Seeing the post about using marker buoys got me wondering. How many of the board members have deep sixed their rods and reels? Personally I haven't [now beating knuckles against a wooden door] but have come close to knocking my rigs overboard. I carry a marker buoy to drop overboard in the exact spot if I should drop a rig in the lake, I have dragged up several rigs [dropped by other fishing partners] over the years. FRED

Like anyone is going to admit to losing a rod/reel overboard....twice....

Not me...

Not me...

2 in 40 years. Recovered both.

Happened once when I dumped my canoe running a chute. Recovered it. Now I always have my rods BDB'd in when I'm not actively fishing.

3 1/2
but to be fair 2 of those were kids rods, and one was my husbands rod

Not out of the boat but off shore while helping my son land a fish. When I retrieved it off the bottom it had the head of a walleye still on the hook

Boomerang Rod Retrieval

Rod Retrieval Device Video

Now you can bring your good rods!

One thru the ice. Rod sitting on bucket, bobber goes down rod follows bobber.

One at the lake I now live on. Was fishing with my mom back when I had carpel tunnel to the point my hands were always numb. I cast and there it went. Brand new rig. I drug a spoon back and forth until I caught the line.

I have not lost a fishing pole over the side of a canoe ever! but, I have lost a couple of nets over the side of the canoe trying to catch a fish. I know feel like I am fishing with a little kid, when I tie the net to the thwart of the canoe.

When I was a kid. Dad bought me a brand new rod and reel. First cast out of the boat. Whoosh! Gone for good in 60 ft. of water......Dad never said a word, just went back to town and bought me another rod and reel.........I'm still traumatized.

My bowman has snagged 3 (unintentionally) while fishing.
None were really of any worth, unfortunately.

Guilty as charged. I reached around to lower the anchor and as it was going down the rope grabbed Pikehunters Shamano rod/reel and went to the bottom of Ensign Lake. That day I did not have a marker with me so we have little idea exactly where it went down. Don't ever set you rod on the thwarts.

Had a friend once while casting from shore in the bw throw it in the lake, then jump in after it and catch it before it hit the bottom, it was after a day of rain and everybody just put dry cloths on, he spent the rest of the night standing by the fire to dry out.

I have a nice rod and reel that has been sitting on the bottom of Winchell Lake since 1987. email me if you find it.

The worst is when your then 4 yo daughter hooks into one trolling and it goes flying, followed by the tears. Her Barbie pole is on the bottom of Fall Lake.

Starting the next summer hers was always tied to the yoke.

Lost one on the Isabella River several years ago.

My first attempt to manage a drift sock cost me a really nice set-up. It also cured me of feeling like I need to have 2 rods with me at a time. It was well worth it.

quote PineKnot: "Like anyone is going to admit to losing a rod/reel overboard....twice...."

LMAO

Never in a canoe, but did have one go overboard off the pontoon boat once. It was fairly shallow and very weedy where the pole went over (fishing a weed edge) and the pole got hung up on the weeds about 2 feet below the surface. I was able to jump in after the pole and grab it before it sank through the weeds. I even landed the largemouth that had pulled it overboard after I climbed back onto the boat. Fun times- just glad everything was in my favor- weeds, water temp, and luck!

Not from a canoe or boat, but I had 1/2 of one go flying years ago. I think it was the second cast from a fancy new Abu Garcia (at the time) combo. Top half of the rod went flying and took the lure with it. Still have the reel...

That's one reason I use rod holders while trolling, and bungee dealie bobs while travelling, if I'm not trolling, which I usually am.

Trolling for lakers on crystal about eight yrs ago,a laker pulled my rig out of the canoe! I was daydreaming and staring into the jade colored water! It's probably still down there!

I never lost any gear over the side, but lost myself over the side while reaching wayyyyy out to net a fish that my son had on the line. He was in another canoe adjacent to us. I had the net, and figured piece of cake. Nope. The canoe stayed upright after dumping me, my daughter, and my dog. They made the short swim to shore with the canoe while I still tried to net the fish. The fish got away (big pike) with our last remaining mother-of-pearl Mooselook Wobbler (a trout and salmon lure that pike like too).

quote TuscaroraBorealis: "Lost one on the Isabella River several years ago."

Ha! That river must be a rod monster, because I lost one last year in the Isabella! Had my foot wedged against the rod while trolling, and hit a snag (rock city!) pulled the entire rod out from my foot and the canoe! I left a trace that day....felt horrible.

lost one out of my kayak on a local river, fortunately not very deep, able to retrieve it. haven't lost one in bwca yet.

One. Dumped the canoe trying to grab it as well.

quote gutmon: "One. Dumped the canoe trying to grab it as well."

