# Any of you ever fallen off your boat?



## Ben (Dec 21, 2016)

I’ve had a couple of close calls but Saturday morning I finally did it. Put a red on the gunnel to get the hook out and didn’t rinse the gunnel off. Walked back from the bait well to the bow barefooted and slipped on the slime. Tried to catch my balance but realized it was too late and in the drink I went. Luckily the water was deep enough that I didn’t touch the bottom and cut my feet up. The thought of bull sharks in the area got my fat ass back in the boat pretty quickly. I think I need to be a little more careful and wiser as I get older and curious if anyone else has fallen off their skiff?


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## anzuelo (Feb 28, 2017)

kind of like forgetting to put in the drain plug. Everyone's done it but no one wants to admit it.


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## Finsleft258 (Oct 7, 2018)

Yep. All the time. If they say they haven't, they're lying or aren't on the water enough.


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## MatthewAbbott (Feb 25, 2017)

While I haven’t fallen out of my current boat I’ve fallen out/off my share...


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

And off the trailer............just make it look good!


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Fell out of a Gladesman during a wet test. That was entertaining.

Have fallen off platforms into the boat a couple of times, but never into the water...yet.


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## Indoman (Jul 25, 2013)

I know I’m gonna probably jinx myself but I’ve never fallen out of the boat and into the WATER. Have had some close calls but my inner Baryshnikov has always bailed me out. I did, however, catch the edge of the gunnel while climbing out of my 22’ Pathfinder and fell face first onto my driveway. Scared the bejeeces out of me. Sore bones but no injuries. 

...then there’s the time my buddy hit the throttle in his CC juuuust before I could grab the T-top. Flew all the way to the back and dislocated a rib hitting the rear seat. Thought I was going out the back but managed to fall down inside the boat.


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## Fishshoot (Oct 26, 2017)

Fallen off the platform into the cockpit in Louisianna and off of the transom into the water in Florida. Florida i was losing my balance and rather than go in willy nilly i kinda jumped a little so I landed on my feet and jumped right back in.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

years ago my son and I went out with fishing guide Kyle Messier. he had a big Sundance (22 ft I think) with a big console and raised seating for the driver. I was standing on the gunnel casting with my back against the console structure when the boat took a big roll from a wake. the structure prevented me from throwing my weight back to balance so when I knew I was going in I just hopped out of the boat. It was about 16" deep so I hopped back on. He laughed and said he hadn't seen that before.

a couple of months ago I had my daughter and grand daughter out fishing the mangroves. my daughter got tangled in a mangrove so we motored over to get the lure untangled. she was standing on the gunnel when I grabbed a branch to pull us close and another branch gave her a push and she fell backwards into the water flat on her back. I was almost able to grab her coat before she went in but I just missed. she climbed back in with me apologizing for laughing my ass off. It was pretty cold so I gave her my coat and we hauled ass but it was a long cold ride for her. she took it like a champ though. no complaining.


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## Skram (Feb 8, 2019)

Haven't fallen off the boat yet. I did faceplant onto a school of nice reds off my paddleboard last year. Kook of the day moment


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## MooreMiller (Sep 10, 2016)

Yes.


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## eightwt (May 11, 2017)

Not yet, but have done the Apalachee Bay two step on many occasions.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

I’ve fallen off the poling platform in the water because the guy up front jumped off to the side off the casting platform and threw me. 
I fell off a bay boat when my buddy’s 65 year old uncle hit the throttle right when I got in from wading. He dragged me about 20 feet while I was hanging on to the boarding ladder before he realized I was about to barefoot ski. 
Got chunked off a jet ski doing 55 (she was hot as hell and wanted to take me for a ride) I got a saltwater enema on that one. 
Fell off the boat offshore while snapper fishing when a rogue wave rocked the boat and I was fighting a big ling. 
Fell off the deck a few times for various reasons but never slipped on fish slime. That’s kind of a noble way to go!


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## rspehL (Feb 23, 2015)

I slipped off the deck of my HPX while wet testing it. I grabbed the poling platform and luckily the old owner grabbed my hand and helped me back up but mostly wet with cell phone in pocket!


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## dingoatemebaby (Sep 14, 2011)

Certainly off many boats, but most on my gladesmen(MANY TIMES), and fell off a sporty tower offshore one time while steaming in, luckily one of the charter saw me otherwise I wouldn't be writing this!


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## Godzuki86 (Nov 30, 2013)

Twice. 

Once when I was in my early teens. Estero bay. First time out on my uncles new boat. Not used to where the non skid was on it. We were drifting across an oyster bar when I slipped off. Ended up at the hospital with a gazillion cuts and stitches, thankfully no diseases. 

