Fishing with Lights OFF!!

[FlyLie]

From another Board, but worth repeating..........

This comes up every year but, a man was killed Friday night on Wilson Lake, near the dam, while fishing with his lights off. He and his were fishing when they were struck by another bass boat. Very sad day.
Leave your lights on!

http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=12676476

[walkeraviator]

At a minimum.. make it a point to turn em on when you hear another boat...

[Shimano4Life]

Fished a tournament this past Saturday night and almost nailed a pontoon while we were on plane. We were coming around a point and had just flipped the spotlight off while looking for logs and trash in the turn. It could have been ugly. Not only were we out dodging floaters and trash, but idiots with their lights off.

If the light really bothers you that much, take some electrical tape and cover the small portion of the light that shines "at" you. Others boaters can still see the stern light -- just don't get carried away with it where boats coming at you can't see it. Hell, make your partner hang his hat on it......

[alycat]

If I might ask why were you on plane at night? I realize it was a tourney. But even if the other boat had it's lights off wouldn't it be safer to idle? I'm just sayin. I've fished alot of night tourneys and even with gps it can't see obstructions in the water and I do turn on my lights when I know another boat is coming in my direction and when I am changing areas. But I wouldn't feel comfortable on plane at night.

[sglass]

I get on plane at night but do not go that fast. My boat has trim tabs that allow me to get on plane at low speeds. If I am 5 miles down lake I am not going to idle back to the dock.

[coombro]

doesn't the law require you to have your lights on at nite moving or not?

[MsgMills]

yes it does..lights on at dusk until the sun comes up or you'll get a fine....

Actually saw a guy unload his boat at Taylorsville Boat Ramp and as he did...CO watching him..he fired up the big motor and backed off his trailor and idled over to the dock and tied off his boat..Co approached him and cited him for not having his lights on while it was dark conditions according to the law.....

[flyfish]

I'm sorry to be blunt, but if you don't have your lights on at night you're STUPID and shouldn't be allowed to operate a boat. There's no room for argument on this subject. None of this, "turn them on when you hear a boat" or anything. There is no possible reason why your lights shouldn't be on from sun down to sun up.

[coombro]

Ignorance is not tolerance of the law.

[softcraw]

They have written alot of tickets on cave run lake for people not having their lights on the last couple of years. They will write you a ticket if you have tape on your light or if you hang a hat on it. This law bugged me at first because I always said that a boat is probably not going to hit you if you are fishing close to the bank. Then two years ago a boat full of drunk people ran about 75 yards up on the bank at night.

[Rudypoo4444]

Why anybody would wnat to fish at night with no light on is beyond me. It is just too dangerous not to.

[waterdog101]

I fish with my lights off, when I am walleye fishing. but I am trolling and casting as close to the bank as I can. about 6 ft. from the bank. and I would never cut my lights off out in the lake. and it is against the law to do so.....when I tow my boat to the lake, the speed limit on highway 90 is 55 mph and I drive 65 when their isn't much traffic. and it is against the law to do so... and the lights don't bother me, it just that when the walleye are on the top water bite, they have a better appetite in the dark. and if you fish at night, just like fishing in the day. you have to get your boat up on plane. but the safe thing to do, is go as slow as your boat will stay on plane. I fish at night, so I changed from a 23" pitch prop, to a 19" pitch. I loss 14 mph on top end, but I can stay on plane at 16 mph at night. and stay out in the lake, until you get to a point you want to fish. then go in to it. if you run your boat on plane, close enough to the bank to hit a boat thats fishing, you will be killed. if not running over someone fishing, you will hit some of those rocks that are 2 ft. or less under the water, that sometimes go out in the lake 200 ft. or more. on lake cherokee and laurel lake when the lake is smooth, it will look like you are in deep water, 300 ft from shore. and the water will be 2 ft. because a point extends so far out in the lake. when you go around a point on plane, don't think am I going to hit a boat fishing with his lights out. probably one cast or less from the bank. instead think I am way to close to shore to be going as fast as I am, if that point extends out and is shallow. I could kill myself.