You guys ever have a day where you woke up and forgot to turn your brain on?

[MediumMouthBass]

I was planning on starting to fish in the kayak next week, but yesterday we had surprisingly really good weather, very sunny almost no clouds, and warm enough to wear a fishing sun shirt/hoodie. I thought to myself i gotta go fishing on the kayak today.

Loaded the kayak in the truck, switched some reels around on the rods, tied on different lures and organized some tackle, got the paddle and seat out and dusted them off. Went to load the truck with the fishing gear and realized the boat launch permit expired in December, i didnt even think about that.

 

Had to go to Dicks Sporting Goods since they are the only place near me that sells those permits (in PA every lake, pond, and river boat launch is owned by the Fish and Boat Comission, well everywhere i fish atleast). Waited in line and got the new permit.

When i got back to the car i realized i didnt take 2 minutes to walk to the fishing section to see if they had any sales going on (they have different sales instore than the ones on their website). But the sun was going down in an hour or 2 so i left and got home.

 

Get everything loaded up and off to the lake i go, i get there and the weather goes from warm and sunny to feeling like its 45 degrees with quite a wind blowing, oh an yeah the suns going down and ive got around 45 minutes to an hour to fish... Im getting blown 10 feet over every other minute, kept having to put the rods down to paddle back to where i was.

I started to feel so cold i had to put gloves on, and bothered by not being able to fish from the wind blowing me around so much i headed to the other side of the lake as fast as i could paddle, and the winds almost nonexistent on that side. I can hold my position in the kayak and start warming up slightly.

 

I just spooled my 2 new reels the night before, (Lews BB1 Pro and Shimano SLX XT) and im very excited to try them out. Well not remembering at the time that when im not using my reels i back the drag and spool tension off (read somewhere years ago that it prevents them from being damaged while not in use) so i picked up the rod with the BB1 Pro and casted that Warpig as far as i could. Until i heard the line make a weird sound and watched my line tie itself into dozens of knots with one of the worst backlashes ive had. Tried for 10 minutes to get it undone and it only became worse to the point i couldnt even reel the line with the lure still tied onto it. 5 minutes later it finally can be reeled in but the backlash is still bad, going to have to cut the line off it completely.

 

The wind picks up again and i see a sunken tree, i paddle over to it and slide the kayak onto it and park it there, i picked up the new SLX XT with a texas rig on it and learning from what happened with the BB1 Pro i adjusted the spool tension to where the bait slowly dropped and casted it.

And there goes the line, into another mess and now part of its stuck in a groove in one of the trees branches. I remembered to adjust the spool tension but forgot about the brakes.... I gave myself a few new nicknames right there and then.

 

On top of that i usually run my kayak very minimalistic but yesterday i was in such a rush and with the sun going down fast i just threw everything i had into the kayak and took off from the launch, it was so cramped my rods kept getting stuck and were in the way, i couldnt get to gear i needed either.

 

My time on the water was short, stressful, and ruined the line on one of my spools but i still had a fun time. I also now know to set my kayak up the right way and check all my gear no matter how much or little time i have to fish. Plus right before the sun went down i found a few new spots that i really want to try the next time im there.       Any of you do something like this while fishing?

 

[Eric 26]

I bought a used Curado MGL late last year spooled it up with 10 lb big game and not being real familiar with Shimano’s gave myself an epic birds nest on the first cast 😬 by not setting the internal brakes and forgetting about the external adjustments🤬 stripped it and put it away until exactly one week ago when I re spooled it and nearly did the same thing until I realized I was forgetting to set the external dial/brakes after I set the internal brakes. 

[MediumMouthBass]

@Eric 26 Thats what happened with this one, im just so used to the SLX and SLX A that i completely forgot about the external one too.

[Tennessee Boy]

I’m retired so I only turn my brain on about once a week.

[Jmilburn76]

After a traumatic brain injury that caused a stroke in May 2021 I can honestly say most of my days are like that! 😄

[crypt]

everyday................sometimes it never comes on...........like right now it just rebooted......oh wow it's Monday.......

[fin]

Sounds like you’re lucky you made it out of there without anything worse happening. In my experience, when things start going downhill like that, it’s best to just go ahead and get out of there.

 

I find I make some of my stupidest mistakes after I underestimate how cold and windy it is.

[Columbia Craw]

Daily

[Susky River Rat]

Everytime I go fishing it’s a nightmare for some reason 

[thediscochef]

4 hours ago, Susky River Rat said:

Everytime I go fishing it’s a nightmare for some reason 

I know the feeling. You'll have a good dream soon except you won't wake up just as you get to the good part 🤗

 

I have a brain. It's very shiny. No wrinkles. Perennially smooth.

