Thread: eastside report

i'm not sure if you have to take your motor off. i did, but i only have a 9.9. i think you would have to find a grumpy warden to fine you for haveing your motor up.

Originally Posted by SlabKing

Can you still have a gas outboard on the boat as long as it's out of the water? I know a few electric only lakes in King County will let you slide as long as you have the big motor up. Thanks for the reports fellas.

I had my motor up (out of the water) on north lake and the game warden told me it was still illegal ...... at least he was nice enough to let me go with a warning! But he said I was only getting one! He was waiting for a guy in a bass boat boat to come in so he could ticket him ..... he said he had warned him 2 weeks before ..... I guess some people never learn!

thanks for helping in clearing that up....and welcome :D

Thanks Keith. I know the Regs state that you can't have a gas engine on the boat at all but it's been a grey area on most lakes in King County. The Police tell you one thing then the Warden says another. Better safe than sorry though. Since the Warden has the power to write the ticket....I'll be staying off the electric lakes :D.

yep .... I'm kinda wishin I hadnt got rid of my 13 foot valco .... I could just use it on these little lake with my electric .... now I'm stuck with my new 18'5 footer ...LoL.. and theres no way I'm going to get the big motor off with out alot of work!!!

i went out yesterday and threw cranks and spinnerbaits for 3 hours. went 0 for 1. got one big largemouth to hit the spinnerbait but no hook up. i guess the water is still cold although he did hit it pretty hard. i put a trailer hook on after that. i think i may have also gotten a hit on the crankbait but i didn't see it so i cannot be sure. water was high and there seemed to be alot of garbage in it. i found a nice rod handle floatin around. i fished mainly little drop off areas that went from 2 -5 feet sown to about 10 -20 feet.

Ok heres the deal on the electric lakes.You may have an gas motor as long as it is not in the water. The lakes all fall under the law of "the use of internal combustion engines is prohibited" I read that in some state code.

It's all very confusing....and I'm sure the WDFW likes it that way so they can freely interpret the law as they write you a ticket lol.

This is what's written under the "Special Rules" (page 30, PDF):

References in the Special Rules to "motors
prohibited" mean fishing from a floating device
equipped with a motor is prohibited. "Internal
combustion engines prohibited" means fishing
from a floating device equipped with an internal
combustion engine is prohibited. "Equipped
with" means the motor is attached to the
floating device, regardless of whether the motor
is in the water.


Now, if I were a betting man I'd say that as long as the lake is not clearly marked as a "Internal combustion engines prohibited" in the Regs or at the ramp...you could get away with running the bowmount and leaving the big motor up. The main problem is that not all lakes are listed in the Regs. I've fished many lakes that have signs at the ramp that state "Use of internal..." seems like you could argue your way out of ticket on those lakes and use the bowmount only there as well. Don't take my word for it though :D. Like I said, better safe than sorry. Still, there are a few "Use of internal..." lakes that I can't give up and I'll take my chances until told other wise lol.