Second time, Estero bay (I stay away from this place now lol) just caught the edge of the gunnel wrong and slipped right in. The rolled, smooth gunnels on ActionCrafts are a bitch. 

I’ve fallen off the piling platform once into the boat. Thankfully I landed on my feet


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

I honestly don't know how I haven't! So many close calls including this past weekend...


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## windblows (May 21, 2014)

One time I remember was similar to an experience already shared. Was in a tournament and was walking a 26" red down the gunnel to put in the livewell. Lost my balance and fell overboard in about 4 feet of water...in February in Jacksonville in 38 degree air temp. Luckily I threw the fish in the boat as I was falling. It was a cold rest of the day


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## IRLyRiser (Feb 14, 2007)

About once a year, drop the push pole clattering onto the platform much more often.


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## jlindsley (Nov 24, 2015)

Yes. I don’t have one of those backrests on platform (I think some call them sissy bars?) but if someone gave one to me and installed for free I’d gladly add. Always have the habit of holding on to push pole pushing hard sand for 5 min and you hit that one pocket of mud the pole sticks in!


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## TieOneOnJax (May 24, 2018)

Yep, three times. Once just as we were polling into casting range of a few tailing reds. Was on the platform putting some heat on the pole when the forked end slipped over the bottom and gave out. I decided not to try and catch my balance because I didn’t want to make it worse and hit the trimmed up prop, so I just jumped in. Needless to say the fish all laughed their asses off and swam away. 

Then one other time when I was polling hard to catch up to fish and I hit a soft spot with the pole. Went in about 2 ft more than expected and into Davey Jones’ Locker I went. 

Finally, I fell off the bow one day when I was casting at fish. I needed to be one step closer to the fish to get my fly in front of him. Only problem, I didn’t have one more step of bow. Yet again, into the drink. 

Can’t help but laugh every single time.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

Once, on a or off a friends boat. Was raining and had rain gear on. Stepped down from platform and pant leg caught cooler latch. Was a Yeti, I think the latches were more exposed way back when this happened. Stayed pretty dry. Was only a foot of water but I went all the way in. Guess it was pay back for sending him over the bow years earlier. Was dark am and came off plane, but had driven slightly off course because I had eyes fixed on lights from another boat in distance. Came off plane on top of the only 10ft wide 1ft rise in bottom you always avoid. I go by that hump every trip. Makes me laugh. He got much wetter and muddy.


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## Fritz (Jan 17, 2017)

I walked off the edge of my skiff once. I didn’t fall, just walked until I ran out of boat. 

I keep thinking if i’d gone with the bigger skiff it never would have happened.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Yep I've come off of my poling platform on more than one occasion - both forwards where you make a godawful bang when you hit the deck - and backwards where you quickly learn to add a little "kick" as you go over the side to clear the prop, lower unit, trim tabs -and other things that might turn you into a real casualty (instead of slightly embarrassed and wet everywhere...). I have a buddy who guides out of a pretty little Hells Bay and used to tell his anglers each day... "folks if you hear a sudden splash at the rear of the boat... There's no extra charge for entertainment..."

I've also been blown off the front of my skiff by a 20 foot high wave (we measured it later from the water marks up the pilings of the bridge we were under...). That sudden wave was caused by a genuine idiot who stood a 40 foot sportfisher on it's stern from a standing start as he came up under the bridge we were fishing that night - at around 10pm... We were one piling east of the fenders on the McArthur Causeway at the time so we got the full force of the wake the idiot generated... don't think he ever saw us at all... I'll never be able to identify the guy (probably a good thing when you think about it) since all I could see was the underside of his hull as he floored his throttle... My angler that night was standing in six inches of water in my old Maverick when I was able to climb back into the skiff. I was very lucky I wasn't crunched between my skiff and the piling I was holding onto when the deal went down.... After I pumped out my skiff (two 1100gph pumps going strong cleared out the water in about five minutes flat...), my angler a gentleman from England asked " Is it always like this?"

I'm sure I'll go over the side again and will just try to roll with the punches... 

I've seen more than one guy fall while standing or working with a boat trailer at one boat ramp or other - that's just plain dangerous. I've seen guys take falls that might have killed them landing on their trailer frames in awkward positions... Tough business being the entertainment at the boat ramp. That might be the primary reason the walking surfaces of my trailer frame are covered with non-skid on the metal....

Aren't boats fun?


