Water Patrol

[Old plug]

Be real careful about this. Go down to section 14 and 15 and read it carefully. I am sure he can order you to turn on your lights and order you off the water if you do not. The way i see it you argue with him about it you get at least two tickets. I would imagine on some lakes they do not enforce this and do. Ot on any lakes in light traffic periods. In either case he has the ultimate decision not you.

Be real careful about this. Go down to section 14 and 15 and read it carefully. I am sure he can order you to turn on your lights and order you off the water if you do not. The way i see it you argue with him about it you get at least two tickets. I would imagine on some lakes they do not enforce this except during high traffic periods. In either case he has the ultimate decision not you.

[GNSfishing]

I think that you will find that the majority of the night fishermen will fish with no lights on until an approaching boat is heard and then turn on the rear light or both to indicate where they are at. Except when fishing a long point or structure a ways from the shore, will have both front and rear on. Now if it was a real problem the water patrol would be filling their ticket book full of tickets on the weekends during the summer nights. That is if they were on the lake patrolling which is a rare case now days even during the day let alone at night.

[Old plug]

I think the real problem is that they are following orders. There isno mandatory requirement for filling a ticket book. When i fished nights i turned out my light like most fishermen the only time i was ever bothered was at the mouth of the Gravois Arm on a weekend night. And he just said turn on your lights and left. But this discussion here is flavored towards he has no right to do that but he most certainly does. I knew when this law was posted it had to have a section for his desecration.

[Quillback]

Most tournament rules have a requirement that the participants obey the boating laws. If you knowingly break this law you're gaining an advantage over the other guys in the tourney that are following the rules.

[Old plug]

Well you read the law. I would use my lights then because the boat patrol does have a right to determine if your in a dangerous place here in Missouri. Another way to look at 14 and 15 would be to say anything and everything else

[Quillback]

According to F&F, federal law applies to TR, it being a COE lake, so the 50 foot law goes out the window.

[littlejasper]

Is F & F Frick and Frack??

[merc1997 Bo]

i think many are not really getting the real question here. and, that question is why was the water patrol on plane that close to the bank to begin with?? is it the responsibility of another boat sitting very near shore to turn lights on to keep the patrol or any other vessel from running into the bank?? even in the daytime, the patrol boat was on plane too close to another vessel. that is the whole point here. i am pretty sure they patrol boats are rigged with gps. they should be able to keep a safer distance from shore than under 100 ft., especially when on plane. i have twice had a patrol boat pull up to my boat and not be under control, and run into the side of my boat. that is not cool, and certainly does not say too much about the boating skills of the officer driving the boat.

i know the water patrol does not spend as much time on the water anymore, but perhaps they should be and the ones that do not really know the lake at night to do it with someone that does. just as with anyone else operating a boat on plane at night on the lake, the patrol running on plane is not any safer than a tourist if they do not know the lake or have night vision problems.

i witnessed a water patrol unknowingly run through not one but two exposed tree rows at night. plus, in between the tree rows was an area about three feet deep. that patrolman was quite lucky to not impact or ground the boat.

again, why was the patrol boat on plane that close to the bank??

bo

[fishinwrench]

Bo, "that's irrelevant", is going to be the official answer to that.

But just to satisfy I'll offer up a few possibilitys :

He was dodging a herd of swimming buffalo.

He was swatting at a horsefly.

He was verifying the depth contour reading of a map he had looked at once upon a time.

Pick one and get past that trivial factoid, because you'll never prove that he was trying to scare you and took it upon himself to teach you a lesson.

[Feathers and Fins]

Bo, "that's irrelevant", is going to be the official answer to that.

But just to satisfy I'll offer up a few possibilitys :

He was dodging a herd of swimming buffalo.

He was swatting at a horsefly.

He was vetifying the depth contour reading of a map he had looked at once upon a time.

Pick one and get past that trivial factoid.

Or it was dark and he needed to maintain safety so he was staying within sight of shore. Yes I have heard that excuse more than one time.

Normally used when I have to tow someone in with a destroyed prop when the lakes low. And surprisingly most novice boaters have no dam clue how to read a GPS let alone the map.