safety on the lake at night ...maybe this is better

[gsbodine]

went night fishing last night for the first time on lake lanier, a fairly large corps lake in GA. there was a fair amount of traffic on the water, and I swear half the boats I saw had something (or everything) wrong with their lights. we saw one with the bow lights reversed. saw one with the stern light in front, one had only one big red light on the bow (both sides), one had only a stern light, saw a pontoon boat that had no stern light but had a car type headlight setup that was just blinding. I could go on. It just looked like numerous accidents waiting to happen. <br /><br />i am so glad that I decided against taking the family out to see fireworks over the lake on July 4th. is it like this everyuwahere or is it just on lanier (more dollars than sense type folk)?<br /><br />sorry for the rant. still just in shock.<br /><br />NOTE: edited title to reflect my real intent: to determine whether the problems m3entioned above are endemic to the nation (or world, for you non-local iboaters ) or if it is just extrememly bad where I am. thanks all

 

[gaugeguy]

Re: safety on the lake at night ...maybe this is better

I know the fish/game cops around here aren't on bankers hours. I arrowed a deer a couple years ago at dusk and was dragging him out about 9pm, a good 3 hours after dark. As I was busting my butt pulling him down this old logging road, I see a flashlight coming through the woods a couple hundred yards away.<br /><br />I thought it was my buddy, who had gotten a call from my wife that I was still in the woods, so I yelled out and he came to me. It was Johnny Law. I told him my story and showed my liscence and he told me he had driven by and seen my truck and wanted to make sure everything was OK/in order. He even helped me drag the deer back to the truck and load it.<br /><br />Those guys get bad raps all the time, but I'll tip my cap to them.

 

[gsbodine]

Re: safety on the lake at night ...maybe this is better

i've never had a bad encounter with them myself, gg, and my beef isn't with them i guess as much as all the crazy boaters. i suppose even if they had been there they would have been tied up with individuals all night.

 

[gaugeguy]

Re: safety on the lake at night ...maybe this is better

I hear ya Norse, too many idiots for one agency to watch over

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: safety on the lake at night ...maybe this is better

Well here in VT the State Police have run out of funds to patrol the lakes! The game wardens patrol the shorelines (on foot).<br /><br />I guess they are spending the $$$$ in better places and when you consider the averages I feel better knowing the State Police are on the roads where the crime is. I would hate to think they are getting paid so much money to correct navigation light issues. <br /><br />I will readily report an idiot boater or a suspect BWI to the State Police along with the details. Then have have to do their job.<br /><br />Bob

 

[gsbodine]

Re: safety on the lake at night ...maybe this is better

that's an interesting take, Bob. the State Police don't patrol the lakes here, DNR does. I've never even seen local sheriff's boats in the water here in GA (like I frequently do in SC, though they may patrol). If DNR and their rangers only patrolled on foot, they'd never get anywhere. A lot of the land is private homes and docks anyway, or undeveloped forest. I'd think it would be money well spent for the waters to be patrolled myself. After seeing such heavy traffic with bass buggies flying around at very high rates of speed, I feel like it's a serious safety issue.

 

[samagee]

Re: safety on the lake at night ...maybe this is better

Well over the forth of July on the Ohio where I was, we had some fools running with no lights. They were quietly making their way up river for something. What kind of a nut cruises the Ohio river with no running lights?<br /><br />As for the water police, they are plenty busy here in Ohio during the day. I am not sure about night, but I am glad they were there to give me a tow once.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: safety on the lake at night ...maybe this is better

Ive had two incidences happen at night, one my fault, one not. The "My fault thing was being too confident in the fog and allmost ran aground, (into a cliff)! But turned just in time, And the other was in a night tournament, (Bass), when a boat that it turned out that they just beached it and went to sleep and it drifted out into the middle of the lake with no lights at all. I knocked on the boat untill I woke them up and all kinds of cussing went on even after he came out. I politly ask him to look around and see where he was as I shined my spotlight all around and there was no land in site. He then thanked me and shut up. I politly told him to tie up his boat next time.<br /><br />Ive had my registration checked one time in all the years Ive boated in Oregon, (Only because I had NO registration #s on it yet as it was new), and have never had my fishing licence checked.

 

[12Footer]

Re: safety on the lake at night ...maybe this is better

I hope this don't boot the thread off of "OFF-TOPIC" and into boats, <br />but this happened last week where I werk. The guy started his inboard <br />boat up, without ventilating the engine box.<br />

<br /><br /> If the pic don't appear, click here

 

[12Footer]

Re: safety on the lake at night ...maybe this is better