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## 321nole (Jan 11, 2016)

only once so far...was on the platform moving across a deeper area to another flat so instead of getting down myself I asked my buddy to just idle us over. well evidently he wasn't completely aware of how Livorsi controls work so he went to put the motor in gear and instead gave it throttle...before I could react the light bulb went off in his head and he put the damn thing in gear...ended up doing a little pole vault maneuver off the platform...

no injuries and fortunately it was 95 outside, so after calling him a few choice words, we got a good laugh out of it


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

Fallen off the platform several times. Also when I was about 7 or 8 I was being a brat while fishing with my dad and I kept bitching about something (can't even remember what it was now) and he picked me up by the life jacket straps and tossed me in.


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## mtoddsolomon (Mar 25, 2015)

A couple years back I was fishing with a buddy on a flood tide going from one grass flat, over a creek, back to another grass flat my push pole got stuck in the pluff mud and instead of letting go i went in.


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## wardicus (Jun 3, 2013)

Yes once , after many close calls on the platform , I slipped like the op after hooking a fish and then jumping down and walking the gunnel which was wet boom full feet out from under me landed on half gunnel on my way in with rod in hand.. quickly hoisted myself in than landed the red .... bruised side and ego ... I’m will hit the water again just a matter of when ...


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

Fell off the tower of a friend's 15 Mav and into the water. We were kind of letting the current take us down a bar and I was on the pole just keeping things in check. The skiff bottomed out on the sand bar coming to a stop. I tried to save myself, but gravity was winning and I made a controlled leap off the platform.


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## Drifter (Dec 13, 2018)

Ive done it twice, like 4 years ago it was my first tarpon trip to Mexico and it was about 110 degree out and I was sweating like crazy and I cast 90 degrees from the boat and had a tarpon chase the fly. He nailed it and was pretty big so I leaned into it and SET SET! and yeah he missed it and I fell off the boat backwards.

Like two weeks ago I was getting on my platform and just stepped where there was no boat. Lost my glasses, and luckily I had my powerpole remote on my neck or I would have been chasing the boat. Maybe 5 ft of water both times. It can really sneak up on ya.


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## Monty (Jan 10, 2018)

Put a new Johnson 115 FICT on my Proline myself. Didn't put the cotter key on the steering cable where it mounts on the motor. At WOT on the flats by Steinhatchee, the steering came lose. The boat heeled over in a tight turn like you would not believe. In 1/2 second, I was on my back on the gunnel. Nothing to grab and was going over. Fortunately a fishing buddy was in front of the center console and didn't get thrown off. He cut the power some kind of way and was able to come back and get me. That boat would have kept coming if he had not been on board and maybe run me over.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Monty said:


> Put a new Johnson 115 FICT on my Proline myself. Didn't put the cotter key on the steering cable where it mounts on the motor. At WOT on the flats by Steinhatchee, the steering came lose. The boat heeled over in a tight turn like you would not believe. In 1/2 second, I was on my back on the gunnel. Nothing to grab and was going over. Fortunately a fishing buddy was in front of the center console and didn't get thrown off. He cut the power some kind of way and was able to come back and get me. That boat would have kept coming if he had not been on board and maybe run me over.


Kill switches can save your life and possibly your passenger(s), you should never operate your boat without it attached. I put my lanyard around my leg at the knee so I have full range of motion with both arms.
My buddies dad was fishing a local lake by himself in 2002, hit a log, got tossed from the boat and it came around and ran over and killed him. Wear your damn kill switches guys, who cares how gay you think it is, it’s better than getting killed or killing or maiming a passenger.


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## No Bait / Lures Only (Apr 10, 2011)

2 times overboard in boat slip, once taking trolling motor off in freezing weather, pushing down pvc guide poles in boat house. Dropped sunglasses overboard n catching them but going in head first.


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

Several times. The worst one was when I was fishing solo, sight casting to reds. Hooked up from the poling platform and for some reason stepped forward (maybe thought I was on the casting platform?). My chest hit the steering wheel and I broke the reel seat on the reel--but I landed the fish! Had a bruise the shape of an Edson ComfortGrip for about a month! Guess I was fortunate not to break any ribs or be more severely injured.


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## m32825 (Jun 29, 2018)

I was poling my buddy up to a shore line and we reach a point that is too shallow to proceed, but it gets deeper past the point and there is fish activity on the other side. I decide to stealthily wade up behind the high spot to target the fish. I slowly, quietly, knelt down and stepped off the side of the boat to the bottom I knew (knew I tell you) was right there. While I was being slow and stealthy the wind had pushed us back a few feet so that I deliberately stepped off into the three foot deep drop next to the shallow shoreline. Huge splash, buddy had no idea what I was doing. It was chilly for the next hour or so until I dried out...


