Boat fails/shit happens 2020

[701FishSlayer]

Summer is bout gone. Let's hear them boat fails/crappy situations that may or may not have happened this year. Don't be shy, shit does happen. I'll start er out with the 1st fail.

Live in Surrey, was on the water at Indian Hills by 7am last weekend. Was beyond perfect conditions for the tuna can (aluminum lund) and downright goddamn beautiful pulling outta the bay that particular morning. Sun, nature, all that shit ya know. Hadn't been out in over a month, was ready to do some damage. Bite was hot. We were ready. Expectations were quite high as a friend had been there last 3 days in row.

Coming out of the bay I bring bessy up to speed, it takes awhile with a 115. She gets near n dear to gettin there, and starts cutting out/boggin down. 1st time she ever done that, dirty bitch. It only lasted a half hour before she followed the rules.

Next, it's time to get the lines wet. Pull up, drop the trollin motor get rigged up, MOTOR NOT FOUND! What? Ok, ok, settle down, let's pull the wires and see what happens. NOPE!

No trollin motor for the day huh? Kinda important I'd say at the current time. Long drive n all.

Tried drifting around like a lost puppy with live bait for a bit, but that didn't last long. A crankin we went and scratched out some pitty fish. Nothing to write home about but it was semi ok after we put a pattern together.

Shit happens. I know somebody else has some summer bloopers, post em up.

 

[dschaible]

The closer you live to the lake the less the failures bother you, tomorrow is only hours away. I did lose a boat bumper around Steinkie Bay and found it on Mallard a week later, due to shallow rocky water I was unable to retrieve it, tried snagging it and lost a jerk bait, its been a tough summer.

 

[R@nger_BO@TS]

Was loading up and had 20 minitues to get to weigh in for a tourney on lake Ohae and my son was loading the boat and was going fast and the wind pushed him a bit too anyway he knocked off one of the bunks and for a second seemed like we we’re screwed but thankfully some guy at the boat ramp was able to help us put it back on and we made it to weigh in on time thankfully

 

[SLE]

Well, speaking of Indian hills, after a nice day of fishing last Friday during the “bite me” invite, apparently I found tooooooo many cocktails during after tournament festivities and forgot a gallon bag of fillets in the back seat of my truck over night! Woke up at 5:30 am pour a cup of coffee and started thinking “I don’t remember putting that bag of fish in the fridge”. Opened the pickup door to an ohhhh shit. Remember, it was about 92 degrees on Friday ;:;boozer;:;badidea.

A couple weeks ago, I apparently forgot to detach the breakaway cable for the emergency boat brakes, the hook and 3” of cable are now in the back of my truck ;:;banghead. So far, I can live with the minor bone head moves I’ve done this season, lol.

 

[tikkalover]

Not a boat shit happens but a camper shit happens. 10 am yesterday went to load the camper for a 10 day camping trip and run 2 slides out no problem, went to run the big slid out and at 1/2 way out it kicks the relay out.�� Run it back in and about every 4 inches it bangs like a tooth is gone off a gear. Open up the bottom of the camper( it has a 1/4 inch plastic sheet underneath) and have the wife operate the switch, electric motor runs shaft doesn’t turn out of the gear box. ;:;banghead . Nothing like it in town. Find one in Dayton Ohio ( from the manufacturer) at 1:30 pm and have it air freighted to Minot. Put in by 3 o’clock this afternoon and had the camper set up by 6 this evening at Fort Stevenson.

- - - Updated - - -

 

[1850reata]

Fails often happen at the ramps. Ive helped several this summer who couldnt back down the ramp or guys sending their spouse to back down/park the trailer and it turns into disasters. Ive towed two boats back to the ramp hoping someday im earnng my dues. Added the drotto latch this yr and love it. Wife gets nervous with me Watching her load. Now i dont even get outta the truck at the ramp!

 

[Allen]

Outside of losing a drift sock at Beaver Creek Bay on Sak, I've had a relatively uneventful fishing year thus far. With respect to mishaps, anyway.

As far as I can tell though, I still have some 3+ months of open water fishing to make it through.

 

[LBrandt]

Nothing bad can happen if its still in the garage ;:;banghead but Iam going to change that next week, I HOPE.

