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slimecoat · Joined: 09 Nov 2007 Posts: 1576 Location: Newington, CT.

I was flagged down, because I had 6 peolple on my little 16 foot aluminum bass boat. 3 of them were kids (my little guy and my neice & nephew) 4 & 5 & 7 years old, and my brother and older son (16). I was asked to show my safe boaters certificate, and my fishing license, as well as lifejackets, a throwable PFD, air horn, and my fire extinguisher. On Gardner Lake by their lake patrol in the heat of the summer. All while big pleasure boats with and without skiers in tow flew by me - too close for my liking - while being boarded so to speak. do you think they went after any of those SOB's. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

They didn't make any money off me that day, because I'm up to date on all my boating regs.
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Life's Short - Fish Hard - Take a Kid Fishing

rdb313 · Joined: 06 May 2008 Posts: 25

I got nailed for not having a whistle while boating last year ...ugh

TurtleKiss · Joined: 09 Mar 2010 Posts: 1200 Location: central CT

Geez Louise...I was all psyched to do some illegal trolling for the first time EVER and now I'm scared of getting fined. It's ridiculous that I have to register my 7ft dinghy just because I got a trolling motor. I'm pretty sure I can handle it...left=reverse, right=5 forward speeds. Got it. I can also handle other mundane tasks like making a phone call or sharpening a pencil.

Cannot believe this "legally" requires registration with DMV & an 8 hour class. It's not like I'm going to take this floating deathtrap out to sea...I just want to take a break from trying to fish while simultaneously fighting a current with heavy wooden oars. I DON'T WANT TO ROW ANYMORE! If I felt like rowing, I'd use my kayak (which hasn't touched water in 2 years.)

Waiting on the DMV forms so I can register it; I will take the 8-hour SBC class when I can afford it...but I want to use my motor NOW! I was ready to rip the tonneau cover off my truck, throw the dinghy in, and declare myself a motorized boater tomorrow afternoon.

Thank you all for letting me know where you've been stopped & questioned for whatever reason. Please continue to share so I can figure out if there's a pattern. Kind of a buzzkill knowing I need to buy flares and whistles, etc...not thrilled about that.

I bought my battery charger today, had the motor leaning against the corner of my living room since early February, bought the circuit breaker online a few weeks ago, and tomorrow I'm planning to buy the deep-cycle battery and box, completing the list of thing I need to get on the water and fish without limitations...except now I run the risk of paying money that I don't have. My husband would not be thrilled.

Any recommendations on a battery? The motor's a Minn Kota Endura 30, which recommends 110 amp hours. I've read some reviews and the Die Hard seems like the best one in my price range. I'm not necessarily concerned with how many years it lasts...3 or 4 seems reasonable, but I want something that can last a long time during a single outing...I plan to drain give it a major beating but I'm not loaded with cash. Here's the one I've got my eye on:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02827582000P?vName=Automotive&cName=Batteries+%26+Chargers&sName=Marine+Batteries#specs

Anyone have experience with the Die Hard deep cycles? Open to suggestions.

Anyone have a private lake I can borrow?

BTW, my kayak is stored at Birge Pond if anyone wants to do some kayaking. You can borrow my kayak if you don't have your own. It's a sit-on top though...kinda not ideal for fishing, but a fun ride...tons of grass carp on the surface and turtleworld on the far end in the summer. I'll be at Birge with my mom around 2ish tomorrow ( March 1 Cool

...fishing from shore. Stop by and say hi if you're in the area. Smile

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Kira

*~ "Not everything about fishing is noble, reasonable and sane..." -Henry Middleton ~*

SeaDog1 · Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Posts: 2629

Hi Kira!

Yes I hear you, but it's the Law.
"ANY" powered vessel (electric, Gas, Steam, or Diesel) irregardless of lenght must be registered.
Also a mandatory safe boating course is requiered so that all boaters have the same exact knowledge about safety equipment, navigation, and THE RULES OF THE ROAD Exclamation

I've posted the following once before to the members of this forum.

Connecticut "CAN NOT" nor any of the other 49 states of these United States can issue a Boaters License.
(There is No Such Animal Exclamation

)
All 50 states can "ONLY" issue a......... "Safe Boating Certificate".

The "ONLY" agency that issues a legal "LICENSE" is the US Coast Guard Exclamation

THAT's IT

-> And it's been the Law since the 1800's
States "CAN NOT" superceed Federal Licensing with their own licenses.

You may not like it and can complain, "but you have to do it!"

