As the title states, The State of Michigan banned the personal use of motorized boats in Michigan. Only canoes, kayaks and sailboats are allowed. Is this the beginning of all fishing being banned? I guess only time will tell.

Whoops - @A-Jay is not going to be happy to be denied his Lund.

Good thing I live on a private lake, good thing my turkey season starts in 5 days, and good thing I have a trolling motor. From my understanding it sounds like as long as you don’t fire up your outboard you’re ok. 

Really sad to hear that for the Michigan guys...I understand the government wants people to be cautious but fishing is usually a solitary sport. Can’t think of a safer place to be but in your home or the middle of a lake. 

6 minutes ago, Finessegenics said:

Really sad to hear that for the Michigan guys...I understand the government wants people to be cautious but fishing is usually a solitary sport. Can’t think of a safer place to be but in your home or the middle of a lake. 

Other states have had issues with crowding at the launch ramps. I think that's what triggered this directive.

5 hours ago, 12poundbass said:

Good thing I live on a private lake, good thing my turkey season starts in 5 days, and good thing I have a trolling motor. From my understanding it sounds like as long as you don’t fire up your outboard you’re ok. 

According to the executive order, Physical outdoor activity like kayaking. canoeing , and sailing are permitted. but using a motorboat, jet ski or similar watercraft are not.The key is physical activity. The DNR site does not mention trolling motors as permissible. I'm not sure how this effects private lakes and their use during the crisis.

So is it no outboards permitted on the water or you just can’t use them? Most fishing boats have an electric bow mount so you could use your boat...just not your outboard.

 

Nevermind...seems to be that you can’t even launch a boat with an inboard/outboard motor. Time to break out the canoes and kayaks.

The wife just sent me this. Problem solved! 
 

Not allowing motor boats will also keep people at home and not potentially spreading a virus across the state.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9kFWOrHeST/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

4 hours ago, slonezp said:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9kFWOrHeST/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Is that a bow tar or a mo tar?

517-373-3400

Governorsoffice@michigan.gov

Well here is the contact info for the governors office.  Since we can't fish or go to work.  Might as well call and let her know we would really like to be fishing and being responsible and practicing social distancing. Be polite and be kind.

Hmmm can't imagine motoring across the middle of Houghton lake not be considered social distancing......it is what it is.

A-Jay

My Triton wept at this news when I learned this on Friday.

 

However, I am going to make the best of this situation and take my kayak out on lakes that I wouldn't have even bothered with before due to the typical amount of power boating and jetski activity. I'm also hoping that since overall fishing pressure will be down this spring, that this is one of the best bass summers in a long time.

On 4/11/2020 at 1:37 AM, MN Fisher said:

Other states have had issues with crowding at the launch ramps. I think that's what triggered this directive.

Unfortunately, the DNR hasn't put most of the docks into the water so everyone is hanging out at the launch ramp fishing with bobbers. I'm afraid they will close the waterways if people don't space out.

7 hours ago, Michigander said:

My Triton wept at this news when I learned this on Friday.

 

However, I am going to make the best of this situation and take my kayak out on lakes that I wouldn't have even bothered with before due to the typical amount of power boating and jetski activity. I'm also hoping that since overall fishing pressure will be down this spring, that this is one of the best bass summers in a long time.

Unfortunately, the DNR hasn't put most of the docks into the water so everyone is hanging out at the launch ramp fishing with bobbers. I'm afraid they will close the waterways if people don't space out.

Same problem here in VA. 

 

Might sound like a great idea, encouraging everyone to exercise and stay active plus no fishing license required this season to compound the issue. 

 

So now what we have is a congregation at the lakes.

 

In my travels every day for work (around 150 miles) I go by plenty of boat launches and I’ve yet to see one that had more than 2-3 empty trailers sitting at them. We all know it’s the Detroit River anglers that brought the attention to us. I say we shun the walleye anglers! ?

 

In all seriousness though why not limit the number of people in your boat to two people and they must live at the same residence as you? How hard would that be to enact that? 

1 hour ago, 12poundbass said:

In my travels every day for work (around 150 miles) I go by plenty of boat launches and I’ve yet to see one that had more than 2-3 empty trailers sitting at them. We all know it’s the Detroit River anglers that brought the attention to us. I say we shun the walleye anglers! ?

