Expensive Mistakes

[bass wrangler569]

Well, I wanna throw up. I just lost $700 worth of fishing rods/reels. Left my rods sitting by the boat and pulled away without 'em. I just went back to look for them and they're gone. I lost a Quantum Tour Edition baitcaster, a Quantum Energy baitcaster,  a custom G Loomis spinnerbait rod that I literally built 5 days ago, and two BPS extreme rods. I'm not too upset about the extreme rods (I have like 8 of them) but the two reels... ughhh. And  I can't even talk about losing that G Loomis. Have you guys ever made any mistakes like that.

[frogtog]

Yep all the time, throw them out of the boat, slip out of my hand, in fact I lost a new outfit on the first cast a couple years ago. I try not to let it worry me to much it's going to happen if you fish long enough.

[NewScreenNameAdvised]

Hey man, sorry to hear that.  Dang that sucks.  I seriously feel bad for you.

I have not lost any over the boat but I have broken some rods by stepping on them and stuff.  Ruins my day.

[JShrock07]

I have lost many of them throughout my fishing time. But like frogtog said, if you fish enough it will happen. You have learned from your mistake and I bet you NEVER  make that same mistake! ;D

[maseyferguson05]

I woke up early one morning, met up with a buddy of mine. Got to the pond and took a cast. Half my rod went with it, along with the line. I just got in the truck and left.

[George Welcome]

Arrived at the ramp early dark AM waiting for clients. Put the boat in and while walking up the ramp came across a Sony digital camera. Fortunately for the owner of this $1200.00 camera, he had some warranty work performed and the receipt was in his case. After some tracking I found the owner who lived on the other side of Florida. They had been out the night before alligator hunting.

When I called him and informed him that I just shipped his camera he was totally astounded. He had not realized yet that his camera was missing as he went from the hunt directly to work. I imagine he will be taking pictures for a long time to come with that camera.

We have seen many rods and reels, cell phones, cameras, and misc. disappear into the murky depths of the Stick Marsh. One of the saddest: A group of clients were fishing live bait and using our equipment. All of my equipment for clients are Gblank rods with Chronarch reels. One of the sons was absolutely sold on the chronarch and was going to buy one as soon as he could. With live bait one never puts a rod down without having the spool open as it will probably get hit and fly through the air. He set his down to take a bite and was asked if the spool was open. His reply, yes barely escaped his lips when the rod sailed through the air at least 30' before hitting the water. This young man now owned a rod and chronach, however with the future benefit of being able to fish with it.

As for equipment accidentally left: I think it is a sad statement that it is picked up and walked off with.

[Grey Wolf]

That sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry for your loss.

[islandbass]

I have come very close at times. One time I left my entire bag of baits by the side of the car unkowingly, 25 minutes down the road my cell phone rings and I see a very unfamiliar number but my gut told me to answer.

On the other side of the line was a lady who say my airline tag on the bag and my cell phone number just happened to be on there. I turned around immediately and she was kind enough to wait until I got back.

That tag saved my gear, about $300 worth of lures.

I keep a tag on the bags, but I have seriously considered putting geeky labels on my rods and reels so that if an honest person comes across them, they can contact me. One thing about finding gear left behind is that there is no way for an honest person to find the rightful owner.

Sorry about your loss.

[dodgeguy]

i've hand my hand go stupid and have thrown 2 nice combos into the lake and never got them back.things happen!!!

[eddieinva]

Not quite an expensive mistake, but i was handing the wife a st croix triumph/5ft  for crappies and panfish with a cheapo spinning reel combo off the side of the kayak..

next thing you know splash..it's gone..

i guess you guys  are right..does happen..  unfortunately..  

[Joe Boss]

Back when I used to make the mistake of bringing too many rods and reels with me on a trip I had a bad day with a rented boat. First someone who failed to get their sea legs stepped on one of my rods and snapped it in half.

Then I put two of the reels I brought with me (an expensive Shimano and a Penn) in the unused livewell. When we brought the boat back I forgot to take them out and didn't realize my mistake till I was back home unpacking after the 5 hour drive back. I called and asked if they found my reels and I would pay for having them mailed to me but no luck. No one honest found them.

[The_Natural]

Sorry to hear it.  There are some good people left in the world though.  Last year on a family vacation to Broken Bow Lake in Oklahoma, I left both my 701 Steez compile-X rods and a Loomis BCR at a public fishing dock.  I realized my mistake on the way home, and turned around to see if they were there.  They weren't.  I called the local lake patrol, and it turned out someone actually turned in those rods...all $2500 worth (rods and reels).  I couldn't believe it.  Later on I went to the local bait shop/convience store, and they had a huge bulletin board with lures new and old pinned up, as well as a bunch of random dollar bills, $5 bills, and a couple of $20's.  Just as I wondered what in the heck it was, I saw the sign above the bulletin board.  It read 'Lost and Found'.  One of the coolest things I've seen, and it renewed my faith in people.  Gotta love small town America...

