How long does it take to get ready?

Whether boat fishing or shore fishing, it always seems like the first two trips out SOMETHING isn’t right.

This year I’m at my personal worst. 3 boat trips.

1st trip: One head light had low batteries (normally have two spares) and I left the extra AAA’s at home.

2nd trip: Thought I forgot the inverters for the air pumps at home. I didn’t, but I couldn’t find them. Ended up using my bilge pump aerator until I found them….right were I left them.

3rd trip: Forgot to bring FROST WARNING clothing along. I’ll forget this again in the fall. Happens every year. Twice.

You guys have everything needed on your first trips out?

7 months of winter to get ready and you still forget stuff!! Getting old isn’t for the weak hearted is it?

I always forget to bring a scale that goes over 50lbs.

I have this habit of cleaning most if not all gear out of the boat and hosing it down on the inside.

I would think it would be easy to load it back up, but there’s always something.

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I always forget to bring a scale that goes over 50lbs.

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Something I have never forgotten… if I ever hook into something that big, I prefer not to see it come to the surface.

First trip out this year, forgot spare prop, bent primary prop.

The number of times we have forgotten to put ‘poo sticks’ for the stink bait in the boat is immeasurable

Whoooops!

Ok,thats one days work.What about the other 199 days of winter?

Last spring in a hurry to get the lake for the first outing, trying to get there early, just because, drove past my dad’s house. It wasn’t until about eight miles later that I realized I hadn’t picked him up as planned.

Now that there is funny!

How did you explain that?

Told him I was just running late…. it came out a couple months later, and I just got the typical head shake. (maybe an “idiot son” under his breath) As we were in a group and a buddy was having fun with it.

In general, now I try to store all my fishing crap in the boat, and take stuff out I know I don’t need for that trip or particular day, then pack it back in as I go. Do you ever remember to bring everything? If you do, there certainly is no room left in the boat.

Few bloopers over the years

Boating on Lake MI all winter, I got into the mind set that ALL water was open. Fox River at Oshkosh was still froze…..

Main locator was still mounted to my desk at home……….

Launched, parked the truck, returned to see a lotta water in my boat….dang plugs

Most embarrassing moment came this year on the Wolf while waiting on a client.
Me – “Tim?”
Tim – “Ya, sorry I’m late.”
Me – “Not a big deal. I’m all set, so we can take off as soon as your in the boat”
Tim – “Great, I have everything, so lets rock. ROB , you need me to do anything?”
Me – “No, I got it. …(as I untie and we drift back from the dock) I’m Randy btw, not Rob, but I’ve been called worse”
Tim – “Holy $#!*…… I’m in the wrong boat. I’m going out today with Rob…..”

This while my actual client was walking up to the dock

They all look the same.

A few years ago at the Red Wing landing, I forgot the dog at the landing. You should have seen the look on that dogs face when I returned

My 1st outting in my boat this year, I forgot warm pants, my trolling motor was dead (I think my charger is shot).

I forgot to put my plug but realized right before I pushed it off the trailer so I jumped in my truck to pull it out luckily I remembered my boat was complete unhooked and would have rolled off the trailer when I was pulling it out to put my plug in…

i’d say it was a success!

I pushed off and looked directly at the fishing rods I forgot in the golf cart, does that count?

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Whether boat fishing or shore fishing, it always seems like the first two trips out SOMETHING isn’t right.

This year I’m at my personal worst. 3 boat trips.

1st trip: One head light had low batteries (normally have two spares) and I left the extra AAA’s at home.

2nd trip: Thought I forgot the inverters for the air pumps at home. I didn’t, but I couldn’t find them. Ended up using my bilge pump aerator until I found them….right were I left them.

3rd trip: Forgot to bring FROST WARNING clothing along. I’ll forget this again in the fall. Happens every year. Twice.

You guys have everything needed on your first trips out?

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BK, must be that age thing rearing it’s ugly head again. I didn’t forget anything on my first trip. Other then how to set a hook on 2 possible State record fish. At least according to BK. Thanks again, Whif.

Those two may have been larger then the state record. Just sayin.

What about yer weak batteries BK ?

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Those two may have been larger then the state record. Just sayin.

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You are a true fisherman aren’t you. Lies, Lies, Lies.

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Those two may have been larger then the state record. Just sayin.

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That statement can haunt a person and give you sleepless nights.

I always forget the darn night crawlers and shad in the fridge.

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They all look the same.

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This year my first time out I had everything I needed including my fishing liscence and a proper answer to where my bullheads came from…(I was checked twice within an hour by 2 different CO’s)

How about forgetting the last time out last year the battery connector broke. Luckily a vice grip did the trick. And yes, now that I’m thinking about it, the vice grip is still holding the bare wires to the battery.

So this was an “ah HAH” post for you.

As long as everything is relatively safe I just always assume that I have forgotten something. In fact my buddy still brags about the time he forgot his pole and I only had one so I put about 30′ of my line on a stick and he claims he out fished me that day. I didn’t keep track.

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They all look the same.

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Hey! I resent that remark! Most of your clients are far better looking than I am!

My first trip this year I fired up the boat in the drive way on the muffs and it ran fine but when I got to the lake it sounded terrible and I couldn’t even get on plane. Pulled the cover off the motor and I had forgotten to put one of the plug boots on after changing them. Put it back on and I was good to go. I forgot my rods one time and my cut bait knife and my pliers and hook outs. The throw is a bad one to forget..