I need to throw this question out there cas it's something that is really getting me steamed over here in japan. The question is why and where in the states are tubes and toons prohibited for use in some lakes?
Here where i live in nagasaki prefecture area, they are totally prohibited for use in reserviors and dams and lakes. The japanese guy i was talking to says an aluminium boat is ok to use but not the other, couldn't give me a reason why. But i can use my toon in Saga prefecture (thats about two hour drive vs a hour)hour. It just doesn't make sense! What kind of headaches have you guys incountered back stateside?[url "javascript: top.editor_iframe.addTag(':/')"][unsure][/url]
Stoneyman
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Hey Stoneyman. We encounter similar situations over here in the US. I know for a fact that in CA, if a particular body of water is going to be used for a water supply, then they don't allow float tubes unless waders are worn.(even though they allow swimming in the same body of water)
I don't have the names of all the lakes on hand but many of them won't allow tubes or toons if there are boats in the same waters. That is mostly for a safety measure.
The rule always changes on the "Pay to Play" lakes. In those particular bodies of water, they allow smaller boats with smaller motors.
I have been to other bodies of water where they have tubing areas that were designed to prohibit boats and PWCs from using those marked areas.
I hope this answers your question in a way that you can understand. I'm sure there are others with more to add to this thread as well.[cool]
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Hi there tubeN2,
thanks for the explaination and letting me cry on your shoulder. That eased the pain a little. Now it's time for bed here getting early [url "javascript: top.editor_iframe.addTag('crazy')"][crazy][/url]
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[cool][#0000ff]I will backup TN2 on the explanation for restrictions in the states, specifically California. There aren't many places in the US where tubes and toons are prohibited. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In the early years of tubing, there were a lot of waters where these craft were not known well enough to have sensible laws. One example was a small lake in Colorado where I was told that I had to stay within the swimming area, but that I could not use hooks. They classified my float tube as a water toy, and not a fishing machine.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It would sometimes seem that rules are made just to make rules. In other words, "there ain't no good reason for it. It is just the policy around here." And, when you are dealing with other countries and other cultures you may need to quit trying to figure out the reasons and just look for other places to go.[/#0000ff]
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Hey there Stoneyman,
Having lived in Japan for over 30 years and fished all of those years there in both fresh and saltwater, I understand your frustration. Our tube guys have pretty much covered the freshwater aspect.
The saltwater tubing scene here in California is, in some ways, more open than freshwater but still some harbors are closed to tubing while still others allow kayaks and pontoons. Liability is the main reason that cities and towns don't want to see float tubes mixing with other craft!
Pay to fish places allow tubes only because they usually charge 5 bucks for the prevlidge. ha ha ha
In Japan, as you well know, it's fishing associations that have the real control over who will fish, how, and when for how much in very specific areas within prefectures. Sometimes their authority only extends to 100's of yards of a river or... so far from a dam...... or bridge, etc.
My tubing home grounds were the Fuji 5 lakes (especially yamanaka and kawaguchi) which all allowed float tubing.
Pond fishing (and tubing)is being ruined in Japan by the guys who trash areas in the rural areas and the farmers and fishing associations have to do the clean up.
There are many places in Japan you should get away with your tube by just plain stealth as I did.
I was the Japanese distributor for the original U-boat. Are you a member of the Japan float tube club?
Lived in Kanagawa prefecture with tsukuiko and sagamiko being waters I floated and haunted.
Stealth my man stealth.
JapanRon
a.k.a. tsurikichi
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