# Stupid and costly mistake today



## JMZ400 (Aug 30, 2015)

Ouch. Sorry bud.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Sh...stuff happens. Don't want to list all my stupid mistakes


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## GG34 (May 2, 2014)

Did you get any of those poons at least?


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## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

We need a carnage picture thread.


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

I have done similar things to past boats that have left me feeling pretty dumb. Drink a beer or two and put it into perspective. Nobody was hurt and the boat made it back to the dock, it could have been worse. Some lessons are cheap, others sting a little, just take comfort in the fact that we all learn them at some point.


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## Mike C (Feb 27, 2017)

The carnage isn't hardly noticeable. It tore the 4 bolts out of the QR mount, and off she went. 
Zero damage to the boat or the starboard plate. 
I may take the mount over to the PP folks and see if they want it as a torture test item. :^/

The mackerel and jacks were hungry as usual. 
The poons, well I got two to take a bait. 
The first one was 15' from the bow and I watched it grab a greenie using only it's lips. It took the greenie down about 8' and spit it out...
Dangit!!
The other was grabbed as soon as it hit the water and pulled about 40' of line and got off. 
The poons were rolling and feeding for the full 3 hours we were in that spot. 
Fun to watch either way. 
Another day maybe.


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## camp (Jul 31, 2011)

Mike C said:


> Used the power pole micro this morning to hold the stern in place while I parked the truck.
> Lifted it and headed out to fish.
> We went to a wreck to chase tarpon that have been hanging out there.
> The stick was in the way, so I put it all the way down instead of taking it out and stowing it.
> ...



Dang....done worse, most have, all will. Someday it will be a story.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

I jumped on plane with mine down one time and when I came off plane it grabbed the bottom and pivoted way up with a loud noise. Thought it was toast but no damage at all. doh.
That splined system is there for a reason, don't tighten it all the way down, just snug it up enough to not pivot under normal use.


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## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

Mike C said:


> So,
> PSA disclaimer here.
> If you feel any nagging doubt about something you do, go back and undo it.
> Otherwise it might cost you a crapload of money.


That gut feeling should never be ignored, each time I have ignored it, something bad follows or nearly happens.

Another thing I've learned - I tell my buddies to sit in the truck while I prep and load the boat. Or to load the cooler (that I've already packed so it's done right). I have a system - I don't deviate from it. When I do, mistakes are made.


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## KnotHome (Jul 21, 2009)

Glad there wasn't any damage done to the hull, but it's another reason to hate power poles.


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## RunningOnEmpty (Jun 20, 2015)

I did the same thing recently. Thankfully I caught it before hammering down on the throttle.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

Practice your morning routine all day. When you think sh.t is going to happen, it probably will. On the bright side you dropped a load and lightened up your boat.


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

coconutgroves said:


> That gut feeling should never be ignored, each time I have ignored it, something bad follows or nearly happens.
> 
> Another thing I've learned - I tell my buddies to sit in the truck while I prep and load the boat. Or to load the cooler (that I've already packed so it's done right). I have a system - I don't deviate from it. When I do, mistakes are made.



Same here. Help results in my routine being disrupted, which results in big mistakes. Whenever I get that feeling I'm missing something I always stop and double check everything. Forgot to put the pin in my swing tongue one morning. That sucked.


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## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

What's worse? Driving off with the pole down? or spending half an hour trying to get "unstuck" when you were not actually stuck, the pole was just down. I've done both.


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## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

We had to leave from our lake cabin early one morning and I had a buddy say he'd put the boat trailer (with boat on it) on the truck. My older brother had drank a lot the night before and was still in bed. That guy is fishy as fishy gets. Before leaving I went in his room - he hadn't said one thing. I told him bye and only responded with "check that tongue on the hitch."

Sure enough, I check it and my buddy had latched it down on top of the ball, so it wasn't seated all the way down. Some people just have Yoda type instincts. That would have been an expensive disaster. Btw, that same buddy and his dad had their boat come off the tongue one time.


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## Net 30 (Mar 24, 2012)

I feel your pain. I've done the same thing with my Micro at least 4 times in the past few years. One time it fried the internal electronics and PP replaced with no questions.

I tried a few different ways to remind myself that the pole was down, but if you get on a hot bite and the juices are flowing, it's so friggin easy to forget the pole is deployed. You give her throttle and feel the vibrating *** *** *** *** and go "oh shit" and pull it back hard. *M*arine *R*elated *A*lzheimers *D*isease I guess.


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## Mike C (Feb 27, 2017)

devrep said:


> I jumped on plane with mine down one time and when I came off plane it grabbed the bottom and pivoted way up with a loud noise. Thought it was toast but no damage at all. doh.
> That splined system is there for a reason, don't tighten it all the way down, just snug it up enough to not pivot under normal use.


