I was wondering what some of the rituals / superstitions some of yall have.  I have two that come to mind.  As I am on the way to the ramp, when I get about five minutes from it (i have this spot on the road marked) Robert Earl Keen's "Five Pound Bass" starts playing.  Usually as I am backing my boat in the song ends and I turn my radio off.  (side note - if you haven't heard REK's "Five Pound Bass"  check it out, excellent bass fishing song).

The second thing I do everytime is, my first cast is always about 2 -5 ft...  So i don't catch one on my first cast.  I have been doing this one for about 10 years now.  I didn't start doing it, until one day it came true.  I caught a good fish first cast only to not get a sniff the other 5 - 6 hours.   Dad said, Boy you can't catch one on the first cast, that's bad luck.  advice taken.

Anyway those are mine.  So give me some good ones, I need something to help my make it through a day of tax returns when I should be fishing.

 Before i leave on a trip I rub my sons head. He has flaming red hair. If thers and Mayberry fans out there you will know what I'm talking about..   And I always kiss my fish and say thank you come back soon..

 

I always prep the night before, as I'm sure most of you do. I never use any pliers or clippers. If I hook a fish through the head, then I'll spend 5 minutes getting the hook out. I'll use my lighter as a pair of clippers. Burn through the line. No reason, just don't see the point in carrying the extra tools. I play Jack Johnson's cover of Sublime's "Badfish" on the way to the spot. Have to.

My camera doesn 't go on the trip, not that the camera jinxes me, I do catch fish but if camera comes ..... I don 't catch anything worth taking a picture of.  :-?

Every fish caught & released is told Go get your Mama  

gotta listen to classic rock on the way to the fishin hole.

Some good old skynard, maybe a little steve miller or tom petty, some Jimi...and I'll be sure to catch fish that day..anything else and I won't have great luck!

i8 always tell the smaller fish to go on an grow.....also as of this year i always were my bass pro hat the i had on when i hooked my head with one o those lucky hook hat clips

I always leave the slime of the fish on the handle of my pole.  Super strange...I know.

My ritual is that I aways over sleep before a tourny, always. I really don't do this on purpose but it works out for me.  If I need to be up by 3am it's usually 3:45 before I crawl out of the rack. I'm always running behind and hauling bu## trying to catch up. Gets my blood pumping and by that first cast I'm wound tight! Those unlucky hat hooks got me too. Not in the head but tore a nice hole in the seat of my boat. They are no longer permitted in the boat. big

srry i worded my last post wrong i didnt mean that the "lucky hook" hooked me just that i always wear one on that hat the i was wearing when i was hooked earlier this year with a lipless crank...but now that i think of it i did get one in the finger once when a freind tryed pulling it off after it old em not to an as i tryed to stop em they got it off ....srry for my stupidity

I do the Jimmy Houston also and kiss every fish.  Then when I realease them I tell them "Its been my pleasure"  Kind of just a reflection of the respect we should all have for nature and how priveleged we are to be able to fish the way we do.

Drop my first cast straight down (barely in the water), that way I don't catch a fish on the first cast of the day ..... aka The Kiss of Death

j/w, if you catch a fish on the first cast and its bad luck, what is it if you catch fish on the first 2 casts?

j/w, if you catch a fish on the first cast and its bad luck, what is it if you catch fish on the first 2 casts?

Call me and tell me where you are fishing if that happens.  

i kiss all of my fish baby and i will rub the slime on my rod handle cuz my dad does it

GBF

tell em "don't be a stranger"

Before i leave on a trip I rub my sons head. He has flaming red hair. If thers and Mayberry fans out there you will know what I'm talking about..

"Come fish come, come fish come"

Before changing lure I always cast it one more time.

this includes going to the lake with lures used on the previous trip.

Conditions can be completely different.  

For instance, last trip was at night and this trip is a bright sunny day.

All lures stay on untill at least "one more cast"

Don't know why.

Superstitions are like that.

I only have one.

         If I don't go fishing I think I will die.

My camera doesn 't go on the trip, not that the camera jinxes me, I do catch fish but if camera comes ..... I don 't catch anything worth taking a picture of. :-?

I second this!!!  It happens everytime. :-/

I have to wear a older the the hills packer hat. I use to be green now its like a light yellow color. I also have to wear a shirt that has more holes in it then a net.

I always were the same cap, and never take any pictures until the first fish has been caught.

It's a different hat every year.  This year I'll be sporting a Lake Fork (Husker Red) cap.  Purchased with love at the Minnow Bucket.  The problem with this is if the hat sucks it can lead to a bad year.

GO BIG RED

I always wear a blue shirt.

Listen guys, if you jig skirt comes off while retrieving, fix it, then on the next cast, cast as far as you can towards the deepest spot of the lake. Use a normal retrieve and hang on! This is what happend when my friend cought the biggest bass I have ever seen. If you catch a big one, thats great! If you dont, that means you will not catch another fish for 3 hours. (tis the truth)

BTW the skirt has to come off by itself. If you take it of on purpose then put it back on, you will not catch anything over 2lbs.

Also, never, ever, Ever EVER say "foul hooked". Thats what whats-his-face said the cast before he foul hooked the 25lb bass. My friend was using a X-rap for the first time, and I said "I bet your first fish will be foul hooked" and the next cast sure enough he foul hooked one.