pleasure boat riders!

[Barry2780]

I fished a all night tournament this past friday night and at midnight these big dang cruisers are everywhere still on cumberland, if i aint mistaking they was having a stupid poker run saturday, (all summer long tho) and i mean it was fogging bad around harmon and difficulty creek, i had to idle with my gps and there were these idiots running down the lake i could here them but couldnt see them and there waves washing over a ranger!This lake is not a toy it can kill you if you dont respect it! im really tired of the these idiots on this lake and driving drunk and running down the lake putting off these dangerous waves! there should be a certain time for them to be off the water because at night you cant see these huge waves! here you have some fisherman fishing and the fish and wildlife are worried about you instead of getting these idiots off the water! and were the ones that pays there way to have that job perchasing fishing and hunting license! what do you all think about this? i recon they had to airlift someone out saturday night around the boys camp and i recon someone drowned in harmon creek somewhere!

[Bass_King2007]

barry dont fell bad i fished the thursday night classic last night out of conley..... we blasted off at 7, and was down around harmon creek by 7:15.. As we came up to harmon creek there was at least no lie 75 to 100 boats coming out of the creek headed toward the state dock.... this went on all night long!!! I was told by a water patrol officer there was multilple injuries and 2 or 3 deaths in harmon creek b/c of drunk "buckeyes"... I also noticed something that really ticked me off was the water patrol stopping us bass fisherman for running head lights!!! I mean come on, there are 15,000 drunk idiots running down the lake in boats and the only thing they have to do is stop fisherman for running head lights... i was stopped at 3 in the morning for running mine.... I think our fish and wildlife officers are a dang joke!!! I told the officer that i was running mine for the sole reason that u never know when some drunk idiot is going to be out in the middle of the lake with no lights on!!! And also i think that there souldnt even be any tournaments that weekend... i know i will NEVER fish another thursday nighter if the classic will be on the poker run, and i know several people that said the same thing!!

[HURRICANEBOB]

My thoughts:

1. I agree there should never be a bass tournament or any fishing tournament on the same weekend or days right before a poker run. But I kinda think the tourney organizers ought to be the one's to make that change voluntarily for all the good reasons you all have mentioned.....safety of all while using the same water for different purposes.

2. I really don't like the idea of speed competitions being conducted on any public water water way, unless that portion of the water way is cordoned off to keep out those not in the competition. On Cumberland, that would be impossible due to the area the run takes up, so I think they ought either kill the run, or set very strict speed limits for the event and fine the heck out of participants that act unsafely.

3. I agree the KDFWR folks ought really have been raiding Harmon Creek, cause I know darn well they would have found a ton of boats with open alcohol beverage containers on it.

4. Just from my experience, I personally have been checked at C-land 5 times in 15 years of going there. I run a pontoon boat. But I have never seen a houseboat stopped by KDFWR and checked for open containers. A houseboat is a boat and to me any liquor found on board open is a violation. Do houseboats get stopped and checked for booze? If there is someone from KDFWR reading this, I'm not being sarcastic, I'd really like to hear you alls view. Be glad to have you correct me if I'm wrong.

5. I'd like to see speed limits set for the lake, one set for night time, and one set for day time. Day time, 50 mph is just fine cause we can see the waves and boats coming. To me, in the dark, 25 mph for boats 25 foot and less, and 10 mph for boats 26 foot and up would be a great idea for safety sakes. Bigger boats put up bigger waves, and big cruisers take more time and space to avoid hazzards in the dark. And I know the folks with the big fast boats would complain. But just because my Ford has a 5.4 liter that will do 100 mph, doesn't mean I should be allowed to do that on a public highway.

6. I have see on Cland a KDFWR boat chase down and stop a big cruiser who was putting out a massive wake and nearly swamping boats. But last time I saw that happen was over 5 years ago. I'd guess they still do that, cause I think all boaters are responsible for the wake damages they create.

[PRO V LE]

Bass King will you please tell us the name or number of the KDFWR officer that told you "2or3 dead in Harmon this weekend?
A 20 year old did drown Sat. night after going down the slide on a rental houseboat and not knowing there was a runabout tied to the bottom of the slide area. His entire family was on the boat at the time.
There were also some injurys by fall's from the upper deck's of some houseboats.
The sale of alcohol is illeagal in the area, open container laws apply state wide, thus the use of can coolers or cozzies when in the public view. Inside a houseboat or Cruiser do as you please.
Headlights on a boat used other than for docking is ILLEGAL period!
The KDFWR patrol do'es a very good job with the limited resources that they have.

[Chubminnow]

were the ones that pays there way to have that job perchasing fishing and hunting license! what do you all think about this?

I might be wrong but I thought KDFWR was supported from hunting, fishing AND boat license sales...which means even those big old cruisers you're mentioning also help to fund the KDFWR.

In my honest opinion I can't believe anyone would host a tournament on Friday, Saturday or Sunday of poker run weekend anyway, let alone participate in one. Unless you keep things restricted to an area of the lake that poker run people don't go to, not sure if this is possible or not.

