9.9 max? Ok. Disable 10 plus? NOT ok!! -rant

[CN Spots]

The AR Game and Fish, in all of their infinite wisdom, recently put in place a new law on several of our favorite lakes which requires motors over 10 hp to be DISABLED prior to launch. They DO give you three options: Remove your fuel line from your boat, remove your prop from your boat or remove one spark plug from your boat. By "From your boat" they mean leave it in the tow vehicle or at home, if you have it anywhere on the boat, they'll fine you $500. They say they have to do this to keep erosion down and to avoid high-speed accidents.<br /><br />Lets take a moment to examine their logic:<br /><br />A 9.9 on a 16' flatbottom jonboat makes as big a wake as anything on the water.<br /><br />What happens if you get in the back of the lake and you or your partner has a heart attack? Bit by a cottonmouth? Heatstroke? Fall out of the boat in Feb? What if you rip a hole in the hull? What if you use all your battery getting there? WHat if any of these things happen and your outboard is DISABLED? -And have you ever tried (I'm sure most of you have) to put a bassboat on a trailer with the trolling motor? It ain't fun.<br /><br />I'll agree with the speed issue. Some folks don't know when to back down. BUT...<br /><br />All of these problems could have been solved by just making these lakes "IDLE ONLY" or "NO WAKE" lakes and everyone could use their boats. And If my partner or I were hurt, I'd pay the fine for running wot back to the ramp.<br /><br />The next time we go i'm posting a similar letter on the ramp's info board with the AR Game and Fish's phone number. Maybe some day they'll get a clue.<br /><br />BTW, we remove the spark plug and hide it in a cubbyhole under the dash. I'll chance getting caught over risking my life and rig over $500.<br /><br />whew... I feel better now. 'cept my finger are cramping.<br /><br />spots

 

[Wimperdink]

Re: 9.9 max? Ok. Disable 10 plus? NOT ok!! -rant

Originally posted by CN Spots:<br /> <br /><br />BTW, we remove the spark plug and hide it in a cubbyhole under the dash.

Kinda brings new meaning to "did you remember to bring the stash?" <br /><br />you know how many motors are listed on ebay with wrong stickers because of that? get some 9.9 stickers for your 225 verado

 

[Pony]

Re: 9.9 max? Ok. Disable 10 plus? NOT ok!! -rant

If they found it i would say " I keep it in her incase I foul my plugs. Its just a precaution, I forgot I even had them in here....." (of coarse this assumes a rational enforcement figure)<br /><br />Or I'd just try and find a really cheap old 9.9 for that lake.<br /><br />The laws are pretty silly. I have yet to encounter one like that in areas I fish. I hope Iwont anytime soon.

 

[CalicoKid]

Re: 9.9 max? Ok. Disable 10 plus? NOT ok!! -rant

I fish a few motorless lakes and no wake lakes. The peace and quiet is nice. Sounds like you've got the wrong boat for that body of water. Try a canoe

 

[Pony]

Re: 9.9 max? Ok. Disable 10 plus? NOT ok!! -rant

If you need a canoe, i suggest one made from luan. just kidding of coarse.

 

[Homerr]

Re: 9.9 max? Ok. Disable 10 plus? NOT ok!! -rant

Sounds like they've been taking lessons from our state fish and game department!!<br /><br />I agree... just find some stickers.<br />What are they going to do... tear you engine apart and find the block numbers to cross-reference the horse power?<br /><br />I feel better now knowing that Oregon doesn't have ALL the idiots working in the Fish And Game!<br /><br />H.

 

[JB]

Re: 9.9 max? Ok. Disable 10 plus? NOT ok!! -rant

On small fishing lakes I favor the 9.9 rule. As a matter of fact I favor forbidding the launch of anything bigger, disabled or not.<br /><br />Take your big boat with the big power to the big lakes. If you want to boat/fish the small lakes get a small boat and a small engine. Ranting because you want to get away with breaking the rule doesn't make a lot of sense.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: 9.9 max? Ok. Disable 10 plus? NOT ok!! -rant

Makes about as much sense as HP limits on hulls and the ridiculous formula used to find the max "safe" HP. Math cannot tell you what engine is safe on any boat.

 

[treedancer]

Re: 9.9 max? Ok. Disable 10 plus? NOT ok!! -rant

What lakes or you talking about? I think I know the ones and they are not small lakes if it’s the ones that im thinking about.

