Wake Boats

[across the river]

Yes, them also. Draw the line where it becomes a safety issue or does property damage or causes a decline of the "average Joe" wanting to go out in a yak or out with his family in a smaller watercraft. Less cruisers and wake boaters would only bring more smaller craft onto the lakes. I would like to see the number of boats that do not hit the water vs the number of sizeable wake making vessels. The money and people on the lakes would increase imo

O.k., so lets compare the numbers over the last four years of the number of people have been injured or died due the waves from a wave boat, verses the numbers of people who have died or been injured from hitting someone else, getting thrown out of, or running ashore in a bass boat.Check those out before you start talking about safety. It is a public lake. All the fishermen want to ban a wake boat, but you let someone try to ban or regulate the speed of a bass boat and you same people would pitch a fit. It is a public lake, which means it is open for everyone to use. Other people have just as much right to fish there, run a boat there, etc. as you do. The waves from a wake boat aren't anywhere near 10 foot, and anyone who argues that is clueless. If you are a kayak or John boat man and don't like them, I understand that, but those guys and girls have just as much right to be there in theirs boats as you do in you John boat. Your arguments hold no weight. To say banning a wake boat would bring more people to the lake because more people would come out in John boats and kayaks is ludicrous. More people go to the lake to wake board, ski, ride around, etc.... than they do to fish for crappie or bass. If you don't want to be there when they are there, go out early or late, but they have as much right to be there in their wake boat as you do in your "small vessel. If you have an issue with that go to an electric only lake.

 

[LTZ25]

Also forgot to mention when you are out on the wake boat ruining peoples docks , turn down the stereo's no body wants to here it , should be charged with disturbing the piece .

 

[across the river]

Also forgot to mention when you are out on the wake boat ruining peoples docks , turn down the stereo's no body wants to here it , should be charged with disturbing the piece .

So lets also ban mud motors, duck hunting, generators and light on bow fishing boats, and fireworks. All those make noise and disturb the pace as well. No more speed boats either as those are load too. We should also ban the wind, thunderstorms, and boats in general because they. all create waves. If you dock isn't tied down enough to manage a wake boat, it isn't going to hold up to a thunderstorm either.

 

[NCHillbilly]

O.k., so lets compare the numbers over the last four years of the number of people have been injured or died due the waves from a wave boat, verses the numbers of people who have died or been injured from hitting someone else, getting thrown out of, or running ashore in a bass boat.Check those out before you start talking about safety. It is a public lake. All the fishermen want to ban a wake boat, but you let someone try to ban or regulate the speed of a bass boat and you same people would pitch a fit. It is a public lake, which means it is open for everyone to use. Other people have just as much right to fish there, run a boat there, etc. as you do. The waves from a wake boat aren't anywhere near 10 foot, and anyone who argues that is clueless. If you are a kayak or John boat man and don't like them, I understand that, but those guys and girls have just as much right to be there in theirs boats as you do in you John boat. Your arguments hold no weight. To say banning a wake boat would bring more people to the lake because more people would come out in John boats and kayaks is ludicrous. More people go to the lake to wake board, ski, ride around, etc.... than they do to fish for crappie or bass. If you don't want to be there when they are there, go out early or late, but they have as much right to be there in their wake boat as you do in your "small vessel. If you have an issue with that go to an electric only lake.

I agree with banning the bass boats running 70 mph up and down the lake. They are a nuisance and a danger. There is a speed limit on the road, but none on the lake where there are no lanes or other restrictions.

 

[sinclair1]

Sounds like our cove lot was a good purchase. People often ask why we didn't get a place on the main section where the action is.

We see kayaks and one or two boats actually pass the dock on island creek.

 

[littlejon]

O.k., so lets compare the numbers over the last four years of the number of people have been injured or died due the waves from a wave boat, verses the numbers of people who have died or been injured from hitting someone else, getting thrown out of, or running ashore in a bass boat.Check those out before you start talking about safety. It is a public lake. All the fishermen want to ban a wake boat, but you let someone try to ban or regulate the speed of a bass boat and you same people would pitch a fit. It is a public lake, which means it is open for everyone to use. Other people have just as much right to fish there, run a boat there, etc. as you do. The waves from a wake boat aren't anywhere near 10 foot, and anyone who argues that is clueless. If you are a kayak or John boat man and don't like them, I understand that, but those guys and girls have just as much right to be there in theirs boats as you do in you John boat. Your arguments hold no weight. To say banning a wake boat would bring more people to the lake because more people would come out in John boats and kayaks is ludicrous. More people go to the lake to wake board, ski, ride around, etc.... than they do to fish for crappie or bass. If you don't want to be there when they are there, go out early or late, but they have as much right to be there in their wake boat as you do in your "small vessel. If you have an issue with that go to an electric only lake.

