Rookie mistakes

[mak747]

I'm 59 years old and have never been without some type of boat ever since I was 15. Other than sinking my truck, I'm guilty of about every mistake mentioned in this thread. The best advise I can give, is to take your time, don't let others make you feel rushed and to keep your wits about you. Most of my mistakes have occurred when I am being rushed or are distracted from my normal routine.

Something I haven't seen mentioned, is to get a good lanyard for your sunglasses. Cant tell you how many pairs myself or others in my boat have lost due to turning around and looking behind the boat while cruising down the lake. I always keep a couple of pair of cheap ones in the glove box for just such occasions.

[tav]

so i bought a used range 361v . we where doin a touney last year and ready to launch, nothing was coming on ...no power and everone is starting
to launch...it was my breaker switch..lol ..need to turn it on. duhhh.

then while out on the water about 2 miles out on a lake and my boat died....no fuel...hmmm so i see the lake authority and said i may need a lift
so it start and died again.....uummm stupid me i forgot i switch the tank to port side......

[bockscar]

Trying to nip this one in the butt before I come here to post about scraping up my skeg...

Just ordered a TM....never used one before...and this just hit me. Trim motor up when hitting coves (my main structure) and using the TM in those shallows....right?

[grayline]

You drilled a hole, through the transom, to run a transducer cable?

Hahaha rookie..

[soloman]

Sat there trying to figure out what was wrong with the boat at the dock for about an hour then realized it wouldn't start because the kill switch was unhooked...

[Enskyte]

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!!

This made me giggle a little. Kids these days are screwed because something has to physical move when you press the button. The screen doesn't usually tell you that.

[DougL58]

1) If hauling camping gear across the lake to camp out, get the boat tied up. When you unload all the gear, the boat tends to drift away (I know)

2) If you are fishing through wood and tree tops, pull your big motor up till the prop is out. Went to leave a spot once and rough bouncy when in gear. Pulled the motor up an one blade was gone. Figured it was caught in a branch when I swung to the side with the trolling motor and bent it off.

[Delta Andy]

I worked near a public boat ramp on the CA north coast. This boater had a brand new boat. He puts the boat on the trailer but forgets to attach hook strap on bow. As he goes forward the boat slips completely off the trailer rollers and falls onto the concrete ramp. The I/0 lower unit gets shoved almost completely into the transom!

[johnnybones]

I had an instance where i was fishing a pocket in the back of this super shallow flat where there was a small channel to get to and from. I went in no problem fished for a couple hours and decided it was time to go back, but i wanted to mark the back way out (on my graph) which is also a pretty small channel. I go running out thinking i would see the channel in the pads to find no channel and by the time i figured out there was no channel the over heat alarm came on and i shut her down. The problem is the water is only about 1 1/2ft feet in this area. I idled back the way i came got to a deep hole hammer it and she wouldn't jump up, just plowed water. Turned around to try another run and same thing. Thinking oh great i blew something i raised the outboard so i could just troll the 3 miles back. I find about probably 500 lbs of coontail and pads stuck to my lower unit. Cleaned it off and she jumped right up. My wife was super nervous as it was the first time she had been in the boat and i told her she may have to push lol.

[bockscar]

I had an instance where i was fishing a pocket in the back of this super shallow flat where there was a small channel to get to and from. I went in no problem fished for a couple hours and decided it was time to go back, but i wanted to mark the back way out (on my graph) which is also a pretty small channel. I go running out thinking i would see the channel in the pads to find no channel and by the time i figured out there was no channel the over heat alarm came on and i shut her down. The problem is the water is only about 1 1/2ft feet in this area. I idled back the way i came got to a deep hole hammer it and she wouldn't jump up, just plowed water. Turned around to try another run and same thing. Thinking oh great i blew something i raised the outboard so i could just troll the 3 miles back. I find about probably 500 lbs of coontail and pads stuck to my lower unit. Cleaned it off and she jumped right up. My wife was super nervous as it was the first time she had been in the boat and i told her she may have to push lol.

