The Mystery of the Banana…..
One thing is for certain, fisherman believe in luck. Whether it good luck or bad luck it is always a consideration when we are out fishing. Bayfield Charter fishing captains all agree that the banana represents a bad omen when on the water. Many things have been attributed to this fruit. Whether it be a slow bite, mechanical failure, or continuous losses of fish on the line. Typically, once a pattern of one of the above occurrences becomes apparent we begin the interrogation. Our goal is to find out if any stashes may have made it aboard back at the dock with what we refer to as banana smugglers.
Any bananas, banana bread, banana muffin, banana chips, banana yogurt or anything else resembling the forbidden fruit must be dispersed of. Simply ingesting it will not solve the problem, as the item will still remain on board. It is not uncommon to see whole bushels of this fruit afloat out on Lake Superior. Soon after the suspected ingredient is released, the boats luck typically turns around.
The Explanation
Bayfield Charter fishing boats all have their own thoughts on why this fruit is a contaminant on board. Here are a few of the yarns from days before that make us believe they should never be brought aboard:
- Spiders, snakes, and other poisonous vermin living among bananas carried in the hold would, on long haul trips, expand their horizons by infesting other parts of the ship.
- Because the speediest sailing ships were used to get bananas to their destinations before they could spoil, those attempting to fish from them never caught anything while trolling.
- Fisherman misses landing the big one due to a case of \”the runs\” caused by bananas he\’d ingested.
- Banana oil rubs off onto the hands of fisherman, thereby \”spooking\” the fish.
Whether you are superstitious or not, your Bayfield Charter fishing Captain has one job to do. That is to put his clients on fish in safest most practical manner. So, if you find yourself being shook down by your captain only to find a hidden stash of these mystical fruit be ready to get rid of them. Odds are the will be floating in one manner or another and if not, it might be an easy day for the fish cleaner! You can easily avoid all the hassle, simply by avoiding the fruit to begin with.
Tight Lines!
Captain Tom Linderholm