[fishfordollars]

Yup, many times. Last time on Toledo Bend my birddog went over the bow while I was fishing. He swam back by and I reached down with both hands to lift him in. While I am holding him I kicked an Allstar with a core mg over the side in twenty ft. of water. I put my dog down and just rubbed on him for a while. After all it wasn't his fault.

[The Rooster]

So sorry to read all these things.  I once left my tacklebox behind at a lake an hour away from home.  Got all the way home and realized it.  It didn't really have much in it but I was just starting out fishing and had collected a few things and suddenly they were ALL gone.  I drove back and someone who had been there earlier had found them and was still there fishing.  I asked if they remembered me and they said yes, here's your stuff.  I think they were actually waiting on me to return for it.  That's the way I'd like to remember it anyway.  

One other time, on the same lake, a friend of mine left behind his tacklebox as we relocated from one area to another (bankfishing).  We were only gone 15 minutes and went straight back to get it since it was in an area that was remote and no one else had been there when we left.  It was visible from the road though.  When we got there his tacklebox was gone.  Someone must have driven by and seen it and stopped to get it.  

In hind sight to all this I think it would be a good idea to put a lable onto your stuff if you could so that an honest person has the chance to do right when they find it.  But it's sad to say that many people won't do right even when they are given the chance.  I know some people personally who would rather just tear the tag off and keep it for themselves.  I myself would never do such a thing and would not allow it to happen if I witnessed them find it instead of myself either.  

[dman]

being an inexperienced boater this year with my first boat I still have a terrible time trailoring my boat when im done.....this past Saturday I had some choppy water pushing me away from the trailer so i came back in with trolling motor on high,  everything was lined up great but as i started to lift the TM it caught the bottom of the trailer and ripped the motor right of the bow  :-[   (the mount is the only thing damaged though)  I wanted to replace it next year with more power so i might just replace the whole thing this year instead of just the mount....No fishin till i figure out what im gonna do   :'(

[avid]

When I called him and informed him that I just shipped his camera he was totally astounded.

Your a class act George.

In terms of having ever done that?............Yup.  Fortunately it wasn't anything too expensive.  I was living in NY at the time and in the spring it's chilly in the morning but then warms up later in the day.  I took off my woorich vest (old) that had a little plano utility box filled with smally baits.  I realized it after only an hour but that's all it took.   Most of my other stories like this center around loosing gear overboard or the classic step on it, close the truck door on it variety of expensive mistake.  (Loomis and St. Croix.  $50.00 replacement, no questions asked)

[bigfruits]

lost two st. croix rods with symetres last year after flipping my canoe on some rapids. now i use rod leashes.

[dantatro49]

I have come very close at times. One time I left my entire bag of baits by the side of the car unkowingly, 25 minutes down the road my cell phone rings and I see a very unfamiliar number but my gut told me to answer.

On the other side of the line was a lady who say my airline tag on the bag and my cell phone number just happened to be on there. I turned around immediately and she was kind enough to wait until I got back.

That tag saved my gear, about $300 worth of lures.

I keep a tag on the bags, but I have seriously considered putting geeky labels on my rods and reels so that if an honest person comes across them, they can contact me. One thing about finding gear left behind is that there is no way for an honest person to find the rightful owner.

Sorry about your loss.

I don't know if there are that many honest people out there. That does suck bad sorry for your loss. We learn from are mistakes so I guess you just have to think of this as a learning experience.

[lubina]

My Alpha Ito with a BCR 803 GLX is waiting for me under 50' of water. :'(

[bronzeback01]

Years ago when i was a kid my uncle took me carp fishing, he brought with him his brand new mitchell 300 reel w/a custom made rod that he picked up the day before , the rod alone cost him 200.00 and that was back in 1977, he went to take a leak and told me to watch his rod . I turned around to put more bait on my hook and heard a splash ,when i turned around the rod was gone. when my uncle came back he asked where his rod was , i just looked at him and pointed to the water. I don't think he ever took me fishing again.

[Pascagoula River Bassin]

I was fishing a club tournament once and the sun was setting during the last few minutes of daylight, so I slipped off my sunglasses (Costa Del Mar Triple Tails with Vermilion lenses) and sat them on top of my hat. About 10 minutes later I took my hat off and used it to swipe at a mosquito flying around my face, and SPLASH... there went my sunglasses. I actually anchored and dove down to feel around on the bottom (fishing a river in about 10' of water) but never found them, the current probably has them sitting on the beach somewhere by now  :'(

[packman]

I woke up early one morning, met up with a buddy of mine. Got to the pond and took a cast. Half my rod went with it, along with the line. I just got in the truck and left.

x2 but it was just a cheap spining rod and i got hung up  broke the line but some how the line cought the last eye and got it in,i was lucky that day

[smlbass]

I have only been fishing for a short while, but this is my story so far.

I bought a St. Croix Premier Spinning Rod and played with it to get the feel before using it in a tournament.  On the third cast during the tournament, I set the hook and the rod splintered between the reel seat and the first eye.  I felt sick for a few minutes and then went the next day and replaced it with a Loomis IMX Spinning Rod.  At least my mistake luck has given me the opportunity to upgrade.  ;D