Purevl: I understand that a huge majority of fishermen believe in the banana curse, however, I do not. That having been said, I would never take a banana on board a fishing boat. This is not so much because I respect the opinions of my fellow fishermen but rather because I would not want to be thrown overboard. I am a little alarmed that a google search of “banana curse” turns up over 300 entries. I am even more amazed at how many of those hits have Kil’s name associated with them in one way or another!
The ideal, from a scientific point of view would be a controlled experiment in which two boats would go out at the same time, to the same locations, with the same number of fishermen of roughly the same experience level—one with a banana prominently displayed on the bow sprit, and the other boat carefully searched at boarding to ensure that no bananas were aboard. Then you would switch groups between trips and change which boat carried the hypothetical curse each time. The numbers and poundage of fish could then be weighed and a determination made over time as to whether there was a statistically significant difference between the relevant harvests.
Assuming, for the sake of argument, that, over a long enough elapsed time, the curse were validated, then subsequent experiments could be set up to test the effect of such variables as the following:
1. Whether the quantity of bananas on board were a factor. For example, could the experimenter expect an inverse relationship, either linear or geometric, between the number of bananas on board and the number and/or size of fish harvested?
2. Whether the having the banana(s) in view of the fishermen or out of their view mattered.
3. Whether, if no bananas were prominently displayed, the presence of bananas in the hold, unknown to the fishermen, invoked the curse as well.
4. Whether, instead of a quantity of bananas, the presence of processed products including banana as an ingredient, were a factor in invoking the curse (For example, Hoppes gun solvent.)
5. Assuming the mere presence of bananas or banana products were verified to make no difference in the success, vel. non. of fishing trips, then experiments could be designed to test whether such factors as the odor of bananas on the hands or in the water, made a difference. During an all-out tuna bite, massive amounts of mashed bananas could be thrown over the rail to test whether it had an effect on the bite. During subsequent bites, the busting fish could be cast to or jigged for without the banana chum.
6. In place of the bananas, large numbers of the poisonous spiders which typically inhabit banana plants could be turned loose on board the ship to see if this may have been an early factor in mistakenly blaming the fruit for the actions of the arachnids dwelling among the stalks.
These are just a few of the design factors that come to mind for experimentation in the area of the so-called “banana curse.” But it won’t affect me one way or another.
I am more concerned with making sure that any boat I fish on does not have any red pubic hairs anywhere on board.
Russ