 

[Barbee Q]

Re: 9.9 max? Ok. Disable 10 plus? NOT ok!! -rant

Laws like that just sound crazy to me.. Are you sure your not in California?.. That just is plan stupid.. Who wants to carry a plug in their pocket in fear of dropping in the lake... Disconnecting the fuel line ya, if you have a quick release.. Sounds like there are some board people in the fish and game department just trying to stir us boaters-up..

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: 9.9 max? Ok. Disable 10 plus? NOT ok!! -rant

I am thinking they wouldn't let me even on the ramp.

 

[CN Spots]

Re: 9.9 max? Ok. Disable 10 plus? NOT ok!! -rant

Homerr, Actually, they WILL tear your motor apart right on the ramp. They pull the shroud and run a check on the numbers. They are quite familiar with the old 9hp shroud on the 15hp motor trick!<br /><br />JB, These are NOT small lakes. And these laws were not there from the get-go. They just added them about a year ago. These lakes are decades old and were paid for by ALL of the citizens of AR and the sportsmen who pay for the licenses to hunt/fish there.<br /><br />The boat we use on these lakes (Bear Creek and Storm Creek) is a SeaArk ZX 180 with a 90hp Johnson. If you have ever seen one of these boats, the transom does not lend itself to a kicker, it's cut on a 45 degree angle from the top and a 30 degree from the side.<br /><br />BD, the rumor is that there is someone with some pull living in one of the many lake homes on Bear Creek that doesn't want ANYBODY on HIS lake. Can't just disconnect the fuel line, you have to leave it in the tow vehicle.<br /><br />I think they're just picking on me cuz I got a bigger Johnson than they do. <br /><br />spots

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: 9.9 max? Ok. Disable 10 plus? NOT ok!! -rant

Although its bigger than some my Johnson is only 7.5. I hear that it is very easy to change some linkage to allow the 9.9 to be capable of the 15. Supposedly its only a small change and everything else is the same.

 

[joblo33]

Re: 9.9 max? Ok. Disable 10 plus? NOT ok!! -rant

Originally posted by Kenneth Brown:<br /> Although its bigger than some my Johnson is only 7.5. I hear that it is very easy to change some linkage to allow the 9.9 to be capable of the 15. Supposedly its only a small change and everything else is the same.

I think something to do with the reeds or porting makes it so it won't quite be a 15, it'll still be just a 9.9 with a 15hp carb.<br />That's a pretty dumb rule. Around here a 9.9 lake means you can only use 9.9 or less when cruising. You don't have to disable anything and if you have a cabin on the lake you can use a bigger engine to go to or from your cabin. I'm sure if there was an emergency no one would care if you were to fire up the big engine to get home. My friend has a cabin on a 9.9 lake and he put a 9.9 cowling on his 15hp Johnson and uses it on his 5ft hydroplane to zip around the lake at 30mph .<br />Eric

 

[TwoBallScrewBall]

Re: 9.9 max? Ok. Disable 10 plus? NOT ok!! -rant

I don't see the big deal, it's the way it is on the lakes over here. My buddy runs his bass tracker with the propless 60hp all the time. Don't like it then get a smaller boat or fish somewhere else.

 

[CN Spots]

Re: 9.9 max? Ok. Disable 10 plus? NOT ok!! -rant

I don't work for Exxon. I can't afford a boat for every lake I fish in. How would you like it if the Game and Fish said you couldn't run your boat in your favorite lake cuz your boat was not large enough or fast enough? If they can do this to these lakes, whats to stop them from doing it elsewhere? <br /><br />The outdoors is no place for bureaucracy. <br /><br />spots

 

[Pony]

Re: 9.9 max? Ok. Disable 10 plus? NOT ok!! -rant

I can;t agree with your last statement. Without some rules and regulations, our outdoors would be completely ruined by fish pigs and arrogant a$$holes in speedboats. Just because you disagree with a regulation doesnt mean the system as a whole is bad. That is logically a fallacious statement

 

[TwoBallScrewBall]

Re: 9.9 max? Ok. Disable 10 plus? NOT ok!! -rant

I read the rules and take my boat where it's allowed to go. <br /><br />Plus I run the bay and ocean 99.9% of the time. <br /><br />If I'm going to fish a smaller lake I take out the canoe, or the 10 footer, or the pontoon lawn chair. <br /><br />I don't work for Exxon either. <br /><br />

<br />How would you like it if the Game and Fish said you couldn't run your boat in your favorite lake cuz your boat was not large enough or fast enough?

What does that mean? Aren't you complaining about the opposite scenario?