Lights on while fishing!

I totally agree with Dave. I have spent allot of time this year night fishing KY lake. Moved my camper into a resort and have been there almost every weekend and I have witnessed several "near misses" involving someone running or anchored with no lights. Have also witnessed a near miss involving a barge. I stay near the campground in coves at night. That is the only place I feel safe on KY lake when the sun goes down. The upside is that I have been catching some nice fish in the coves and points leading into the coves. :-)

38 MPH

Section 2. Lighting Equipment. (1) Between actual sunset and sunrise:

(a) Operators of Class A or Class 1 motorboats shall display:

1. A white light near the stern of the vessel visible in a 360 degree arc.

2. A combined red and green light near the bow of the vessel which is:

a. Lower than the white light; and

b. As stipulated in subsection (2) of this section.

(b) Operators of Class 2 or Class 3 motorboats shall display:

1. A white light mounted near the bow of the vessel, which is visible from dead ahead to 112.5 degrees on either side of the vehicle.

2. A white light mounted near the stern of the vessel which is:

a. Higher than the forward white light; and

b. Visible in a 360 degree arc.

3. Separate red and green lights as stipulated in subsection (2) of this section.

(c) Operators of Class 1 or larger vessels propelled by sail alone shall display:

1. Red and green lights as stipulated in subsection (2) of this section; and

2. A white stern light which shows in an arc of 135 degrees behind the vessel.

(d) Operators of manually-powered vessels or sailboats less than twenty-two feet, nine inches (22'9") shall:

1. Carry aboard and have immediately available for use a white light of sufficient intensity to illuminate the vessel and its occupants; and

2. Display the white light in time to prevent a collision from an approaching vessel.

(e) Persons operating or responsible for vessels anchored or adrift in a normal navigation channel or passageway shall display a white light visible in a 360 degree arc.

(2) Combination or separate red and green lights shall:

(a) Have an arc of visibility extending from dead ahead to 112.5 degrees on either side of the vessel;

(b) Show the red light on the port side, and the green light on the starboard side, of the vessel; and

(c) Be visible at a distance of at least one (1) mile on a dark night with clear atmosphere.

(3) White lights required by this section shall be visible at a distance of at least two (2) miles on a dark night with clear atmosphere.

(4) On vessels under way between sunset to sunrise, operators shall not display other lights which could be mistaken for the lights specified in this section.

I feel like if your on the water at night then you should have your lights on at all times. If bugs or batteries are an issue then you need to fish in the mornings. Oh but it's too hot for you guys, I would probably just lay in the air on the couch if heat, bugs, and the boat bother you that much. It's all about safety, but it is also aggrevating to run miles down the lake to a spot and 40 feet from shut down some wise guy turns his lights on. It throws everything in panic and upsets both boats, one for almost crashing and driving to an occupied spot and the other for getting swamped. Anyway it frustrates me to be on the water with boats that not only break the law but put me, my partner or my son in danger because of a mosquito.

Thanks.

I rewired my boat, with a switch up front and in the back. Sound travles good on the water hear boat, flip switch. If its a busy night (weekend or weight in time) I keep them on untill things settle down. Also burn both front and back, If standing up back light is blocked from view from the front. I feel safe doing this. When moving lights are always on.

These boats turned their lights on when they heard the boat (water patrol) coming but that only made them easier to catch. The best way to not get a ticket is leave the light on and if you don't well I guess your gambling with $188.50 and maybe someone hitting you. I never thought about a sock but bet I'll have one extra (3) from now on!

Don't you think 38 MPH is too fast to be going at night (unless you are out in the middle on a moonlit night)? Where's the fire? It would a lot safer if people would get up on plane and then slow it down to just fast enough to keep it there. Hey, you may be in the right but dead is dead.

I don't think 38 is too fast at night. I crash into them at 15 or 20 is still just as bad as 38. I would much rather crash and die on impact versus crash and put in life support for a week or so then die. If you think I am idleing around every place I go then you have another thing coming. If I wanted to spend my night moving from place to place at idle speed then I might as well get a Kayak and save the gas. I know Dale Hollow pretty well and was in the main river channel with 60 feet of water below me and in no jeopardy of hitting any bank in summer time where there are no floaters. I do slow down and give plenty of room around points and islands. Going 38 in a straight stretch in the river channel is not the same as doing 38 in spring with floaters or cutting the corners off the points. This fool has no lights on his john boat trying to get to the ramp to take out and it is supposively my fault for running too fast. Hell I would have no problem doing 70 at night if I could. The problem is not with how I operate my boat, it is all the fools that don't have a clue. I am the first to admit I turn off my lights when I am in the act of fishing points or close to the bank. I do keep them on when I am fishing a ledge in the middle of the lake. Either way, I have a 5 Million Candlepower spotlight always within reach to let passing boaters know of my surroundings when I am fishing points or whereever else. If Johnny Law wants to fine me then fine me, I still will not leave them on when I am fishing except in the main line of travel. Just like everything else on this planet - COMMAN SENSE PLAYS A BIG PART ON WHETHER WE ALL GO HOME OR NOT AFTER A NIGHT OF FISHING. Too many MORANS, FOOLS, IDIOTS, KNUCKLEHEADS OR WHATEVER else you want to call them are coming out of the woodwork to take up night fishing, docking houseboats or pontoons in coves with no lights on, or worse jet ski at night and it is becoming more and more dangerous. All I can do is my part. If we all did this then there would not be an issue.

There are so many angles to putting ourselves into situations that are questionable. Most of the time common sense will keep us safe in most situations, but it is the unpredictable that reaches out and taps us on the shoulder. For example, the day a bunch of teenagers were swimming on lake Cumberland and pushed a number of logs into the lake and that night there were two accidents as the result. The reason I know this is I work in the ER at the University Hospital. It is no different than not wearing your seat belt or riding a motorcyle without a helment. Your chances of survival are much less, and more importantly, the long term care and the drain on the family is much worse, plus we paid for the high risk people's mistakes by paying high premiums for insurance. When we take risks, we must be prepared to deal with the possible long term affects when something does go wrong.

You know, everyone who fishes these nights and don't use their lights are breaking state laws. That's their rights to do so, just as if someone chooses to break the speed limit, which I've done myself.

But here's the rub..... many of you are also tournament fishermen. So, by breaking a state law, you are also cheating in your tournament since almost all tournaments have a rule that all local and state laws must be followed.

So, if you are intentionally breaking a law during a tournament, you are cheating that tournament. Same thing those two guys who got caught with fish caged did, breaking a tournament rule.

This might humble some of the holier than thou crowd.

Naaaaaawwwwww.... it won't.

Tight lines and God Bless

Danny

I guess I will be getting that ticket also. To me fishing parallel close to the bank isn't in the navagable channel. I always turn on my lights is a boat is approaching for safety and to let the other person know I am fishing there and they don't have to waste their time stopping if they don't want to fish close to me.

I personally don't like my lights on at night. The usual -- bugs, glare, spooked fish and I understand the law and the reasoning behind it. But what I don't understand is where common sense plays into this. To me if I am on a bank say up in a bay and a boat is running out on the main lake a couple of hundred yards away (not towards me) why do I need my lights on? I have always used common sense and when a boat is approaching turn my lights on to let them know I am there. Why is this not an acceptable common sense approach? If I am anchored or out in the lake I leave them on but when I am fishing close to the bank and not in a normal navigation channel I am fully aware of boats moving around I just can't see why this is a problem. I guess I will be taking my chances. In my world common sense rules and fishing with lights on at night ain't common sense if you want to catch fish.

kc