Thread: Rookie mistakes

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  1. Member grayline's Avatar
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    #341
    My most expensive so far was when the minn kota terrova first came out I pulled it up and didnt click it in the keeper so at about 45 mph it deployed busted the shaft, hit the hull and shattered . While waiting on it to get repaired I put my minn kota 24v back on and burned it up on the 36 volt system.?

  2. Member Cgs1967!'s Avatar
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    #342
    Quote Originally Posted by grayline View Post
    My most expensive so far was when the minn kota terrova first came out I pulled it up and didnt click it in the keeper so at about 45 mph it deployed busted the shaft, hit the hull and shattered . While waiting on it to get repaired I put my minn kota 24v back on and burned it up on the 36 volt system.?
    That just sucks.
    2018 Ranger Z518C 200hp Rude.
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  3. Member
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    #343
    I've only been a boat owner since April last year but I've been on boats a lot through out my life.

    1st day on the water with my new to me Ranger and I couldn't get her up on plane. I was going by the sound of the trim and when I thought I heard resistance, I stopped trimming it down. Next day my brother comes out with me and almost instantly points out my problem...the motor wasn't trimmed anywhere near all the way down. I've never had that problem again.

    This has happened to me more than once (I think 3-4 times) but the first time was the most embarrassing because my brother was with me...I forgot to stow the TM before taking off to the next spot. No damage to the TM but we got pretty wet.

    Forgot to put the drain plug in 2-3 times. First time was just plain rookie mistake, the other times were because my pre-launch routine got interrupted by someone/something.

    Cranking battery died on me about 1.5 miles from the ramp (not really my fault as the battery itself was bad) and I didn't have jumper cables with me (I do now). Having to use the TM to get back to the ramp during a Florida afternoon thunderstorm sucked.

    Last summer when water levels were really low here in Florida, I was going to help my brother and nephew that got stuck in a shallow creek off the main lake. I was going just fast enough to stay on plane when my boat abruptly came to a stop, I found a sandbar near the mouth of the creek. My brother and nephew made their way out of the creek and started coming to me (slightly faster than idle speed) and I tried shouting to them that the water was shallow. His old Merc is kinda loud so he didn't hear me and got himself stuck on the same sandbar about 15-20 feet away from me. I tried to play it off that I wasn't stuck but trimming my motor up and dropping the TM was a dead give away.

    I think that's it.
    2000 Ranger 518vx - 2019 Mercury Pro xs 200

  4. Member
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    #344
    Back in the day when I used to fish a lot with Bernie Little ( in the long necks,) I went to move to another spot and just as I shot the juice to it I noticed the trolling motor was still down. So, what to do next! Definitely didn't want to buy another trolling motor so I kept the throttle positioned just before it went down on plane, grabbed the bungee I used to hold the steering wheel while in transit, slapped it on, climbed up to the front of the boat and pulled the trolling motor up and made it back to the drivers seat before anything else major happened. Lucky for me the bungee was there, I don't think it would have ended well without it. I usually fished alone in the middle of the week so no help. But then again there were no witnesses either. Me and Bernie have since parted ways, at 65 years old now I don't think I could manage that again!

  5. Member Hollada's Avatar
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    #345
    Quote Originally Posted by Crappie Bob View Post
    Back in the day when I used to fish a lot with Bernie Little ( in the long necks,) I went to move to another spot and just as I shot the juice to it I noticed the trolling motor was still down. So, what to do next! Definitely didn't want to buy another trolling motor so I kept the throttle positioned just before it went down on plane, grabbed the bungee I used to hold the steering wheel while in transit, slapped it on, climbed up to the front of the boat and pulled the trolling motor up and made it back to the drivers seat before anything else major happened. Lucky for me the bungee was there, I don't think it would have ended well without it. I usually fished alone in the middle of the week so no help. But then again there were no witnesses either. Me and Bernie have since parted ways, at 65 years old now I don't think I could manage that again!
    This is a classic. I’ve only took off once with the TM down. Luckily it was a no wake lake! Now before I hit the throttle it’s a mental checklist... rods strapped, check... TM up, check... anything on either deck, check