[papajoe222]

I just call them brain farts, or senior moments (I have reoccuring ones). Didn't know there was a switch. If there is one, I'll bet it's buried in a dark hole.

[MN Fisher]

@papajoe222 - my switch got taken by the wife - she lets me know when I'm allowed to think for myself.

[geo g]

Like the time after a long vacation I loaded everything in the boat and was headed 50 miles to Lake Okeechobee with a friend.  When I got there and went to start the motor I figured out that I forgot to put the kill switch back in the boat, and was stuck trolling around the marina for 6 hours.

[flatcreek]

About 10 years ago we had a tournament and about halfway to the lake I realized I was driving to the wrong lake. I pulled over and turned around in a pasture and drove to the right lake.I did make it in time for the launch.Good thing I’m always early.

[Susky River Rat]

@thediscochef something dumb just seems to happen to me. Nothing inherently dangerous. Just dumb stuff. Fishing super shallow in a jet boat I end up in places most never will find themselves in. It’s kind of like the how did they get there memes.

[Pat Brown]

Sounds like a really really good learning day and you learned a LOT.  I fish with my 11 year old son.  Every day is a learning experience but we learn how to be better prepared every time we go out.

 

You'll be prepared next time.  😎🎣

[Tackleholic]

Each time I believe I've made every stupid mistake possible, another new one happens;  there's no end to it.  Maybe I have too much stored memory and need to do a scan to delete old files, start fresh.

[Gera]

every morning!

[jbmaine]

I used to have " senior " moments. I'll be 70 this year, so I guess now they are just........ moments.....

 Wife and I have routines when getting the boat ready at the launch. I'll start at this end and do XXX around the boat. Wife will do her routines as well.

 After a few months off during winter we double check our selves in the Spring. First few trips out It's not unusual to hear me muttering on the way to the launch....drain plug........drain plug 

[Functional]

8 hours ago, geo g said:

Like the time after a long vacation I loaded everything in the boat and was headed 50 miles to Lake Okeechobee with a friend.  When I got there and went to start the motor I figured out that I forgot to put the kill switch back in the boat, and was stuck trolling around the marina for 6 hours.

A bottle cap and 2 minutes of knife work, some paracord and you can have a kill switch in a pinch. 

 

Whittle away 95% the thread part, cut a square out of the "top" part of the cap and tie the paracord on one end. You want some meat from the edge of the square cut to the outside of the cap so when it yanks off it flips the switch and can pivot unrestricted.

 

Test it and it worked multiple times. I do carry a spare kill switch cord thats stowed away on the boat now. 

[king fisher]

I once forgot to cancel a flight plan with the FAA.  After that every time I filed a flight plan I turned my watch upside down.  This worked so well I started turning my watch upside down for many things I  didn't want to forget.  As I age, my watch is upside down so often I can't even tell the time if it is right side up.  I now have to make a list of the things I have the watch turned for, so I don't forget what I'm trying to remember.  Maybe a note that say's turn brain on will work.

 

Sometimes I wonder if my whole life isn't a country music song, and all I can do is enjoy the music.

[Bankc]

I got married specifically to avoid having to use my brain.  Thinking is her job now.  My job is opening jars, reaching the top shelf, and mowing the lawn.  

[MediumMouthBass]

Quick add to this, i was able to salvage the line on the BB1 Pro took me an hour and i had to take the line down to the end of the spool (yes the birdsnest was that deep)  but was able to reel it back on. Set the brakes this time i promise.

 

Also last season at the lake my dad had one of these moments too but i forgot about it until today, we were unloading the jon boat at the lake and we have a rope clipped onto the front handle, he passes me the rope, im holding the rope and hes backing the truck and trailer into the water, the boat slides off the trailer and starts going out into the lake while the rope falls to the ground, so i had to swim out and got soaked almost up to my chest to get it.

He always checks it but forgot this time or accidentally unclipped it and didnt realize....

(im in charge of the fishing gear, hes in charge of the boat, and all that stuff)

Good thing it was summer and 80 degrees

[Skunkmaster-k]

I always have to forget at least one important thing, whether it’s tackle or something else. After I had Covid it got way worse. I can’t access information in my brain like I used to. So frustrating. Sounds like you handled it pretty well though. 

[Zcoker]

Lotta hard knocks there. Chalk them all up as teachable moments. May come in handy one day. See how that weather turned on a dime?