Forums46
Topics538,021
Posts9,731,900
Members87,055
|
Most Online25,604 Feb 12th, 2024
|
|
|
Light Bar Legality
#6971456
11/24/17 11:04 PM
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 594
TOMCAT21
OP
Tracker
|
OP
Tracker
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 594 |
Was told by a Game Warden today that running your boat at night with the front light bar on is illegal as it would destroy other boaters night vision. Has anyone else heard this?
|
|
|
Re: Light Bar Legality
[Re: TOMCAT21]
#6971460
11/24/17 11:12 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,626
Erichugh22
Veteran Tracker
|
Veteran Tracker
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,626 |
|
|
|
Re: Light Bar Legality
[Re: TOMCAT21]
#6971485
11/24/17 11:51 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 694
Windrider
Tracker
|
Tracker
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 694 |
Never heard that either. I’d ask for the specific law citation.
The ticket cost less than the damage from the stumps I’m going to hit without it.
Thought for the day: Ducks were almost hunted to extinction long before camo was invented.
|
|
|
Re: Light Bar Legality
[Re: TOMCAT21]
#6971487
11/24/17 11:51 PM
|
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 168
Cowboy9215
Woodsman
|
Woodsman
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 168 |
I have, if the light bar is on 2 things happen. You blind the heck out of on coming boaters, and other boaters can’t see your front bow lights. I don’t know if you’ve ever looked into one of those lights head on. You can’t see nothing
|
|
|
Re: Light Bar Legality
[Re: TOMCAT21]
#6971498
11/25/17 12:02 AM
|
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 509
BadLander
Tracker
|
Tracker
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 509 |
Your duck hunting , you are probably all headed in the same direction. I have one on my duckboat and my catfish center console. Never had an issue. I'd rather ask for forgiveness Than ask for permission. Most GW are at the ramp when you return. So I don't see the ticket issue.
|
|
|
Re: Light Bar Legality
[Re: TOMCAT21]
#6971973
11/25/17 03:40 PM
|
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 777
GravyWheels
Tracker
|
Tracker
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 777 |
Biggest illegal part they will ticket you on is that you can not see your red/green nav lights, which by law, must be visible. Most light bars are mounted down right over the front nav lights on the front deck and you can't see them. That and they are blindingly bright to obscure pretty much everything else.
|
|
|
Re: Light Bar Legality
[Re: TOMCAT21]
#6972105
11/25/17 07:04 PM
|
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 14
trainer21
Light Foot
|
Light Foot
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 14 |
I can count the GW's I,ve seen on the water on one hand in 10 yrs...They all sit at the ramp at 8 am on...I'd take the ticket just to see one
|
|
|
Re: Light Bar Legality
[Re: TOMCAT21]
#6972150
11/25/17 08:26 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,626
Erichugh22
Veteran Tracker
|
Veteran Tracker
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,626 |
Wouldn't any kind of spotlight or bright light hurt other boaters night vision?
|
|
|
Re: Light Bar Legality
[Re: Erichugh22]
#6972190
11/25/17 09:36 PM
|
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 4,695
krmitchell
Extreme Tracker
|
Extreme Tracker
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 4,695 |
Wouldn't any kind of spotlight or bright light hurt other boaters night vision? Yes, the Lake Austin guys got targeted for that as well.
|
|
|
Re: Light Bar Legality
[Re: TOMCAT21]
#6972444
11/26/17 02:27 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 121
shalor
Woodsman
|
Woodsman
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 121 |
My best fishing and hunting buddy is our local game warden. He says you can only use one as a searchlight but not as a running light. I run mine at night and turn it off if I see anyone coming. My argument is going to be I’m searching for the next intercoastal buoy or marker. I would rather do that then almost run over some things I have almost run over in the dark in the past. If I am running at twilight and can still see good, I just have my navigation lights on and leave the lightbar off.
|
|
|
Re: Light Bar Legality
[Re: shalor]
#6972680
11/26/17 02:06 PM
|
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 35,494
Guy
THF Celebrity
|
THF Celebrity
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 35,494 |
I bet titanic captain wishes they had a light bar.
|
|
|
Re: Light Bar Legality
[Re: Guy]
#6972921
11/26/17 07:17 PM
|
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,850
Merican Duck Hunter
Pro Tracker
|
Pro Tracker
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,850 |
I bet titanic captain wishes they had a light bar.
