Thread: Rookie mistakes

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  1. Member
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    Apr 2008
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    #21
    Glad she is OK. But where did the screw come from and did you put it back?
    William "Bill" Kyte
    Waldorf, MD
    2018 Shenadoah Kerr lake BFL Co-angler Champion

    2020 Ranger 520L Evinrude G2 250HO

  2. Member rodney_h's Avatar
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    Feb 2009
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    Tacoma, Washington
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    #22
    Know where they are and how to reset your trolling motor circuit breakers. Also check your trolling motor manual and verify you have the recommended amperage breakers for your trolling motor. This knowledge will save you money and your day.
    G3 HP180
    Yamaha 115 4 Stroke

  3. Member Tim W's Avatar
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    Apr 2013
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    Tomball, Tx
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    #23
    This is BBC No one makes mistakes

    on a for real note, Turn your trolling motor off when stowed. Lucky mine was on speed 1. I tripped over the cable on a windy day fell down, my knee hit the pedal and turned the TM on. My hand landed on the prop and almost took my finger off. What really sucked this was only day 1 of a two day tournament. My co said that if I did not want to fish the second day he would understand. Well I fished the second day and it freaking sucked. it was 40 degrees and raining its azzz off.


    Pick your trolling motor up before take off

    Triton 19 XS Elite, 225 Mercury Pro XS, Minn Kota Ultrex 112, Hydrowave H2, Twin 8' Power Pole Blades, Power Pole CHARGE, Lowrance HDS 12 and 16 at console, Lowrance HDS 9, Garmin LiveScope at bow, Mercmonitor, Rigid Industries Deck lights and other stuff to come that will make me go more broke

  4. Member
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    Oct 2012
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    Sunnyvale, California
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    #24
    Loaded the boat on a windy, rough day. Rushed because I wanted to get out of there. Left the motor running and trimmed down so not only did I scrape the skeg, but also burnt up the impeller. My other favorite is when I trim down all the way in my driveway to drain it and then forget about that when I lower the trailer jack...as far as driving the boat goes, if you think you're going to hit a dock or another boat with the front of your boat and cut the wheel hard left and hit the throttle you pretty much will hit whatever it is with the back of the boat.

  5. Member 1BADAIR's Avatar
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    Dec 2014
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    OXFORD MI
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    #25
    Quote Originally Posted by wicked View Post
    LOL the exact reason I got power poles :)
    mine still wanted to go fishing without me lol

    About the only thing i regularly forget are the steering clips
    2011 Ranger z521/2023 250ProXS

  6. Member
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    Aug 2015
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    Shumway IL
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    72
    #26
    I never found where the screw came from. Was in my 76 Ranger. I've since gotten a better ride. 99 Triton TR21

  7. Member
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    Apr 2015
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    Aurora Missouri
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    #27
    Left trolling motor down and about the time i was on plane washed the whole inside of the boat and me....yea backing out of throttle to fast while on pad will make you pucker also.
    Bruce Phillips
    1995 190 DC champion ......1995 200 xri merc

  8. #28
    You need to have a routine for the day before and the day of fishing.

    Start with Boat prep the day before. Batteries charged, rods and tackle in the boat, boat trailer secured to the tow vehicle. Check tire pressure, check oil level, make sure you have a spare boat key hidden in the boat somewhere. Start the motor with muffs the day before and let it run a little "Real good idea for older motors"

    Day of fishing: Put the plug in, walk around the trailer and make sure everything is locked down again, bow is tight, back straps are tight, rods are in a locker or strapped down on the bow. Make sure nothing can blow out. Make sure the motor tote is on or the motor is up so it does not drag the ground. When you are at the ramp, make sure you have everything unstrapped when you back down or unstrapped enough for you to be comfortable. Once the boat is in the water, start the motor and let her warm up. I always run my livewell pumps for a few min. Pump in and pump out. Park the truck and trailer somewhere you will be able to get in and out. I have been blocked in before and it sucked. Also keep a spare truck key somewhere. I zipped tied one to the frame. I know where it is and it is still hard to see. This is just in case you lock the keys in the truck.

    Those are a few things that should get you started. Having a routine will help make sure you don't forget anything, any steps in the process. But things happen to us all. I have left powerpoles down, forgot to take the motor locks off and could not steer the boat, had dead batteries when I arrived at the ramp, lost keys, and had a rod fly off the deck of the boat while driving down the road. Happens to us all and although they are expensive issues, they make for great stories later in life.
    If you want a pig, flip a jig!!!


  9. Member
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    Apr 2014
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    Clarksville TN
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    #29
    Switched to 24v trolling motor from 12v hooked up batteries in parallel instead of series. Darn near tore boat apart trying g to see where bad wire was

  10. Banned
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    Unionville, NC
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    #30
    Somehow flipped the switch on the side of the trolling motor to full power. Wasn't prepared for the sudden burst of speed to the side and launched myself out of the boat.