[striperjoe]

I fished a all night tournament this past friday night and at midnight these big dang cruisers are everywhere still on cumberland, if i aint mistaking they was having a stupid poker run saturday, (all summer long tho) and i mean it was fogging bad around harmon and difficulty creek, i had to idle with my gps and there were these idiots running down the lake i could here them but couldnt see them and there waves washing over a ranger!This lake is not a toy it can kill you if you dont respect it! im really tired of the these idiots on this lake and driving drunk and running down the lake putting off these dangerous waves! there should be a certain time for them to be off the water because at night you cant see these huge waves! here you have some fisherman fishing and the fish and wildlife are worried about you instead of getting these idiots off the water! and were the ones that pays there way to have that job perchasing fishing and hunting license! what do you all think about this? i recon they had to airlift someone out saturday night around the boys camp and i recon someone drowned in harmon creek somewhere!

I am an avid Striper Guy and have property on the Lake. I don't like this anymore than you guys do-But they have this every year on this same weekend. It is all sanctioned and cleared thru proper authorities.
Do as I do an plan your fishing trip another day.
I have been told by bass guys that after
the run the fishing can be very good close to the bank as these idiots do chase bait and fish in to shore.

[kygorski]

You were nuts for being out there, this event was planned and posted. Sure they make waves and big ones at that, but common asense would tell you its no place to be fishing, there are opther lakes that didn't have that kind of pressure.I live 14 miles from grider ramp, and never use it on week ends till november.

[Barry2780]

You were nuts for being out there, this event was planned and posted. Sure they make waves and big ones at that, but common asense would tell you its no place to be fishing, there are opther lakes that didn't have that kind of pressure.I live 14 miles from grider ramp, and never use it on week ends till november.

For one thing I'm 29 years old and I have been fishing this lake sense I have been walking with my dad and I have been fishing tournaments far as I can remember and I aint going to let some stupid event like that keep me off the water especially during the night hours and which they should be off the water during that time of night I mean come on are you serious use sense! I think the idiots out there ripping down the lake drunk hollaring during the fog should use common sense! Something needs to be done! Its like that all summer! Not just this past weekend!

[mhall]

Awe, where is Mirage when you need him, lol. This is why I NEVER EVER NEVER EVER EVER GO TO THE BIG C ON POKER WEEKEND, DID I SAY EVER, LOL! I love that lake as much as I do my wife and I know when to let'em have it. I feel your pain fellas but who ever planned this tourney on Poker weekend was all out NUTS! Cold weather will be here soon and all the BFO's and CC Drunks will all go home and we will be left with beautiful solitude and silence, awe I can't wait.

BTW, this weekend is the annual lake cleanup weekend, support it if you can, these folks work hard every year to pick up mountains of trash that morons leave behind.

[vorbeck23]

I hate the Ohio Navy as much as any one, but they do bring a much needed boost to the economy of the area. That being said, they need to enjoy the lake while complying with all local laws. The ones who do this I have no problem with. The ones who dont, make it dangerious for every one on the lake.

The same things can be said for us fishermen as well. It is illegal to run the lake while running headlights. It blinds any one comming at you. They can not see the nav lights and have no idea which way they need to go to stay safe. The head lights are great to dock the boat and to click on and off to see if there is any thing floating in the water. If you need to run headlights to run the lake you have no business running at night.

Just my two cents...lol

[HURRICANEBOB]

The sale of alcohol is illeagal in the area, open container laws apply state wide, thus the use of can coolers or cozzies when in the public view. Inside a houseboat or Cruiser do as you please.

Kentucky: The Legal Requirements Of Boating
Kentucky law states:
A person is considered to be intoxicated if the concentration of alcohol in
his or her blood is 0.08% or more.
It is also illegal to drink alcoholic beverages in public places—which includes
the waterways of Kentucky.

If a houseboat is on the public waterway then it seems according to this anyone inside it drinking a beer is in a public place.

More specific, and note the words any vehicle

KRS 222.202 Offenses of alcohol intoxication or drinking alcoholic beverages in a public place
1 Penalty: KRS 222.990(3) 2 Penalty: KRS 222.990(4)
(1) A person is guilty of alcohol intoxication when he appears in a public place manifestly under the influence of
alcohol to the degree that he may endanger himself or other persons or property, or unreasonably annoy persons
in his vicinity.
(2) A person is guilty of drinking alcoholic beverages in a public place when he drinks an alcoholic beverage in a
public place, or in or upon any passenger coach, or other vehicle commonly used for the transportation of
passengers, or in or about any depot, platform, or waiting room.


Are houseboats designed to transport passengers or furniture?

[lroberts]

I must agree here.....how can we complain about pleasure boaters breaking the laws if we "choose" to ignore laws about using headlights on boats. You can't knock someone for breaking a law if you do the same thing......even if the law they are breaking seems worse to you. If you can't see to drive a boat at night....put it on the trailer...or even better never take it off of it!