Now! I hate to have to burst your bubble, BUT you still need a Registration and a Certificate to operate your vessel on "ANY" waters within Connecticut, ....public, town owned, or private! It's the Law Exclamation

The good part is......Any of the other 49 states "DO" recognize a Ct. Safety Certficate so you can take your own boat to another state and use it there or charter a boat in that state.

Mind you...If your a fisherman, you still need to get a Fishing Lic. to fish in that state!

All I can say, ....Is get the registration....Do the course.....Then you'll be in compliance with the Law!.....and not be constantly looking over your shoulder the whole time worrying about geting caught for illegally operating a powered vessel Exclamation

Best regards,
SeaDog1
Capt.----USCG Lic. Unlimited Tonnage Master of Steam and Motor Vessels, Any Waters.

Old Mud · Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 1048 Location: Bath, Maine

. Hi Kira, Ok i can see this is going to be fun.

" I'm pretty sure I can handle it...left=reverse, right=5 forward speeds. Got it. I can also handle other mundane tasks like making a phone call or sharpening a pencil. " Laughing

. Please don't go into the Humor thread and make me Put a disclaimer on all my Blond jokes. Very Happy

OH and don't try to stick that sharp pencil in my eye either. Wink

.

Don

Is that really you in your Avatar ??? Cool

That's me in mine. Laughing

and i'm pretty sure that's SeaDog in his !!!! Shocked

_________________
"I was so poor growing up that if I wasn't a BOY I'd have had nothing to play with"

All that truly matters in the end is that you LOVED !!!!

SkeeterJim · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 2219 Location: Newington, CT

Kira, I don't know how "petit" you are height-wise but your bass from Black Pond is one serious looking nice bass. Reason being a nice bass held up by someone who is 6'5" is naturally going to look small versus someone who barely tops 5' standing on her tippy toes. Either way, welcome to the site Kira, always nice to see the "other" gender who loves fishing as much as the guys do.

Jim
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Eat, Sleep, Fish......I Love my SKEETER ZX225!!!
If I didn't have to work for a living....I'd be fishing.
If I'm not in my Skeeter then I'm in my Hobie!

SkeeterJim · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 2219 Location: Newington, CT

Kira, as much as you hate it to do it please take our advice and get everything as far as registration and boating certs go squared away before you hit the water this season. As some members who have already mentioned about getting checked by the authorities either once or several times in the years past I think this season being the first "full" season of fishing requiring the now famous "$40.00 fishing license" I think the Encon Police are going to be checking as many people as possible to make sure fisherman have ponied up the money to legally be fishing regardless of how short staffed they are. You can kind of see where that's gonna go......first the fishing license check then the regsistration sticker check on the front of your dinghy and then they're ask you for your boating certificate so the ticket cost will add up if you're not legal!

Jim
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Eat, Sleep, Fish......I Love my SKEETER ZX225!!!
If I didn't have to work for a living....I'd be fishing.
If I'm not in my Skeeter then I'm in my Hobie!

TurtleKiss · Joined: 09 Mar 2010 Posts: 1200 Location: central CT

Seadog1 - I understand that there are rules, and I'm not intentionally try to break too many of them. The $60 8-hour course seems excessive...probably because I'll be in the SAME boat, in most of the same INLAND spots, hopefully just going slightly faster and smiling more. Another 50 bucks for the actual certificate, a bit more for the registration, and lets not forget all of the flares and fire extinguishers I'll apparently be needing since electric trolling motors tend to burst into flames when you least expect it.

There should be an exclusion for small, untrailered crafts. Better yet, an IQ test. I'm not going to be towing water-skiiers, docking at marinas, or exceeding any speed limits. The stuff I need to know is all common sense crap like "don't drive your boat into roped-off areas where children are swimming" and "don't use your battery as an anchor." I'm not saying there shouldn't be a certification requirement for "real" boats...but I think most people would agree that putting my rig in the same category is a joke.

The good thing is that I won't have to get a new certification once I can afford something sparkly...of course, by then I'll have forgotten the important details. In the same respect...about 10 years ago I got my Class B commercial driver's license with HAZMAT/air brakes endorsements. I ended up with a different type of job (liquor store manager) and never used my license for anything other than occasional "recreation." Drove a dump truck a few times and a beer truck once. There's no way in holy heck I'd pass that test if you gave it to me now. I vaguely remember doing some some 20-point vehicle inspection and the numbers on the air brakes gauge were very important...I might be able to guess the correct distance between the reflective orange breakdown triangles if the question was multiple choice. Sure, I'd be able to get in and drive the thing, but it's best for everyone on the road if I don't. There's my 2nd argument against the certification process.

