You havent been...Unless youve....

[DiverQueen]

My husband got a hernia helping (and we sacrificed our tow strap to replace their winch strap!) getting some darn fool's fiberglass boat back on the trailer after one of those incidents!  :

[mermaid]

It's too bad that someone hasn't gotten a pic or a video of some of these stunts!!

[NETim]

You haven't been boating until you've seen a little S-10 pickup trying to pull a big green fiberglass barge full of water up the ramp. 

[popolarbear]

actually the first thing i learned to do, when i lost my boat on the road was to get out in traffic, dig out my camera, then to the horror of all the people backed up, compose a nice picture. somewhere Ive got a pic with my truck stalled with two canoes and two of us pushing it, and traffic backed up as far as the eye can see.(actually traffic was that bad but nice photo!)
also got one of my boat on the asphalt with a nice skid mark(cost a small fortune to fix that one, only one guy locally repairs hull damage)

[popolarbear]

You haven't been a boat owner unless you blow up a relatively new outboard only to remember that your marine mechanic warned you that you need to change that $10 thermostat probably every year with the amount of boating you do.
....to that i will add...

you haven't been fanatical fisherman unless you just happen to have a backup motor to replace you blown motor.. and get you back on the water the next week(now i need to replace my back up motor thats melted)


you haven't been boat camping until a raccoon falls on your tent.

you haven't been boating unless you have a near head on collision on lake Minnetonka (happens every summer if your out in the busy areas)

you haven't been boating on minnetonka unless you see two irate boaters get in a flare gun fight bouncing and shooting flares at each others boats!(sheriff wasn't far away either!)

You haven't been musky fishing unless you stumble on a spot holding a monster and two other musky anglers try to run you over to keep you from catching it!

you haven't been musky fishing unless you see one guy board another's boat, get in a fist fight, and then force the other guy to release the fish!
(lake Harriet)

you haven't been fishing unless the fish of your dreams gets away
(countless fish stories you would never believe unless you knew me well and how i fish)

You haven't been a new boater unless you launch your boat with no plug in it(OK yes i did that also just like every one else...only it took afew times before i Finlay started to remember too do that!)


you haven't been a Minnesotan unless you wounder why we have so many ridiculous special interest laws

[popolarbear]

you haven't been diving until you carefully place your underwater camera on the gunnel of the boat, forget its there, then drive off only to realize later that it fell off the boat.

you haven't been diving with the wife until she catches you checking out another female diver(what an underwater andventure)

you haven't been fishing unless your at a gathering of people you don't know, everyone is telling fishing and hunting stories then a guy tells a story about watching another fisherman and as it turns out it was you!

you haven't been boating unless you get stopped by water patrol, they tell you they have to test your fire-extinguisher, then after testing remind you that since it was tested(OK) it now is no longer qualifying for a usuable unit, and will have to be replaced before the next outing.

you haven't been boating on the Croix until you get a wave of water over your head, as a boat passes you at who knows 100mph in the dark with no lights on.(the next day that was a fatal collision in the news from that spot)....(I saw this on 2 different occasions, both fatal)

you haven't been boating on the Croix until you  see a guy run full speed on and over a sandy shallow island, and total his expensive boat(seen that also afew times)

you haven't been boating until a dear swim by(also seen that a few times)

you haven't been boating until you see a squirrel swim by(seen that also few times)

you haven't been fishing in Minnesota until you get in a heated argument with the local conservation officer, over fishing regulations that were changed, and he never realizes that hes in the wrong as per the actual printed rule book.



ahhh come on. CHICKENS share some...

[DiverQueen]

You haven't taken the kids fishing enough until they get asked for their fishing licenses!!

I was 12 years old and out fishing with my "soon to be" brother-in-law.  Conservation officer walked down the dock and asked to see our fishing licenses.  I don't know if my buddy Brian had his or not (moot point, he died last month, can't go back and ask him  :'(  )
But the C O still asked if I had mine..."But Officer, I'm 12 years old, I don't need one until I'm 16".  "Well then, can I see your ID?"  "I'm only 12 years old, I don't have one".  "Not even a school ID?"  "No sir, small towns don't have those either".
"Well then, I guess you have an honest face, I'll have to let you go at that!"  :

After that, my parents gave me my "Military Dependent ID card" to carry in my tackle box!