Boat Crash Aftermath

[Feathers and Fins]

I've had more than one occasion running back at night some dimwit didnt have lights on and had to swever to miss them. Stump you should run main channel though. I see many people who camp on the lake at night and come around corners and found kids playing in the water and swimming out a little. It would not be something I would want on my conscience for life just because you ran close to shore. If the boats on shore they dont need lights and you running into one might be an accident but a DA could call it something else.

Im all for the heavy enforcement everyone has a right to be on the water and everyone needs to show respect and safety to eachother.

[Quillback]

Nothing wrong with enforcing safe boating regulations, but most deaths on Beaver are people who drown while swimming.

[MOPanfisher]

Having seen the aftermath of a bass boat colliding with an unlighted pontoon boat and the two young bodies that resulted I have no problem with LE writing the tickets.

[kwall]

Sad thing is I just had to learn on my own , and the ones I see out there doing what were talking bout just don't get it -- these things (watercraft) are fast and don't have brakes either , just crazy to get one and not get some kind of training it's just like a land vehicle for crying out loud-- use some sense , sorry I can't leave the boats that race the lakes at night either out , I really would like to know how one can go 50-70mph and see in the dark and have good reaction time ?

[Feathers and Fins]

Racing around at night is nothing but looking for a coffin! There is debris in the lake that can easily do make that coffin a reality. Daytime from October to May I run wide open, Night time I run max 20mph not to overshoot my flood light. Summer time I seldom run more than 35 and night time 15 is pushing it and i try to be off the lake before night.

[Stump bumper]

Ever fish a tournament at night? Most of the bass tournaments this time of year are at night and if you put in at Hickory and your fish are North of Rocky Branch you will get 30 or so boats that will be getting the most out of fishing and trying to weigh in at 2am. You will loose way too much fishing time trying to get back to weigh in at 30mph believe me, I had a 50hp when I first started fishing Beaver. That is the reason Bass Boats have 225s and 250s to get to the fish and back.

I have almost wiped out on pontoons with lights in the water but no lights on(green glow is hard to see) cabin cruisers drifting with no lights on in the main channel but the worse offenders are fellow bass fishermen who stop on the way back to try one more point and have nothing but black lights.

Every weekend there is some type of jackpot or club tournament in the summer, they are legal and running 70 at night on Beaver, Table Rock 35. F&F I do try to stay to the main channel just trying to make a point, but I have been running 5 boats wide trying to get to weigh in before and had to run closer to shore then I wanted and found people fishing in the dark. I even have a partner that won't run lights at night once he drops the trolling motor and won't allow a white light on his boat.

Weather YOU or I like it that is what is going on even on Wendsdays and Thursdays sometimes but every weekend and I have even set in club meetings and had people complain and the tournament director admit he fished without an anchor light and would not agree to disqualify people fishing without lights.

If you are on the lake at night there will be more than one boat coming at you over 50mph even after midnight so please keep a white anchor light on!!! I have fished back seat of two boats that ran up on sand bars while running over 50 in a midnight fog, one jumped the bar and only minor damage the other was stuck on ground and we hit a tree. If they can't see a sand bar with trees how are they going to see a boat with no lights. There is no weather that will cancel a tournament around here either so don't feel safe in fog, thunderstorm or anything else they do fish through them.

I have to admit I sort of miss running to weigh in with hail stones hitting me in the face and seeing 68mph on the GPS with white blurry glows in front and green and red glows behind the boat.....

[Feathers and Fins]

The tourney director is aiding to the danger factor and shoudl DQ anyone in violation of the LAW. I understand what you are saying heck I watch people hit the 12 bridge old road bed, great for laughs I hate to admit but seriously middle of the day well marked and highly visable and you still hit it! "Darwin award bar" is the nick name for it a few of my friends and I have given it.

I hunt beaver for waterfowl and trust me I know what she can be like at here worse, Winter storms, Ice sheets, Hail etc been there done that. I wish they would put a nighttime speed limit on the lake it's only smart, but they I doubt they will. Heck I have on full moons ran wide open but thats the exception. The law is the law and is there for a reason. Night time tourneys I use to fish had specific rules for the boaters and they were all safety related first was an inspection of each boat prior to the tourney to verify all CG and State safety equiptment was on each boat, most the time they were done by CG volunteering their own time. What was super cool is any problems found the tourney would donate to the anglers the items needed ( guy who ran it factored it into the entry fee and it was part of a general pool)

I am anal about checking all my stuff every time before I go out, being a saltwater fisherman for years bread that into me. Only takes 5 minutes the night before or as im loading up to verify it. Its no diffrent than checking you got all your fishing gear in the boat and most guys do that twice before going out. Enforce away I say, I am legal and dont have anything to hide or worry about

[Quillback]

Sounds like a good idea to make it mandatory for night tounrneys that you must leave anchor lights on or get DQ'ed.

[jeb]

I agree. But I think to be legal, they'd need full lights on, unless they were actually anchored or moored to a dock or shore. At least that's the way I read the stuff posted here so far.

[Feathers and Fins]

It's the Law: Required Equipment

• Power-Driven When Underway
  
• Unpowered Vessels When Underway
  
• Vessels When Not Underway
  
  Navigation Lights
  
  The required navigation lights must be displayed between sunset and sunrise and during periods of restricted visibility.
  On Arkansas state waters, all motorboats must have lighting sufficient to make their presence and location known to any other vessels. On federal waters, the following requirements apply.
  Power-Driven Vessels When Underway
  
  
  
  

  
  If less than 65.6 feet long, these vessels must exhibit the lights as shown in Figure 1. Remember, power-driven vessels include sailboats operating under engine power. The required lights are:

  • Red and green sidelights visible from a distance of at least two miles away—or if less than 39.4 feet long, at least one mile away—on a dark, clear night.
    
  • An all-round white light or both a masthead light and a sternlight. These lights must be visible from a distance of at least two miles away on a dark, clear night. The all-round white light (or the masthead light) must be at least 3.3 feet higher than the sidelights.
    
    The masthead light and sternlight may be combined as an all-round white light on vessels less than 39.4 feet long.
    Unpowered Vessels When Underway
    
    Unpowered vessels are sailboats or vessels that are paddled, poled, or rowed.
    
    

    
    An alternative to the sidelights and sternlight is a combination red, green, and white light, which must be exhibited near the top of the mast.
    If less than 65.6 feet long, these vessels must exhibit the lights as shown in Figure 2. The required lights are:

    • Red and green sidelights visible from at least two miles away—or if less than 39.4 feet long, at least one mile away.
      
    • A sternlight visible from at least two miles away.
      

    

    Vessel operators should never leave shore without a flashlight. Even if you plan to return before dark, unforeseen developments might delay your return past nightfall.

    If less than 23.0 feet long, these vessels should:

    [*]If practical, exhibit the same lights as required for unpowered vessels less than 65.6 feet in length.

    [*]If not practical, have on hand at least one lantern or flashlight shining a white light as in Figure 3.

    All Vessels When Not Underway

    

    All vessels are required to display a white light visible in all directions whenever they are moored or anchored outside a designated mooring area between sunset and sunrise.