We all have one. What's yours?

I have one that I constantly fight. It's ruined more than one day on the water for me. I wish there was an easy way to correct mine, but it's hard.

Mine is:  Fishing Memories

Not sure if it is due to a lack of preperation, but I find myself doing it more than I want.

Remembering you forgot to put in the plug.

Remembering you left your rods or tackle home.

Remembering you forgot your PFD.

Not realizing you have the kill switch on and going nuts trying to figure out why the motor does not start.

Should I go on?????????

The plug and kill switch have got me more times than I care to remember.

I am pretty new to boating - just got mine about 8 months ago - forgot the plug once

But the worst thing I have done so far was leaving 4 rods unsecured laying next to the lower seats (between the gunnel and the passenger seat - we got motoring at about 45mph, neighbor driving, he plowed into an oncoming wake - if jolted the boat - thus jolting the rods, jolting enough that all for bounced upward then caught the wind and flew into the middle of lay lake in some 28 feet of water or so - never could retrieve them.  I have never been so ticked - this was 4 basic rod/reels - my first ones for bass fishing - I had nickeled and dimed saving and buying them - and in an instant - gone  >

But, my awesome neighbor gave some 3 hand me down combos that kept me going for a while while I replaced them - thanks Troyce!!!

The plug!

Should you do the same, here's a tip:

Get on plane, and pull the plug. The water drains right out.

Just make sure to pop it back in before slowing down.

I forget the boat keys once, had to haul the boat all the way home and get them. Also, fired up the big motor and took off with the trolling motor still down. It's like "hey, why is all that water flying up around the front of the boat?" then it hits you

Bought my first new motor...had to look under cowling. Started pulling the plug wires off and forgot to put one back on. Launched boat on busy sat. morning. Motor ran like it had marbles in it. Had to put back on trailer. Felt like a jerk when I discovered what I had done.

Didn't put in the drain plug

Left the gas tank at the house

Left the fishing license at the house

Didn't recharge the battery

Didn't test the motor before taking the boat out for the first time after winter break

:'(

The plug!

Should you do the same, here's a tip:

Get on plane, and pull the plug. The water drains right out.

Just make sure to pop it back in before slowing down.

They make bilge pumps, you know...

I'm still in the redneck conversion "jon-boat to bass-boat" phase and have a clamp-on bow mount trolling motor...

It has flown off the mount at 5-power in my hands so many times I oughta start calling myself Bill Dance...

I would say the plug is number one.

Tip: I have gotten by using some mud/clay and packed the hole and it was solid as hell, fished all day like that!

I could not even get in the water. I left the transom tie downs hooked up and could not get that boat off of the trailer no matter what I did.

I could not even get in the water. I left the transom tie downs hooked up and could not get that boat off of the trailer no matter what I did.

i have done that to.

I don't want to hi-jack the thread, but if you start your boat with a key, then attach the boat plug to your key ring with a clip of some sort.  As soon as you insert the key into the ignition you will realize that you forgot to install the plug.

I was on both knees on the front casting deck, pushing off the dock. A little too hard, I guess, and the boat swung unexpectedly because of the wind blowing hard into shore, and I tumbled head first into the 44 degree water at 4:30am last October. I lost both shoes in the muck, smashed my shin on the lip of the boat, and ruined my cell phone. I had muck in my ear, too, because it's only 2 feet deep there.

Luckily I had plenty of dry clothes and a Thermos of coffee so I was fishing 10 minutes later with no shoes on.

Plug - stupid

Forgot tackle box - embarrassing

fished back to the dock at night and forgot to pull the TM before I put it on the trailer. - expensive

Left it in the water overnight and got caught in a thunderstorm, 4 ft waves blowing onshore and she sank in 3 ft of water. = very expensive

Plug - stupid

Forgot tackle box - embarrassing

fished back to the dock at night and forgot to pull the TM before I put it on the trailer. - expensive

Left it in the water overnight and got caught in a thunderstorm, 4 ft waves blowing onshore and she sank in 3 ft of water. = very expensive

I got our club's "Plug Award" this year for forgetting a hook box in my car, tearing apart my buddy's boat looking for it.  Beat out one guy blowing up his batteries rewiring his trolling motor, another for yanking on his trailer hitch for 10 minutes before realizing the pin was still in, and yet another for backing the trailer right off the end of the ramp.

Forget the plug ..... done that one, several times just to prove myself that I can make the same mistake several times.

Forget to charge the battery .... boy that 's another one I do oftenly.

Forget to tighten the seat clamps ... yup, everything is fine until you put your back against the seat

Forget to tie the anchor to the rope .... well that cost me an anchor once, so that one don 't happen anymore

So many mistakes so little time to make more, hey, but I 'm trying hard ! 

The plug!

Should you do the same, here's a tip:

Get on plane, and pull the plug. The water drains right out.

Just make sure to pop it back in before slowing down.

They make bilge pumps, you know...

Really???

What about people who don't want to put a bilge pump in their aluminum boat?

Pulling the plug on plane works just fine, smart*ss  .

i pulled up early one morning on my best spot, quietly lowered my trolling motor as i made a long cast with an instant splash a bass nails my lil sammy just as i touch my foot to the pedal an power my trolling motror the thing flies off the mount into the lake...my foots still on the pedal keeping the motor from falling farther in the water and at the same time the fish is pulling, jumping and demanding my attention...i landed the fish before i salvaged the trolling motor, thats when i knew what my prioritys were...

I forget the boat keys once, had to haul the boat all the way home and get them. Also, fired up the big motor and took off with the trolling motor still down. It's like "hey, why is all that water flying up around the front of the boat?" then it hits you

X2 I leave the trolling motor down like all the time :-[ But other than that I live on the river so forgetting things isnt that big of a deal

Plug-  I dropped the boat into the water and went to park the truck.  When I get back to the boat my buddy says should the boat be filling up with water.  I wasn't sure if I was madder at him for being an idiot or for me leaving the plug out.  In an effort to not forget the plug I left it in.  I put boat into water and it would not go anywhere.  I look into bilge and it was filled with water.  It took nearly 20 minutes to empty the water.

Forgot to put in the plug.

Forgot to raise the motor before pulling up the ramp.  New skeg.

Forgot PFD.

Forgot to pay launch fee and had to go back to ramp to pay.

Fishing partner forgot to park in non-trailered section of lot and had to get car our of impound.

Forgot to remove back tie-downs, boat and trailer floated, and a cross wind blew both partly off the ramp.  Had to wade waist deep in cold water to get it back on the ramp.  Never do that again - I hope!

Forgot to quit and go home to take wife out to eat.  Worst of all mistakes!

Freakin' drain plug!!!!!

The bottom of my boat wouldn't get washed were it not for my seasonal drain plug amnesia.