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Bow Lights #11623331 05/24/16 08:44 PM
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beermill Offline OP
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Are the LED green and red navagation strips that you attach to the bow of your boat legal in Texas? Was thinking about putting the LED bow strips on the front and a LED light on my talon so that I would not have to mess with putting lights in and taking them out.


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Re: Bow Lights [Re: beermill] #11623356 05/24/16 08:51 PM
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Mike_Soriano™ Offline
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Im curious about that as well. I saw a guy who had LED bow light while fishing the media last weekend. Sure looks cool. Saw another guy running past minnow bucket that morning and he has rolling/flashing LED all the way down his boat. Reminded me of the casino signs back when I lived in vegas. Wasn't a fan of the water ambulance but the bow lights are sleek

Re: Bow Lights [Re: beermill] #11623386 05/24/16 09:00 PM
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lamoon78 Offline
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All I will say is they are not a USCG approved light so the answer is no. Some will say a GW will say yes but they dont approve lighting. Just hope you never kill somebody at night and the family of victim knows the rules because you wont like the outcome for not having approved lighting.

Re: Bow Lights [Re: beermill] #11623481 05/24/16 09:49 PM
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Mike, the lights (full boat) that you saw running are not legal. I put the led's in my bow and they are great, but I carry my bow pole light in a storage compartment - just in case. I don't see why they would not be legal because they put off better light than an old school single pole light. I have spoke with a game warden at Lavon and he told me that he thinks that they look cool and are brighter than the pole light so he's for them.


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you know, nothing wrong with seven men who met on the internet going for a swim together
Re: Bow Lights [Re: beermill] #11623500 05/24/16 10:04 PM
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Mike_Soriano™ Offline
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How's does one not get disqualified when running illegal lights? It was clearly a tourney launch..10 boats simultaneously hammer down 15 mins before safe light..either a tourney or they all thought only one fish was biting at 5:45.

Re: Bow Lights [Re: beermill] #11623515 05/24/16 10:09 PM
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The talon light should dang sure be legal. It's no different than the pole light back there except it's MUCH brighter and safer! Just wire it into the existing harness where your pole light goes and you're good to go. Should the LED fail, you've still got the socket for your pole light.

As far as the bow lights, I have the LED strips in the rub rail. Must brighter and safer also. Maybe not "officially" Coast Guard approved but I'll take safer over approved anyday.

Re: Bow Lights [Re: beermill] #11623537 05/24/16 10:23 PM
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I have led but keep a shorty plugged in the bow anyways. I have seen bay boats with lights on the tops of the motor so a pole shouldn't matter. The law sway it has to be visible for two miles.

http://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/boat/safety/vessel_requirements/

Re: Bow Lights [Re: Mike_Soriano™] #11623562 05/24/16 10:33 PM
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Originally Posted By: Mike_Soriano™
How's does one not get disqualified when running illegal lights? It was clearly a tourney launch..10 boats simultaneously hammer down 15 mins before safe light..either a tourney or they all thought only one fish was biting at 5:45.


I also wonder about this situation. If it came down between someone with led lights (not coast guard approved) and someone with approved lighting and the situation was who wins the tournament and a new boat, I would have to think the person with led lights would have to be DQ'd because he did not obey all federal and local state laws.


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Re: Bow Lights [Re: JG ZX250] #11623834 05/25/16 12:11 AM
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SteezMacQueen Online Happy
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Originally Posted By: JG ZX250
Originally Posted By: Mike_Soriano™
How's does one not get disqualified when running illegal lights? It was clearly a tourney launch..10 boats simultaneously hammer down 15 mins before safe light..either a tourney or they all thought only one fish was biting at 5:45.


I also wonder about this situation. If it came down between someone with led lights (not coast guard approved) and someone with approved lighting and the situation was who wins the tournament and a new boat, I would have to think the person with led lights would have to be DQ'd because he did not obey all federal and local state laws.


Haha.....nonsense.

The lights don't have to say "USCG APPROVED" to be legal. They must meet the requirements set forth by the USCG to be legal. Bit of a difference there. The nav lights must display the appropriate color in an appropriate viewing angle and have a brightness to be discernible a certain distance. As long as these requirements are met....legal. The anchor light same thing. It must be high enough to have an unobstructed view by other boaters that is 360 degrees. It must be white....or close to it. If this is met....legal.

I am certain that the bulbs in my factory 20 yr old lights do not say USCG approved. They might say "China" or "GE" or something. .....maybe.

To me, LED lightning would be far safer. It is longer life, redundant due to multiple light sources, draw WAY less current, doesn't get hot...etc.

To say a guy fishing a boat with LED lights on it doesn't deserve to win when he out fishes a guy with old style lights is just about as stupid as it sounds.

Its like saying a race car driver can't win a race without using certain shoes.


