No Wake Zone

[bassman1308]

I can remember when there was NOT a nighttime speed limit on TR. As more idiots ran 60 mph + in sheer darkness, SOMEONE got things rolling to set a speed limit. Although it is randomly enforced, it has slowed down most nighttime boaters. Just saying, it is possible to get things done, but bigredbirds comment is probably pretty accurate.

[Predator1]

Hey Wack'em Good, you were right about the news articles.......you all check this out on the Missouri Water Patrol's website at http://www.mswp.dps.mo.gov/ The home page gives a list of all water accidents this year...too many fatalities.

[skeeter]

Come on guys. The boats are running that hard till after mid-morning and they are just as deserving as we are. I don't like it either, but in that open water, we need to share.

Just the thought from a guy thats out there everyday.

good luck

Bill,

I'm wondering if you have tried to fish LOZ out of say a 21 or 22 ft. bass boat ? Good Luck, and I hope your life insurance is paid up if you fish in daylight hours !!!

I have to agree that tying up or anchoring next to a bridge pier in the middle of a busy day needs to be re-considered but what several of us are trying to get across is that the LOZ menace of larger and larger boats is headed to TR and has been increasing every year. I know a guy on the water as frequently as yourself has to have noticed this... We're not whining, we're stating facts and this will negatively impact you and your clients in the warmer months if allowed to continue.

The time to act on length limits is NOW before it gets away from us and completely ruins the lake for fishermen. Sharing the water is what it's all about but endangering people's property and lives because you have to impress everyone with your wealth and power by floating your Queen Mary is unacceptable. When these enormous boats run on an inland lake no one is safe and they are the ones who need to share !!

[slipknot]

What part of the lake is attracting the most big boat traffic?

or- is it just all over the lake?

[bigredbirdfan]

At least you can find comfort in the fact that some people cannot afford to take out those big old boats with gas the way it is

[flipper]

the people renting those big 'ol tubbs are the ones that are real scary! i dont take my 17 ft. out on holliday week-ends for just that reason. 3 years ago on the 4th of july my wife and i were out and had one of those rental yahts cut in front of us at high rate of speed and he thought it was the funniest thing that he darn near swamped us . told kimberling marina [people who rented the idiot the yaght] about it when we got back in but prob. did little good.

[Chris Tetrick]

I wonder if no wake zones around a bridge would do any good. I've been on Grand lake before and seen the big boats run right through the no wake bridge areas. How many times have we seen those boats on Table Rock go through danger buoys like Point 7 or 9. It can be a zoo out there so always be the defense.

[Champ188]

I gotta agree with Bill on this one. I don't think you can successfully legislate safety and certainly not common sense. Besides, we have a no-wake zone under the Highway 12 bridge on Beaver Lake and it ends up the sheriff's patrol sits there watching the bridge all day when their time would be better spent out patroling the rest of the lake. Can't speak with much knowledge about Missouri, but enforcement resources are spread ridiculously thin in Arkansas. As a result, it's fruitless to enact new laws because there aren't enough deputies, game wardens, etc. to effectively enforce the ones we have.

Like it or not, it comes down to the fact that we have to share public waters with other interest groups. And realistically, fishermen's headaches with big-boat traffic are pretty well limited to a few hours each day on weekends and primarily only in warm weather months. Before we start hollering for size limits or other restrictions on pleasure boats, perhaps we should think about whether we really want to open that can of worms ... do we want round-the-clock speed limits on our rigs?

Maybe those huge boats and certain water activities (skiing, tubing, etc.) could be limited to certain areas of the lake.

I'm as irritated as anyone by the idiots and irresponsible pleasure-craft renters. Had two pass between me and a point I was fishing Saturday through a space no wider than a long cast with the crank bait I was throwing.

But the bottom line is, it's public water and we have to share unless we're willing to risk some of the freedom that we, too, enjoy.

Just my 2 cents' worth. I'm done. Assemble the firing squad and blast away.

[Brennan]

I agree with Champ188. I am not a fan of all the boat traffic, but I have a hard time telling pleasure boaters that they cant run their boat because it is bigger, faster, throws a bigger wake than mine. There are idiots that drive all shapes and sizes of boats....I have been cut off by many a bass boat too.

Smithville Lake, I believe, limits skiing/tubing etc... to the main lake below the bridges. Perhaps that may be an option if Table Rock is really getting that bad. I fish LOZ quite a bit and I dont think Table Rock could ever get as bad as it is there. From Bagnell dam all the way to Warsaw the banks are lined with million dollar homes...each with their own dock....with a 35 footer, 22 foot ski boat, and three or four sea-doos. It is just unreal. Table Rock will stay much nicer because you cant just build your huge house right on the water with your own dock with three lifts on it.

[WebFreeman]

And a bass boat w/ a 225 going full tilt is nothing to sneeze at. I think having to pass a boaters license test would help a lot of people w/ safety & etiquette problems. Administering a "driving" test would be difficult, but having a written test at any licensing office would cause a lot of people--fisherman and rec. boaters--to actually learn something.

I know we have a course for anyone born after 1/1/84, but most boaters aren't that young. Just write the manual, have them read and take the test. Not much extra cost in that.