Fishing Superstitions

[sprestwood]

Lets have a little fun posting superstitions and fishing folk lore. John Alden Knight started his study in Solunar Theory because of some folk lore concerning the moon and fishing. And it seems like a lot of folk lore is still out there.

I'll volunteer the first one. When fishing on a pier, I do not like to bring out my creel basket before I have caught fish. When I have, I have had bad fishing, so I dont bother with the creel basket until I have caught fish. And I know it sounds unreasonable. emoSmile

 

[SpurHunter]

I rarely cast in the best spot I think holds fish on the first cast....guess I think it would be like eating desert first!

 Stupid I know...</p>

 

[bigsack]

if i don't remember to get my net out of the truck, chances are that I'm going to need it...so i just forget it on purpose now!emoEvil

 

[Liveliner]

"Duck" when a hooked Baracuda rockets across your boat.

 

[Guest]

A good indicator to find out if the fish are biting is look in the cow pastures on the way to the lake/river, if the cows are standing up eating, the fish will bite, if the cows are laying down chewing their cudd, the fish won't bite, reasoning is that all animals eat and sleep at different times acording to the moon phase. If there are no cows around you can't use this measurement.

 

[Liveliner]

You are dead on there Doc.  I have been using that for years for both fishing and hunting.  </p>

If you are keen enough to your own senses you can feel that you yourself have more "get-up-and-go during those periods.</p>

 

[kickinbass35]

During a tx the first cast ill always cast out and reel in fast ive been told if you catch a fish on the first cast especially a keeper you wont catch another the whole tx

 

[rsimms]

No Banana's in the boat!

And I always tell clients that the one sentence I never want to hear said out loud.... "I just want to catch one more."

If they say that, we might as well pack up and go home. emoLaugh

 

[SpurHunter]

rsimms - 5/16/2008 4:25 PM No Banana's in the boat!  emoLaugh

</p>

 Are you serious? Your gonna have to "splain" this one!</p>

 

[craazyboutbass]

Everytime I catch a fish on the first cast... it means that I wont catch many for the rest of the trip... the most I've caught on a single trip after catching a bass on the first cast is one... that is weird.

 

[KWoods]

I used to use Doc's theory all the time but now there are no pastures between my house and the lake For several years I fooled with squirrel dogs and would always notice the neighborhood squirrel activity before leaving home........'till it dawned on me that neighborhood squirrels were pretty stupid and their activity was governed by how many bird feeders were full. Maybe they weren't so stupid after allemoTongue

 

[sprestwood]

I often refer to the feeding of robins and any other bird eating in the lawn.

 

[rsimms]

SpurHunter - 5/16/2008 4:28 PM

rsimms - 5/16/2008 4:25 PM No Banana's in the boat! emoLaugh

</p>

Are you serious? Your gonna have to "splain" this one!</p>

Yes, serious stuff. Old nautical concern. I could cut and paste some reasons why... but instead, go to Google and search "superstition bananas in boats" (no quotes). You'll find lots of references.

 

[electrofisher]

Fish don't start bitting good until you "P" in the water!!!

</p>

 

[kickinbass35]

electrofisher - 5/16/2008 11:18 PM



Fish don't start bitting good until you "P" in the water!!!

</p>

emoLaugh emoUpsmile

 

[RangerRob]

Flip flops. Fishing is always better with flip flops on. Richard's "No Bananas" rule has always applied in my boats as well.

 

[jon the fisherman]

When crappie fishing, I always let the first keeper go. If I keep it, it will be alone in the livewell.

 

[Fat Albert]

jon the fisherman - 5/17/2008 10:05 AM When crappie fishing, I always let the first keeper go. If I keep it, it will be alone in the livewell</p>



<font color="#ff0033">Yep,  now that is funny......JTF.......   I never like to catch a fish on the 1st cast...seems as if I get my limit too quick....FA</font></p>

 

[Pointer 78]

Like KB35, my first cast will be an extremely fast retrieve to keep me from catching a fish. Too many times I've caught fish on the first cast and not caught didley the rest of the day.

 

[SpurHunter]

The Evils of the Banana Bananas are a mainstay of most cultures and are the world’s most popular fruit. However, these deliciously yellow treats have no place at sea. Since the 1700’s, it has been widely believed that having a banana on board was an omen of disaster. In the early 1700’s, during the height of the Spanish’s South Atlantic and Caribbean trading empire, it was observed that nearly every ship that disappeared at sea and did not make its destination was carrying a cargo of bananas. This gave rise to the belief that hauling bananas was a dangerous prospect. There are other documented origins to this superstition as well. Another explanation for the banana superstition is that the fastest sailing ships used to carry bananas from the tropics to U.S. ports along the East Coast to land the bananas before they could spoil,” Chahoc said. “The banana boats were so fast that fishermen never caught anything while trolling for fish from them, and that’s where the superstition got started. Another theory is that bananas carried aboard slave ships fermented and gave off methane gas, which would be trapped below deck. Anyone in the hold, including cargoes of imprisoned humanity, would succumb to the poisoned air, and anyone trying to climb down into the hold to help them would fall prey to the dangerous gas. And finally, one of the better known dangers of bananas at sea, is that a species of spider with a lethal bite likes to hide in bunches of bananas. Crewmen suddenly dying of spider bites after bananas are brought aboard certainly would be considered a bad omen resulting in the cargo being tossed into the sea. Any of these scenarios could be the reason behind fishermen’s mistrust of the yellow fruit, possibly all of them. Whatever the case may be, it is best that you don’t attempt to bring any bananas on board your next seafaring excursion, just to be safe.