive by yellow flies and mosquitoes.

Im usually sorry it’s over when I get back to the ramp but...not this time.

 

[MGF]

One of those tournaments on the Mississippi...I smoked in those days and my fishing partner gave be a bag if cigars he had saved up at work from folks having babies. I didn't buy any smokes. When I unwrapped the first cigar it was so dry that it crumbled and blew away in the wind...and the second and the third and so on. Nothing to smoke and in the middle of a tournament.

 

I also had a transducer bracket made from a 2 X 4. Water would ride up the bracket and over the transom. As I ran down the river I pulled the plug to let some of it out.

 

So we're on our way back to the ramp and I see that we're going pas Savanah  Il and I can see a gas station down the street. I beach the boat and run down the street to get a pack of smokes.

 

I felt much better as I walked back with a smoke in my mouth. But wait...I see my buddy down there jumping and waving his arms and he's screaming something. As I get closer I hear "The boat is siiinnnkkiiinngg!"

 

damned! I didn't put the plug back in. I yelled for him to put the plug in but he just asked "what plug". The boat was pretty full of water by the time I got to it.

[JG233]

I had one today. Worst day I've ever had on the water. Funny timing with this post.

 

I'm about to write mine up now. Stay tuned. 

[DanielG]

Last summer I got into my boat, cast off from the pier to start out. My electric motor was on and I leaned a bit too far out the front of the boat. The boat hit the neighbor's dock, gently, but enough to bump. I dove headfirst into the water. My glasses fell off and literally disappeared when they went under. Clear glass and wire doesn't show up too good in water particularly when you don't have them on. They were a month old; $530.

 

I'm at the front of the boat and it's pushing me along, slowly but steadily. I can't stop it. I had to turn it so that it could push me toward the shore.

I spent an hour going up and down in about 8 ft of water to find the glasses. I even raked the bottom when I went down. No luck. I gave up and called Vision Center and said "you know that pair of glasses you sold me? Do it again." When I told her my story she said, "What is it with you fishermen, we get this all the time."

 

Since then I've had those glasses straps around the back of my head and an auto inflate vest on when I step on the boat.

[papajoe222]

Late March last year. It was only my third time on the water. It started out okay, but got progressively worse. I blew up my favorite reel, that I'd just spooled with Sniper fluoro, so bad I couldn't get it untangled. That was two casts after I broke off setting the hook on the only bite I'd get all day.  About 1/2hr. later, I got hug up on an anchor rope that my lure retriever was useless on and ended up braking a custom build rod when it wedged between the boat and the TM shaft.

I decided to call it a day, but the gremlins weren't done with me. The TM died a slow death on the way back to the launch (TM only lake) as the headwind picked up. As I approached the dock, my car alarm went off! I tied up to the dock, ran to the car and couldn't get the alarm to shut off. I loaded the boat in record time and headed to a local garage to see what they could do, the alarm beeping the entire way.

I started having butterflies in my chest and headed home instead (15min. away), Called 911 on the way and the ambulance pulled up two minutes after I parked.  Spent the night in the hospital. It only costs $22k and the Dr. suggested I avoid fishing as much as possible...................I found another Dr.

I was back on the water a week later.

[RHuff]

Well here goes.. Planned to travel to fish a lake in Virginia that is located about 2 hrs from my house.. 

 

Left at 7 and planned on getting to the water around 9am to fish til dark on Sat evening.. 

 

