Sees-koo-wee-hah-nay wrote:
Cyli wrote:
On 21 Jun 2006 12:15:05 -0700, "Sees-koo-wee-hah-nay"
wrote:



I'm would like to fish a certain Fish Comission lake at night. I'm not
planning on "anchoring" anywhere so would I need the "anchor light" if
I simply stopped awhile? Is that considered anchoring?

Do you have an anchor? If stopped would you be deploying it? If
you're not attached to the bottom in any way, you're not anchored, are
you?

No, I do not use an anchor but that would also depend on the local WCO
who can be a real prick.


The reason an anchored boat needs special lights is that it's unable
to move out of the way of another boat quickly and is not one of the
knowable natural hazards of the local water. If you don't have an
anchor out and are in control of the boat, you shouldn't need one.

However, the definitive answer would come from whoever patrols that
lake. Find out from your DNR or the Fish Commission and ask the
patrollers. Email or a couple of phone calls should settle the
matter.

I hope to see him tomorrow night, I know he'll be watching me from the
woods.
Email is useless, I have asked via email but no response, same thing a
few weeks ago.
I had a heck of a time getting a straight answer on launch permits as
they are issued by 2 different agencies, Pa. Fish Commission and DCNR.
Of course both permits are different looking and have been ask to come
ashore once by someone who didn't recognize the other agencies current
sticker. Throw in a DCNR mooring permit that is legal to launch with
and it gets even more confusing for those in charge. You can also use a
regular registration if you went that route. That's 4 different
stickers that you can use to launch at Fish Commission lakes and access
areas or Pennsylvania state parks.

First off congrats on you and Wilko getting things cleared up!

lighting, I found a battery operated White LED marine approved
light, all self contained. I bought it on Ebay, along with a Red/Green
bow light. They are attached with a suction foot, or screwed on to bow
and stern. Uses 3 AA batteries, and is good for all night. I also carry
a flashlight. I figure you can never have to much light when it comes
to being seen, and not run over. You could check with your local Marine
West to see what others are using. This would not necessarily be the
legal definition, however the legal definition is pretty much the
minimal interpretation. So the more lights you use, the better.

The main No-No, is flashing lights, which are considered distress
signals, and will attract unwanted attention.

Some states also regulate the use of lights while fishing, so you could
have some conflicting regs that you want to check out. TnT OvO HYY