Boneheaded Things You've Done

[Cobra_Joe]

I replaced my old boat this winter. Right above the drain plug is the hole for one of the live wells. I put the drain plug into to live well hole and did not notice until I got about 100' from the ramp. Water was up to my knees. Luckily I beached the boat and got it out running the pump. It took over an hour to get all the water to drain out. I've owned boats for over 15 years. What a rookie mistake.

[kyfanatic]

I replaced my old boat this winter. Right above the drain plug is the hole for one of the live wells. I put the drain plug into to live well hole and did not notice until I got about 100' from the ramp. Water was up to my knees. Luckily I beached the boat and got it out running the pump. It took over an hour to get all the water to drain out. I've owned boats for over 15 years. What a rookie mistake.

I've seen the drain plug trick happen a few times over the years,it's not funny until later,much later.

[goosecreekguy]

I've seen the drain plug trick happen a few times over the years,it's not funny until later,much later.

Yea, til much later. A couple years ago I re-wired a boat for a buddy and took it out to test everything (and to fish a little) with him when done. In a hurry we took out in the water and while idling upstream noticed my feet were wet...from water pouring in and the back of the boat was almost completely submersed. Luckily we got it up running and the bilge did the rest. But for a moment I thought we were sinking for sure.

Just one of many boneheaded things I've done on the water....

[KentuckyBristle]

OK, this is a story related by a co-worker about a friend of his, so I can't vouch for veracity...but it's still pretty funny.

These guys were in a boat fishing on a lake. One of them gets his lure caught in a tree limb hanging out over the water. He pulls, and it won't come free, so they pull over beneath it to get a different angle and less slack in the line.

The one guy pulls and tugs to shake the lure loose, and he shakes a big snake out of the tree, and it falls --THUMP! right into the boat.

The other guy freaks out, pulls out a pistol, and fires two shots at the snake. He misses, but there are now two decent sized holes in the bottom of the boat. The snake slithers over the side. The two fishermen get the boat onto shore before it sinks, and use a rock to pound out the metal from the bullet holes and use metal tape to patch it enough to make it back to the boat ramp.

I was cracking up when I heard the story.

[SwampDonkey]

Backed my trailer in too far one morning, watched the boat float off out into the lake! No one was around so I had to swim out and get the boat! In a big Hurry!!!!

[floatman]

put in at Rough one evening for a night tournament, I've got a Ranger and forgot to put the plug in, so wile I was waiting for my partner, I looked and saw water coming up through the drain in the floor, It's a long way up to the parking lot, and I was about to panic, I looked and noticed a guy putting his Ranger in the water, I told him my problem, he yelled to the driver of his truck to stay their, I pulled right up on his trailer, it was not a exact fit but got me out of the water long enough for the water to drain, needless to say I thanked him for his help...............LOL

Gary

[Tim_T]

I fish with a lot of guides when "researching" for magazine articles. I have had to major blunders this year that really made me feel stupid.

#1 unhooked a guides strap for him to launch his boat, but didn't unhook the safety chain, which snapped!

#2 broke a rod tip off a rod that belonged to the guide I was fishing with.

Felt like a fool both times. Nothing like a little feeling of incompetence to humble you!

[Ranger_07]

Usually one per trip but this one was at Barren. I caught a catfish on the bluff wall down from Bailey's Point. I used a pair of pliers to free the hook. So, pliers in one hand catfish in the other I go to drop the cat back into the lake. Kerplunk! At this point I realize the catfish is still in my hand and the pliers were on their way to a watery grave.

[psvec]

Backed my trailer in too far one morning, watched the boat float off out into the lake! No one was around so I had to swim out and get the boat! In a big Hurry!!!!

dont feel bad did the same thing twice. once last week, didnt swim had somebody take me to my boat

[apb]

Backed my trailer in too far one morning, watched the boat float off out into the lake! No one was around so I had to swim out and get the boat! In a big Hurry!!!!

Glad I'm not the only one who has done that! Pulled that stunt at Cumberland one March years ago. Got to the lake around 3:30 AM. Backed the trailer in the water and tried to launch the boat. Realized I had not backed in far enough. Get back in the truck, start backing down the ramp a little more, hit a bump, boat starts sliding off real nice. I had forgotten to attach it when I went to back it in the second time. I jump out, run down the trailer, too late, boat is now off the trailer and headed out to sea. No one else around. End up going in, 55 degree water. Catch up to the boat about 30 yards out. Swam back to the shore with the boat. No change of cloths and my wallet in my pocket too. Only day I've been striper fishing on Cumberland and really wanted the sun to come up!

Andrew

[psvec]

I fish the BFl in ky as a co-angler, the last tournament i was so worried about one of my fish dying that i weigh in 4 bass instead of 5. didnt know untill the scale guy said 4 fish 4 alive. lost 20 spots because of the bonehead move

[21XRD300]

This thread is a great idea. Thanks to the OP, one of us should write a book.

This will prove that I’m a real bonehead, but it does span many years of being on the water. Some were all me, some I participated in, some can't be told.

- Night fishing on Dale, wrong turn, lost in fog, wake up naked lady on houseboat at 2:00 am to ask for directions, run out of gas, some kind soul tows us back to our houseboat at Goat Island. Made it back before daybreak; no fish.

- My brother and fishing partner has dug both sets of treble hooks into the skulls of our two best friends and sometime fishing partners. I am patiently waiting my turn, but also thinking about buying a motorcycle helmet.

- Night fishing on Nolin; hung a black jitterbug in tree, pulled it free resulting in a sling-shot jitterbug finding my forearm with barb in deep. What the heck, I’ll just rip it out, Squirt, Squirt, and Squirt, hit a big vein and all I can think of is “How fast does lock jaw set in?”

- Okeechobee, anchored in a big lily field. I take off with trolling motor on high forgetting anchor, anchor catches, boat stops, I keep going. I reach for front of boat and grab the trolling motor, it’s on continuous run and I slice my forearm open. Gator Bait here I come, forearm thinking about looking for new owner.

- One year at Okeechobee, one of our buddies sets his rear fishing seat on the back deck unsecured, it bounces off and is lost. Trip to North Lake Marine for a new fishing seat.

- Next year at Okeechobee; same buddy sets his rear fishing seat on the back deck unsecured, it bounces off and is lost. Trip to North Lake Marine for a new fishing seat. North Lake is now closed; I guess they couldn’t make it on fishing seats alone.

- Winter Lake Cumberland trip; fishing partner can’t feel his big toe and claims frost bite. He asks for a fresh cup of coffee which he gets. I notice that he’s taking off a boot and several layers of socks. The big toe goes into the coffee cup. He still claims that coffee saved his life.

- Okeechobee, Shiner fishing trip; at day’s end we park in the boat slip, freshen up the left over shiners, turn on the live well pump and aerator. That night a shiner noses in and plugs the over-flow hole and we are pumping lake water into the boat all night. Bilge pump malfunctions and at daybreak one of our crew greets us with a “Gentlemen, I think we have a problem”. The boat is sunk up to the deck cap and barely hanging on. We get her floating, put her on the trailer and finish draining her out. It was the cleanest she had been in several years.