Normally the only time i get on the water is to fish and iam always cusing at the dam morons sking in to show off how good they think they are. but last night we were the skiers and low and behold a few fisherman no matter were we went kept kept crowding in on us. dosent anyone have any common sense anymore. even on the way out some moron was running about 10 mph in the marina wich is supposed to be wakeless. I normally like to keep the law out of things because i dont like to much regulation but Iam starting to think its time to start issuing a boaters endorsment on a drivers license they do it for motorcycles so why not boats. anyway thats my two cents. how bout yours????
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[cool][#0000ff]We have had several recent threads on the board dealing with lack of courtesy and downright dangerous behavior by boaters. The consensus is that the best we can do is carry a camera and a cell phone and record the incidents with the camera and report them with the phone. Then, rather than taking matters into our own hands we need to let the authorities deal with them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As most of us have found, yelling at someone or getting involved in a confrontation is both fruitless and potentially dangerous. The people who cause the problems usually are well aware of the laws but simply do not have the class or the basic sportsmanship to even care when they are creating stress or hazards for others. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The water-slobs are typically the same people you see on the roads...cutting in and out of traffic, speeding, tailgating, making improper turns, etc. And, just like on the roads, many of them are alcohol or drug impaired and simply are not able to exercise good judgment or operate their craft/vehicles safely.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Most responsible boaters and anglers would agree that there are loose laws when it comes to regulating boat licensing and operation. It is getting better (more restrictive) but there is still a lot of room for improvement.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The tougher laws we see for automobile and motorcycle operation are mostly the result of the increased accidents and loss of life which occur when there are too many vehicles driving without restrictions. As the number of watercraft increase on our waterways, and there is a proportionate rise in injuries and deaths from irresponsible watercraft operation, we will see more regulation and enforcement.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We already see a lot of that in some states. California is a very populous state, with lots of watercraft. Many boaters over there complain about all of the regulations California has put into place on many of their more popular waters. But, it has helped make them safer...if not more frustrating. The bad news is that there are still mindless idiots who delight in swamping small boats and harassing anglers who are simply trying to have a nice quiet day on the water.[/#0000ff]
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I've stayed out of this discussion, mostly because it seems hopeless, but have experienced the same frustrations and totally agree with T.D.'s comments. The thought that keeps nagging on me is how to identify these slobs to any authority? When tubing, for example, few of us have a camera with us and even so, aren't prepared for picture taking during the incident. I seems to me that the best way is to obtain the boats registration/I.D. # (can't remember what it's called), U number to report. Now, I seldom. if ever am able to see this # on any offending boat. How about requiring each and every boat to fly a banner, or have some kind of means to read this # from at least 50 yds. away and have this be a boat inspection requirement before launching from anypublic facility and if observed on the water not cpmlying with this showing of the. # be ticketed accordingly. Just a thought, probably "up in the night" as to any hope of consideration.
Leaky
what it's going to come down to here in utah sooner than a lot think.
is that the state of utah will join a lot of other state's that control the speed and the size and kind of boat that can go on any given lake!! some lake's are ski lakes other are fishing lakes.. other lakes they set a area apart from the rest of the lake just for sking..or set a side a area just for fishing.. some lake you can only have a boat with less than 25 hp some you can only have less than 10 hp.. i know that sounds good.. but wait tell they make your favright fishing hole a 25 ph only and you have a inboard moter over the 25 ph. then you will not be able to take your boat on it any more!!
and in some lake they well put a speed limit on how fast you can go and what direction you can drive.. oh yeah the rangers love that one esay tickit's there!!
be very carefull what you all wish for you might get something worse than we got now!!
it works ok tell the state turns one of your favrite fishing holes into a ski lake!! then it just suck's
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To many boaters, not enough water close to the population concentration. That is the problem.
I for one would not mind seeing designated areas for skiing or fishing. If I recall correctly this was supposed to happen on Jordenelle, but never did.
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oh yeah i just rembered another fun thing that other state's do to help controll the boats on the lake's..
they will only let so meny boat on the lake at a given time!!
i know you all are saying that would be great!!
only 20 or 30 boat on jordenelle on any given day!!
sounds good tell your the 31 th in line. and have to wait for someone to leve before they let you in. or when you have to get to the line at the lake at 1:00 in the morning just to make sure you can get the boat in the water that day..
sound fun?
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Jordanelle is restricted to 300 boats at any given time. I've seen trailers backed up well on to the highway.
To avoid the waterskeeter crowd, do something different than them. That is, go earlier or later. Find areas they can't go into or diferent lakes. Or just deal with it.
Unfortunately, we fisherfolk don't have a leg to stand on. Watercraft pay the bills. We usually buy season passes and they don't. Its not our fault that once these idiots hit the water they lose their minds. We just have to adjust.
The State(Parks and DWR) just don't have the bodies to control things. There is no cerfications for water toys or boats for that matter. Lemme tell you this-every time out when I'm putting my boat back on the trailer I see at least 6(half a dozen) idiots carrying a 12 pack down to the docks to put on an over loaded boat. Alot of these boats have kids under 12 without life jackets.
So, don't stress. Do sumpthin' different. We can't beat them. Just don't join them.
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If you all don't hink they will do what Fuzzy is talking about, look at Lost Creek. It used to be unregulated and now it is all wakeless. I have fished this pond since I was a kind and I have seen all the changes it has gone through. I liked to be able to go out in a boat and fish anywhere you wanted, then came the drought and overcrowding of the ski boats, and then the dam reconstruction and the water went away. Now that it has refilled it is once again big enough for more boats. Now I agree that it is too small for a bunch of water skiers up there and they should stay out, but I hate the idea of it being wakless only. There are some places in the back end of the lake that we used to fish and now it will take an hour or two to get there. I don't fish there anymore now.
So, be careful of what you wish for!!!!!
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