Fishing in the dark

Came up on a boat on the vine tonight way up by the creek and came across someone fishing in a boat with no lights on. I kept on seeing this faint blue light...like a glow stick....eventually the nav lights popped on and they left.

Stupid? Unscrupulous? Or maybe they just were saving battery power?

You are only required to have your nav lights on when running. I tie up under a bridge and fish for crappie at night I turn my lights off to keep the bugs at bay. I always have a flashlight or something handy though if I hear a boat coming up so I can turn it on if people get close. If I am fishing in a creek though close to the boat lane I will keep my nav lights on. I wouldn't say they are stupid or anything it may have been a couple out there enjoying some "quality" time together.

You have to have an anchor light...is...rear pole light...unless you are tie to the dock.

http://www.boatus.com/boattech/articles/anchor-lights.asp

I don't think the lovers came up to the stump's.

Correct should at least have the white light on to mark there location. Most of the time I leave all 3 of my lights on when fishing at night as for I rather be safe than sorry. But if I am out there for an extended period and worried about the battery then yes I will shut down my running lights and just the leave the white light on top on.

I've seen Wardens at night with no lights on. They was being sneaky!!! Lol! I've also had some wardens cruise up next to me while I was running at about 20 mile an hour one night. I looked over and was like, is that a boat and then they hit their lights, but those Wardens we're some cool dudes! They checked my boat and equipment and then gave me some promising leads that we're " spot on ".

Tied up to a bridge may be a little safer than being out drifting etc in the middle of the lake without lights, but don't count on hearing a boat to turn on lites. Cause I liked to have ran over a forum member one nite cause he thought he could hear a boat coming. He didn't hear me till it would have been too late if I hadn't slowed down to check a hump!!!

we use a propane lantern at night, u can see us on other side of lake, try to use a spot light when we driving across lake to see for boats and floaties, etc... be safe out there.

If you are out in an area of the lake that is navigable at speed without a spotlight I think you need to either leave your lights on all the time or stay awake enough to turn them on when a boat is coming. If you are buried back in the stick/on a bridge piling beached on the bank etc would say turn them off.

I came within feet, like less than 5 feet of hitting an anchored boat with no lights on at full throttle one night on the way back from night fishing. I don't know who it scared more me or the people in that boat!

Im used to driving the clear lakes at night with no spotlight, I can tell where I am by landmarks and there are no stumps so we didn't use a spot light. Now we sweep with a spotlight no matter what.

Another reason I think the l.e.d strip lights are a good idea. Uses very little power compared to standard lights, no need for headlamps/glow sticks, some people claim they attract bait, attract less bugs, and you're lit up like a Christmas tree on the water.

Dang Tom... I'm glad your a " humpy hump hump checker ". Lol! and that's a great point you made!!

and Blues is right!!!! I still haven't added those leds yet but I need too. Gonna try and do that soon.

I suspect that this individual was trying to avoid potential detection by game wardens. I see pleasure boaters on gvine all the time with no lights on....but they are usually not this far up lake.

As I have said many times...there are more idiots on grapevine per a square mile than on any other lake on the planet. I believe Lewisville takes the prize for the most idiots...but it is much bigger and the ratio is lower.

The other day there was a group of bafoons tubing among the floaters at night with no lights on their boat.

+1 for LED lights. I added these to my rig recently and they are BRIGHT. The bugs stay at the water line, I can see without a headlamp while hauling jugs and they can run all night without smoking my battery.



I got them from Amazon for $13/16 foot section, ran power to them though a rocker switch and a fuse.

Cheap, easy, effective; and like Blues said "Christmas Tree."

Brian. Why is it you hardly have anything positive to say about others on the lakes. If those guys were trying to avoid detection by the Wardons they would not have had a glow stick. I keep glow stick and zip ties on my boat just in cast the ligh don't want to work for some reason. Every one has a right to use the lake weather it is to fish,jet ski ,or ski and tube . Yes they should have had a light. But then not using a light would make do difference to LE as they are equipped with. NVG's. If I pull up in some logs in the shallows I don't use any lights on my boat either. Is it right ? no but I am not worried about some one doing 50 across the lake at night like I see every time I go late to Waco. And hitting me in there. If you went so concernd about what every one els is doing and focused on your self more you would enjoy your free time much more. Who cares what some one els is doing as long as it does not affect you and what your doing. So next time you see somthing g that some one is doing you don't. Agree with Think happy thoughts