Spoiler alert...this man is a genius! Just ensured some alone time when it comes to fishing! lol

[stackenem]

Left my on board charger wire hanging out of the boat. launched the boat went and parked the truck. Came back to the back of my boat glowing red and smoking. opened the hatch and saw the wire hanging in the water. Pulled the wire out of the water and everything quit glowing. wire hanging in the water back fed to my batteries and caused a real mess. melted the trolling motor wires all the way to the front plug. Had to pull the battery and put it on the front deck hook up the trolling motor direct to fish a tx that day. Went home figuring it was going to cost an arm and a leg to fix. Only had to replace the wiring from the back to the front and a new plug. I made sure to shorten the charger wire so it would never touch the water again.

[Trusty Rusty]

I worked near a public boat ramp on the CA north coast. This boater had a brand new boat. He puts the boat on the trailer but forgets to attach hook strap on bow. As he goes forward the boat slips completely off the trailer rollers and falls onto the concrete ramp. The I/0 lower unit gets shoved almost completely into the transom!

Reminds me of when me and a buddy came in from a trip in the atchafalaya basin . Got to the ramp and I’m waiting while he goes to get my truck to load up . The ramp is busy and he’s waiting in line and this guy backs his buddies trailer in and the dude power loads his jon boat tiller handle up and signals for him to pull out . This ramp isn’t steep so no problem . Well buddy smacks down on the gas and dumps him and his boat on the ramp ! I saw the buddy riding in the truck bed when they left ..

[Basser100]

I don't like having anyone help me during my unload/load sequence. I have a set way of doing things and when someone try's to help is when I have bad things happen.

[PBadders]

So I buy a boat. Finally. Needs a couple things done so I spend a few days taking care of the the few minor things. Get the boat hooked and p and I’m off to the ramp for my first time out in it. I launch the boat. I park the truck. I get in the boat and realize...I left the boat keys at home.

[Walkabout7781]

Develop a "system", and do it all yourself, or verbally delegate tasks, and make sure they get done. You should probably take care of the most critical ones yourself (hitching up, connecting the wiring plug, raising the tongue jack).

I took a friend from work over to Potholes...long drive. I took off the transom strap on one side, and figured he had the one off the other side, because he was standing there. Well, he was only standing there with his hands in his pockets.

One time I went by myself and left the transom saver (old style strut thing) attached. I managed to get it out of the water ok, only because I could see it, about 4' down, on the gravel ramp.

One time I couldn't get the outboard started and drove about 15 miles back to camp before I realized I didn't have the kill switch connected.

One time I took the boat out to Lk. Sawyer, launched, fished, loaded the boat, drove about 20 miles home and stopped to buy gas. The trailer hitch uncoupled on a bump right next to the gas station, so I had to lift or jack up the trailer tongue and get it connected again. I'm pretty sure that was thanks to some wise-assed kids who popped the hitch latch while I was fishing, but then again...a padlock is a good thing.

A friend went fishing at the same lake (only one launch); somebody stole his stinger out of his hitch, but put the trailer coupler up on the bumper of his pickup. When he got back from fishing, it was dark, and he found out the trailer was unhitched when it fell off the bumper. His wife had to come and rescue him with her mom-van. REAL good idea to lock the stinger into the receiver and also check all that before you get back in the truck!!!

[Twolvesche]

Have everything to fish on Saturday, storm front comes through, play with the electronics, forget to turn off the main power and accessories switch, leave for the lake on Sunday... No power.

[watty]

I agree with earlier post - don't rush, use checklist first few times if you need at ramp, walk around your boat twice for check before dropping at launch. Even the experienced guys can make these mistakes.

[.44mag]

Okay I did it. I left my motor down yesterday as I pulled the boat out up the ramp. scrapped about an 1/8 of an inch off. I wasn't paying attention so mad at myself about it. Will this affect any thing? Yeah I'm new to bass boats never had a boat with over a 20 hp motor before so I've been trying to be careful and learn, learned that one the hard way always trim up at the dock and ramp.

[exx1976]

Okay I did it. I left my motor down yesterday as I pulled the boat out up the ramp. scrapped about an 1/8 of an inch off. I wasn't paying attention so mad at myself about it. Will this affect any thing? Yeah I'm new to bass boats never had a boat with over a 20 hp motor before so I've been trying to be careful and learn, learned that one the hard way always trim up at the dock and ramp.

Did that once with my first bass boat. Luckily, it was a dirt launch, so no harm was done to the motor.

[FishInTheDesert]

almost burnt my boat down yesterday for not taking care of the birds nest of wires the previous owner left. Burning wires and full gas tanks=NO BUENO