One of the funniest stories of my time in the BWCA had to do with a friend of mine loosing their fishing pole. There was two groups of boats, he was in one, and I was in another. We were on fire lake going towards the portage on the west side from the middle campsite on the north (Campsite 1371). Our canoe was out front, and they were behind fishing on the north side of the lake. Just where it first narrows down, he caught a smallish northern. He set the rod behind him on his left side, and threw the northern out on the right side. Only then did he realize that in putting the rod on his left side, he had literally missed the boat. No more fishing rod... Meanwhile my canoe was up ahead and waiting for them to catch up. We finally went back to see what was taking so long and got the story. We tried casting for about a half hour+ to try and catch it. We caught a lot of rocks, but no fishing pole. We then decided it couldn't be that deep, we'd just dive down, and look for it. It got deeper than we thought, and after a while diving, and still no luck, we called it a lost cause and moved on. Funny part... This was early in the morning, and he outfished half of us, and we fished pretty hard in the afternoon after camp was set up :-)

I've never lost a rod and reel over the side of a boat or canoe. Lucky me...for now.

I have lost one over the side of United States combat ship. The USS John Young to be specific. The year was 1987. Fishing for sharks and other fish while moored in Diego Garcia. Young, dumb and hungover from the preceding night I was a little inattentive. Some fish grabbed the hook, pulled the line and the rod went right out of my hand. It was a nice ocean rig too. I didn't do anymore fishing that deployment.

Closer to home, again, I've never lost a rod and reel over the side but I have lost one on hard water. Ice fishing on Portage Lake by Park Rapids 3 or 4 years ago. I caught a small northern, pulled him up through the hole and onto the ice. Picked it up and tried to get the hook out. I need a hook remover. As I reached for the hook remover...the rest of the story seemed to happen in slow motion but it was just a few seconds... it slipped out of my hand, fell onto the ice and began flopping around. He flopped back into the hole and began swimming down. I dropped the hook remover I just grabbed and reached for my rod on the ice. Just as my finger tips got to the rod, it moved and moved quickly. It moved right to the hole, tip bent down into the hole and the rest of it quickly followed. I was sitting on a bucket wearing heavy clothes so I wasn't moving too fast and that's why I didn't get it. I'll never forget the sight of that rod and reel going down the hole. It was a pretty light crappie rod. If it had been a bit stiffer it might not have bent down into the hole so easily. Oh well, live and learn.

I have a habit of setting my pole off to the side to unhook a fish but I am so excited I actually set it down on the outside of the canoe....I've always been lucky and caught it or the fish was still hooked so I just pull it back in so never lost a pole but close more times than I care to admit. I am getting better after 15 years I'd hope so...

T

Shimano Saros with a St Croix rod sitting in 22 feet of Lake Three water. I had it in the rod holder when the dog put his nose under the butt of the rod and lifted. It happened to fast to grab but I got a gps marker. An hours worth of trying to snag it with no luck.

My Buddy lost his favorite combo when we were on a daytrip about 10 miles from camp. He was casting a different pole when he hooked this rod and sent it into the lake. He was too upset to think about recovery, but when we returned to camp, he saw on the map that the lake was only 2-3 feet deep all around that spot. He could have stepped into the water and recovered it. He still talks about it 5 years later!

Fishing pole overboard?

Only in the parking lot. Once off the roof of my car, once leaning against the back bumper. Drove off and left them both, too far from home to go back for them.

This was many years ago. Dave had bought his son a new rod and reel and was now "going to show him how to use it."

He cocked his hand back and made a powerful cast, except that his hand was empty by that time. The new equipment had simply dropped behind him into a deep hole. Still there I suspect.

Me. I was young, maybe 8 or 9 years old. Tumbled right out of my hands into the middle of Lake George. I could see the black rod with the red & yellow trim 30-40' down amongst the giant green-blue boulders. 2 days later my dad put on his mask & fins and went & got it. Lesson that day...fresh water corrodes stuff just like salt water does.

Here is an almost moment in the BW...angler next to me casts & loses his grip, tosses his whole rod in the process to the left. The hula popper lands in the water, the rod lands in my lap. I pick up the rod...bam! Fish on! I reel it in. Nice pike!

if you find a long two handed pike rod with a big closed face salt water reel at the rapids by the Curtain Falls portage it's mine--------
it went in in 1993----

I've got rods in Mille Lacs and Lake of the Woods. Just set them down for a second...Also Grindstone Lake off the dock. And the Snake River. Oh, and Cisco Lake in the UP. I think that's all...

quote Canoearoo: "3 1/2
but to be fair 2 of those were kids rods, and one was my husbands rod"

That only accounts for 3....what is the story on the other 1/2???

The wife and I lost our rods and reels in North Bay of Basswood in 1999. Dumped the canoe when we shouldn't have been on the water but, we were catching fish.

Not in the BWCA but on our local lake a brand new setup of mine flew out of my hand on the first cast. I jumped out of the boat so fast that the pole hit the water the same time I did. I was lucky enough to recover it.

All the stuff in my wallet however ....

Yes, we dumped and lost two sets. It was right after ice out, on Polly or Malberg, the only time I ever flipped, and lost a 7 piece Eagle Claw rod I loved and never saw again.

Not yet. I've seen a couple buddies dump their canoe while out fishing; 3 rods, 2 tackle boxes, and briefly the canoe until one of them swam down and grabbed the stern rope as it was sinking.

After witnessing such a tragic loss of gear, I went home zip tied foam pipe insulation on the handles of my canoe rods.

(PS don't stand in a canoe to relieve yourself.)