 

[LOV2HNT]

Took my father in laws old Lund out for the first time two weeks ago. It had been sitting in his pasture for at least 6 years and wasn't in any shape to fish out of so I dumped some money into it and was able to salvage it. Anyway when I put the new trolling motor on I must of been drinking cause I mounted it too far back so when you deployed the trolling motor it wouldn't lock in. I was able to MacGyver a fix though and use it for the day. Figured I better make sure the livewell pump worked so I pulled the switch and yup water was going into the livewell although not a steady stream like if thought it would. A little later the wind came up and I was fishing the ditch and out of the corner of my eye I see water coming up through the floor up in the bow. Open the hatch and water was up to the top. Pulled the bilge switch...nothing. Started to panic at this moment. Fired up the motor and started taking off for the ramp, but it was so full of water I couldn't get it up on plane, she just plowed water the whole way back. Finally get it loaded up and everything drained and started to investigate why she filled up with water. Turns out when I turned on the livewell pump a hose had come disconnected and was pumping water into not only the livewell but the hull as well. Got everything fixed and am gonna give it another whirl this weekend.

 

[SDMF]

Not really a "boat fail", but, twice this summer I've laid rods down on the floor for just a few seconds and had them disappear into the abyss. I need to learn how/get certified to scuba dive........

 

[zoops]

Left a spinner/crawler rig just barely dangling in the water while sitting at the dock and a bass came up and grabbed it and took the rod.

Buddy had his drotto come unhooked while backing down and dumped his boat on the ramp.

 

[ndfinfan]

Outside of losing a drift sock at Beaver Creek Bay on Sak, I've had a relatively uneventful fishing year thus far. With respect to mishaps, anyway.

As far as I can tell though, I still have some 3+ months of open water fishing to make it through.

Reading between those lines Allen...me thinks you are saying it's gonna be a nice long warm fall!#$%^&>

 

[Up Y'oars]

I've had TWO of them this summer!

1) Cousin in town from Dickinson so we get up early and head down south to Beaver Creek (Oahe) back in middle-May but decide to drive further to Lanliers and come from the south. Get the boat backed down the ramp only to find out as we're ready to release that the main motor doesn't even turn over. I do the "OH SHIT" look and look down; I left my power switch on and the starting battery is completely drained. We try to figure out what the next option is. Just then a pickup pulls up to the ramp so they can use the outhouse biffy. I politely ask the guy if he has any cables (at that time I didn't carry tools to remove bolts on the batteries, I do now). He does and drives down the ramp where we jump the boat. Boat starts and we thank him PROFUSELY! We head upstream and leave the big motor running for over 45min, thinking the battery may be charged enough to run some electronics. Nope..... Monitor goes blank. Try to start the motor. Nope. Now we're on the Ft. Yates side 3mi from the landing with no tools, no battery, no way to fish with electronics. We do get some time fishing with the trolling motor but the panic side of me keeps thinking "how do we get back to shore?" and somehow we begin making the attempt to get one of the trolling motor batteries loosened up so we can change out the battery in the back. We get the motor started, and electronics, but now we don't have a trolling motor. I was so frustrated I made the call to end the day without it getting much worse. Loaded up the boat and drove back to Bismarck with only 1hr on the water and zero results. GRRRRRRR

2) My trolling motor has been unable to run via iPilot remote, receiving a flashing "f" on the screen up at Beulah Bay. Brother looks it up on Google and finds that the fishing forum says it's a control panel, battery cell gone bad, remote battery, etc. (could be anything) issue. We go only with the foot pedal. Who goes with only a foot pedal after you fish ten years with a remote control???? That's damn hard. We did catch four walleye. Another buddy is coming up to Beulah Bay the net day so I message him to bring a watch battery with so I can use the remote.

Buddy comes the next morning and the new battery is installed. Get out across to the north side of the lake and the remote doesn't work again, flashing "f" code. We fish with just the foot pad, but then the wind comes up and waves and boaters running closer to shore are super annoying. I give up by noon, frustrated, and we head back to shore on the south side. Only four walleye in the live well once again. I bring the boat home to Bismarck and contact A&G repair. He says it's not a control panel issue, but a battery or charger issue. For a week we begin troubleshooting every possible connection for loss of voltage. Nothing. I contact A&G Repair again, he again says it cannot be the control panel and is electrical power level issue. I take the entire boat down to Interstate Battery to have batteries load tested; they're fine. I have them check the charger with another batter from their leftover stock; both banks charge just fine. Damn it!

I bring the boat home and begin further checks on electrical connections, even disassembly of the front plug-in. That's fine. Voltmeter again shows good voltage (26.2v) when the trickle charger is going and when not it's just as good (25.6v). Frustrated with A&G Repair I just take the trolling motor down to Scheels this week. Within 24hrs he has it repaired, it was the CONTROL PANEL in the base. In the meantime, a family member pulls the head off and checks a fuse and the plug-in inside the head. He bends the little pins inside the plug-in and I now need a new iPilot head. Repair parts, plus labor, plus tax....... $725 later. I could just friggin' scream.

