I knew it was gonna happen eventually...equipment malfunction

[Highcentered]

I'm usually pretty careful when fishing. I haven't even broken a rod outside of a couple broken and easily replaced tips in years. After turning loose a dandy of a white bass I go to pick up the rod I was using and SNAP! Rod broke closer to the handle than the tip. My next boat WILL have recessed cleats! Might be a while because my current boat otherwise suits my needs great and is paid for. Guess I'll just have to watch out for those front cleats that never get used for anything. I do want to go back to a glitter sled eventually but that's a ways off.

No point in this thread other than to vent and see what others have done recently in the form of dumb equipment malfunctions.

[Bueller]

I forgot to trim my Opti 200 up after trimming it down to drain the water, bumped it on a speed bump and snapped off two inches of the skeg. Ouch.

[Bonanza]

Topic suggested this would be about erectile dysfunction

[cmclairday2]

I've pulled some good ones over the years
Lost a cowling on a terrible windy day on Lake Maumelle. Lost 4 rods on Greers Ferry at one time because I said, "Its just a short run, I won't worry about strapping them down."
Was fishing some current off White river one time and had my line out. I've got my head turned back talking to my buddy in the back of the boat and feel a tug on my line. I set the hook without even looking, on my trolling motor that had caught the line while I wasn't paying attention. Broke my rod and had a mess. Had been noticing some leakage in my steering seals for a bit, but just kept adding fluid saying I'd replace the seals when I got a chance. Was running down White River and coming up on a bend. Kept turning the wheel but not much was happening. I ordered seals when I got in that day.
I could go on and on.

[Poppin' Frog]

Feel for ya op, broke a Dobyns Champion extreme 795 the same way.

[WillFishforBeer]

The very last run of the boat last year, taking it from the dock to the public launch, the trim motor decided THAT was the moment it was going to catastrophically fail.
Drug a 3ft trench in the ramp cement with the skeg... Thank goodness the old "bang on the starter with a hammer" trick worked enough to get the engine raised.
I thought I was going to find that the motor brushes were shot. Nope. The fixed magnets (stator) had completely shattered and came out of the housing in ten pieces.

[big_o_tom]

The only rod I've ever broken has been because of a cleat. I took 550 cord and tied to the cleats then wrapped it around them until they were full. It blocked the cleat off so a rod couldn't slide in and get broken and I always had some rope if I ever needed some.

[bassnpro1]

I backed in too far in my garage the other week and now I have some drywall that needs fixin.

[ksubasser24]

Brother has a Ranger Walleye boat. He would put his rods under his front cleats when drifting as he didn't have rod holders installed. I can't even begin to count how many rods he broke.

[61Woody]

I mis read the title. I thought you were getting old and certain parts were not cooperating.

[SAL321]

Yeah stuff happens out on water. Had some line twisted in the TM and the fishing was on fire. Looked in my tool bag and couldn't find the wrench, upset we had to call the wife and make a long run back to the launch I pulled up the TM and crushed the handle of $300 drop shot rod. Finally looked in another spot and low and behold had the right wrench to do it on the water but we were already at the launch.

Went back to the spot and cold as an ex-wife.

[keeferfish]

Put a positive spin on it

I forgot to trim my Opti 200 up after trimming it down to drain the water, bumped it on a speed bump and snapped off two inches of the skeg. Ouch.

Found out I didn't need it anyway and picked up 2 mph.

I backed in too far in my garage the other week and now I have some drywall that needs fixin.

Found an inexpensive garage hack to make my boat fit in the garage easier.

[Transom]

That happened to me a while back. I always wondered how people broke their rods in their cleats but just like you I just released a fish and picked the rod up. I do not like recessed cleats though and will stick with the old school ones. I will be and I am more cognizant of the cleats now.

[NumberOne]

I broke 4-5 rods on cleats before I got real careful. Stubborn.

[Ranger Skipper]

The equipment didn't malfunction. It wasn't being utilized as advertised

[n2ratfishin]

Congrats on getting out and catching a few good uns.

We've all broken equipment, if not you're not playing hard enough.

[dean c]

Windy day on the bay with the wife…spot locked. She got a mess on her spinning rod line. I’m trying to clean it up. Wind blows the line in to the spot locked troll…Yanked that rod right in half.

[coreynov902]

Fishing out of my dad's aluminum V-bottom boat several years ago. Put it on the trailer and pulled the trailer out of the water. My trailer has carpeted bunk boards whereas his trailer has rollers. The winch strap was attached but the crank didn't stay locked, so as soon as we pull the trailer out of the water completely, the boat slides right off the trailer and onto the concrete ramp. Knocked the tiller motor completely off the transom and put some cracks and gouges in the cowling. Fortunately it wasn't a big boat and it was aluminum, so damage to the boat was minimal and we were able to maneuver it back into the water and back onto the trailer. That experience alone is why I'll never own a trailer with rollers.

[Rangerdeepv]

Had the same thing happen a couple times OP. Older Lund got the rod caught in a gunnel tiedown and bent the wrong way then snap! Took grandson fishing last year on the Pond Prowler for an hour or so and put his Ugly Stik on the pontoon boat and then stepped on it....snap!

[barbarian]

Borke a rod yesterday being a DA. Stuck a bait in some reeds and pulling it out by the roots. Instead of straight, I acted like I had a whale and then braced the rod with my left had around the half point. Broke in half. So dumb, I laughed at myself instead of getting mad.