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## CPurvis (Apr 6, 2016)

Walked off my bow last month while fighting a fish. First thing I did was look all around to make sure no one was around to see it. Just stepped right off! Luckily I was in less than 2 ft of water.


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## YnR (Feb 16, 2015)

Once with my iPhone in my pocket and TM remote on my belt. The phone was done immediately. The remote was supposed to be waterproof but it was the never the same after and only lasted a season longer. Also broke a $350 rod that same trip. Still feeling the burn from that one.


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## AgAngler2370 (May 5, 2017)

Fell off putting around waiting for dock to clear. Was out by myself with my dog. Was making my way to front of bow to tie dock line on and my dog bumped me mid step. Never had a chance and just went in while yelling f**k and immediately started swimming to catch skiff before it tagged someone at dock. Luckily some guy was laughing but managed to grab my bow about same time I was yanking the kill switch from in the drink.


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

Fell off a buddy's B2 poling platform into the boat but managed to land mostly on my feet. Fell off our sailboat while racing, fell off my old flats boat while running at night. Going into a turn, boat hit a wave and I got tossed. Took the kill switch with me and boat stopped about 20' from me. We were in 2' of water fortunately over a sandy bottom. I just walked back to the boat and got it.


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## Pole Position (Apr 3, 2016)

Mercifully, I wasn't there......but several years ago some good friends of mine were coming in on his 25' Whaler after a long day of bottom fishing, and I strongly suspect they were all "tired". They putt-putted thru the no-wake zone, passed underneath the bridge over the ICW, and motored on past the public ramp that was fairly crowded. Once out of the no-wake zone, my friend put the hammer down to get on back home and quickly ran aground, throwing every one of them out of the boat. Well the boat, now lighter w/ 3 less passengers, suddenly had enough water to run in and sped off @ full throttle, literally running between them to where they had to jump out of the way. Meanwhile, the boat started to make a long 360, and while on the other side of the waterway ran thru someones' pier--they said it looked like someone threw a box of toothpicks in the air--and began coming right back at them. Fortunately, they had the wherewithalll to get out of the water by this time and watched as the boat passed within 15 yards of the crowded ramp where people stood in disbelief. The boat went on to make another slow 360 and ran thru the sme pier again--what wasnt destroyed the first time quickly got demolished this time, and once again the boat continued its circle, only this time making a beeline for the shore. As everyone stood and stared, the boat ran around 50 yards in to the marsh right beside the ramp when it finally discontinued its trail of destruction. Unbelievably, no one got hurt, the boat was pretty much totaled, and the pier was a total loss.

Unfortunately, my friend succumbed to cancer a couple of months ago, and the preacher asked me if I had any stories I would like to share at the eulogy. My only response was " yeah, but I'm not real sure you want to tell this one"....


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## TidewateR (Nov 11, 2009)

@EvanHammer ...any stories you’d like to share on the subject?


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

4 times for me. Once trying to set a stick it pin. Once tarpon fishing from a bow platform in choppy water. Once off the gheenoe while shark fishing. My buddy had one on the line. I basically walked on water. Most recently trying to get a bass out of the weeds. Face first into a bunch of salad.


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## jeffcook (Sep 13, 2008)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Kill switches can save your life and possibly your passenger(s), you should never operate your boat without it attached. I put my lanyard around my leg at the knee so I have full range of motion with both arms.
> My buddies dad was fishing a local lake by himself in 2002, hit a log, got tossed from the boat and it came around and ran over and killed him. Wear your damn kill switches guys, who cares how gay you think it is, it’s better than getting killed or killing or maiming a passenger.


Looks like there’s no such thing as a kill switch, with or without lanyard, on a trolling motor! I have a 55lb Riptide on my 12ft Nucanoe Frontier that makes 4 kts. I reeeaaally want a kill switch since I’m solo, but all I see is disbelief at the need for such a thing. Any ready-made suggestions? I’ve seen the Autotether, but it just plugs into an existing kill switch box that I don’t have.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I've entertained my grandsons twice. I was polling in the ICW got to some deep water and a big boat came by and knocked me off. I was polling on a shallow flat with lots of wind. While the pole was in the water a gust pushed the boat back against the pole. I was either going to have half a pole or jump in. My grandsons get a hoot when they fish with me


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## ek02 (May 8, 2012)

Fell into the cockpit years ago while trying to get the push pole unstuck from a hard bottom poling after a hooked Tarpon. Fell off the bow back first into the water trying to step down to the cockpit in rough water last year. Balance diminishes with age, thus the need for a "sissy bar" on the poling tower.