I wish I had known about keeping the spline a bit loose. It would have prevented this. 
I bought it already installed on the boat and hadn't changed anything. 
Mine didn't tolerate getting on plane. It's sitting in 21' of water right now. Probably somewhere like 50-100yds away from the wreck. 
If I had a mask, fins and a snorkel on board, I would have tried to find it.


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

....not as bad as taking off w/ the TM deployed--after all it is in front of one's face....just amaze myself to often


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## jboriol (Jan 2, 2010)

el9surf said:


> Same here. Help results in my routine being disrupted, which results in big mistakes. Whenever I get that feeling I'm missing something I always stop and double check everything. Forgot to put the pin in my swing tongue one morning. That sucked.


X2
I think I've done all the above at some point. Somehow I came out of boat ramp putting my bay boat on the trailer with pp partially down and ripped the pole in half. Took off with it down several times in one day! Went on a multi day trip to Louisiana with jack plate stuck all the way in up position, took a lot of alligator clips and electric tape to fix that hot mess. 

More toys on a skiff=more crap to manage, fix and screw up your day. Love the simplicity of my skiff after years of fixing crap, much of it self inflicted. 

Sorry to hear about your mishap, it's definitely a kick in the nuts. Live a learn!


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## jlindsley (Nov 24, 2015)

Everyone makes mistakes. Usually if I do something that needs a reminder I do something odd like for example wrap something around the steering wheel which would trigger my memory


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## mwong61 (Jul 28, 2013)

I had a hard time getting the pin holes in my removable tongue to line up one morning. Had to jiggle, wiggle and use a persuader to get the 2 pins in place. Finally got it on, was 10 min late getting on the road (horrors) cinched down the belly strap and off I went.

Kept feeling a weird clunk every time I hit the brake.
Finally 20 minutes into the drive I decide to pull over and check things out. Turns out in my haste to get on the road I did not hook the winch strap or safety chain onto the bow eye. It would slide back 10 inches or so when I accelerated and "clunk" back forward when I braked. The boat was held onto the trailer by that belly strap! Funny thing is I had just waxed my bunks I was extremely fortunate I didn't leave an EVOx on State Road 46 at 5am.

I've learned not to turn the radio on when I start pulling a boat, just to listen for any weird or abnormal noises.


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## Czech_Mate (Jan 4, 2019)

What about riding off with the anchor overboard? Then notice somethings off, look back and it’s like the anchor is waterskiing? Guilty. Not sure how it didn’t get caught in the prop.


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## NealXB2003 (Jun 8, 2020)

Years ago, a friend of mine was putting his hitch in and couldn't find his pin. He yanked the pin out of my hitch which stays in my truck all the time. I told him to make sure he put it back. Sure enough, he forgot to return it. I hooked my boat up a couple days later. Every time I hit the gas or brakes, I felt slack and a bang. Pulled over and realized what a bullet I had just dodged. The safety chains were short enough that the hitch could not pull all the way out of the reciever.


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## CKEAT (Aug 26, 2015)

KnotHome said:


> Glad there wasn't any damage done to the hull, but it's another reason to hate power poles.


Just get the pro series II or above. I have done that and it comes right on up on its own “Drive-off protection”. 👍


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## redchaser (Aug 24, 2015)

While not costly and didn’t cause any damage I once took off and ran several miles wondering why my boat wasn’t performing right only to discover I had left the transom saver strapped to the outboard. Really embarrassing


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## William Odling (Jan 8, 2020)

I almost lost my power pole stick and micro assembly going under a low bridge heading back to the house in homosassa during scallop season. Only about 409 people saw me do it so all good lol


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## LtShinysides (Dec 27, 2018)

I have taken off with the pp down a few times... Always surprised how much of a beating it took. 
Luckily only a few ppl observing lol.
Also was on a friend's boat a few years ago that started overheating. Turns out he never took the flush muffs off🤣


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## State fish rob (Jan 25, 2017)

Here’s one that’s just stupid. No water needed ...Years ago I was detailing my dads truck for him , had just finished buffing it out ,looked so good I had to cruise town. Glass down ,elbow up , hand on window frame cruising. Folks pointing & gawking . Cars pulling aside I’m waving and grinning. I made the “ loop “ and headed home. When I returned I realized what put all the eyesballs on my pops truck.it wasn’t the shine ... I had looped a 100” drop cord on trailer hitch ,so buffer wouldn’t pull free. I had drug that damn cord the whole trip. No wonder that Volvo backed way the hell off. St Upid. Patron saint of dumb asses everywhere.