  11. Member
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    May 2015
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    Midlothian,TX
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    #31
    Quote Originally Posted by Riccochet View Post
    Somehow flipped the switch on the side of the trolling motor to full power. Wasn't prepared for the sudden burst of speed to the side and launched myself out of the boat.
    Thought I was the only who has done that!
    08 Triton 21X2

  12. Member
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    Jan 2015
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    RIchland Chambers lake TX
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    #32
    Don't watch the weather & get caught out in 3 footers in a 14ft v hull with a 4 horse. The only thing I could do was to point the bow straight into the wind & throttle down. I was lucky to make it to the other side of the small lake & work my way around through a large cove & back to the ramp. But that trip made me remember why I bought a little v hull tin & not a flat bottom.

  13. Member
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    Nov 2014
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    #33
    Quote Originally Posted by Enskyte View Post
    Drain your cranking battery, cuz you forgot to connect the kill switch.
    I totally did this, not totally killing battery, but in the stress of a tourney morning I had half of the ignition wiring loom ripped apart before I realized it was kill switch.... Hahaha, whata DUMMY!!!

  14. Member FrankWhoa's Avatar
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    Dec 2011
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    Southeast Louisiana
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    #34
    Ran out of gas

    and tried jumping to the dock when it was just a little too far
    Frank

    Stock 2012 SHO 225 with 255 hours
    2000 ZX 202-C hull

  15. Member Fish Whisperer's Avatar
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    Apr 2010
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    Torrington CT
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    #35
    Kill switch was pulled and laying right next to where it hooks in. At a glance it looked attached. I now know my Yamaha makes a sound when you try to start it doesn't have the kill switch attached. At least I caught it before we left the river, just lost the best part of the sunrise bite.
    Ranger Z-20, Yamaha F225.

  16. Member
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    #36
    Done that one too! Wisconsin water just after ice out. That was a cold cold swim.
    Quote Originally Posted by 01bulletxrd View Post
    Beach the boat on the bank (not nearly far enough). While getting the truck, the boat current drifts the boat out into the middle of the lake in very frigid waters. (Ask me how I know)
    2005 Stratos 201 Pro XL
    250HP Evinrude E-Tec

    "Haulin' Ass and Chasin' Bass"

  17. Member chaseerry's Avatar
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    Oct 2015
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    Oklahoma
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    #37
    While the lake was down, the wife backs the trailer in so far the wheels fall off the back of the ramp. Go swimming to get the trailer free using my boat's eye hook and a ratchet strap. Oh and it's the first time you've taken your new boat out. What a day that was!

    Luckily it was summer time.

  18. Member
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    Lewisburg,Ohio
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    #38
    Button on the bottom of the tounge
    of the trailer to release the brakes
    the person I bought it from didn't
    know it even existed and drove 150
    miles and was lucky the breaks didn't
    catch on fire.

  19. Member
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    Feb 2015
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    MOBILE ALABAMA
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    #39
    Drove all the way to BURAS LA, to go red fishing with a friend and realized my rods that i always keep in the boat were in the garage at home 536 miles round trip. By the way we are not friends anymore.

  20. Member
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    Jan 2014
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    Kaufman, Tx
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    #40
    Complacency is what will get you. Having a routine is a great way to avoid overlooking things. I find most of the simple mistakes like leaving the plug out and other little things happen when I have new people with me and I get distracted, or even experienced people with me, they try to help, and I assume they've taken care of something I haven't. Fishing by myself comes with the fewest surprises, but the best stories happen when someone else is around to witness it.

    A short list of my mistakes are;
    *Leaving the plug out of the boat
    *Hitting the TM button while motor is turned and getting slammed down on the deck hitting my head and seeing stars for a few minutes.
    *Shifter barely in gear and motor wouldn't turn over. Tore the shifter apart with the boat tied to a dock, put it back together and still wouldn't turn over. Backed the trailer in, and instinctively shook the shifter in neutral when i sat down, boat fired right up. Why I hadn't done that earlier still escapes me.
    * Beached the boat and it floated into the middle of the cove while parking the truck, good thing the ramp was busy cause I got a ride, but also had plenty of people to laugh at my situation.


    Advice on operating a boat?
    1; Never underestimate the stupidity of other boaters.
    2; The price or size of a person's boat has no influence of their level of intelligence or respect for others. I have noticed it can almost be an inverse equation on the right days or bodies of water.


    Aside from that, and the rest of the obvious, boating is largely darwinistic, in that it will usually weed out those who don't have the common sense required to do it very well. If we're lucky, we don't run across any of those who haven't seen the odds play out yet along the way.

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