Water Patrol

[GNSfishing]

I have to hand it to the Cape Fair Marina for placing solar lights on the no wake buoys which is great and the lights which shines on the loading/unloading ramp and the dock at the ramp. I think that all buoys should have these solar lights on them and the dock owners who had these buoys placed should pay for them and the upkeep on such lights. Also would like to thank the corp rangers for taking my suggestion on placing reflective tape on the loading/unloading docks, so you can see their locations when coming in at night. Even though the buoys have lights on them does not keep them from being run over and I bet that happens during daylight hours.

[Feathers and Fins]

Wrench those other obstacles also are not manned with someone able to make certain they are visible. Monster of a difference

[Old plug]

Im sure they hit buoys in broad daylight. I have seen them do it. I have also seen a fool drive a cruiser straight into a bluff. Last summer some guy drove his boat up into the woods so far he could have hunted turkey just down lake from me. They have driven boats onto the golf course and we had a member ( you remember this guy wrench) of a bass club that drove his boat into a island at night going so fast the boat became airborne and ejected both people in it. 99 and 9/10 of this crap is due to drunken drivers or other drugs. I have a friend who was a Lt.Col in the water patrol and he has seen it all. Something drastic needs to be done. There is no doubt about that. It is upto the poelpe to push it down the throats if asses in Jefferson City.

[Pepe]

Forgive me if this is a stupid question. I am not a night fisherman (yet).

Wouldn't a boat be highly visible if you have a set of powerful black lights on, like the ones in the rub rail or the Nucli-Eye's?

[merc1997 Bo]

i happen to know a few particulars of why the question was brought up about the 50ft. rule. a boat was within 50 ft. of the bank fishing. he heard a boat approaching from behind him, turned around to look, and the water patrol was right on top of him heading right at him. he happened to be wearing a light on his cap and went to flashing it off and on because it was faster than finding the light switch. the water patrol gave this guy a ticket for not displaying his lights. some common sense needed to prevail here. those patrol boats when the wind is right can be very close before you can hear them. next, why was the patrol boat running that close to the bank that it could have collided with a boat within 50ft. of the bank???? sounds as though the patrol did not know where it was driving. i know the exact spot and area of the lake, and the patrol should have way to his left to be safe. that patrol boat driving that close to a boat to start with will put water over in your boat. office hukle did that to me a while back. he passed close by to wave, and i did not pay any attention to his wake after he went by, and his wake came over the side of my pantera and filled the floor full of water. i really was not very happy. why is it that the patrol boats are throwing such a wall of water that it will swamp a sitting boat?? i think that on a narrow lake such as table rock there needs to be at some point some thought put into how big of a wake can come off of a boat and still be safe to others either sitting or moving. just some of my thoughts.

bo

[Teddy]

The max legal speed at night is 30mph. This should always be followed. Even by water patrol.

[merc1997 Bo]

Forgive me if this is a stupid question. I am not a night fisherman (yet).

Wouldn't a boat be highly visible if you have a set of powerful black lights on, like the ones in the rub rail or the Nucli-Eye's?

it might be visible, but you can not tell direction of the boat. that is why there is a bow light and stern light. if you have opposite colors to an oncoming boat, you are on a crossing course, and need to make according corrections.

bo

[motoman]

I've never heard of the 50 foot of the shore rule. I personally night fish myself, (LOZ in the summer mostly) and if I'm on the water and the sun is dimming; lights are up and on. What's the big deal?!?!?........my co-angler will just have to deal with the bugs........we are in the outdoors yah know.:-)

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I just leave the navigation lights on; even if trolling.......again........what's the big deal??!?!?........rather be safe than sorry.

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I personally appreciate water patrols presence. And if you screw up with them, take your lumps and learn from it. That ticket or warning is for your own safety.

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Down at LOZ, in pitch darkness, I have seen water patrols silhouette, back lit by dock lights; watching me with binoculars from across the channel a few times. My lights on; and my automatic inflate PFD on at all times. I give them a wave, they wave back and motor on.

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I don't drive with my headlights off, even if I know the roads. Navigation lights are no different.

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If you like to gamble, go to the casino. Please don't gamble with your life, or mine! Some of us have too much to lose.

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And if turning on your lights at night is just too darn inconvenient; maybe you should fish from the shore.:-(

[fishinwrench]

Trying to fish with a light in your face is a drag, I don't night fish anymore but when I did the lights we're off, and I didn't worry about it because the areas where I did my fishing was not an area where anyone cruised around. If I was gonna sit out on a mainlake point or somewhere like that then I'd not only have ny lights on I'd have a maglite on the dash to flash anyone that I felt didn't notice me.

[Champ188]

Won't be long the weather will cool off, night fishing will be over and hopefully we'll be back to discussing fishing instead of bickering and ragging on the water patrol.