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  6. Banned
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    #346
    Quote Originally Posted by Crappie Bob View Post
    Back in the day when I used to fish a lot with Bernie Little ( in the long necks,) I went to move to another spot and just as I shot the juice to it I noticed the trolling motor was still down. So, what to do next! Definitely didn't want to buy another trolling motor so I kept the throttle positioned just before it went down on plane, grabbed the bungee I used to hold the steering wheel while in transit, slapped it on, climbed up to the front of the boat and pulled the trolling motor up and made it back to the drivers seat before anything else major happened. Lucky for me the bungee was there, I don't think it would have ended well without it. I usually fished alone in the middle of the week so no help. But then again there were no witnesses either. Me and Bernie have since parted ways, at 65 years old now I don't think I could manage that again!
    No need for all of that just set her back down nice and easy.

  7. Member
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    #347
    Running rivers takes on a whole new meaning to "reading the water". Been doing for more than 20 years with a jet drive of some sort. Early jet was a simple 50/35 Yami on an old 16'flat bottom Quachita... Ran a section of the Upper Miss that is extremely boulder filled. Since the boat was relatively narrow, came off plane, dropped down and literally tried to rip my transom off as I dropped right on to a pretty sharp boulder. Thankfully, was able to get to the ramp in spite of water gushing in the stern of the boat. With the help of a sledge, some sealant etc... Still got it to float. :)
    Another occasion after upgrading to my current River-Pro... 175 sportjet... They really don't like thick vegetation. For those that don't know, a jet is basically just a pump and the boats are just overgrown jetskis.. Without thrust, you lose control. Ran up a local river in mid summer, a monster vegetation flat, tried to stick with the deeper channel area, missed it, clogged the intake and was doing 25 mph, ended up on shore after not having control on a river bend... Thankfully, my son and I were able to wrestle with it for an hour or so, no damage done (River-pros are pretty indestructible), got to a clear area, dove under to get vegetation out of the intake... Got it done...
    Son took the jet out and tried to run up a trib... shut down in a panic and dropped her on a sand bar... Running through three inches of water is no problem... Floating that shallow, not so much! A bit of work and an hour an a half later, got to deeper water, all good.. :)
    20190603_155528_HDR.jpg
    There's more...

  8. Member
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    #348
    Unloading your boat in the lake with tie downs still attached.

  9. Member
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    Huntsville Al
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    #349
    Wondering why the boat won’t steer when you get on it and realize you left the blocks on the steering rod.

  10. Member
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    Jun 2020
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    Petal, MS
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    #350
    When I first got my boat, i jumped in one day and was horrified to find that the trolling motor wouldn't come one. It was plugged in, the battery had good voltage. It just wouldn't turn. This was a brand new boat. How could something be broken already.

    It helps when you move the switch on the side of the foot control to either "on" position.

  11. Member
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    Sylva NC
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    #351
    I put the plug in the wrong hole. Makes it take on water.

  12. Member
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    Bell County, Texas
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    #352
    Got my boat to the ramp and got out of truck, phone rang, pulled phone out of pocket as it was my boss and I kindly reminded him I was on leave to go fishing.. I set my phone on the deck and continued with putting plug in, removing straps etc.. got boat in water.. got to where I wanted to fish.. opened rod storage lid (on port side) and heard a "kerplunk" and looked over and seen my 1 week old 1400$ Samsung S20+ sinking in 50ft water I said to self.. well dont have to answer now if boss or wife calls and started fishing.

    I was sweating bullets my entire drive home that evening but luckily wife had got insurance on our new phones so I still got dinner.

  13. Member
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    #353
    20+ years ago a friend came down to spend the weekend fishing with me. I needed to replace my starting battery so we did that the night before while having a few adult beverages. Got up at 4 am the next morning, drove an hour to the lake, got the boat unloaded and ready to head out. Spent 2 hours tied to the dock trying to figure out why the starter would spin but not engage the flywheel to start the motor. Determined to fish, I finally found the dock mechanic to see if he had an old starter to put on the motor so we could go. He sat in the boat and messed around with it for 30 minutes before looking at me with a disgusted look and said "your battery cables are reversed".

  14. Member
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    Pensacola, FL
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    #354
    Not tying boat up to dock tight enough. Parked truck and boat gone down river. Had to swim for it. This happened three times. Gator infested water and I’m not a strong swimmer. And I had a glock on my hip each time...

