Thread: Rookie mistakes

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  1. Member
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    Jul 2009
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    Middleburg, FL
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    #41
    Quote Originally Posted by Jraywheat View Post
    Can't say how may times I've dragged the scag across the concrete just moving the boat around on the drive way to clean it up or get ready to go to the lake. I just can't remember to pick it up unless I'm heading down the road which is a good thing I guess.
    That's no way to treat a woman!
    2000 Stroker 300XS -Black Creek Lives Matter - Pat Paulsen for Pres.

  2. Member
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    Sep 2015
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    Kenton, Ohio
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    365
    #42
    Going out by myself on an early spring day. Back the boat down to the ramp. Unhook the bow. Hook one end of a rope to the boat, the other end to the trailer-except for some reason I hooked both ends to the boat. Back it down launch and off it floats. Wind blows it further and further away. Cold spring day so not going to swim for it. Only one other trailer at the ramp and luckily he was still in sight in the cove. Took me to my boat. We all got a laugh. Haven't done that again.

  3. Member Tim W's Avatar
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    Apr 2013
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    Tomball, Tx
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    #43
    Quote Originally Posted by the76kid View Post
    Going out by myself on an early spring day. Back the boat down to the ramp. Unhook the bow. Hook one end of a rope to the boat, the other end to the trailer-except for some reason I hooked both ends to the boat. Back it down launch and off it floats. Wind blows it further and further away. Cold spring day so not going to swim for it. Only one other trailer at the ramp and luckily he was still in sight in the cove. Took me to my boat. We all got a laugh. Haven't done that again.
    My luck my boat would end up finding the only rockon the bank and wash up on it

    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. Fishfarm (Jay) fishfarm's Avatar
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    Mar 2009
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    #44
    Quote Originally Posted by crank68 View Post
    Most important.....forgot toilet paper.
    Boat come unhooked from truck.
    Back entire truck in water.
    Forget to fill up boat and can't get far from ramp.
    Left rods at home.
    Compartments locked and keys at home.
    Loose TM prop and no spare.
    Throw blade off big mota prop...no spare.
    Dump boat onto ramp.
    Loose track of time and be late for weigh in and miss a check.
    Throw ruler in water first thing while tryin to hit a bowfin.
    Cull the wrong fish.
    Give weigh master the wrong fish for big fish and miss big fish money.
    Only have 4 fish when you culled too many.
    Cut a turn short and mess up white letters and rims.
    Put in by yourself, tie rope to boat and get in a hurry and pull out and it pulls the boat up ramp.
    Put in by yourself, tie rope to trollin mota, get in a hurry and pull out and it snatches trollin mota off.
    LOL WOW IF ALL THIS HAPPENED YOU SURE GOT ME BEAT.
    2000 520vx Ranger
    250 PRO XS
    SERIAL#2B115788/ 25P Fury 4/ 25P Fury 3 blade

  5. Member Roba22's Avatar
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    Sep 2010
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    Sulphur Springs, TN.
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    217
    #45
    After being out fishing for around 8 hours I came back in to load all by myself and as I had just tied off to the dock a local club TX was coming in to weigh. So I got into a hurry as to not hold them up. I was trying to back the trailer down to fast and it got crossed up so in pulling back up to fast I hit the edge of a concrete ramp walk way with the edge of my Dodge 1500 front tire.... BOOM...! there I sit with a blown front tire. now embarrassed and angry I pull back up into parking lot to change the tire. I get the jack out and again in a hurry I place it in the wrong spot. I get the flat tire off but the jack will not go high enough to get the fully inflated spare on. now I have a truck that is jacked up and no front tire on it. once the club guys were done a couple came over and helped me out and got my tire changed and I went back and got my boat. by the time i left I was the only truck left in the lot... Will never hurry again!!! you guys will just have to wait on me. hehe
    2001 Triton TR176DC, Mercury 125hp, Lowrance HDS9 gen3 & HDS7 gen2

  6. Georgia Bass Club Moderator fishnfool38's Avatar
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    Oct 2007
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    Cumming, GA
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    #46
    Quote Originally Posted by crank68 View Post
    Most important.....forgot toilet paper.
    Boat come unhooked from truck.
    Back entire truck in water.
    Forget to fill up boat and can't get far from ramp.
    Left rods at home.
    Compartments locked and keys at home.
    Loose TM prop and no spare.
    Throw blade off big mota prop...no spare.
    Dump boat onto ramp.
    Loose track of time and be late for weigh in and miss a check.
    Throw ruler in water first thing while tryin to hit a bowfin.
    Cull the wrong fish.
    Give weigh master the wrong fish for big fish and miss big fish money.
    Only have 4 fish when you culled too many.
    Cut a turn short and mess up white letters and rims.
    Put in by yourself, tie rope to boat and get in a hurry and pull out and it pulls the boat up ramp.
    Put in by yourself, tie rope to trollin mota, get in a hurry and pull out and it snatches trollin mota off.

    Lmao!!!
    Don't buy a Bullet 20xrd w/250merc sport xs from Kenly, NC and you should survive the rest!

  7. Member Ohio Archer's Avatar
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    Nov 2015
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    SW Ohio
    Posts
    711
    #47
    Forgetting to reconnect the lines to the remote oil tank after removing/refilling the tank. Blew an XR2 power head that way. The motor had a tank on top of it but apparently it wasn't pressurized unless the remote tank was hooked up. Headed from the SE section of Okeechobee to another location at about 60mph when the motor died. Turning the key only resulted in losing all the lights. When the motor finally cranked it sounded like a barrel full of bolts rattling. That's when I found the disconnected oil tank. Limped back to the ramp with the trolling motor (long 2+ hours) and off to the dealership in Clewiston. Luckily, Mercury covered it under warranty.

