BANANAS in the boat ? and BANANAS on the bank ?

[Ketchn]

Quite a while back i was scolded by a friend after a boat ride where we didn't do very well on the crappie . he said it was because i brought a banana in my snack bag on his boat ! I am not the type to think superstition has any play in it, but read up on the subject and sure enough some think bananas in the boat are bad luck .
This all said my other half put bananas in my lunch bag the last 2 days ......
and guess what ....
i struggled the last 2 days to ketch a crappie the size a my hand
at 3 different locations i might just add !!!
so here is my question . do yawl think bananas on the bank are bad luck as well ?

[Ketchn]

heck even the bass was small as well .........

[Woodworker42]

Bananas must have a long term residual effect. I took one with me about 6 month ago and havent caught a crappie since but the sandbass must love them! lol

[Tony the Tiger]

Never heard that one

[crappiepappa]

I don't even let bananas in the house!

[keeferfish]

Not sure about bad luck but it is bad bait!

Hard to keep on the hook!

[INTIMIDATOR]

FROM Capt Jim Chesapeake Bay Charter Fishing
For entertainment purposes only!

Back in the days of the transatlantic crossings by wooden sailing ships many hazards would befall the captains, crew and passengers. Disease, pirates, shipwrecks, storms, etc., claimed the lives of a good percentage of the captains, crew and passengers attempting the dangerous voyage. Needless to say, a transatlantic crossing in the 17th and 18th centuries was a very risky endeavor. Often the vessels would stop along the way in tropical islands to gather provisions such as food and water. There the passengers and crew would often purchase wooden crates of bananas from the locals and bring them aboard the ship. These crates would have all manner of critters in them such as bugs, spiders, vermin and snakes.

These critters would make their way into the bilges of the ships, multiply, and then find their way into the captain's quarters. The captains circulated the rumor that bananas were bad luck in an attempt to keep the critters off the ship and out of their cabin. The crew and

passengers were more than eager to follow suit because of the inherent risk of the crossing. So, if the captain announced prior to the voyage that bananas were bad luck and not allowed aboard the vessel, everyone complied. You must remember that these were the days of burning witches and the like, so superstitions were taken very seriously.
Watermen are a mysterious lot. While we are known for our simple pragmatism, we also have many odd quirks. Superstitions have been prevalent on almost every vessel I have worked on. I feel that this is due to the nature of a waterman in that he sees the randomness of the world around him juxtaposed with the rhythmic, seasonal flows of nature and then tries to reconcile these observations into some sort of personal and/or environmental order. As Stevie Wonder (a blind man) pointed out so eloquently: "When you believe in things you can't

understand, that's superstition".


The Case
Against Bananas....still from Capt Jim Chesapeake Bay Charter Fishing

Bringing a banana aboard a fishing boat won't win you any friends among anglers-but it might score you a wedgie.

This article was taken from Boating World Magazine

The mere mention of a banana muffin on board was enough to send legendary south Florida fishing guide "Bouncer" Smith scrambling toward the cooler that held the offending item. With his face flushed and a vein bulging from his forehead, he hurled the hapless muffin overboard, much to the objection of its rightful owner. Was this the act of an isolated bananaphobe? Well you can forget about black cats crossing your path or broken mirrors, because to many fishermen around the world, there is nothing unluckier than a banana on board a boat.
Having been cultivated in the Indus Valley as far back as 2000 B.C. , the banana's nickname is "the fruit of the wise" Somewhat ironic when you consider that it is technically classified as an herb (although clearly a member of the "hand-fruit" genus) and is a favorite food of monkeys, whose major leisure activities include hurling bodily waste products and offending sexually uptight visitors at the zoo.
The origin of this superstition is uncertain, but many believe that it began in olden times, when bananas were transported by rickety, overcrowded, top-heavy boats plying the tropics (now known as cruise ships). These boats would frequently sink, leaving behind a residue of floating yellow commas, thus leading witnesses to deduce that hauling bananas was unlucky. A more scientific explanation is that since bananas give off ethylene gas when they ripen, it causes other perishable foodstuffs to spoil more quickly. This expended-gas theory could be why it's also considered unlucky to have a politician on board. Yet another theory suggests that crates of bananas would also contain unwanted pests, such as spiders, snakes, flies, mice and Beanie Babies.
Although the banana superstition is worldwide, nowhere is it taken more seriously than in Hawaii. Some believe the Aloha State's anti-banana sentiment has its roots in legend when the god Pele (apparently before his soccer career) brought his brother to the islands to be the deity in charge of sport fishing. Rumor has it that he was deficient in, how shall we say, the male hydraulics department, giving him a severe case of banana envy. A clue to how Hawaiians feel about the subject can be found on the Kona Fishing Charter website. Although fairly ambiguously written, it states "Absolutely positively, no ifs, ands ,or buts, do not bring bananas on board". Let's just say if questioned by a Large Samoan deckhand folding a filet knife, it might be better NOT to reveal the fact that you had a Bananas Foster for breakfast.
In Florida, charter boat crews have extended the prohibition beyond bananas and related food products to include objects that merely have the word banana on it, such as Banana Boat sunscreen, or items from Banana Republic, During fishing tournaments, anti-banana feelings run high. Not leaving any stone unturned, each person on board is quizzed as to what brand of underwear they are wearing. Should some clueless individual mention they are wearing Fruit of the Loom, a rather unpleasant operation is performed on them. First, they are seized by a couple of stout deckhands and given a punitive "wedgie" to prepare the surgical field. A razor-sharp filet knife is then used to excise the label, which curiously doesn't even have a banana on it. Experts recommend not struggling during this procedure, particularly if after a hard night of carousing the underwear is on backwards.
Some bold individuals spit in the eye of this superstition such as the Banana Lure Co., which features trolling lures that look like half a Chiquita. Attempts to inquire about how business is going have gone unanswered…..

[Special K]

I will not receive, entertain or practice any such superstitions as part of my beliefs system... but it is truly fascinating to see what superstitions have caused and the massive loss of life to people that such superstitions have caused throughout recorded history. Very interesting read though... for sure. Thanks for sharing and for your input on the subject INTIMIDATOR.

On the Contrary: I have taken many a banana sandwich out on the boat with me while catching lots of crappies. But I admit... it could have been the Duke's Mayonnaise that somehow neutralized the curse of the bananas in that case. That's it I'm sure!!! If the captains of those ships (back in the day) would have had Dukes Mayonnaise... they're whole opinion of bananas may have been a whole lot different.

[lowe175]

Special k, Bama mayonnaise is better lol makes more good luck!

[crappiewisdom]

Better that bananas are bad luck and not Budweiser.....