  15. Member
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    #355
    I've been a boat owner for 2 years now. In the very beginning I forgot to put the plug in twice (posted that on here already). I can't tell you how many times I forgot to stow the trolling motor before hammering down, nothing reminds you of it like getting an unexpected shower! My newest rookie mistake though was last year when I got a pair of Talons and I was anchored at the dock while getting my truck. The ramp was choked with hydrilla and floating grass so I assumed that my prop was just entangled with vegetation, after all I did push the "up" button on the remote (apparently not hard enough). I get the boat on the trailer and start pulling up the ramp when another boater stopped me and said "you're dragging those things on the back of your boat." My first thought was he meant 800 lbs of vegetation that I knew was going to come out with the trailer. Needless to say, my spikes now have a sharper than factory point on them!
    2000 Ranger 518vx - 2019 Mercury Pro xs 200

  16. Member
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    Oct 2006
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    Franklin Tennessee
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    #356
    Easter Sunday I was waiting to load. A young couple with three kids were trying to put a pontoon in the water. They were in a small suv and he had no idea how to back the boat. He jackknifed twice! Finally a man backed his own trailer in and jumped in the couples car and backed it in. I’m watching this somewhat pissed because of the wate but amused and concerned once they got on the water. Well another five minutes passed while he tried to figure out how to release the winch. I’m not sure if he ever did but then got into the boat. Now was my turn to back in the one space open on a ramp for four. He had the others blocked. I got in my boat and huridly tried to load as there were quite a few waiting including Jacob Wheeler and his family. I’m pulling up to my trailer and hear a grinding noise. Yep my power poles were still down. I corrected that and drove into my trailer as my Triton is very easy to load. When I went to hook the wench up I noticed The keel was between the center part of the roller and the outside. During me correcting that the woman from the pontoon ask if I had a battery charger. Apparently their battery was dead. I pulled out to the farthest point I could to leave room for everyone else to strap down. The pontoon had pulled to the top of the ramp and sat there blocking a portion of it until I left. I don’t know if he burned up his transmission or was waiting for a battery to be brought to him. Funny thing is the day before I watched a video of someone trying to back in doing the same thing. One of the responses on here was leaving the power poles down which I had never done. When it was all over I had to laugh about it.

  17. Member
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    #357
    Quote Originally Posted by Bassguy2 View Post
    Thanks a lot! Sound advice. Oh, and I will enjoy it, you can bet on that!
    Go to an empty parking lot and go through the process including backing into a parking spot straight with your vehicle straight in the one adjoining. Get it down and you won’t get flustered when people are waiting and watching.

  18. Member
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    Apr 2011
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    Pueblo West CO.
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    #358
    Don't assume that the charger on the boat you just bought is a 3 bank charger and not charge the starting battery all winter...
    Not all churches have pews? Very few churches without pews have God.

  19. Member
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    Longview, Texas
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    #359
    Went to lake o' the pines in east Texas with a buddy a few days ago in his new skeeter. He backed his truck down the ramp while I was standing on the dock. Then he got out to undo the winch and handed me the rope he had connected to the boat while he got in and tried to fire it up but the motor wouldn't crank. We spent about 15 minutes cursing before he realized the kill switch wasn't connected.

    We thought yay! lets go fishing. So he took us out and was having fun with his new boat. We eventually pulled up to a spot to start fishing and he turned around and asked "did we forget something?"

    I said "I don't think so"

    Then he turned around again and said "I feel like we forgot something...are you sure we didn't forget anything?" So we started looking around the boat to check things off

    1. Do we have a fire extinguisher and other needed equipment? yes
    2. Do we have our life jackets? yes
    3. Do we have food and drink? yes
    4. Do we have our fishing licenses? yes
    5. Does the boat have plenty of gas? yes
    6. Did he park the truck after launching? OH @#$%!!!

    We headed back to the dock. We had been so focused on getting the motor started that we forgot all about the truck, so we headed off and just left the truck on the ramp with the trailer in the water. There was a line of boats waiting that couldn't launch because his truck was blocking the ramp lol.
    Last edited by Eastxn; 04-13-2021 at 10:10 AM.

  20. Member CigarBasser's Avatar
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    #360
    ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^
    2001 Ranger 518DVX Comanche / Mercury 200 Opti (OT306368)

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