Fishing/Boating Superstitions?

I don't know if this has been done here yet?
but the board has been kind of slow and was wondering if any of you have any fishing or boating superstitions?
Lets see how many we have, might be fun
 
Here's mine:
1. Throw the first fish back, or give it away for good luck.
2. Spit on the hook before fishing it.

What are yours?

two shooting stars means bad luck
red sky at morning-maybe not so good (although this one isn't always right)

personally I try & adhere to:
honor the fish-kill it quick if if it's an eating fish
stay humble before the sea
sharpen hooks & re-tie leaders the day before
pushing "maximum cool" usually results in getting biffed,slammed, or otherwise munched (I find this applies to  basically all activities with the potential for injury)

 but by far the most crucial-bring mojo every time
(my wife always asks me about this no matter how early I leave the house. I forgot once and added 30 minutes to a drive just to turn around & go home for the mojo)

no bananas on the boat
i dont even so much as look at a banana the morning of going fishing

i could explain the whole story but its far too long.  not everyone believes it but i do.  they have always failed me

don't puke up wind from others

Wash all my lures w/ Lemon Joy, replace all stock hooks w/ quality ones, inspect or retie leaders after every fish, wear my lucky black NWKA T or my lucky red Luhr Jensen hat. Always stay on the lookout for another lucky hat/shirt so I can retire these crusty buggers. 

Z

Picking up any trash you encounter brings good luck.

I also do the first-fish-goes-free one.

1~eat a banana as soon as i launch.....throw it on the front of my kayak and go fishing.  


2~ always use my *Lucky* leader  

Wash all my lures w/ Lemon Joy,

inspect or retie leaders after every fish,

i like the wash everything, but inspect?,its' my *LUCKY* leader, it needs no inspection!!   

Picking up any trash you encounter brings good luck.

DO THIS ONE ASAP!....and keep on it!
i have learned this one, the fun way....see what i found, blowing a 1/2 mile out at sea......i was rewarded later. 

I like to leave the house between 10-10:30am.  I find that I can find parking closest to the launch because the morning crew would be coming back right about then.  They also tell me the conditions.  If I don't like what I hear, I turn around and go home.   

I then go out and scope out the conditions...that is I look for boats I know are consistently successful in landing big fish and I tie up real close to them.     I consider it a double bonus if the guys on those boats are deep divers.  I ask them to help me get my fish when I shoot them. 

I find that taking a nap helps immensely with my disposition and the manufacturing of stories later.

Lastly, I try to develop a list of guys that filet fish really well.  They leave me with the most beautiful filet of fish. 

Working on finding chefs who like to cook fish. 

Not superstitions, but that's how I'd like to roll. 

Here's my past experience with the "Banana thing"....


Stuck a banana on Josh / Promethean Sparks kayak a while back....and he caught the only sturgeon that day.

Caught my first striper in Lake Dal Valle....and had a banana on board.

Superstitions? None for me

Probably more prep than superstition, but I do clean everything very well.  Especially my hands.  The gas, coffee, sunscreen smells seem to put fish off.  I definately catch more with clean hands (lemon joy is the stuff!)

That banana thing goes way back to transporting bananas on ships and they carried the spiders in the bundles.  The spiders are very poisonous.

I believe in fresh line every few months.  Never know when you will get that monster on!  All my reels are in top shape as well...just in case.  I try not to leave anything to chance.  I try to keep all my gear top notch and prepare for everything....I am anal retentive, I know.

Matt

None for me except...I can't sleep well the night before a fishing trip! 

Ya know, I felt like I had no superstions when I first read this...  But just now I realized that every time I have brought my fish scale with me on a outing, I seem to get skunked.    SO I tossed it back inside the garage just now and going to see if I am skunked tomorrow 

Oh, and I do like to throw back the first fish... But not really superstitious about it, just usually do (but...not always  )