Are bananas really bad luck?

Are bananas really bad luck on a fishing boat?

Are bananas really bad luck? It’s been said for a long time that bringing bananas on a fishing boat is bad luck. Is that true and if it is, why?

Some believe, myself included, that they are. Why? It’s the sweet smell, that fragrant aroma of the bananas. It stays on your hands and fingers for a long time after you eat it. That same smell then inevitably ends up transferring onto your fishing line, your lure, or your bait. This makes your chances of hooking up that much more difficult. You might still catch one of the dumb ones, but the smarter, older, and larger fish will be wise to your lure and choose not to take the bait.

Fish have a keen sense of smell.

Most fish, especially striped bass have a very keen sense of smell. Striped bass has two sets of nostrils on each side of its head which give the fish a very keen sense of smell that they use for hunting down their next meal.

This makes a strong case for using some kind of a fish attractant like Smelly Jelly or other brands on your lures. Ask around, old-timers have known this trick for years. So think about it. If fish have such a keen sense of smell, then doesn’t it also make a strong case for not putting anything onto your lure by accident? Like the smell of that fresh banana in your lunch bag?

So fact or fiction?

A few years back we were in a tournament. We were having awful luck which didn’t make any sense because in the days before the tournament we had scouted out our location and tested our fishing methods. We knew exactly what our game plan was.

We were pulling 300′ of wireline, smacking our 3 oz. Salk Shaker jigs on the bottom just like we had practiced but we weren’t hooking up on any big fish. We were marking fish so what was the problem? After a while I happened to notice one of the crew, dipping into his lunch bag and taking a bite of something. I thought to myself, “no he couldn’t be”. After some time I couldn’t help myself. I had to check it out. On inspection I found two bright yellow bananas in his bag, one whole and one almost gone. I immediately threw them overboard!

We switched to a new guy on the rod and changed out the gear with a new jig, purple and black, my favorite colors, and bang. Within five minutes we landed our first tournament-grade striper.

Now fact, fiction, or just dumb luck? I have no idea which. However, we ended up winning the tournament so you decide!

Sunscreen is another troublemaker.

Another culprit is sunscreen. I’ve seen so many guys lather all up looking like a ghost and then go and grab their lures to make a cast. Wash your hands! Sunscreen can stay on your skin for hours even in the water. It will do the same thing on your fishing line and your bait.

Let us know your thoughts. if you like the sticker shown above, you can purchase them on St. Pete Sport Fishing or eBay.

Until next time, tight lines and smooth seas!

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