I just noticed while watching the pro's get ready for take-off that a lot of the nave light are quite a ways down the side of their boats is that the normal area they put them or is it just on the newer boats that there in that area I have mine quite close together like the original light post are??? included a pic of mine [IMG][/IMG] [IMG]
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1990 374V Ranger Still kickin' bass after all these years
If you look at a bay or center console boat, the Navionics lights and anchor light is on the console.
Northern I have read has said where they have to be, only the distance and angle they have to be seen!
Mine are on the top cap behind the trolling motor.
yours are 2 far forward for some state laws--need to be visible for 120deg off of center line I believe here--they should be over the registration letter I believe--look up your state boat law?
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I was told by a EPO that they were fine,but that is in Ma if I put my light in there are close by and only about 6 back from these so I see no difference....
In Texas your lights have to be coast guard approved (stamped), you can have the most visible light in the world and still get a ticket by one of the ahole game wardens here. I'm sure some wouldn't care, but I'm sure plenty here will.
Here are two links every boat owner should be familiar with. The answers to your questions are in these documents.
https://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg545/alerts/1015.pdf
https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/navRules/navrules.pdf
Last edited by rodney_h; 03-25-2017 at 12:46 PM.
G3 HP180
Yamaha 115 4 Stroke
You cant tell most that the rubrail lights are illegal all they think is they are cool and brighter not what can happen by another boater not being able to tell the direction your headed.Originally Posted by rodney_h
2018 Bass Cat Caracal
Yamaha 225 SHO
I put mine in the rub rail roughly where Triton mounts theirs 2" higher on the top cap. They're near flush with the edge of the rub rail, not deeply inset like most people mount them. Very visible from all the required angles.
The state regs in Missouri actually have an illustration of a boat with individual red and green lights mounted onto the hull under the rub rail as being OK. There is nothing in the MO. manual that indicates the front running light must be on a mast.
Do they require them to be coast guard certified? That is why most of these lights are illegal, no certification.
Wow. Being illegal sure hasn't stopped them around here. I'd guess 90% of the bass boats I see around here have the LEDs at the rub strip. Never heard of anyone getting cited for them. Guess the DNR just turn a blind eye.
I'd imagine you'd actually have to be operating at night to get fined. Just having them on your boat wouldn't be a problem.
True. Though the early morning tournament launches at safe-light have everyone running them. Guess its too early for the rangers, at least in GA! They're probably more concerned with the drunk skiboaters and jetskis out later than they are about a bunch of bass fishermen who are generally good at following safe boating practices.
I have seen more bass boats running with light not working or turned on vs pleasure boaters here!!
It seems to be when you get "one of those" wardens. Read plenty of stories here in Texas where the warden didn't care and a few stories where guys got tickets.
Exactly --- They hold the hammer and they can dang sure swing it.
The way I read the law those lights in question are not legal by USCG standards.. But who adheres to USCG passing procedures --which are law on Texas waters.
True story-- someone pissed the local authority off on the first day of a two day tournament.. Next morning he did a FULL check of every tournament boat before launching....postponed take off by 3 hours and most of us were there at least an hour early.. He wrote several tickets including one for the TX numbers not being legible at a certain distance.
They can be ball busters when they want for sure,we use to have a one fish T every wens night and then once the EPO decided to show up when we were coming in around 8:30 and checked every single boat found some with no registration on trailer and so and so on . You could count once a month they would show up after that for a while
I got a ticket on Lake Wylie for not having a S.C. fishing license. Kicker was that I wasn't fishing in S.C. waters. I purposefully stayed in N.C. waters where I was licensed. This S.C. DNR asshat came over to N.C. waters, stopped me and wrote me that ticket. I said "you know I'm not in S.C. waters" and his response, exactly as he said it "So? What are you going to do about it?" I've had several run ins with S.C. DNR on Wylie. Twice in one day by the same officer, just so he could be a dick and waste my time knowing I was fishing a tournament.
Let him write the ticket and take a picture of him handing it to you. Your phone will capture the location.
I fought it with the D.A. since I had my navigation track from that day showing I never, once, crossed in to S.C. water. Not even close. He threw the ticket out. My friend lives on Wylie on the S.C. side and even says that DNR there is horrible. They'll stop and write you a ticket for anything. Don't forget to sign your boat registration card, you'll get a ticket. He did. It's pathetic.
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