Didn't lock the trailer hitch. Got back to ramp and sent buddy to get the truck. Came back without a trailer. Called the cops. Never did get the trailer back. Use a locking pin.
Didn't lock the trailer hitch. Got back to ramp and sent buddy to get the truck. Came back without a trailer. Called the cops. Never did get the trailer back. Use a locking pin.
First time out in my first boat back in 1991. Didn't understand that you put the rod tie downs over the reel end if the rods. Was screaming across the lake, hit my first good wave and watched two of my Shimano Coriolis' attached to Falcon rods go over the side. That was high end gear back then.
instead of using the trolling motor near a rocky shore
I decided to use the big motor and bam!! took a chunk off the skeg and chewed
up the prop a bit..
I have a few:
Forgot to take the straps off the back and back it in and buddy can't get the boat off the trailer.
After I hooked my brother in the head with a crank bait I was rushing to get him back to shore and I forgot to put the trolling motor up.
Fishing first club event having a crappy day not catching anything decide to move across the lake and forgot to pull up the trolling motor.
Having reels towards back of boat and having $180 worth of rod and reel go flying past buddies face at 64mph. I asked him why he didn't try and grab the crank bait on it
Parents took out their boat first time in 5 years and I had mine out with them. They go in and are loading and I am right behind them pulling up to the dock as they're pulling their boat out and my brothers fiance drove their boat on forgot to raise the motor up. Well my dad with a bug up his a$$ had the windows up and my mom and future sister-in law are yelling for him to stop, 75 yards later he stops puts it in park to tie it down and they're yelling at him. I was laughing then loaded my boat by myself without problem even telling my mom and future sister in law to not touch my boat or anything I'll handle it myself after watching that circus
2003 Skeeter ZX200
Don't think I posted this one yet... late last summer on my favorite river fishing with the wife and daughter in the boat. Had the bimini up for the ladies as the sun was really beating down on us and to make some room, I had put my brand new telescopic net on top of the bimini until I needed it. Puttering around beating the bank, caught some fish and time to pack it up. Put everything away and take off with the bimini still up... was 20 minutes down the river when I realized the net was missing
I had trolling motor issue, checked wiring and pulled front panel, checked breaker nothing. Battery slide in the tray and the wire pulled out of the terminal. Completely ruined a 25 minute trip across the bay of Green Bay to Sturegeon Bay.Originally Posted by StarcraftSS
Happened to me 2 weeks ago. Out on the lake at night...TM stops working. Never dawned on me that the breaker was tripped.
Have forgotten to take off the transom straps TWICE this season.
2003 Skeeter ZX200
Had my adjustable slide plate for my hot foot pull out of the floor half way across the bay of Green Bay. 18 mile run and here I am 9 miles out under the dash trying to screw it back in getting thrown around in 2-4 footers. First time I ever got motion sick. While laying on the floor screwing in the adjustable plate we took a nice wave on from the side and got completely soaked.
2003 Skeeter ZX200
I hear these stories a lot with pontoon boats. People just assume the trailer is part of the boat and away they go.
2003 Skeeter ZX200
Replaced steering cable on my first outboard years ago. Problem was, I put the cable in backwards and the boat would go left when steered right, and right when steered left. Found out as soon as I got it off the trailer after replacing the cable....
Sam Dunaway
2005 Triton TR-21X
Powered by Suzuki 250SS
Wear your lifejacket
leave one back strap on and boat goes sideways
bought my signature boat a few years back only had it out about 6 times .....went to the lake with my wife and
grandson. launched the boat , trim down and now it wont go back. spent the day out there , had to manually raise
the motor at the ramp. that was a $ 500.00 bill to fix.
.
That's not your fault. That's just owning a boat..
Last edited by Hollada; 06-04-2017 at 05:34 PM.
2019 Basscat Caracal
225 Evinrude G2
Solix 12 Mega SI bow and console
Mega Live
36V Ultrex
Love this thread...looking to buy my first ever boat, and I've learned a ton. Seems to be a common thread of leaving the motors down both front and rear. What about on the water mistakes? I mean is there anything you can really do with floating debris? When you fished a new lake did you hit all sorts of stuff? Besides leaving the trolling motor down did you do something else that seems like common sense now but when it happened you were surprised?
Kill switch, double check. I've only hit stuff when I wasnt paying enough attention.
William "Bill" Kyte
Waldorf, MD
2018 Shenadoah Kerr lake BFL Co-angler Champion
2020 Ranger 520L Evinrude G2 250HO
Some simple advice. #1 use a sonar with GPS included. One that is compatible with the available maps. I use humminbirds, and use their lake master maps. That highlights the channel(s) you should run in, and also points out hazard areas like trees, stumps and shallow water. #2 Drive ONLY when you can devote 100% of your attention to what is in front of you. Doing this you will only rarely encounter something you don't see or can't see. 99% of the surface junk strikes are avoidable. Yes there are objects that barely float, and there's nothing you can do. Except to run in the main channel where someone else has probably already cleared such an object out for you. :) #3 learn to understand channel markers when they are available. #4 If the water is unfamiliar, only an idiot will run around at high speed trying to find if there are submerged obstructions waiting to claim his lower unit or the bottom of his hull.
2008 Bass Cat Pantera Classic
2014 Mercury Pro XS 200
Best advice I have ever received, and from reading this thread it still applies...
Relax and slow down. Taking an extra 30 seconds to do a mental and visual double check could very well save a thousand or more, as well as quite possibly a life!
Mike
---------------------------
If it has whipped cream and chocolate drizzles on it, it’s dessert. Grow up and get a coffee damnit
Make sure the extension cord to your charger is unplugged and removed before you pull out of your garage/ driveway so you dont bend the blades on the plug when it gets ripped out of the socket, and fortunatly does nothing to your charger. Don't ask me how I know.
07 STRATOS 176XT
This one made me laugh outloud!! My No-Brother-Good-In-Law bought a new Lakeland Bassboat about 25 years ago. We are fishing with it for the very first time and because it's a tiller, he has the transom mount trolling motor so he never has to leave his rear seat. He's got it down and maneuvering us around and we decide to move up the river about a 1/2 mile. He turns and pull starts his tiller and I looked him right square in the eye and said " aren't you going to lift and tilt that trolling motor up"? he says, "NO, IT'S DESIGNED TO STAY DOWN AND CUT THROUGH THE WATER"! We didn't go 200 yards WHAM!!!!!!!!! Broke the bracket clean off his new boat and fortunately, I had the presence of mind to grab the battery cables, or that baby would have sank to the bottom!! I didn't laugh at him to his face, but I sure did under my breath!!!Don't forget to pick up trolling motor
"Cast Everything in the Best Light Possible"
Don't forget to trim the motor back down before hammering the throttle.
I was fishing up shallow so had the motor trimmed up but prop still in the water - Hammered the throttle to move to another spot - Looked straight up at the sky and about sh*t thinking I was going down transom first. After the initial shock I looked around to see who was watching me be an idiot.
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