I do know the numbers but what you speak of means you would have to fix "stupid" That can not be regulated of fixed but vessels that cause damage or safety concerns for others IMO should be looked at. If some of the "no wake zones" where not posted then pleasure and bass boats would be flying up and down these areas. If there is no concern about safety or shore/dock damage then why is there a no wake zones all over the lake, I am a bass fisherman on Lanier for 30 years and I would be in favor of a speed restriction on bass boats. I wouldn't pitch a fit. I have no issues with any boat that doesn't bring property damage or safety concerns, wake boat or not. You mentioned electric only lakes, there is a reason they are electric only and a reason why some lakes are HP restricted. For safety and shore erosion. Lanier is at that point where some of these old regulations need to be seriously looked at. I do believe more boats would go out on the weekends if they felt safer. We can disagree on that.

 

[littlejon]

I agree with banning the bass boats running 70 mph up and down the lake. They are a nuisance and a danger. There is a speed limit on the road, but none on the lake where there are no lanes or other restrictions.

That's kind of my point

 

[Mike81]

Dont forget about the ocean cruisers on lanier giving off 6-8’ swells. No place for big boats like that on a lake IMO.

 

[littlejon]

So lets also ban mud motors, duck hunting, generators and light on bow fishing boats, and fireworks. All those make noise and disturb the pace as well. No more speed boats either as those are load too. We should also ban the wind, thunderstorms, and boats in general because they. all create waves. If you dock isn't tied down enough to manage a wake boat, it isn't going to hold up to a thunderstorm either.

The original post was about Lanier. mud motors, duck hunting , fireworks and bow fishing isn't a noise issue on Lanier. None of these are a safety issue or causing shore erosion. We also cant control mother nature and we all are at its mercy so your argument has no merit.

 

[Nicodemus]

Nothing needs to be banned. Folks just need to use some common sense (which ain`t so common anymore) and show a little respect for our fellow man. Do those simple things and there would be a right smart of improvements.

 

[across the river]

The original post was about Lanier. mud motors, duck hunting , fireworks and bow fishing isn't a noise issue on Lanier. None of these are a safety issue or causing shore erosion. We also cant control mother nature and we all are at its mercy so your argument has no merit.

Has does that argument have no merit. If the wind was blowing up 3 foot waves, I would assume you would wouldn't go out in your kayak. In the same frame, you probably wouldn't go out across the lake on a satrudaya when the "evil wake boats" are running. The difference is, you don't feel like you are missing anything on the raining storm day, but you feel like you should be able to go out on a Sunny Saturday, so your answer is to ban the wake boat that you feel prevents you from doing that. Instead, why not just ban kayaks if it is a safety issue that you speak of since they are no longer safe in that environment. Johnboats aren't safe to be in after 9am on weekend, so we will ban them from 9am to 7pm. How about that, now the lake is safer.

As far as shoreline erosion and docks go, my family has a double deck dock on one of the large corp lakes where the evil was boats roam all the time. We have had cables break, lights shaken loose, and erosion along the shore line long before wake boats ever existed. A good rain north of the lake can wash more logs into the cove than you could imagine. It is what it is and that is part of having a place on a public lake. You deal with it and move on, but you don't try to limit everybody else's freedom to do what they enjoy just because you feel like it makes your life more difficult. If you want to fish in you kayak or johnboat undistrub, then go buy yourself a pond. However, I can tel ou from first hand experience your erosion issue and other problems don't go away then either.

 

[littlejon]

Nothing needs to be banned. Folks just need to use some common sense (which ain`t so common anymore) and show a little respect for our fellow man. Do those simple things and there would be a right smart of improvements.

I couldn't agree with you more. The problem is on Lanier common sense and curtesy has been lacking at times

 

[Fletch_W]

Too much koombayaa in here. Yes everyone has a right to the water, and any kind of vessel can cause damage, but it's one specific type of vessel doing it the most. It's like comparing beagles and pit bulls. Yeah both will bite you, but which one kills more children every year?

 

[littlejon]

Has does that argument have no merit. If the wind was blowing up 3 foot waves, I would assume you would wouldn't go out in your kayak. In the same frame, you probably wouldn't go out across the lake on a satrudaya when the "evil wake boats" are running. The difference is, you don't feel like you are missing anything on the raining storm day, but you feel like you should be able to go out on a Sunny Saturday, so your answer is to ban the wake boat that you feel prevents you from doing that. Instead, why not just ban kayaks if it is a safety issue that you speak of since they are no longer safe in that environment. Johnboats aren't safe to be in after 9am on weekend, so we will ban them from 9am to 7pm. How about that, now the lake is safer.

