Limited HP Lake

[tx1961whaler]

I want to boat on a lake in town that allows motor boats with engine HP less than 10 hp. A have a 40 hp main motor, and either a 3 hp or 6 hp kicker. Do you think that I will get a hassle if the 40 is still on the boat and tilted up and I used only the kicker, or should I take the prop off of the 40 just to "prove" it's non-functionality?

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Limited HP Lake

My guess is yes.................not that it makes any sense.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Limited HP Lake

a lot of people have small kicker mounted on there boats just for that reason. most lake don't hassle them.

 

[rndn]

Re: Limited HP Lake

Around here at the limited HP lakes, as long as the larger motor is not in use, they don't care. My suggestion is to ask the people that patrol the lake.

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: Limited HP Lake

Thanks for the replies.
I'll probably go out for the first time with no prop on the boat, and see if I can talk to one of the cops that patrol the park to see what they think. I just remember one of my buddies taking his prop off when on a small lake, just to prevent any hassle. The Dallas County court system is not something you want to enter into, if you can prevent it....nor do you want to annoy the officers if you can help it.

 

[109jb]

Re: Limited HP Lake

Near me it depends on the lake. Some will allow it as long as the big motor is not used. Others don't allow boats that even have a bigger motor installed to launch, whether or not you are going to use it or not. Check with whoever controls that particular lake.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Limited HP Lake

We have a lake like that here, they don't bother you even though I believe technically the bigger motor has to be out of the water.
On all other lakes here we have a gas motor ban altogether, it's electric only. I often just tilt the gas motor up and run on the trolling motor. The problem is that several bodies of water here have strong current and are too large to navigate with electric on a bigger boat due to battery life, for those I have a smaller boat.

 

[jeff_smith_0423]

Re: Limited HP Lake

Check the local statutes. Around here, you can use your main motor to launch and reload. Other than that it's 10hp max. I see 35k+ ranger's on one of our restricted reservoirs all the time. 250 HP on the back and a 36v on the bow.

 

[woosterken]

Re: Limited HP Lake

I have a lake like that here in ohio,the DNR said as long as the main motor was tilted up and no key in the ignition
it was fine to use an electric trolling motor on restricted lakes.
like others said check with DNR.

woosterken

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Limited HP Lake

I did run a 35hp Mariner for years with a set of 9.9 hp decal on it and the model plate swapped off a 9.9 motor with no problems. Never did get checked. I did have a few guys pull up to me and ask why my boat even though much larger was so much faster. I could top out at about 29 mph with a 16' modified V aluminum bass boat with stick steer. It got all sorts of looks but never gained the attention of any of the authorities. I bought it that way and just ran it, and I ran it like that for years. If you put that motor along side of a 9.9 it was way larger but I always just pawned it off as being an 'older model' or 'the cover is larger due to the electric start'. I never really opened it up either way as not to attract attention, but I'd give an all out run every so often if no one was around. A buddy of mine runs a 50hp with 9.9 decals but that's pushing it a bit, but he's never been bothered.

I did watch them tow and confiscate a guys boat one day that had twin 55hp Johnsons on it, he dumped it in the water, fired both motors up and off he went, in minutes, they were on him and had him in cuffs. The guy was new to the area, knew nothing about any motor limit, (It's not posted anywhere), and towed his boat and trailer and took him away. The made a big deal of it. I actually ended up buying both motors from him cheap in exchange for a 9.9 he could run. He had moved from another state and decided to take his boat out, he actually didn't realize he was in the lake, he had thought it led to the main river, but there's a huge dam in between.
The fines if they had stuck were something like $35k plus several pulution related EPA fines, noise violation fines etc. They had written quite a few by the time they were done. I don't think anything stuck other than one for not having a valid ID to park on state owned property. (They require that you either have a fishing license receipt or state issued parking permit to park your truck and trailer at a public launch. This is mostly to keep out loiterers and swimmers from boating areas.
I really don't mind the 10hp limit lake rule, it keeps out skiers and jet skis, it keeps the lake strictly for fishing. There's the occasional sail boat but they don't venture into the areas where we fish.