 

[drivenmarine.net]

Day one of a lake tournament this year, we decide to move and make a fairly long run. About halfway through, we are running around 61mph, I decide to bump the trim button to see if she'll do a little more. All of a sudden she rattles and comes off of plane. Put the motor back in gear and it revs, but doesn't move. My buddy walks to the back and says "I smell grease". My first thought is man, am I still under warranty? It's been around the three year mark of the boat being new. Trim it up to investigate. Try to get the prop nut off, but the shaft turns when holding the prop. I'm thinking good, hub kit stripped. Search through the boat looking for the spare hub kit I should have had in there. No luck. Limp into the bay on the kicker. An official from the tourney comes and meets us at the dock and my buddy runs up to the pickup to get the spare prop. By the time he gets back I have the old one off. Slap the new prop on, thank the tourney guys, and away we go. Got lucky especially after what we originally thought the problem was. The grease on the splines must have gotten hot giving us our lower unit failure smell. Always something interesting happening on the water or in the field.

 

[Allen]

Reading between those lines Allen...me thinks you are saying it's gonna be a nice long warm fall!#$%^&>

Maybe, we are supposed to be going into a La Nina weather pattern for late fall and winter. If that's the case, a good indian summer is not unusual for late Oct and Nov.

Just the same, since I live close to the Missouri, I can always take advantage of "nice" days in Nov and Dec. I've fished the river every month of the year, just not every month in the same year.

 

[Vollmers]

If only you had "numerous" rod holders in your boat to use vs. setting them on the floor?:;:stirthepot

Not really a "boat fail", but, twice this summer I've laid rods down on the floor for just a few seconds and had them disappear into the abyss. I need to learn how/get certified to scuba dive........

 

[Migrator Man]

Buddy had his drotto come unhooked while backing down and dumped his boat on the ramp.

How does that happen?

 

[701FishSlayer]

First trip of the year this spring in Newtown, unloaded at casino ramp. Told buddy don't dunk me, let me make sure she starts. Yep, dunked me and away we go with a bad starting battery. I've never moved so quick in my life to dig a rope out and throw it at him quick. Ran to town and bought n overpriced battery and away we go.

 

[Retired-Guy]

1) The first morning at Indian Hills, wife and I were just past the no-wake zone and decided it kind of looked like rain but oh shit, all the foul weather gear is still in a back sitting on the back seat of the pickup. Turn around, dock the boat, and retrieve the bag. Get back out past the no-wake zone, hit the throttle, and realize the boat is not coming up on plane normally. Oh, oh! Forgot to put the friggin' plug in. Slowed back down and watch water coming over the floor boards in the back of the boat. Hit the switch to run both bilge pumps which was a mistake since the 5 amp fuse they are both on blew immediately. Head back to the dock, race for the truck and trailer, and load the boat back up. Wife and I are getting rather pissy about then so we abort the fish mission for the day and head back to the camper. Saving grace was while other sat out on the water in the rain most of the day, we sat in comfortable chairs under the awing and listened to the pitter patter of rain while sipping on a martini or two or three!
2) The next day things went a bit better but after we trailered the boat, my brother (who was fishing by himself) shows up at the dock so I offer to get his pickup and trailer for him. He had a nice Lund tiller boat and the trailer has a Drotto latch. It didn't latch the first attempt so he backed up a ways and gave it the onion. Unfortunately, he wasn't lined up properly and hit it on the side and bent the crap out of the mounting bracket. No way to even manually winch the boat up with those things so he beached his boat and drug the trailer to Garrison and left it over night. Next day the boat shop heated things up and got it straight enough where he could use it again.
3) We get home after several days of camping and I stupidly close the end gate on the pickup and proceed to drive away from the 5th wheel. Guess what....I now have a new end gate! To rub salt in the wounds, it bent one of the landing gear jacks on the camper so I had to replace it. $500 deductible on the pickup and about $150 for the jack and things are good as new.
4) Fished last week with a buddy and his brother using his brother's boat. Put in at Steinkes and drug worms around for a half hour or so off the west point of the bay with no luck. Decided to deep troll across to Mallard Island. About half way across, the old Merc coughed and died. From then on it would start but only run for a few seconds. No other boats within 2 miles could we see. Turned around and prayed that the electric would get us back. Long story short, it was a long trip but we made it. Told him he needed to invest in a kicker.

 

[D-Racer]

Did the tailgate thing a few years ago....pissed me off !!!