Oh yeah...Chilean red is fine, and Australian would be my 2nd choice. Not familiar with Argentinian. I like dry but not bitter. Don't forget a corkscrew and some plastic cups!

Don - Don't worry, I'm not a real blonde so there's no need to delete the blonde jokes. However, I'm going to begin flagging all brunette jokes as offensive. Smile

Yes, the picture is really me, but the fish is actually a perch dressed up in a (heavily padded) bass costume.

Jim - I'm average in height, 5'6ish. The bass weighed 5 1/4 lbs according to my cheap, untested scale, but if I were a man, I'd tell you it was 6 1/2 lbs. Wink

This is the only fish I've ever weighed with it; it's really cheap and never been tested. If it's as accurate and nice as my human scale, then I might as well smash it with a hammer.

Thanks to you all for welcoming me here. Compared to the online forums I usually visit, this is an unexpectedly friendly group of people. I look forward to meeting and fishing with you.

I've just registered for a safe boating class later this month and received the registration form from the DMV today. I bought my fishing license ages ago. I'm probably one of the few people here who doesn't have a problem with the price increase, even though doubling it is quite a jump. It's always been worth much more than $40 to me...I thought $20 was a bargain! Fishing is an escape from my monotonous work-from-home environment, it's a non-pharmaceutical anti-depressant with no side effects, and it provides countless hours of entertainment. Some of the other fees are insane though.

I'll be casting from shore for a few more weeks, including Silver on Saturday...hopefully my mom will make an appearance too. Better than not fishing at all & I won't be using any of my "good" lures. Remember - If you see a red lighted bobber, it's mine.
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Kira

*~ "Not everything about fishing is noble, reasonable and sane..." -Henry Middleton ~*

Old Mud · Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 1048 Location: Bath, Maine

Kira, i NEVER make jokes about Brunetts, some of my best friends are......... Oh nevermind. Laughing

Hey just a thought here but maybe we welcome you because were so nice !!! Maybe. Shocked

OR. Maybe it's because that's really you in your Avatar' Mr. Green

JK

Don
_________________
"I was so poor growing up that if I wasn't a BOY I'd have had nothing to play with"

All that truly matters in the end is that you LOVED !!!!

SkeeterJim · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 2219 Location: Newington, CT

Just4fun · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 1389 Location: Saybrook

Bluegill Terminator · Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 538 Location: Plainville

I took mine at Tunxis community college and I am pretty sure it was like $10. Took 2 weeks and all you do is sit and listen to two old guys ramble on about how hungry they are. Just read the book and your good to go. Test is 50 questions I think but I ended up with a 98. If only I could get those grades in high school or college. Rolling Eyes

TurtleKiss · Joined: 09 Mar 2010 Posts: 1200 Location: central CT

Don & Jim - The first few days here I had trouble getting my avatar to the required size. This was frustrating since I work with photos on a computer every day and I like to think that I can scale down a picture since it's about the most basic function a photo editor should be able to do. I received a few welcomes and PMs (not to be confused with PMS,) regardless of the absence of a photo. Everything was fine until a couple of posts implied that I might be male.

Don't want to misrepresent myself, come across as an attention whore, a regular whore, or be treated differently because of how I look. I don't want any of your wives/girlfriends to have a hit taken out on me if we fish together either. I appreciate having a husband who trusts me in the presence of men, and I'm thankful he accepts me despite my lack of enthusiasm in the areas of cooking and cleaning. He knows I've always been "manly" like this...(when we met in 2000, we were both changing oil at Jiffy Lube.) I can be a good friend to anyone who gives me a chance and treats me with respect. I don't mind compliments, but keep your fantasies to yourself. You can't eat my fish, no matter how bad you want it - I'm strictly catch and release. Take that however you want. LOL

Just4Fun - Enrolled in the March 28 class. This is going to suck royally, since I'll still be in full "swooning mode" from the Bon Jovi concert the night before. Also, I found a form that applies to older boats that have never been registered because they've only been used for rowing. Smile

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Kira

*~ "Not everything about fishing is noble, reasonable and sane..." -Henry Middleton ~*

TurtleKiss · Joined: 09 Mar 2010 Posts: 1200 Location: central CT

Bluegill Terminator · Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 538 Location: Plainville

I learned more in my first year at Tunxis then all 4 years of high school combined. Figures why going to Tunxis is like going into 13th grade. 3/4 of the 08 class was there lol