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## Surffshr (Dec 28, 2017)

About 13 years ago, I fell off my boat in my back yard (which is a canal). I was drunk on tequila before noon and instead of getting back on my boat I swam to my neighbor Ed’s dock (which was lower than mine). Upon being pulled from the water and treated for various injuries (by Ed’s wife and daughter), I declared my love for Ed’s daughter and asked Ed if I could date her. His response was “you need to take that up with her son”...I told him I intended to, i did as much, and 13 years later we have an 8 year old, 2 advanced degrees (hers), and just said goodbye to Ed 3 months ago today...

I have more than a couple of sayings from this, but my best advice to young bucks is “Don’t be scared to fall off your boat”. A close second is (when offered a tequila shot) “the last time I drank tequila, I fell off my boat and was married 6 months later. Once is enough!”.


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## fishnpreacher (Jul 28, 2018)

Have I fallen off?


Not while sober


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## ryan_riggle09 (Jun 14, 2018)

When I was a about 12 I was bass fishing on a lake in Virginia that was trolling motor only. My dad was standing on the front of the boat with the tiller handle trolling motor running wide open when we hit a random stump in open water that he apparently didn’t see. He went flying into the water, I ran up front to get trolling motor off but he was already back in the boat. He got back In so fast that his wallet was bone dry still, I thought it was hilarious he didn’t think it was as funny at the time. Bent the trolling motor shaft but still worked, so we bent it back best we could.


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## FlyBy (Jul 12, 2013)

Fritz said:


> I walked off the edge of my skiff once. I didn’t fall, just walked until I ran out of boat.
> 
> I keep thinking if i’d gone with the bigger skiff it never would have happened.


My buddy walked off my Gheenoe once. I told him that even on a 400' tanker you can only walk so far.


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

I can say I've luckily never fallen off a boat but I was in the keys once and the push pole got stuck in the bottom and instead of letting go of the pole I just held on and off the platform I went. Luckily my uncle was on the front and after some laughing on his side and a couple of picture he turned around and came back to get me as I hung onto the push pole we still laugh about that one.


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Backcountry 16 said:


> I was in the keys once and the push pole got stuck in the bottom and instead of letting go of the pole I just held on and off the platform I went.


I almost learned the hard way not to use the foot of the push pole on limestone bottom...after sticking it into a crevice and damn near being dragged off the platform.

Those rocks in Ozello are just plain mean...


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

A couple of years ago I was fishing with my dad. He pushed his Hoog off the trailer and had forgotten to attach the bow painter. He didn't even raise an eyebrow as it started floating away. He just looked at me and said "well...go get it, stud". So I had to jump off the dock, swim down the runaway skiff, crank it and bring it back. It was also January. Water was cold. He was entertained.


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## M48SHOOTER (Oct 20, 2019)

jeffcook said:


> Looks like there’s no such thing as a kill switch, with or without lanyard, on a trolling motor! I have a 55lb Riptide on my 12ft Nucanoe Frontier that makes 4 kts. I reeeaaally want a kill switch since I’m solo, but all I see is disbelief at the need for such a thing. Any ready-made suggestions? I’ve seen the Autotether, but it just plugs into an existing kill switch box that I don’t have.


Buy a $12 4 pole killswitch from the auto or boat parts store. Wire it into the hot cable between the battery and TM. Check you tube. There are DIY videos. Two poles open the switch when activated, two poles close the switch when activated. Use the two that kill the power to the TM, make a box to hard mount it to the canoe. Easy peasy.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I've fallen, jumped, off twice so far, while polling. I put my wallet an phone in a dry bag now


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## TidewateR (Nov 11, 2009)

@EvanHammer 

hello?


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## 7WT (Feb 12, 2016)

Prize does to Surffshr story! Here's one of mine: Fishing landlocked salmon in NH lake in early April near stream inlet, ice out two weeks away. Catching is good some nice 23 inch salmon. Stood to cast and rocked the canoe. It was like a carnival ride as I tried to steady her but it just rocked more and more and finally tossed me head first into 4 foot of how do you say cold water. Of course I had an audience from a fellow looking out from his driveway. I waved my embarrassed to hell wave, got back in and caught another salmon. But then could not feel the rod anymore and decided I better go home.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

I'm not gonna jinks my streak!


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## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

The first time I did I was about 12, got a line wrapped in the prop on my little 6hp Evinrude, tilted it up to get the line out. Well, the little catch wasn't caught and when I stood on the back of the Gheenoe putting my hand on the motor to brace myself the motor plopped down from the tilted up position and I went head first into the river. This was right in front of the Coast guard station in Yankeetown, back when it was a houseboat if any of you were around there back then.


