Thread: A local letter to the editor

I only wished the laws could be enforced. The lakes seem just like I-85....the bigger the ride the more right away you have.:o

I've often wondered why we have speed limits on the highways but none on the lakes. The lakes are getting so crowded, I think it's time.

i was down at bb one busy summer weekend day. was gonna put in but decided against it when i seen all the traffic in the landing. i seen a warden on the bank, near the ramps amongst the crowd watching the no wake zone on the landing side of the bridge. he had hand held radio contact with a boat hid in the cut between the landing parking lot and the marina. every time a speeder come under the bridge throwing a wake the guy on the radio would inform the boat hid and theyd nail em. :D. i was anchored under the bridge fishing one night and was being checked by a couple wardens when a boat come through there waking. he wished us a good night and took off after the boater with blue light flashing.
i was once talking to a warden at a service station near chester. he asked if wed been striper fishing and i said yeah, at wateree. we had a half dozen or so in the cooler. he said he was headed to wateree. i asked him did they catch many violators. he said they was but not from over the limits. he said most violations come from people breaking the law by fishing in the dam santuary. we was down there not long after that and seen em escort a couple fellers to the landing theyd caught in there. Its great to see em at work but it seems like ever time youd like to have someone around they arent there. they are probably stretched pretty thin due to budget restraints. another thing ive noticed is a lot of folks will complain about em not being around and then cry like a baby when they are the ones thats caught :D. oh well, if you cant do the time then dont do the crime.....:D

Makes me mad too!!!!

Now Start On The Water Skiers That Keep Run'n From The Mouth Of The Coves To The Backs Throw'n Their Big Wake So They Can Get Some Big Air

rango, you hit it. We should all stay in touch with dnr on the subject. There's a doughnut shop syndrom with some officers, as they are given the freedom to operate without supervision. We need to prod em' a little sometimes. take a hull number, and ask for follow up when you report it.
Now, I won't call on anybody for nothin'. I've only done it once in my life, but the way things have changed on a lot of lakes, and rivers, I will, I'm sure.
I spoke with 2 dnr's over the past year about it, and both said "get a number, and be prepared to witness". As I can't spend my life in a magistrates office, I'll just call about the real weird ones. I believe in speaking to em' on the lake as well. In a civil tone I'll try to educate.
I think boater saftey should be mandatory, for all over 18, by way of a mail in or on line test. You wouldn't have a huge tax bill or staff to make this happen. The bottom line is that folks would be educated.
A while back I had a different way of educating, but I can't do THAT no more.
I cain't go to jail, and my bones are brittle!
Now, up the rivers from Marion, some will fire a "random" shot in the air as "sort of a warning", That seems to be effective sometimes, especially at night. I won't comment on my veiw of this, but I've seen it work. Face it, A 10' jon boat swamped in 50` water 10 mi. from help is the deed of a soul that needs some guide'n. Stay Legal Guy's. Ain't no fishin' in the pokey!!

times, they are a changing!

Not sure if it's the same here or not. When I lived in California if you got a ticket on the water it showed on your driver's lic. So a DWI on the water was a DWI on your lic., fact is any ticket counted points on your lic..
They even require you drive clock wise around the lake to avoid head on collisions. Still had lots of crazies on the water, but there's a lot of crazies in California everywhere.Common sense isn't so common anymore.