Retrieving your rod

Yesterday was one of those days where everything seems to go wrong. Forgot my rainsuit top and gore tex shoes at the house. After waiting for the first round of sleet and rain, I decided to go for it anyway. Fishing (Catching) was not the greatest and an 1 1/2 into the day I’m idling over a closing dam and under a tree and WHOOSH out go my rods. I jumped up and caught them with my arm and 1 or 2 of them are gone! I semmer down and get the camera out and start looking but with the flow so high, the camera is 30′ down stream. 2nd idea, I’ll take my lure retriever and scrap the bottom and see if I can hook em. To much current. 3rd idea, 1 1/4 oz. caroling weight tied to a big treble and drag the bottom. You know that branches feel a hell of alot like a reel! Well 1 1/2 hours later, I bow to my knees, lift my head and arms to the sky and say “Go% D+$* I#, what the f^!@!!!” Went home and pissed and mouned to my wife and got limited sympathy from her. Told myself to get over it, but woke up at 4:00 a.m. and thought their must be a way. Now here’s where you guys come in. What experiences have you guys had with retrieving rods and reels and what have your success rates been? Any ideas on gimmicks or Red Green ideas would be appreciated. Thanks for the help. I’ll let you know if I get if back. Fishnut

With current like that… who knows where it is by now…

The only true success I have had is “going after it in a swimsuit and a mask”. Of course, this time of year, that option presents cold water and potential life threatening currents near wingdams. You may need to chaulk this one up to “tough luck,” and that sucks. Sorry, man.

Bottom line, losing equipment just plain sucks, Fishnut. ALL of us can relate. All of us.

I have a magnet off of a hard drive that works well for picking stuff up. It is like one of these magnets that can pick up a trolling motor or what ever. It works well, doesn’t catch trees to bad and can be weighed down to stay on bottom. Maybe you can try that.

what kinda rods and reels did u loose

For sure a 7′ legend and a curado reel, and maybe one more. I had a bunch of rods on the deck and they all took off. Between the heat of the moment, and getting back to the ramp to throw my rods in the truck to save them from road grime and not having a rain coat with me, I haven’t had the time to do an inventory. I know we can chalk it up to experience, but with a little work and I got if back, my insurance man and myself would feel better. Fishnut

I posted in one of your other threads to dig out a deep running crank, one that will dig the bottom hard. For a 7′ Legend and Curado, I might drive up myself. Where did you say you lost them?…..

Like RG stated, those rods are probably not where they fell out of your boat. However, I would start there and work your way downstream. If anything, you might catch a fish.

I actually caught my rod once on a Carolina rig and a treble, but it was on a sand flat, so no snags.

Do you have a wetsuit, an airtank, and a big spotlight????

fishnut…..this actually happened to me once, but we were only drifting and I was jigging one and letting the other drag with a leech….with in one hand and pole in the other ….let’s just say my reactions were impared! We went back to where I thought I lost it and low and behold the but of my rod was floating Umm yes cork floats….so if I were you I’d maybe try throwing a spinner or bucktail cross current, your rod may not be on the bottom. Maybe where you lost it and a little bit downstream, it may be worth a shot!

I don’t have any great ideas about finding your rods but I thought this might make you feel a little better about your loss. I was running down Pepin last Saturday from Dam 3 to Dam 4. It was very rough and I lost two expensive rods off when one of the rod strap-downs came loose. Of course we put all the rods in storage and continued South. But like the Edmund Fitzgerald, just before reaching the calmer waters, my Minn Kota Genesis quick release decided to open and I lost my $1500 trolling motor. I plowed on because dawg-gone-it I was gonna catch some Bass. I worked into some backwater and broke the skeg on my motor.

Great day I had, cost me well over $2000, but YEHAW I caught that Bass I was looking for!