Don' forget a few basic tools. Can be just as important as checking the drain plug.

The other day I was fishing. It was an absolutely wonderful day. Temp was right. Sky was blue. No wind until around 0900. Plenty of wildlife. And I was fortunate to have a decent day catching crappie.

Then the trolling motor started struggling. Initially, I thought it was because the wind picked up, and I would just bump the speed up a notch. Then I realized something was not right. I pulled up the trolling motor and quickly noticed fishing line caught between the prop and housing. Usually no big deal. Just grab it and pull, and most of the time it will pull right out. Not this time. I pulled as much as I could. Then I used my finger nail clippers attached to my life jacket to clip more. Still nothing doing.

This was a 'remove the prop' job. Then I realized I brought no tools. All I had was a pair of fishing needle nose pliers. Thankfully, they were enough to hold the retaining nut to loosen/remove the prop. Once I removed the prop, I found the "mother-load of mono, braid, hooks, and splitshot tightly wound around the shaft. After a few minutes of using the fingernail clippers, I was able to remove the mother-load. Put the prop back on with the needle nose pliers and continued fishing.

My lesson: I normally bring a few tools. And, on my bigger boat I bring jumper cables. Always a good idea to check your list twice to make sure you bring what you may need. I know better.