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## Bonesonthebrain (Jan 2, 2020)

In case anyone was wondering, loading your boat with the trolling motor down does not turn out especially well.


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## Czech_Mate (Jan 4, 2019)

My stupid mistake from yesterday. Keep an eye on your other hand when cutting a zip tie holding a flag off your push pole. I went to urgent care 5hrs later. Man that gerber is sharp! 🔪🩸


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## Net 30 (Mar 24, 2012)

Czech_Mate said:


> My stupid mistake from yesterday. Keep an eye on your other hand when cutting a zip tie holding a flag off your push pole. I went to urgent care 5hrs later. Man that gerber is sharp! 🔪🩸
> View attachment 162126
> View attachment 162127
> View attachment 162128


Yikes. That ain't gonna buff out!


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## fishnpreacher (Jul 28, 2018)

I'd rather be cut with a sharp knife than a dull one. Been there, done that, got the scars and stitches


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## TX_maverick (Oct 26, 2020)

I've had a boat trailer come off the ball before, holy crap that is scary. It wasn't pretty either, for months after that, I was pucker factor city hauling the trailer.


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## loganlogan (May 8, 2020)

I used to run 2 different trailers on the same truck, with different ball sizes. I ran my 8x20 enclosed trailer, all day on the small ball hitch. That trailer was so heavy that it never popped off.


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## Jaterac (Jul 30, 2020)

I’ve been lucky. Hit a submerged log once but that’s was a ez repair to the hull. 

I saw a nice push pole on the side of 295 a few weeks ago. It was black and looked expensive... and looked like it fell off a boat and got ran over. I tie mine off just to be safe.


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## redchaser (Aug 24, 2015)

Czech Mate one of the most useful tricks I learned about a year ago is to zip tie an orange flag to the handle of a hand clamp like the one below and clamp it on and off the push pole. Get one made for carpentry, it won't come off and they're cheap. I've never had a boat come off of the ball, but back in the mid 90's I was working for a radio station that had one of those giant "Boom Box" trailers, big long heavy thing. I was driving in town, went over a particularly large hump in the road and a few seconds later saw the boom box I was supposed to be pulling passing me. The thing was about 35 feet long and super heavy so it was a beast. It came to rest on the side of the road and a guy who lived right there had a tractor with a back hoe so he came and lifted it to get it back on the truck.


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

TX_maverick said:


> I've had a boat trailer come off the ball before, holy crap that is scary. It wasn't pretty either, for months after that, I was pucker factor city hauling the trailer.


Me 2


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## Czech_Mate (Jan 4, 2019)

redchaser said:


> Czech Mate one of the most useful tricks I learned about a year ago is to zip tie an orange flag to the handle of a hand clamp like the one below and clamp it on and off the push pole. Get one made for carpentry, it won't come off and they're cheap. I've never had a boat come off of the ball, but back in the mid 90's I was working for a radio station that had one of those giant "Boom Box" trailers, big long heavy thing. I was driving in town, went over a particularly large hump in the road and a few seconds later saw the boom box I was supposed to be pulling passing me. The thing was about 35 feet long and super heavy so it was a beast. It came to rest on the side of the road and a guy who lived right there had a tractor with a back hoe so he came and lifted it to get it back on the truck.
> View attachment 162233


I’ll give it a try. Thanks!


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## TX_maverick (Oct 26, 2020)

Backcountry 16 said:


> Me 2
> View attachment 162245


I know the pain!!!


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## Hogprint (Feb 23, 2020)

coconutgroves said:


> That gut feeling should never be ignored, each time I have ignored it, something bad follows or nearly happens.
> 
> Another thing I've learned - I tell my buddies to sit in the truck while I prep and load the boat. Or to load the cooler (that I've already packed so it's done right). I have a system - I don't deviate from it. When I do, mistakes are made.


This right here. A system. In aviation we have checklists and flows so we do things the same EVERY TIME. That way it becomes rote and you can do things by muscle memory.


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## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

Hogprint said:


> This right here. A system. In aviation we have checklists and flows so we do things the same EVERY TIME. That way it becomes rote and you can do things by muscle memory.


My first trip in 2020 where I took my skiff down to the coast, my wife offered to help. My skiff is in my garage at home, and all my gear is here, so it usually takes me a good hour to get everything lined up and loaded.

I got down to the coast and realized that I left my seat cushions. And my back had been killing me. So I drove on my throw cushion and my brother used our insulated fish bag as his seat. It worked, but I kicked myself in the butt for such a stupid oversight.


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## FlyBy (Jul 12, 2013)

One of my buddies saw this Monday.


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## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

jackson man said:


> Well, at least that will NEVER happen again?


First time, last time. I blame 2020.


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