Arise.Kill.Eat -Acts 10:13 I have read a bunch of stuff on the internet about Star Wars but that does not mean I can skin a deer with a light saber.
|
|
|
Re: Light Bar Legality
[Re: TOMCAT21]
#6974674
11/28/17 04:44 AM
|
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 111
SeaAggie2015
Woodsman
|
Woodsman
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 111 |
When you can tell me the difference between a light bar on a duck boat and these bow fishing rigs glowing like the sun I'll worry about it. Haven't ever heard of a game warden stopping a bow fishing boat because the lights.
Last edited by SeaAggie2015; 11/28/17 04:44 AM.
Noah Blackmon
|
|
|
Re: Light Bar Legality
[Re: TOMCAT21]
#6974793
11/28/17 01:25 PM
|
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,149
TxDuck24
Veteran Tracker
|
Veteran Tracker
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,149 |
I just recently got stopped by the coast guard and was told the same thing. If there is someone within the lighted distance your suppose to turn your light bar off so they can see your nav lights. And you can turn them on after you pass the other boater
|
|
|
Re: Light Bar Legality
[Re: TOMCAT21]
#6974893
11/28/17 02:47 PM
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,788
wal1809
THF Celebrity
|
THF Celebrity
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,788 |
I had the ducktoon out this last weekend. Got rolled up on by an airboat stacked 4 deep with Game Wardens. The head honcho GW was really nice. You could tell he has had some years and knows how to talk to people. He was training a couple new boots. They didn't smile at my jokes. That means one of two things. They are new boots or my jokes suck, lol! Overall it was a pleasant experience so far as meeting Game Wardens on the water. So far as the light bar, I am running one and taking the ticket if they give me one.
|
|
|
Re: Light Bar Legality
[Re: TxDuck24]
#6974916
11/28/17 03:02 PM
|
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 35,494
Guy
THF Celebrity
|
THF Celebrity
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 35,494 |
I just recently got stopped by the coast guard and was told the same thing. If there is someone within the lighted distance your suppose to turn your light bar off so they can see your nav lights. And you can turn them on after you pass the other boater That makes sense. Turn your high beams off with oncoming traffic.
|
|
|
Re: Light Bar Legality
[Re: Guy]
#6975918
11/29/17 04:23 AM
|
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 12,348
Duck_Hunter
THF Celebrity
|
THF Celebrity
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 12,348 |
I just recently got stopped by the coast guard and was told the same thing. If there is someone within the lighted distance your suppose to turn your light bar off so they can see your nav lights. And you can turn them on after you pass the other boater That makes sense. Turn your high beams off with oncoming traffic. Agreed. Seems reasonable.
I just turned it on . I was looking bird dogs in the butt this morning.
|
|
|
Re: Light Bar Legality
[Re: TxDuck24]
#6975922
11/29/17 04:33 AM
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 594
TOMCAT21
OP
Tracker
|
OP
Tracker
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 594 |
I just recently got stopped by the coast guard and was told the same thing. If there is someone within the lighted distance your suppose to turn your light bar off so they can see your nav lights. And you can turn them on after you pass the other boater That makes more sense than what the GW told me.
|
|
|
Re: Light Bar Legality
[Re: TOMCAT21]
#6976405
11/29/17 05:07 PM
|
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 172
noname124398
Woodsman
|
Woodsman
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 172 |
Yes its illegal but when youre driving to your duck hole at 4 AM its definitely worth risking a small fine. Game wardens aren't awake by that time anyway. I would refrain from using it right after sundown when everyone is getting off the lake. Probably would not be so lucky at that time.
|
|
|
Re: Light Bar Legality
[Re: TOMCAT21]
#6976770
11/29/17 09:57 PM
|
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 405
Gengo
Bird Dog
|
Bird Dog
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 405 |
They definitely blind other boaters out on the water. See them all the time where I hunt. I have also had the pleasure of one coming at me head on in a fairly narrow cut. They missed their turn and came back the other way. You can't see a d@mn thing looking at them head on. They are the newest fad I guess.
|
|
|
Moderated by bigbob_ftw, CCBIRDDOGMAN, Chickenman, Derek, DeRico, Duck_Hunter, hetman, jeh7mmmag, JustWingem, kmon11, kry226, kwrhuntinglab, Payne, pertnear, rifleman, sig226fan (Rguns.com), Superduty, TreeBass, txcornhusker
|