TOPIC:

Most everyone has heard of the superstition about bananas on a boat, especially a fishing boat, being bad luck. I was with a guy who "dressed left" before going fishing, put on left shoe and socks first, left arm in coat, left anything, or the fish won't bite - so he says. I've heard of other people with lucky fishing hats, lucky this, lucky that. My question is about what other "fishing superstitions" are out there or that you believe in? If I can compile enough, I might write a column or feature story about it. Please share?

Never hook a fish while setting lines first thing...doomed for the rest of the day...lol

After the lines are set we dip the net 3 times....

Random partially deflated party helium balloons floating on the water are good luck!!

Fish on the first cast means no more fish for me that day.

No bananas is #1. But a close second is change in your pocket. My wife brought a banana with on a summer trip this year. We fished for 4 hours and had 4 gills in the box. We stopped for lunch & I saw it. After the skin was release bay to the fish gods the day turned around. Ended up with more than 60 nice gills. She said she will never bring another banana with on a fishing trip.

I read something somewhere about linecounters should be set on uneven numbers to avoid getting a skunk on the boat. I do follow that thought. We even catch some fish. I also try to set riggers the same way.

Interesting! I'm just the opposite. I feel doomed for the rest of the day if I get all the lines set without catching a fish.

That's cool idea. Any idea how it got started or examples of fishing failures when you failed to do the three-dip routine? Thanks.

I've never heard the even or odd thing, but I seldom set a downrigger or line counter on a digit ending in zero or five. I feel like it discriminates against the lesser used numbers so I put the counters at 33 instead of 35 or 111 feet instead of 110. I don't know if that is a superstition, however - rather, just being silly! When I set a cooking timer I'll set it at 4 minutes 12 seconds instead of 4 minutes, or cook meatloaf at 353 degrees. I do this to drive my wife crazy.