Eat. Sleep. Fish.
Re: Bow Lights [Re: SteezMacQueen] #11623883 05/25/16 12:25 AM
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Originally Posted By: SteezMacQueen
Originally Posted By: JG ZX250
Originally Posted By: Mike_Soriano™
How's does one not get disqualified when running illegal lights? It was clearly a tourney launch..10 boats simultaneously hammer down 15 mins before safe light..either a tourney or they all thought only one fish was biting at 5:45.


I also wonder about this situation. If it came down between someone with led lights (not coast guard approved) and someone with approved lighting and the situation was who wins the tournament and a new boat, I would have to think the person with led lights would have to be DQ'd because he did not obey all federal and local state laws.


Haha.....nonsense.

The lights don't have to say "USCG APPROVED" to be legal. They must meet the requirements set forth by the USCG to be legal. Bit of a difference there. The nav lights must display the appropriate color in an appropriate viewing angle and have a brightness to be discernible a certain distance. As long as these requirements are met....legal. The anchor light same thing. It must be high enough to have an unobstructed view by other boaters that is 360 degrees. It must be white....or close to it. If this is met....legal.

I am certain that the bulbs in my factory 20 yr old lights do not say USCG approved. They might say "China" or "GE" or something. .....maybe.

To me, LED lightning would be far safer. It is longer life, redundant due to multiple light sources, draw WAY less current, doesn't get hot...etc.

To say a guy fishing a boat with LED lights on it doesn't deserve to win when he out fishes a guy with old style lights is just about as stupid as it sounds.

Its like saying a race car driver can't win a race without using certain shoes.


X 2


If it was easy, everyone would do it
Re: Bow Lights [Re: PaPa@fork] #11623941 05/25/16 12:41 AM
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Originally Posted By: PaPa@fork
Originally Posted By: SteezMacQueen
Originally Posted By: JG ZX250
Originally Posted By: Mike_Soriano™
How's does one not get disqualified when running illegal lights? It was clearly a tourney launch..10 boats simultaneously hammer down 15 mins before safe light..either a tourney or they all thought only one fish was biting at 5:45.


I also wonder about this situation. If it came down between someone with led lights (not coast guard approved) and someone with approved lighting and the situation was who wins the tournament and a new boat, I would have to think the person with led lights would have to be DQ'd because he did not obey all federal and local state laws.


Haha.....nonsense.

The lights don't have to say "USCG APPROVED" to be legal. They must meet the requirements set forth by the USCG to be legal. Bit of a difference there. The nav lights must display the appropriate color in an appropriate viewing angle and have a brightness to be discernible a certain distance. As long as these requirements are met....legal. The anchor light same thing. It must be high enough to have an unobstructed view by other boaters that is 360 degrees. It must be white....or close to it. If this is met....legal.

I am certain that the bulbs in my factory 20 yr old lights do not say USCG approved. They might say "China" or "GE" or something. .....maybe.

To me, LED lightning would be far safer. It is longer life, redundant due to multiple light sources, draw WAY less current, doesn't get hot...etc.

To say a guy fishing a boat with LED lights on it doesn't deserve to win when he out fishes a guy with old style lights is just about as stupid as it sounds.

Its like saying a race car driver can't win a race without using certain shoes.


X 2


X 3


Karl Dietz
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Re: Bow Lights [Re: beermill] #11624056 05/25/16 01:19 AM
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So say they do become strictly illegal. Does said boater with LEDs still deserve the win even though at that point it's clearly outside of the guidelines? They are still just lights.

Re: Bow Lights [Re: beermill] #11624216 05/25/16 01:56 AM
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The state does not say they are illegal. They fulfill all the visual parameters that they have in place. The Coast Guard, from what I have found, don't state that they are not approved. They have visual parameters also. It doesn't state what kind of bulb you had to use to achieve it. I cannot find anything other than forum opinions that state that they are not legal.

Re: Bow Lights [Re: Mike_Soriano™] #11624241 05/25/16 02:03 AM
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Originally Posted By: Mike_Soriano™
So say they do become strictly illegal. Does said boater with LEDs still deserve the win even though at that point it's clearly outside of the guidelines? They are still just lights.
did his lights give him an unfair advantage? Or are you looking for excuses to move up in the money........

Just saying.

And no.....the use of lights meeting the guidelines set forth by the USCG will likely not change to EXCLUDE current appropriate lighting. It might be amended to prohibit lighting that interferes with the safety of others (red deck lights....or blue water lights....or whatever color in the wrong spot for non other than looking like a ricer car dweeb on water)....but properly placed lightning that meets the regs isn't "causing a safety issue" it's preventing accidents.


Eat. Sleep. Fish.
Re: Bow Lights [Re: beermill] #11624351 05/25/16 02:35 AM
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I know the nitro z19 has led nav lights recessed on either side, I don't see them doing something that doesn't meet the requirements


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