Interesting read on wakesurfing.

[stan55]

Wakesurfing boats on WI lakes; calls to restrict 'monster trucks' of water | FOX6 Milwaukee (fox6now.com)

Not trying to stir the pot. Article lays out pros and cons as well at what some states have already done.

[SkunkedAgain]

Interesting read, I wasn't aware there were that many other groups that hated them as much as I do... Now I have a bigger boat it's not as much of a safety issue, but I still remember my first encounter with some of those waves... I wasn't paying attention to the waves while I was anchored up and fishing and one of them hit my boat in the rear and nearly sunk me... It filled my motor bay full and almost came over top into the passenger area... That's why I typically get off the lakes early if I fish in the summer... Anyway thanks for the information... later J

[MrShane]

I believe surfboats were a major factor that eroded Powell’s famous ‘Hole in the Roof’ feature to collapse last week.
Sandstone just cannot take an artificial wave over over and be expected to not erode.
I salute Wisconsin to take a stance against the ecological damage to the shoreline flora and fauna these boats are damaging.
The only thing they are good for is to wash Crawdads out of the rocks to put Smallies and Walleyes on a hot bite!

[RockyRaab2]

Distance limits sound good, but we already know that such rules get routinely ignored. There is almost no law enforcement present on most of our lakes. (The only time I've seen the Ranger boats out at Willard has been after a drowning.)

IMO, a lake size restriction would be best. I have not looked at lake acreage to see how many of our reservoirs would be open to wakeboats and how many would be closed, but I'm pretty sure that lakes like Hyrum ought to be wakeboat-free. Willard and Utah Lake are situated so as to provide plenty of wakeboat room without cramming them into smaller lakes.

[TubeDude]

I'd vote for a restriction that they have to run in reverse when passing another boat...or float tube.  That would be fun to see.

[wormandbobber]

I vote that all bass boats be taken first...those guys always run super close and super fast to me on my tube. I used to carry a slingshot and marbles for those guys...

https://www.wired2fish.com/viral/bass-bo...rcuit-tour

...seriously? if you don't like waves, get off the lake and water!!

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Time to ban bass boats:
https://www.news-leader.com/story/opinio...698791002/

[PBH]

This sounds just like the "ban the floaters" from the Provo River complaints.


It's all fine and good, until you get what you ask for, and more. Maybe Hyrum should just ban motorized boats completely? Maybe Lake Powell should be 100% wake-free in order to protect that fragile sandstone from erosion? Maybe float-tubers will be forced to move only forward to make sure they can see where they are going, avoiding potential crashes with paddle-boarders?

[BYUHunter]

This sounds just like the "ban the floaters" from the Provo River complaints.


It's all fine and good, until you get what you ask for, and more.  Maybe Hyrum should just ban motorized boats completely?  Maybe Lake Powell should be 100% wake-free in order to protect that fragile sandstone from erosion?  Maybe float-tubers will be forced to move only forward to make sure they can see where they are going, avoiding potential crashes with paddle-boarders?

Yep, my concern with regulating wake boats, as much as I dislike them, is that the baby gets thrown out with the bathwater.

Rather than just ban wake boats, they may say no motors over "###" horsepower, no gasoline powered boats, or go entirely wakeless. All outcomes that would negatively affect my 300 HP Duckworth.

[oldguy]

I believe surfboats were a major factor that eroded Powell’s famous ‘Hole in the Roof’ feature to collapse last week.
Sandstone just cannot take an artificial wave over over and be expected to not erode.
I salute Wisconsin to take a stance against the ecological damage to the shoreline flora and fauna these boats are damaging.
The only thing they are good for is to wash Crawdads out of the rocks to put Smallies and Walleyes on a hot bite!

I am with that what he said!!

[Bubman1]

I can see the erosion being a big problem. The lakes I have noticed the most is on Pinveiw and deer Creek. I had some rock piles at Pinveiw located in low water conditions and they are all but non existent. I have to think that the muddy water that gets churning has to settle and get filled in. Is it all the wake boats ? Probably not but our shores are getting pretty beat up.

[fmrusmc]

A distance regulation would be nice. I can handle the waves but I get irritated when I’m trolling 100 feet or closer to shore and a wake boat decides to cut between me and the shore. Or when they all launch and decide to sit near the boat ramp. Respect on the water goes both ways and I try to keep my distance but that gets difficult when there are so many on the lake. And some wake boaters think they own the lake. We all need to share it.

[BYUHunter]

A distance regulation would be nice. I can handle the waves but I get irritated when I’m trolling 100 feet or closer to shore and a wake boat decides to cut between me and the shore. Or when they all launch and decide to sit near the boat ramp. Respect on the water goes both ways and I try to keep my distance but that gets difficult when there are so many on the lake. And some wake boaters think they own the lake. We all need to share it.

There's already a 150' proximity law, they're just either ignorant or apathetic of the law. 

It's also basic common courtesy not to tie off to the launch courtesy dock, but I see plenty of fisherman doing that nonsense too.

[TubeDude]

What's the difference between ignorance and apathy?

I don't know and I don't care.

[FishfulThinkin]

What's the difference between ignorance and apathy?

I don't know and I don't care.

Hahahahahahaha!

[MrShane]

So many simple solutions to this problem, that wake boat owners brought upon themselves, to keep ‘us’ and ‘them’ safe and having fun but unfortunately the State will not act until more people die.
It is the almighty dollar that rules the State leaders.

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Wakesurfing boats on WI lakes; calls to restrict 'monster trucks' of water | FOX6 Milwaukee (fox6now.com)

Not trying to stir the pot. Article lays out pros and cons as well at what some states have already done.

Please please stir away.
This problem needs solving sooner than later.