The other day, a charter boat captain in Florida called with this banana tale of woe. He was half way through a fishless trip when the smell of burning wires filled the cabin. It seems that a control switch malfunctioned, caused a pump to run continuously and the wires to overheat. Once the emergency had passed, a further investigation revealed a banana peel in the garbage can. The outing continued to spiral downward when two sailfish were lost, and later, a Mahi-Mahi was eaten by a bull shark as it was being landed. One has to wonder if the banana on board was a coincidence, or perhaps more evidence to fuel the notion of the banana jinx. The Captain believed the banana to be the bugaboo.
A few weeks later, the tip of a very expensive fly rod was stepped on and broken, when two brother in-laws prepared to board the boat. At the end of the fishless trip, the only thing found in the otherwise empty fish box was a bunch of uneaten bananas.
While there is no scientific evidence to support the banana theory, a growing number of charter boat captains take the matter seriously. Some have posted signs that read: “Banana Free Boat” – “No Bananas Allowed” – and “Bananas Are Bad Luck, Please Leave Them on Shore.” Others go even further by forbidding products like Banana Boat Sunscreen, banana flavored lip cream, banana chips, banana bread and banana muffins.
It gets worse. Some clients have been asked to remove garments purchased from The Banana Republic or anything with the word or images of a banana printed on them. A few captains are so bananaphobic, that they require clients to remove underwear if it carries the Fruit of the Loom label. That might be going too far, since the logo on the label depicts an apple, grapes and leaves, but no bananas.
Banana extremists question boarding fishermen about what they had to eat and drink during the past twenty-four hours. If they answer fried plantains, sliced bananas on cereal, banana pudding or banana daiquiris, they are turned away. And finally, how about this extreme juju? There is a guy who had to have a banana tattoo removed from his forearm before he could get his Charter Boat Captain’s License.
Stories of bananas bringing bad luck can be traced back to the 1700’s when sailing ships carrying bananas hurried to deliver their cargo before it spoiled. The ships moved so quickly that crew members trolling for fish off the stern, seldom caught anything. A more passable answer is that, unlike the scents of garlic, worms and shrimp, all of which attract fish, the smell of bananas wards them away. And since most fishermen don’t wash their hands after eating bananas or anything else, the banana oil rubs off and on to the bait when it’s hooked.
Lastly, boats participating in a sailfish tournament reported lots of bananas floating in the fishing grounds. You guessed it! No sailfish were caught that day.
Tips from Capt. Gus: Innovative and veteran bass angler, Danny McCall, from Denver, NC uses Pam Cooking Spray to keep his fishing line and rod guides from icing when air temperatures dip below freezing. He also uses Pam Olive Oil Spray as an attractant on his bass lures.
Hot Spots of the Week: Extreme weather has kept most anglers off area lakes. For the few who have ventured out, fishing has been good in both hot holes and in the warm water adjacent to them. Surface feeding activity, mostly bass and a few stripers, has been very good in Ramsey Creek and in the vicinity of the Highway 150 Bridge.
The water level on Lake Norman is about 2.3' below full pond and is 2.3' below full on Mountain Island Lake. The surface water temperature is in the forties in water not affected by power generation on Lake Norman.
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