Bananas and Fishing

[tufnik]

Would like to see if others have similar stories.

Do you know the fishing superstition about bananas?

Over two years ago I went on a head boat trip out of Solomons trolling for stripers. We didn't catch anything the first few hours. In the late morning, I walked out to the deck eating a banana. The two other fisherman started making comments about bringing bad luck bananas. They kind of joked about it, but I sensed some seriousness. I thought nothing of it and finished my snack. Five minutes later the mate walked out to the deck and said, "Who brought a banana? I see the peeling in the trash." I shyly admitted I just ate one. Boy, he started seriously making comments about not catching fish because of the banana. The other guys also made comments the rest of day. I thought it was just a joke, but realized they were on the serious side.

Unfortunately, only three fishes were caught during the 7-hour trip and the biggest striper was 19". I caught a 15 incher. During the trip back to shore I kind of felt they sort of thought the banana did it.

I later looked up this thing about fishing and bananas on the internet. Interesting stories about bananas, luck and fishing. As you probably figured out, I never bring bananas on fishing trips anymore. Maybe an apple or whatever, but no banana. Just in case....lol.

[medicyaker]

I've heard alot about superstions on comercial boats but just think its a alot of BS. I'm not into believing that sort of thing anyway. Although, Friday the 13th on a full moon is typically a bad day to work in my proffesion. Its supposed to be the busiest time and from what I've experienced and has been a bad day to work in the EMS field. We do tend to get alot of bad calls in the Fire Dept on a friday 13th during a full moon. But I don't believe in superstions!!!! LOL

[Yak Fish]

It is a superstition in the fishing community but there's no truth to it. If you believe it though, you just may not catch fish. If I have bananas in the house, I'll take them fishing because they're so convenient and to spite the superstition. I caught 20 rock one day with a couple of bananas on board so I really don't think there's any truth to this one.....MYTH BUSTED!

[Pinch]

I wont take bananas fishing with me. I generally sacrifice some type of fishing gear just after getting on the water. Last season I accidently lost 3 Rods, Broke 5 Rods (one wasnt mine..oops) Lost 100's of jigs/plastics, Sank a hobie revolution in OC Inlet, And who knows where my dive knife and 2 pairs of scissors went.

Rods MIA at the Bay Bridge:

MH Shimano Termar w/ curado 201e7
MH ST Croix Mojo Bass w/shimano baitrunner 6000d

Rod Mia at Kent narrows (Redfish special.. lol):

M Ugly stick w/penn reel

[DOGFISH]

No bananas for me.

[MetroMan]

Last year on a rockfish charter, the bite was SLOOOOWWWWWW. In the afternoon one of the guys on the boat started eating a banana once he got hungry. After 5 minutes of conversation, the bananas went overboard. We began catching fish within the next few minutes. It was kinda funny how it worked. Not that I believe in the superstition or anything...but it was funny how it played out regardless.

[ictalurus]

I haven't gotten chewed out for bringing bananas on a fishing trip, but I generally don't carry them because they tend to get bruised in my cooler. Plus, I read somewhere that eating bananas can make you more appealing to mosquitoes. I don't know if that one is true, though.

I have gotten chewed out for whistling while working on the deck of a research vessel. Whistling is supposed to be like challenging the wind gods to a duel. Not wanting to press my luck, I started singing instead. Needless to say, the crew preferred that I whistled.

[Rockchaser]

It is my understand the bad luck banana myth comes from the old banana boats being so over loaded many sunk even in calm seas. Fishermen being fishermen decided it was bad luck to be on a banana boat and then to even have a banana on a boat.

I had a hard time saying I wanted a yellow Hobie Outback and will never take a banana on a fishing trip, no need to piss off the Fish Gods.

[MetroMan]

I heard that cargo ships carrying bananas often ended up with poisonous spiders within the banana load...or something along those lines.

Damn...my kayak is the same color as a banana. I'm screwed.

[HJS]

Bananas bring bad luck?!?!?... what a crock!!! On the other hand, don't ever catch a nice fish on the first cast...NEVER! Catching a nice fish on the first cast has totally killed more than one fishing trip for me...this ain't no BS either. So much so that I always make my first couple of casts to spots where I know dang well I won't catch anything. Not until I get those casts out of the way do I get down to some serious fishing.

[surfdog]

It is my understand the bad luck banana myth comes from the old banana boats being so over loaded many sunk even in calm seas. Fishermen being fishermen decided it was bad luck to be on a banana boat and then to even have a banana on a boat.

I had a hard time saying I wanted a yellow Hobie Outback and will never take a banana on a fishing trip, no need to piss off the Fish Gods.

thats what i heard. no bananas

[Capt C-Hawk]

No bananas for me.

You're riding in a banana, all beit a very nice one :-)

[Memory Maker]

....... Many versions of the Banana Curse ...... the 1 I heard was that Banana clusters frequently harbor poisonous snakes and spiders. 1 boat that was loaded with bananas was found adrift with the crew dead and thousands of spiders ...........

True banana story .........

Last August a buddy and I hired a guide to fish for trout in a lake in Colorado ......... the guide said we would catch a ton of trout and put us in the right places ........ after a couple of hours of hard fishing we only had 3 fish to show ........ the guide was getting visably frustrated ..... changed locations .... lures and even picked up a rod himself to see if he could get it working ........ nada .......

Then my buddy decided to take a short break and eat ......... first thing he pulls out ......... you guessed it ...... a banana ........

Before he could get a bite, the guide physically charged him grabbed the banana and threw it as far as he could while yelling like a crazy man .......... my bud thought the guide was going to kill him ........... I was laughing my ass off ......... it was hilarious ..... you had to be there .........

10 minutes later we were all had fish on at the same time ........... caught over 50 in the last few hours .........

True story .........

[tufnik]

....... Many versions of the Banana Curse ...... the 1 I heard was that Banana clusters frequently harbor poisonous snakes and spiders. 1 boat that was loaded with bananas was found adrift with the crew dead and thousands of spiders ...........

True banana story .........

Last August a buddy and I hired a guide to fish for trout in a lake in Colorado ......... the guide said we would catch a ton of trout and put us in the right places ........ after a couple of hours of hard fishing we only had 3 fish to show ........ the guide was getting visably frustrated ..... changed locations .... lures and even picked up a rod himself to see if he could get it working ........ nada .......

Then my buddy decided to take a short break and eat ......... first thing he pulls out ......... you guessed it ...... a banana ........

Before he could get a bite, the guide physically charged him grabbed the banana and threw it as far as he could while yelling like a crazy man .......... my bud thought the guide was going to kill him ........... I was laughing my ass off ......... it was hilarious ..... you had to be there .........

10 minutes later we were all had fish on at the same time ........... caught over 50 in the last few hours .........

True story .........

LOL...that's a good one!

[chex]

I don't like bananas anyway...