 

In all seriousness though why not limit the number of people in your boat to two people and they must live at the same residence as you? How hard would that be to enact that? 

I think one of the core problems is enforcement. Is a sheriff going to stop every boat with two people and check the address on their license? That also puts said sheriff at greater risk for getting the virus. Easier to just make the boats unlawful and most people won't risk the hefty fine. The ones that do are few enough to be picked off more safely.

2 hours ago, 12poundbass said:

In all seriousness though why not limit the number of people in your boat to two people and they must live at the same residence as you? How hard would that be to enact that? 

That's what they've done here in MN.  You can still fish alone or with someone from the same primary residence as you (basically someone that you live with or are around on a daily basis).

 

However, I could see the same issue Michigan is having carry over to other states like ours.  Wisconsin already had an issue in Green Bay a couple weeks ago so they shut it down there too.  All it takes is a few people to abuse it and they shut everything down.

Something does not smell right. They’ll probably try to pull that here in Penna. 

On 4/10/2020 at 9:18 PM, nascar2428 said:

As the title states, The State of Michigan banned the personal use of motorized boats in Michigan. Only canoes, kayaks and sailboats are allowed. Is this the beginning of all fishing being banned? I guess only time will tell.

What the heck is the difference if you were fishing from a canoe, yak or bass boat. That sounds beyond anything related to CV. Motorized boating brings in a lot of $$$ to the state of Michigan. Same here in PA if PAFBC is reading. 

6 minutes ago, Spankey said:

Something does not smell right. They’ll probably try to pull that here in Penna. 

What the heck is the difference if you were fishing from a canoe, yak or bass boat. That sounds beyond anything related to CV. Motorized boating brings in a lot of $$$ to the state of Michigan. Same here in PA if PAFBC is reading. 

The point of keeping motor boats off the water is to keep people at home and not traveling all over the state pulling a boat or coming from another state to continue the spread of the virus.

8 minutes ago, Spankey said:

Something does not smell right. They’ll probably try to pull that here in Penna. 

What the heck is the difference if you were fishing from a canoe, yak or bass boat. That sounds beyond anything related to CV. Motorized boating brings in a lot of $$$ to the state of Michigan. Same here in PA if PAFBC is reading. 

The DNR was having problems with people stacking 3-4 deep in 12ft tin boats. Also, they needed to ban waverunners with more than one rider. Also, I think they wanted to reduce people going to gas stations to fuel their motors. Lastly, if motored boats are banned, it reduces how many people file complaints about the launch docks still sitting in the ramp parking lots.

 

I think there was a lot of factors and it was simpler to just enact a blanket ban than assign some of their limited resources to getting dragged down into the weeds by all the exceptions.

2 hours ago, Spankey said:

Something does not smell right. They’ll probably try to pull that here in Penna. 

What the heck is the difference if you were fishing from a canoe, yak or bass boat. That sounds beyond anything related to CV. Motorized boating brings in a lot of $$$ to the state of Michigan. Same here in PA if PAFBC is reading. 

Those vessel's require physical activity, that's according to the executive order.

32 minutes ago, nascar2428 said:

Those vessel's require physical activity, that's according to the executive order.

 

2 hours ago, Michigander said:

The DNR was having problems with people stacking 3-4 deep in 12ft tin boats. Also, they needed to ban waverunners with more than one rider. Also, I think they wanted to reduce people going to gas stations to fuel their motors. Lastly, if motored boats are banned, it reduces how many people file complaints about the launch docks still sitting in the ramp parking lots.

 

I think there was a lot of factors and it was simpler to just enact a blanket ban than assign some of their limited resources to getting dragged down into the weeds by all the exceptions.

 

2 hours ago, Scott F said:

The point of keeping motor boats off the water is to keep people at home and not traveling all over the state pulling a boat or coming from another state to continue the spread of the virus.

You guys are right. I can possibly see the concern with power boats. Everyone intentions are not the same. Not enough enforcement to go around just to check on stuff like that. This CV stuff will come to an end one day. Hopefully sooner than later. 

Thats crazy.  I've seen more people piled on a sail boat then ever on a bass boat up on St Clair.