    Less than a year later the replaced power head was damaged when a wrist pin snap ring wallowed out the piston groove and took out that cylinder. $1500 on that repair (no warranty on the replaced power head). What goes around comes around, I guess.

  8. Member
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    Dec 2015
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    Louisiana
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    4
    #48
    Pulled out of the ramp, making the mental checklist making sure everything is done. My friend asks me if I latched the winch (what a random thing to ask). Stop on the side of the road, no I sure didn't. Thank goodness for friends. Her question on facebook that day: what does a man think when he sees two women alone boating? Many answers were "HEAD FOR THE SHORE!"

    Loading and unloading alone is good aerobic activity b/c I know my heart rate is a 150 worrying that something will go wrong!

    GIRL (well okay old lady) POWER! Proud I have a boat and learning everyday!

    Laughing at and thankful for the above lists.

  9. Banned
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    Sep 2010
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    Dallas
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    #49
    I have a very bad habit of forgetting to take the motor stabilizer clips so I am able to back off the trailer but then can't steer the boat. Not the end of the world, but freaks me out every time I do it...lol!

  10. #50
    On my small aluminum boat I forgot to disconnect the winch strap before pushing the boat off into the water and the winch handle whipped around and hit me smack dead center on the elbow. That really hurt.

  11. Member
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    Dec 2015
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    Alabama
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    #51
    Take your girlfriend fishing

  12. Member
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    Nov 2011
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    Pinnacle, NC
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    #52
    Quote Originally Posted by BrianMcCarty View Post
    I have a very bad habit of forgetting to take the motor stabilizer clips so I am able to back off the trailer but then can't steer the boat. Not the end of the world, but freaks me out every time I do it...lol!
    Yea, the boat I now have has these. Fishing a tournament with my great friend who is 78, backed him in the water, he cranks up to pull the boat over to the bank but won't turn. He luckily drifts away from the boat behind him to the bank. I get in he says, "It won't turn" I go back and take off the stabilizer's off all is good. It's not the only time I've done this. I hate learning to have a new boat.
    Rocket

  13. Member
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    Jun 2010
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    Ramona, Ca.
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    #53
    Only 2 things I've ever done are leaving the TM down and getting a tidal wave of water over the bow and the other was not putting the truck in park and not setting the parking brake. When I loaded the boat, and bumped the front stop it was enough to jar it and get the truck and trailer to roll backwards into the lake....well almost into the lake. Jumped out just in time to save it. 31" rear tire, bumper and exhaust pipe were totally underwater.

  14. Member
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    Aug 2014
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    Santa Cruz Mountains, Ca
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    #54
    I went to retrieve my boat after a full day on the delta, but didn't pay attention that I was doing so at LOW tide. Ramp was nothing but slippery seaweed and I dunked my Ford Ranger to the front wheels. Luckily another guy at the ramp was available and pulled me out. That was 25 years ago, but sometimes it feels like yesterday.

  15. Member
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    Mar 2015
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    Eastern Nebraska
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    #55
    Quote Originally Posted by Bassman7031 View Post
    Don't forget to pick up trolling motor
    Did that on someone else's boat when I was fishing an FLW college tournament. That was after the first stop of the day and he was pretty quiet after that. Transducer wasn't quite the same...

  16. Member
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    Jun 2015
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    Abingdon, MD
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    #56
    First time hauling my first boat the tongue wasn't locked down on the ball. Result; huge dent in my minivan tailgate. Lesson learned; feel for resistance while locking down and if in doubt look to see if the ball is secure.

    Never underestimate the weight of a boat on an incline. My first boat was a 16' aluminum. Since I was still getting used to backing a trailer, I figured I would push the boat the rest of the way into the garage. More damage to said minivan.

    Don't overfill your battery. That sulfuric acid stuff is nasty.

    Always remember to swing the trailer jack up once all weight is on the ball. Makes for a smoother & quieter ride.

    Always carry a spare hitch pin. Never know when you will forget to check the lock on your main pin and it falls off while on the road. I've got a long receiver and short safety chains, so the ball mount slid back and the chains just barely kept it from coming off the receiver. Had to unhitch, drive a couple miles home to get another pin.

    Always have a bailer / bilge on the boat. My outboard T-boned a waterlogged wooden plank that was just beneath the surface. This caused a tsunami to form behind me and swamped my jon boat. All I had onboard was a hand towel.

    Never wear boxers and go flat out in the chop. Trust me on this boys!!!
    2000 Bass Cat Pantera Classic
    Mercury 200 EFI (0G374590)
    26P Trophy Plus / Garmin Force / Garmin EchoMAP / Dual Power Pole Pro Series II

    "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

    - Benjamin Franklin

  17. Member Baja1ab's Avatar
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    Oct 2014
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    53
    #57
    Left the trolling motor down during departure - maybe more than once.

    Took my (then) 8yo daughter out for an afternoon on the water. Ended with a 40 minute slow ride back to the ramp via trolling motor due to the drive motor not starting, only to discover the kill switch is not in its full upright and engaged position....sheesh.
    2018 18 TRX

  18. Member Z518 Comanche's Avatar
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    Oct 2008
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    St. Clairsville, Ohio
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    6,188
    #58
    Switching fuel tanks with the button on the dash. After running out of gas and getting towed in, finding out the fuel tank switch is in the bilge area. The button on the dash just switches fuel gage!!

  19. Banned
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    Jun 2008
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    Bakersfield, California
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    #59
    I bought 2 boats. 2008 Lowe 180w and 2008 triton tr186.

  20. Member
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    Siler City, NC
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    #60
    Having more than 1 rod on the deck the first time the dog went out on the boat.....that was a long morning.

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