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## redchaser (Aug 24, 2015)

Yep, on the poling platform, getting pushed along at a good clip by the wind, plant the push pole, the foot sticks in the mud and yanks me off backwards.


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## Bateau (Oct 24, 2016)

Nothing ventured nothing gained. Have done so many times. Pogie slime on the front deck in pitching seas after throwing a castnet was the last time, sharks everywhere and I don't think I even got wet. One of the many reasons I prefer fly/artificial to bait but alas, I have failed as a parent as my boys are baiters. Still time to save them and I'm trying hard.....


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## Lowtidelowlife (Aug 19, 2014)

Docklight fishing with a bud. Boat was coming a little too close to dock from a fast idle and the light was already burned. Pushed off the dock to protect a 40 year old gelcoat job that was hardly worth protecting. Angle of the dangle put me in the ICW and made for a good laugh.


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## hipshot (Sep 29, 2018)

More than once.

I think I was nine; we were stateside on furlough (we were living in Indonesia then) and had gone up to my uncle’s camp in the Adirondacks. I had commandeered one of his fly rods and was out in a rowboat maybe 100 yards from the dock, trying to stick a fish. Mom came out on the dock and hollered that dinner was ready. I just turned around toward her and stepped right out of the boat.

A few years back at East Matty I hung a fly on some grass near the anchored skiff. I was leaning too far out trying to shake it loose without pulling the anchor, and took a header. Fortunately, only birds and fish witnessed it.

I’ve fallen out of my kayaks twice, both times I lost my balance while sitting down after standing to look for fish.

Once, not from a boat; I was on the end of a seawall casting at a school of jacks busting mullet. I was reeling in a cast and the school came up further down the canal. I just turned and ran right off the end of the seawall.

Got knocked out of my bass boat twice while fishing stumpfields on windy days. Both times my last thought before I hit the water was “Hope there’s no trotlines here”.


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## Outearly (Oct 20, 2015)

Slid off a buddy’s platform into the drink. Climbed back in, cold, wet, embarrassed.

Sat down, decided to strip off a wet layer of fleece, pulled it over my head and launched my prescription Costas into the marsh. Dove in (successfully)after them. 

Sort of a twofer. Makes me cringe to think about it...


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## Micro Thinfisher (Jan 27, 2018)

No NEVER!


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## Monty (Jan 10, 2018)

I jumped out of a 12 ft. Sears Gamefisher. Day started at 7 am, picked up my buddy cliff, who was 6'2" and weighed 290 lbs. (imagine that in a small skiff). Cliff was drunk, had a big plastic cup and said "women, can't live with them cant live without them." I asked if he was OK to fish he said yes and off we drove off. Got to fishing spot, Cliff stood on front deck of the boat. Within 2 minutes, he fell, landed on the gunnel and pushed it below the water line. Water flooded in and CLiff just layed there with water gushing in. Boat was totally full of water. I jumped out to stop the back end from sinking and keep the motor up. To this day, CLiff thinks I'm the one that fell and that's what swamped the boat.


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## fishnpreacher (Jul 28, 2018)

I had a friend like Cliff, his name was Robert E. Lee, (seriously). Same scenario, Robert drunk, stands up to pee, and we rock and roll. Luckily, he fell in before he swamped the boat. We were in about 5ft deep water, so we went to the nearest bank for him to get back in the boat. He was ready to go back to the truck after that. I took my time and fished all the way back. Robert never went fishing with me again, accused me of trying to drown him.


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## hipshot (Sep 29, 2018)

fishnpreacher, was that Robert E. Lee from Ducktown, Tennessee?


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## fishnpreacher (Jul 28, 2018)

No sir, from NorthEast Ga. 
I believe "Robert E. Lee" is a fairly common name


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## hipshot (Sep 29, 2018)

It is.......


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## BobGee (Apr 10, 2019)

Ben said:


> I’ve had a couple of close calls but Saturday morning I finally did it. Put a red on the gunnel to get the hook out and didn’t rinse the gunnel off. Walked back from the bait well to the bow barefooted and slipped on the slime. Tried to catch my balance but realized it was too late and in the drink I went. Luckily the water was deep enough that I didn’t touch the bottom and cut my feet up. The thought of bull sharks in the area got my fat ass back in the boat pretty quickly. I think I need to be a little more careful and wiser as I get older and curious if anyone else has fallen off their skiff?


I hooked a pretty big (>4’) barracuda trolling. Line got wound up in the prop (had a planer on). Cuda was about 5 feet away. I put the motor up and stood on the transom. When I slipped and fell in, I straddled the line, the cuda bolted and the line came taught on my crotch. I was sure he had me. My friends said I flew back into the boat in less than a second.