About 4 months ago I was fishing Belton. I was in the middle of the lake between Temple Lake Park and Westcliff. It was about 9pm, completely dark and very still. I had my lights on. I watch a boat on full plane come around Temple Lake Park. There is literally a mile of open water in any direction around me. I see that he appears to be heading directly at me, but he is still quite far away. So I hold up my cell phone light and wave it back and forth. He was going easily 50MPH or more. He bore down straight at me. I stood up and was waving my light at him. Remember Front and back lights were on. At the Last second, less than a boat length away, he veers behind me, he past within less than a boat length from me. I was sure that night one or both of us could have died. In the still darkness in the middle of the Lake. I was very shaken. I pulled in all my lines and went in to West Cliff. He was still on the Ramp, I saw him take a swig from a pint. I was still very rattled, I asked him if he saw me sitting there. He said he was sorry and stated his eye sight wasn't that good. I was so rattled, All I could say was I thought I was going to die tonight, I said as much to myself as to him. I believe that that was as close as I've come with Death since I was young and thought I was invincible. So Much for peace and serenity of fishing. Only one other boat on an entire Lake, and he almost hits me. Its no wonder he couldn't see, he was driving so fast, with no glasses that I could see on, and most likely alcohol was involved. I'm getting one of those million watt lights before I go out night fishing again. Be Warned my friends!

I got the same ones from Amazon, but I only have them installed on one side of the boat.

Keep in mind, those dinky anchor lites look like a lite on shore till you get up on them. I do quite a bit of running in the dark. I took some led lites and attached them to a PVC pipe. Stick it in the rack on top of my console. You can see everything in and around the boat plus you can see it for at least three miles. Also made a red one for nite fishing.

Boating on a DFW area lake is about like driving on a DFW freeway...there isn't much behavior that deserves praise. I don't have a problem with all pleasure boaters, jet skiers, and tubers...just the ones that are doing stupid stuff that endangers themselves or others. I also have a problem with those that interfere with my fishing.

I have seen Tom's beacon...it is pretty cool.

I've seen the effects of someone not turning their lights on when a boat is close. My cousin and his friend were out at night and I was on the other side of the cove in my boat. They decided to head in and and flipped the running lights on and spot light. He said they were about half way to the dock and they T-boned a guy out in the middle of the cove with no lights on. The guys boat sank and my cousin grabbed both him and his kid from the water and got them back to the dock. If I hear a boat motor anywhere I always turn the navs on just in case.

Which ones did you get, Mudcat? The ones on Amazon from Supernight? Did you use any additional mounting tape?

+1

An other words you don't want any one one the lake when ur trying to fish. I fish to and if those tax payers want to use the lake how the see fit then that's there right. This is America but then again it seem that every one what's every one els to fit I. This little box that they see fit. Fish to and can give a rats [censored] hoe may jet skiers tubers or pleaser boaters there are out ther. I shure in hell do t care is some one is tubing at night with floating g log every were They will one hit it once lol. You need to learn to share it not just your sand box. Other kids want to play too. But I do get where ur coming from. They can get anoing and I just wanted to break your balls over it

Jason77, I guess we are just going to have to agree to disagree on this subject. I am going to guess by your comment that you don't care about people tubing at night that you have never had to rescue anyone on the water. I have had to do pull survivors out of the water before, and I don't want to have to it again. Especially not with my 6 year old daughter and and 4 year old son on board with me. That experience was pretty dramatic to the two of them.

Likewise, being a taxpayer doesn't give them the right to interfere with an angler. There is plenty of room for them to their thing without bothering fishermen.

Don't sweat Jason77 he's the new catboss.

Just FYI Brian I have had to pull 3 guys out of the water. The drove there boat through a floating dock. So don't assume anything it makes you look dummer then you already are. All u do is btch moan and cry about every thing an every one does I don't care if people are skieing. Hell I skis and tube. They have just as much of a right to be out the as u do. If you don't like it go to a lake were thay can't do it or quit btching about every thing every one does. What gives you the right to mess with there skieing with ur fishing. Get over your self it's a public lake. I sear if ur not complaining g about people enjoying the like your comaini g because the government doesn't fix the ramps.

Jason77, from the last few topics you have been on, sounds like you need to get a chip off your shoulder or something!!

they guy can be a real dick at times I have a feeling he is drinking and bord so just ignore hime all he is trying to do is start a fight then sit back and watch where the chips fall. but to answer brains question i was out on the lake that night those guys drove there $60,000 skeet trough a floating dock and he did jump in and pull on guy out who was not breathing and ended up dying 2 days later at the hospital you bothe have different options no what is right it is a matter of curtsy by every one on the lake to do the right thing when others other are near by/ I have had skiers run right over my corks and even once hook them selfs i did not care on bit they wont do it agin i can primes you that. but as far as jasone goes just ignor him i am almost positive he is drunk in fact i am going to look up his number can give him a call this is not the first time i had to do this . And i am suppose to me the messed up one who writes stuff when i take my meds and don't recall ever doing it. but this has to stop