Was about 30 min away from the lake and the dreaded stomach makes the sound.. No big deal so I pull off at the next exit.. The only thing around is a McDonald so I tell myself RR break and breakfast no big deal.. I get there and it’s doors locked/drive thru only.. So I say ok I’ll just go at the ramp.. Get to the ramp and there are 100 trailers there.. Sat morning tourny.. Great... I prep the boat for launch and walk over and the bathrooms are locked up.. Great.. Trip to the woods.. So I launch.. Been on the water without a sniff of a bite.. going thru my checklist and BAM.. There pops the Game Wardens.. LUCKILY everything was good.. They check my license and safety equipment and all checks out... Have a good day sir.. Fish 2 more hours.. No bites.. Fish the next 4 hours.. No bites.. Pull up on a small boat with a dude and his girl early 20s in a small john boat.. The girl catches 2 fish right as I pass by.. I change lures to what she throws.. Nothing for 30 minutes.. Here is where it gets ugly.. I crank up to ride down the lake and the motor won’t turn over.. Dead Cranking Battery.. I open my bilge to try to jump start from my trolling battery and both batteries are halfway under water.. What the crap.. I start pumping gallon after gallon of water out...After an hour’s troll I make it back to another ramp that is halfway up the lake away from where I launched... I had to tie my boat off and bum a 20 min ride from some kid to the other ramp to get my truck to drive back to load my boat up.. I left the pump on to keep the water out while I’m gone so I have to troll the nose up to the trailer and get out in the water in my clothes to load my boat up.. When I get the boat loaded and pull the plug I noticed a big crack in the hull in the seem of the weld on the right side of the transom.. I say F this day and make the 2 hour drive home... Finally get the boat parked and as I walk around to plug my charger in to recharge my dead batteries I notice my stupid trailer license plate apparently blew off somewhere along the way home... What a freaking day.. all for not a single bite.. 

[TnRiver46]

6 hours ago, RHuff said:

Pull up on a small boat with a dude and his girl early 20s in a small john boat.. The girl catches 2 fish right as I pass by.. I change lures to what she throws.. Nothing for 30 minutes..

Running that bent rod pattern gave you bad karma! Haha

ive posted these pics on here many times. "A bad day fishing is always better than a good day of work" -people that use this phrase have not seen what I've seen. No that is not my truck, I just happened to see this one day. His boat sank too

[Bankbeater]

I have them every once in a while.  It's just one thing after another all day long.  On those days I'm happy when I finally get home and pull back into the driveway.

[Ratherbfishing]

It wasn't hell, exactly, but it was approximating purgatory.  A buddy and I decided to take a float trip down the local Sangamon river in his 12 foot jon boat.  We're dropped off by his parents with arrangements for them to pick us up at another bridge a few miles downriver.  So, we begin our trek only to realize that with a minor drought, there wasn't a lot of water in the river so, naturally, we wind up spending more time carrying the boat than floating in it.  Eventually, the water deepens some but there isn't a lot of current.  Later, we find out why:  Downriver there is a HUGE logjam- effectively damming up the whole shootin' match.  If there was any water down from that, it wasn't more than a trickle.  So, we're forced to portage the boat through tall weeds and dead trees, etc.  I'm wearing cutoffs and there's enough stinging nettle around to set my legs on fire.  And, of course, it was a day in the 90's with no breeze so by the time we make it to the road, we're super hot, exhausted, and I, at least, am in major pain.  On top of it all, I don't think we caught any fish.  We didn't attempt that again.

[skekoam]

On 3/29/2020 at 8:59 PM, RHuff said:

The girl catches 2 fish right as I pass by.. I change lures to what she throws.. 

Sorry this actually had me laughing a bit.  I'm glad you are safe though.  Btw, what was she throwing?

 

My worst days on the water normally start with my son getting an expensive lure stuck and then finishes with him backlashing the crap out of his baitcaster.  Normally, 4 hrs of fishing is cut down to about 2 hrs because of all this.  Wouldn't trade if for the world though.  

[Ratherbefishing75]

Went to go to the lake with my son and try out a new used motor for my canoe I Purchased a fuel line off eBay for it so I thought I was good I get all the way down to the lake and wouldn’t you know it the line was junk so I had to load everything back up drive all the way home to get the line I made which I know works then to go all the way back down by this time it was getting late now that we’re on the water I went to go half throttle and I noticed water coming in the backside of the boat well wouldn’t you know it the motor wasn’t sitting flush on the transom and the water is just spewing up and over the back side like a waterfall underneath the motor bracket 

[galyonj]

I don't have a great story.