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## Marshdweller08 (Aug 1, 2018)

Yep, 3 times. All from the poling platform. first was in a skinny creek when the wind swung the assend into the bank. Landed on my feet in 2' of mud. The 2nd was poling with the wind at my back and stuck the bow on the sand bar and dove off into the cockpit breaking an Orvis 8wt 3d. Last one was pushing buddy's broke down Waterman to the waiting trailer on the beach in POC. I was holding the rear of the boat steady wih the push pole due to high wind while his wife continued to back the trailer into the skiff and knocked me off in the cockpit. Good thing it was a side console. Bruised ribs but no beer spillage!


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## Seymour fish (May 13, 2018)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I’ve fallen off the poling platform in the water because the guy up front jumped off to the side off the casting platform and threw me.
> I fell off a bay boat when my buddy’s 65 year old uncle hit the throttle right when I got in from wading. He dragged me about 20 feet while I was hanging on to the boarding ladder before he realized I was about to barefoot ski.
> Got chunked off a jet ski doing 55 (she was hot as hell and wanted to take me for a ride) I got a saltwater enema on that one.
> Fell off the boat offshore while snapper fishing when a rogue wave rocked the boat and I was fighting a big ling.
> Fell off the deck a few times for various reasons but never slipped on fish slime. That’s kind of a noble way to go!


So, what did you say her name was ?


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Seymour fish said:


> So, what did you say her name was ?


Leigh Ann


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## KimmerIII (Feb 9, 2017)

Yes, that's why we had custom cages fabricated on both poling platforms so it doesn't happen. You fish long enough it will happen. Thankfully never hurt. Built the first cage around platform on the maverick back in 2003, had the cage built around the gordon about 2 weeks after buying it.


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## kjnengr (Jan 16, 2018)

Only once. I was poling a shoreline in a very large bay. There were some rolling swells that hit the boat just as I was getting to the top of the poling platform before I could get fully planted. I hope it never happens again.

And hey @EvanHammer we wanna hear this story.


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## RJTaylor (Oct 4, 2017)

_Never have_


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## schwaggen01 (Dec 22, 2014)

Always wear your kill switch. It can save you. That's all I'll say.


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## rocket88 (Feb 3, 2020)

schwaggen01 said:


> Always wear your kill switch. It can save you. That's all I'll say.


Speaking of kill switches...

Three of us on the water, each driving our own boats (16' runabouts, one with a 70 hp, one an old 80 Johnson and mine with an 85). In the Montreal area, very early in the season right after ice-out, water temp probably in the low 50's, maybe colder. Water levels are very high, we're in turbulent waters where two rivers meet, just fooling around, doing loops and stuff. No life jackets or kill switches or other such foolishness. Don't know how, but John gets ejected from his boat, into the ice water. His boat, at full throttle or close to it, starts spinning in torque-steer-induced loops around him, gonna clip him on one of those laps. Lee and I assess the situation; he jumps into my boat, abandons his, and we determine the first order of business is to disable the looping vessel, while trying to avoid John in the water. We get alongside at about 25 mph or so, Lee takes my helm and I do my best James Bond and leap into John's boat and kill it. Lee picks me up off the errant vessel and we go rescue John. By now, he is completely dead weight due to hypothermia setting. The guy is literally blue. We haul him on-board and make for the nearest shoreline where there is a bait store with docks, which is only a few hundred yards away. Proprietor has witnessed the episode and brings John inside for resuscitation. We go off and recover the floating boats, now rapidly floating downstream on the current. 

John survives with no ill effects. We drink scotch later and reflect on the situation, all the wiser for the experience. No teacher like the school of hard knocks... Don't do s..t like that no more!


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## coloradowalt (Oct 26, 2012)

Fell off poling platform, top of left knee hit edge of gunnel. Ended up with a detached left quadricep. Very painful and I don't recommend it.


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## Big Fish (Dec 20, 2019)

One time the driver of the boat in front of me flew out. He hit a wake fairly hard and went flying at about 40 mph or faster. Luckily he was wearing his kill switch and an inflatable life vest. It happened so fast his buddy sitting next to him did not even realize it happened until the abrupt stop. We picked him up and dropped him back at his boat. Ill never forget his facial expression. Terror, shock, and bewilderment all at once. Wear your life vests and kill switches guys!


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## Seymour fish (May 13, 2018)

coloradowalt said:


> Fell off poling platform, top of left knee hit edge of gunnel. Ended up with a detached left quadricep. Very painful and I don't recommend it.


Dammit son !


