[Birdman571]

Really wanted to fish on Monday, but it seemed someone/something had other ideas. Our neighborhood ramp isn't dredged so there's limited accessibility. For my boat, I have to launch at least 2 hrs before low tide (10am on Monday) or I have to wait till the tide rises.

Get to the ramp at 7am and find my port side steel trailer fender has failed. Beat it with a hammer till it broke free. Then I go to grab the drain plug from the tray by the motor, no plug. Tear apart the truck, rifle through the boat, nothing.
ARRRGH!!! I left breakfast (Cheerios and a banana) out for my 84 year old Dad as he "forgets" to eat. I swear I'll never touch a banana again before a day on the water.

Back to the house, fortunately it's only a mile and a half up the road. Couldnt find the plug anywhere and the clock is ticking. Dad was a golfer, found an old broken wood and thought the end of the handle might just be my workaround. Cut off 2" of the graduated, rubber coated grip and slathered it with silicone glue. A few gentle taps of a hammer later I'm back in business. Time to go fishing!

Barely had enough water to float the boat off the trailer at 8am. Blue skies, maybe 10 knots of NW wind thought I'd give topwater a shot. Saw some bird activity in the marsh so dropped the trolling motor and was rewarded with my first topwater red of the season. Hot Pink #11 Skitterwalk did the trick. Soon after, the birds disappeared and so did the bite.
Motored north to a decent falling tide spot and throwing a Rapala jerkbait, caught a nice sized bluefish. Changed to the Pearl, Zman Curly Tailz. Over the next hour, caught three nice trout, a couple flounder and a bunch of blues for my first Inshore Slam of the season. The last few outings have been a little lean, Monday was soooo much more fun.

Just gotta stay away from bananas. Next time out dad gets toast for breakfast!

 

[Greenmonster]

Man, that was a GREAT read! Just what I needed to keep me going on a nutty day! Hillarious about the bananas - Some people call it a superstition, but it's hard to argue with facts! Evil fruit!!

Awesome write up!

 

[rickwhofishes]

nice! nothing like being under tide pressure! thanks fro the report!

 

[quest4reds]

First question I ask when I am getting on a fishing boat, "Does anybody have any bananas they want to declare?". I've had similar experiences on my brothers boat so no banana shall ever see the inside of mine. That darn skitterwalk, how'd that get on there, don't we all hate that lure?

 

[trigger22]

Bananas are welcome on my vessel with open arms. I have one with my breakfast before every trip. Here's Scott Hobbs eating a banana that rode around with us all day while chasing old drum. It didn't seem to hinder our success.

 

[Silverback]

Nice day on the water for sure...congrats!

 

[sundrop]

I have 1 plug laying in the gunnel, 1 tied to the transom bracket with 80lb braid that I use, 1 in the registration and safety box with my tools and flares, 1 in the glove box of the truck, and 1 in 1 of the tackle boxes. And if I catch any on sale anywhere I will probably buy another one just because...LOL...

 

[sundrop]

Superstitions only work if you believe in them. Unfortunately I believe in the NO NAAAAANNERS one!!

 

[JBassAssassin]

That was great and funny story! I like how you put “forgets” lol. Glad it all worked out after a bad start.

 

[led0321]

Great report. I had never heard of the banana thing being a hillbilly from the mountains of east Tennessee. On my trip with Breadman last August he was appalled that I brought a banana. 10 reds and 30 trout later, I think he forgot about it!

I eat them all the time.

 

[Birdman571]

The banana thing got started back when sailing ships brought produce to markets along the eastern seaboard of the U.S. The ships carrying bananas often had fatalities. Bananas became bad luck. They didn't realize there were poisonous spiders living in the banana bunches.

 

[Greenmonster]

I'm not superstitious. BUT

- I don't eat bananas 24 hours before a fishing trip and I never bring them on the boat.
- Bananas have been proven to cause bad luck. Spiders be darned.
- I NEVER comment on the weather during or prior to a trip. I review it online and hope mother Nature didn't see me doing it.
- Commenting on the weather is proven to cause a local change in the weather for the worse.
- I NEVER think about eating a fish until it is in the cooler.
- Contemplation of sweet, savory, warm fish flesh between the hook up and the closed cooler is a guarantee for a pulled hook.
- I NEVER comment on how fishy a spot looks
- Commentary on the fishiness of a spot is a guarantee for fish desertion for a 5 mile radius.


But I am NOT superstitious. Really.

 

[led0321]

I'm not superstitious. BUT

- I don't eat bananas 24 hours before a fishing trip and I never bring them on the boat.
- Bananas have been proven to cause bad luck. Spiders be darned.
- I NEVER comment on the weather during or prior to a trip. I review it online and hope mother Nature didn't see me doing it.
- Commenting on the weather is proven to cause a local change in the weather for the worse.
- I NEVER think about eating a fish until it is in the cooler.
- Contemplation of sweet, savory, warm fish flesh between the hook up and the closed cooler is a guarantee for a pulled hook.
- I NEVER comment on how fishy a spot looks
- Commentary on the fishiness of a spot is a guarantee for fish desertion for a 5 mile radius.


But I am NOT superstitious. Really.

I missed a buck at 18 yds one time because I was thinking of the mount I was going to get. Bow hunting will humble a man quick like.

 

[swimswith1]

Where did you get that yard stick? It has a Duss ave in Ambridge PA. I am from Sewickley PA

 

[Birdman571]

I was born in Sewickley Valley Hospital in '57. Lived in Baden while dad was a tower controller at the old Pittsburgh Airport. At 5 years old dad got transferred to Cleveland Center in Oberlin, OH. Now I'm in Wilmington caring for him a and found that yardstick in his garage. I used a pencil to mark minimums and slot limits.

 

[swimswith1]

Tight lines and good health to you and your dad.

 

[AHODGES21]

Great story and I can very well relate to it.

 

[quest4reds]

I have 1 plug laying in the gunnel, 1 tied to the transom bracket with 80lb braid that I use, 1 in the registration and safety box with my tools and flares, 1 in the glove box of the truck, and 1 in 1 of the tackle boxes. And if I catch any on sale anywhere I will probably buy another one just because...LOL...

Sundrop, because of this post and your preparedness, I went and picked up a spare plug to put in my glove box even though my plug is attached to the boat with 100# test line permanently crimped to the transom.

 

[Greenmonster]

I have learned the hard way to keep a boat hardware kit on the boat at all times. Included is:
- Spare plugs
- Spare fuses
- Flashlights
- Tool set
- Battery wing nuts (ask me how I learned THAT one - fish hooks can work in a pinch!)

And I still find ways to screw up a fishing trip by forgetting something! 12 years ago, I actually made 4 note cards for myself that stay in the visor of my truck. I still use them to this day:
1) List of all the fishing/boat equipment I need (you'd be amazed how often I almost forget my fishing rods!)
2) Pre-trip check list (i.e. check tire pressure, bearing grease, lights, switches, battery charge, test start engine, etc)
3) Trailering checklist (secure hatches, remove keys from ignition, RAISE ENGINE etc)
4) Post trip checklist (flush engine, grease bearings, lower engine, etc)

The bigger the boat, and the older I get, the more I forget - and the more it costs when I do. The other day, I went to put gas in the boat and drove all the way to the gas station with the motor down. I had 5" of clearance. If I had gone up a slight bump, it would have been disastrous. Every time I run through those check lists, I find something I had forgotten.

I just have to remember to check the checklists!