So what does it cost?

In case you’ve never received a ticket while in your boat, I thought I would share the fines that were listed in the Hudson paper this week.

Fishing w/o License – $155.80
Posssession of undersize fish – $338.10 (I’m guessing there were more than one)
Failure to pay launch fee – $144.00
Failure to carry boat floatation devices – $125.80
Entering a park with out a sticker – $125.80
Operating a boat w/o lights between sunset and sunrise – $138.20
Operating a boat while intoxicated $411.
Riding on a boat deck or gunwales – $138.20
A couple tickets were issued for possession of undersize fish – $180.60 (I’m guessing only 1 fish)
Speeding in a boat $138.20 (not sure what this is)

I’m sure with budget cuts, it’s nice to pull in some extra cash for the government agencies. But on the other hand, it’s the same every summer.

One other note. I’m not sure how the captain of about a 30 foot pleasure vessle did this, but last night a call for help went out over the radio. This fella started a fight with the green navagation bouy closest to the Windmill Marina, and lost. The chain wrapped around his prop and their evening of boating was terminated. He was just leaving the marina.

I thinking the lower water levels and the wind pushed the can to the south and left the chain more exposed (but still under water) than what we’ve seen in the past this year. A fishing boat shouldn’t have an issue, but it might save you a crank bait if you watch the wind and go way around these cans.

Safe and Cheap Fishing

Very interisting. Does anyone know what the reg is for having throwable floation in the boat is. I baught a 16′ boat this year and it just dawned on me that I might need this.

Taken from MN Dnr boating regs:
IN ADDITION, on boats 16 feet or longer
(except canoes and kayaks,) there must also be at
least one U.S. Coast Guard approved Type IV
throwable device, such as a buoyant cushion or
ring buoy immediately available for each boat.
The law does not state that PFDs must be worn,
only that they are readily accessible except for personal
watercraft (water scooters, Jet Skis, etc.).

I might add that I received a warning this year from the DNR because my “throwable” floatation device was in a storage compartment. I’ve snapped it to the front compartment cover, so it doesn’t blow out and is always there.

Just for clarification, if you have a 16′ boat you don’t need a throwable device. Anything over 16′ you do….Correct?

Also, as stated in other posts, 13 years old and younger…you must be WEARING the pdf while underway. Lots of tickets given out this year for that.

Good idea about keeping the floatation out and handy, for common sense as well as legal reasons. I always do, just because, on the off chance that someone were to fall in, I’d hate to lose the time it would take to dig the cushion or life jacket out. That being said, neither myself nor any of my adult passengers wear life jackets, but the life jackets are zipped onto the seats, and the cushion is right under my rear end. Whenever we take younger kids out, the life jackets go on the little people ON SHORE, before ever going near the water. Again, to me it’s just common sense.
Also, according to a deputy who stopped me years ago in my old 14 foot alumacraft, he said 16 feet and over means including 16 feet. He also said “what do you really have to lose by carrying one anyway?”
Greg