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## coloradowalt (Oct 26, 2012)




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## hipshot (Sep 29, 2018)

I’ve gotten a few grumbles in the past, but I have everyone in my boat wear a PFD when operating at any speed over idle, and I use my kill switch. If you don’t like it start walking.... If I’m in your boat I’ll honor your customs, but honestly, I sometimes get a little uncomfortable about how lax some folks are about safety. I guess I’ve just seen the result of too many unexpected mishaps after working in a boat for several years. But if I’m in your boat and you don’t use a kill switch I’m not wearing a PFD either.


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## hipshot (Sep 29, 2018)

As a kid in the sixties I remember running a little skiff standing up on the rear deck, steering with my foot. No kill switch, no PFD. Partly so I could see better running across a flat or following a winding channel, but mostly because I thought it looked cool. Today, we in law enforcement have a specific, descriptive, very technical term for people who do things like that. We call them dumbasses.


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## Seymour fish (May 13, 2018)

coloradowalt said:


> View attachment 118742


Sweet Jesus !


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## shallowfish1 (Feb 25, 2011)

Once. My little Dolphin is tippy, and I have a tendency, even in my mid-50s, to run up and down the gunnels like a squirrel. A couple of years back a good buddy and I hit some deep freshwater canals for bass during a cold spell. Did the squirrel thing at precisely the moment he decided to walk to the other side of the skiff and, well, I over-corrected about five times before doing my best Louganis imitation into the drink. Shrinkage ensued.


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

Only once off of my friends 15 ft Maverick. I was letting the current kind of take us down a shoreline and we bottomed out all the sudden. Made a controlled jump / exit off the platform. Threw the push pole clear of everything.


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## Chasntuna (Mar 21, 2016)

Yup. Under way going 15mph with one of my employees. Lost alot of tackle, a gun and almost my life in 40' of water.


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## Drifter (Dec 13, 2018)

hipshot said:


> As a kid in the sixties I remember running a little skiff standing up on the rear deck, steering with my foot. No kill switch, no PFD. Partly so I could see better running across a flat or following a winding channel, but mostly because I thought it looked cool. Today, we in law enforcement have a specific, descriptive, very technical term for people who do things like that. We call them dumbasses.


While on plane?


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## hipshot (Sep 29, 2018)

Yep. But only in calm water. We were stupid, but not insane, LOL


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## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

hipshot said:


> have a specific, descriptive, very technical term for people who do things like that. We call them dumbasses.


We call them squids. But don't you dare lie, that shit was cool and you don't regret it!


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## mwolaver (Feb 6, 2014)

I can tell you one thing: if you get more than halfway off the poling platform, it is much better to just jump feet first away from the lower unit than trying to stay on......


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## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

I fell off at the beach in front of God and everyone including two flatbill jetskiers. Climbed up on poling platform and immediately saw two giant snook approaching in the first cut. Fumbled to pull line out, lost footing and fell right into the water. No pointing and laughing, but, I could hear chuckles.


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## hipshot (Sep 29, 2018)

jmrodandgun said:


> We call them squids. But don't you dare lie, that shit was cool and you don't regret it!


It was cool — at the time. But now, having recovered more than a few mangled bodies from boat wrecks, I think about all the things that could have happened differently. I’m just glad I didn’t turn out to be one of those mangled bodies. No doubt about it, I got a little carried away with the ‘exuberance of youth’ more than a few times as a teenager. Back when I was bulletproof. Now that I’ve stopped a few bullets, and seen a lot of other folks stop bullets, it all looks different. With years come wisdom.


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## TGlidden (May 24, 2013)

If you pole a lot, it’s going to happen. I’ve managed to fall into the boat every time, one reason I like short platforms. They shorter platforms are more stable too.


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## formerWAflyfisher (Sep 5, 2008)

hipshot said:


> It was cool — at the time. But now, having recovered more than a few mangled bodies from boat wrecks, I think about all the things that could have happened differently. I’m just glad I didn’t turn out to be one of those mangled bodies. No doubt about it, I got a little carried away with the ‘exuberance of youth’ more than a few times as a teenager. Back when I was bulletproof. Now that I’ve stopped a few bullets, and seen a lot of other folks stop bullets, it all looks different. With years come wisdom.


Hipshot I’ve always heard there’s no wisdom in innocence. If we never did the stupid stuff we wouldn’t know what not to do. Hopefully you just get lucky enough to live to learn from your mistakes


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## hipshot (Sep 29, 2018)

Well, I’ve definitely been lucky.... Seeing others do what you’ve done, and have it turn out bad, will certainly educate you. And at my age, I’m paying for the mistakes that didn’t turn tragic; now I ache in places I didn’t even have when I made those mistakes, LOL.


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