Horsepower Limits Small Lakes - Meetings

[MagikSmallie]

When I first read about this possibility my first reaction was "great I would be able to take my boat out at a small closer lake". However now that I have had time to think about it I am against it. In theory it is wonderful and makes sense. In reality it counts on people following the rules in small lakes where there likely won't be regular enforcement present. Sadly I don't have confidence in everyone follow the rules and really it would only take one person not doing so to be an issue in some of these lakes. Like many things the majority will follow the law but there will also be that percentage that never does and ignores laws and safety. There are plenty of large bodies of water available in the state that anyone with a boat can easily find a place to go. However there are limited small bodies where both canoeists, kayakers and people in small boats can go to and not have to worry about the intrusion from larger boats. Places where a parent might be comfortable allowing a teenager to go fishing in a small boat or kayak safely without fear of being swamped by someone. I believe the law even in large lakes is that a boat is not to create a wake if a boat is still and someone is fishing from it, or something to that effect. I can say for certain that many don't follow that law, as I assume similar results would occur in the small lakes if the larger boats were allowed on it.

Leave the few smaller lakes to the people that have bought small boat to enjoy them. And if someone really wants to save on gas and fish in small lakes closer to home then they should simply buy themselves a kayak or something similar to enjoy those as well as the larger ones.

So if you are against this because you are worried people won't follow the rules, then what is keeping those same people from running their +10HP motors right now? If the rule is currently that you can launch but can't run your motor as opposed to you can launch and idle only I don't see what is stopping those "rule breakers" from just launching and running as they please. However, I don't see any of that going on when I go to these restricted lakes. The current rules still count on people obeying them, a change in the rule doesn't alleviate that same requirement, there are still rules that are supposed to be followed just as before.

[SLP]

So if you are against this because you are worried people won't follow the rules, then what is keeping those same people from running their +10HP motors right now? If the rule is currently that you can launch but can't run your motor as opposed to you can launch and idle only I don't see what is stopping those "rule breakers" from just launching and running as they please. However, I don't see any of that going on when I go to these restricted lakes. The current rules still count on people obeying them, a change in the rule doesn't alleviate that same requirement, there are still rules that are supposed to be followed just as before.

For the most part I don't think people with larger boats go now since they would only be allowed to use their eclectic trolling motor. Even if they were inclined to occasionally go if any law enforcement even heard their engine running at any point they would be easily proven guilty and it would be a much greater risk of them getting caught. So with the risk reward I don't think people even try it although I am sure at some point some have. However allowing those larger engines to run and expecting to not have more people occasionally hit the power now an again is another thing entirely from not allowing them to even start the engine.

I have a boat that I could use on these lakes but the thought of going through the hassle and limitation of only using the trolling motor all day and then loading without the help of the outboard doesn't make it sound appealing so I have never done it. If however I was able to use my motor even at only idle and I would have taken it to smaller lakes many times already instead of trailering it an hour away as I usually do.

IMO the entire "spirit" if you will of these smaller lakes would change dramatically if they are allowed and it wouldn't be for the better.

The KY Fishing and Boating manual states people need to use only idle speed when passing anyone actively engaged in fishing. Every time I go fishing I usually will see people ignoring that. People might be cautious when first introduced, but give it a little time for it to become just another rule and I think people will end up not following the law.

[Wormin]

It hasn't hurt Wilgreen and it 's a smaller lake. I'm all for it all to be idle speed and not just big motors.

[fishincreek]

Thanks for the info Peter.

[restornator]

Big boat owners don't get it. They never will. A 70mph boat can cover an entire 10,000 acre lake, whereas a 10hp rig is restricted to about 500 acres. Fishing on a big lake ***** in a small boat, no matter how busy it is.

[dabassking]

Big boat owners don't get it. They never will. A 70mph boat can cover an entire 10,000 acre lake, whereas a 10hp rig is restricted to about 500 acres. Fishing on a big lake ***** in a small boat, no matter how busy it is.

On the majority of the "big lakes" there are multiple boat ramps all around them that smaller boats could trailer to in order be very close to where ever they want to fish. I understand that it could be an inconvenience to trailer to different ramps depending on where you want to fish, but it is still an option. On the majority of the smaller lakes, there is only one or two ramps and the "70mph boats" are restricted to trolling at half the speed that smaller crafts with 9.9's are allowed.