 

Went to fish before work and, on the first cast, I heard a dry snap. Broke my favorite – and the most expensive – rod I own when I thwacked it with the lip of a squarebill on the backcast.

 

First cast of the sesh. I was heartbroken. Immediately packed everything back up and left.

 

Still don't have the rod fixed. It was a very clean break, so I think it's possible.

 

I am much more careful how I place my gear around me when I'm fishing nowadays.

[Travis Lofton]

Relatively new to being a serious angler so I'm sure I'm in for worse, but here's a tough one to swallow.

My grandpa who is a long time bass fishing vet, Indiana Bass federation hall of famer, took me to Skegmog in Michigan for a 2 day trip to prefish for his clubs classic up there the next week. He's caught giants up there many many times. I caught my pb smallmouth (4.5) but only caught 1 other one the day before and he only caught 1 greeny. 16+ hours of fishing. 3 fish. 9 hour drive and hundreds of dollars spent on the trip. The next week it took 30+ lbs to win their classic.  Go figure.

[Herbert Lorenzo]

Here a few , favorite rod brakes with help from my knee . Brand new expensive lure goes flying away on 1st cast birdsnest ., drop rod and reel into gator infested water never to be seen again . Driving down busy street when boat and trailer came loose off hitch which was the same day my cousin threw $10 dollars worth of bait over side of boat forgetting to tie stringer to live bait bucket (never found bait bucket)and finally not one but two terrifying days caught in bad storm with outboard not starting .

[TOXIC]

I’ve been fishing for 50 years.  I’ve got some doozys.?. Most expensive....$4,000 for a new lower unit.  I was actually videoing it when it failed because I was going to send it to my mechanic because it was making an odd sound.  I was in Wisconsin, home is Virginia.  Second was at the Potomac in Virginia. Bunch of friends got together to fish.  I was solo in my 21ft Ranger.  Time to go in so one of my buddies that already loaded up, took my truck keys and was going to pull me out.  Little backinfo...I am anal about my truck and maintenance.  At that time I had a 2004 3/4 ton Silverado.  He backs my trailer into the water as I approach and it goes a little deep, then the bed goes under and then water is to the cab and it is floating.  He drops it in gear and I see the back wheels spinning so I motor up and manage to hit the bow roller which is under water and push the truck back to the ramp with my boat.  Come to find out my brake line burst due to rusting through from the inside.  Known Chevy problem.  

[Guitarfish]

Technically not a fishing day...My fishing bud was to meet me at the ramp. Shows up with a stranger and asks if he can fish with us.  I'm a bit miffed because he didn't ask before bringing him, but say sure.  

 

I tell my bud to guide me down the ramp when all of a sudden he's waving like a maniac.  I knew immediately what was up and stomped the gas to make it the last 10 feet to the water.  The stranger had disconnected my safety strap to the boat and on a roller trailer the boat did what gravity asked for.  

 

Caused $4k damage and labor cost to the lower unit, but I saved my aluminum boat bottom.  Stranger called a week later and fessed up but I already knew.

[TnRiver46]

21 hours ago, TOXIC said:

I’ve been fishing for 50 years.  I’ve got some doozys.?. Most expensive....$4,000 for a new lower unit.  I was actually videoing it when it failed because I was going to send it to my mechanic because it was making an odd sound.  I was in Wisconsin, home is Virginia.  Second was at the Potomac in Virginia. Bunch of friends got together to fish.  I was solo in my 21ft Ranger.  Time to go in so one of my buddies that already loaded up, took my truck keys and was going to pull me out.  Little backinfo...I am anal about my truck and maintenance.  At that time I had a 2004 3/4 ton Silverado.  He backs my trailer into the water as I approach and it goes a little deep, then the bed goes under and then water is to the cab and it is floating.  He drops it in gear and I see the back wheels spinning so I motor up and manage to hit the bow roller which is under water and push the truck back to the ramp with my boat.  Come to find out my brake line burst due to rusting through from the inside.  Known Chevy problem.  

Good to hear from ya again!!