As far as shoreline erosion and docks go, my family has a double deck dock on one of the large corp lakes where the evil was boats roam all the time. We have had cables break, lights shaken loose, and erosion along the shore line long before wake boats ever existed. A good rain north of the lake can wash more logs into the cove than you could imagine. It is what it is and that is part of having a place on a public lake. You deal with it and move on, but you don't try to limit everybody else's freedom to do what they enjoy just because you feel like it makes your life more difficult. If you want to fish in you kayak or johnboat undistrub, then go buy yourself a pond. However, I can tel ou from first hand experience your erosion issue and other problems don't go away then either.

I hear what you are saying. Fact is the larger and more frequent the wake - is where the issues come into play on Lanier. That's where the discussion comes from. So you have to look at what is causing this. I don't see wake boats as evil. I see them as just another boat trying to enjoy the lake. But I recognize the changes on Lanier over the years. I don't see it improving but declining. Since your family owns a dock on a COE lake then you would have to agree that the bigger and more frequent the wake the more potential damage can be done. There has to be a limit to everything, not sure where that is but its time to look at the lake issues at hand. We cant control mother nature.

I was onboard the first aircraft carrier to go through the Suez Canal. You talk about skinny water! I felt like I could jump off the flight deck and hit land. Even there we had restrictions on our wake for the good of others and washing out everything. Yes, I know this is a over exaggeration but when a lake gets over crowded them more regs will come.

Tech wicked mentioned where wake boats have been banned out west, I would be interested what lead to this.

 

[LTZ25]

Sounds like our cove lot was a good purchase. People often ask why we didn't get a place on the main section where the action is.

We see kayaks and one or two boats actually pass the dock on island creek.

Told my wife same thing , living on the big water is not as great as she thinks .

 

[across the river]

Tech wicked mentioned where wake boats have been banned out west, I would be interested what lead to this.

I'm not aware of any actual bans, but Vermont, Washington State, and Idaho has all introduced legislation. I have no idea if they have passed or not. What brought them ion is primarily the people who own the high dollar property on the lakes an rivers don't want people using them by there house. Not a lot different that what is going on here on this thread. Like I said, I get the aggravation with them. I think it would be wonderful if I could go up and have the whole lake to myself and never see a sole every time I went. I don't like trying to fish with boat traffic and waves everywhere anymore than anyone else. I get it. However, I also understand that is a public lake that taxpayers' own. Other people who don't have a place on it have just as much right to it as me you or anyone else with a home, dock, or property around it. There isn't a person with a house on the lake that own any land at or below the water in a COE lake. Any erosion they claim is happening isn't occurring on their land anyway. If you can't put up with the hassle of getting permits or afford to put rip rap out, deal with buttoning down or working on your dock, or deal with other people being aggravating in general, don't buy a place on a public lake. Spend you money on a pond or other private small body of water.

Anytime we start passing laws to keep other people from doing what we don't like, we are going down a slippery slop. Everyone does something that someone else doesn't like, so if you go down that path you are eventually going to end up being on the side of the law you don't want to be. I don't tell other people what they should or shouldn't do, because I don't want them returning the favor. We need less laws, not more. What need to do is deal with the idiots that break the laws we have, not pass more that we can't enforce either. The problem is people always want everything to cater to them and what they want. People love raises taxes, as long as it is on someone else that makes more money than them. Eventually though, it will affect them as well, even though they don't realize it.

 

[RamblinWreck]

No one is talking about passing a law because we don't like it.

It. Causes. Damage. To. Property. That still counts in this country - for now.

 

[LTZ25]

No one is talking about passing a law because we don't like it.

It. Causes. Damage. To. Property. That still counts in this country - for now.

AGREE !!!

 

[Raylander]

I see it no different from having your house on a 4 lane rd or busy HWY. If you don’t like it, move. Stop trying to pander the world to your liking. I used to fish the lakes ALOT. I was on the water daily. I fished a 16ft JB, and I can tell you inconsiderate people are everywhere.. The folks in wake boats are complaining about the brain dead fisherman who just sit in the middle of a cove.. Best move I ever made was getting off the lakes..

 

[littlejon]

Lanier currently has restrictions, no wake zones - no ski zones. They are there for a reason, agree or like it or not. As more and bigger wakes comes more restricted areas will come also. With the growth in Forsyth and Hall county its inevitable.

Many smaller impoundments that are public waters have HP restrictions, why is this?