Buoys...

[Ness]

This weekend I had an opportunity to check out a new lake that I've never been on. I was warned in advance by a few friends to be real careful because a lot of boats have been wrecked on this particular lake and I even was fortunate enough to be warned of some bad spots to watch out for before we launched there. I'm glad I was given the warning now. I've seen several different types of buoys on lakes before but this is the first time I've seen this system used. All that they have for buoys is these little white flags that you can barely see on the water. This is a fairly good size lake and is heavily used. I would think a better buoy would be getting used???
This probably is a cheaper system but from what I've seen and heard it's wreaked it's share of damage to a lot of boats. Is this system popular on a lot of lakes??? By the way, I'm talking about Canadarago Lake in upstate New York.

[Brokenprop/brokenheart]

Huge problem on Lake Traverse on the MN/SD border. No buoys at all!!! There's a lake less than 20 miles away that is flooded with buoys. Why isn't this lake marked???? Massive rocks in the middle of the lake, far from the nearest shoreline, not marked! Any reason?

[Eyez (SD)]

Traverse is a notorious lower unit eater, and in the 7 years or so I 've fished there, I don't recall ever seeing any buoys. I'm curious to know why also. Does someone have to sink before they mark them? Does anyone know what the requirements are for a lake or river to be buoyed?


eyez (SD)

[bob oh]

These things must be local markers Ness, because I can't think of any Coast Guard markes like you describe. Don't know who would place them. I think it depends on on laws in individual states as far as inland lakes, unless the lakes are regulated by Coast Guard. On Lake Erie which is used for commerical traffic and under USCG, the navagational aids conform to standards and there are a lot of dangerous areas that are not marked. You should get a good chart of the lake (I would think there would be some good ones available for a lake the size of Canandauga (sp?)or any of the Finger Lakes) and become familiar with the danger spots. There are also local markings that may not conform with standards and can cause some confusion. If you want to understand the navigational system you need to get a publication (some are available from the USCG) so you can see what each marker or sign means...I think there are some good videos available also, and you can view them on several Web sites.
Bob

[AquaMan]

You know, now that you mention it, that was a big question in my mind when I moved here in 1980. I grew up in Maine during the summers and all the lakes there have buoys to mark rocks, reefs and channels. I thought that MN had no rocks, etc. in their lakes and was very surprised when I met my first rock on Lake Minnetonka the summer of 1981.

I have asked some of the DNR guys at different levels and the same responce is that with all the lakes it would cost a fortune to maintain these.

So I wondered where all the money goes. Didn't we all vote and approve for the lottery and agree to give the DNR/Wildlife Management Fund the lion's share to the DNR? Didn't we approve of the "Sportsmen's" (RIM) License Plates to help in land and water management? Didn't we approve a tax percentage on all sporting goods sold in MN to assist in the DNR's burgeoning responsibilities? Aren't we in the process of raising the hunting and fishing lincense fees. According to my calulations, the DNR and related offices should be flush. Until you examine the real pie slices. The lottery was a scam that nets the DNR very little income. The RIM plate funds are held in slush account until a real need is proposed, studied and approved (at great expence) by the legislation and event then, DU, MN Waterfowl, MN Deer Hunters, MN Walleye Alliance or some other org has to kick in a good chunk.

The sales tax portion is so small that you could hardly support the fisheries, let alone the water and land mamnagement it was intended for. And what about the license increase? How come every penny is not available to the DNR? Why does the legistration have control over the DNR's fund? How come they (Legislation) can spend their (The DNR) money on other issues like a "Habitat for Hounds" fund????????? Is the Humane Society under the DNR's wing????????? Did we approve this????????

Who is getting all the money if the intended receipiants are not? How come, with the enormous taxes we pay to "wildlife and wildresouces", we don't have buoys, better boat ramps, quality land management, a deer herd that is twice what Wisconsin's is instead of the opposite?

Grrrrrr.... I am so frustrated with our Government and their misguided benifits. Why are we being "sold" these Sports-benificial opportunities that later vanish.

Whew..sorry for the vent! So what about those Buoys..hahaha

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Hans]

First of all, forget about the Coast Guard. They only concern themselves with navigable waters like the Great Lakes and Mississippi river.

Second of all, forget about most state DNR's. They have no funds nor charters to do it. It's not their job.

Marking hazards in most inland lakes is accomplished by sportmens clubs or lakeshore owners societies. A good example is Lake Vermilion in Minnesota. Hazards are marked, channels are marked, and there are even flashing lights for night navigation. It's all done by the SCLV (Sportsmens Club of Lake Vermilion).

Hans


--
"There is nothing; absolutely nothing; half so much worth doing,
as simply messing about in boats." :-)

[scottcny]

Ness,
i fish Canadarago alot, mostly on the ice though, because of the poor markings. the only thing you can do on that lake is move slow in open water and keep your eyes on the sonar when under way. also, when i'm drifting out there i always trim my outboard up out of the water to be on the safe side. good walleye lake though, some real slobs in there. also some big perch.

[Time to Move]

Bouys are not meant to mark obstructions. They are layed out to mark navigable waters, not non-navigable waters. May I suggest you get a lake chart. They indicate obstructions.

[Eyez (SD)]

I guess I've seen more than one buoy sticking off the top of a rock pile here in SD, and I always assumed that GFP put them there, but after reading the other posts, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Thanks for the answer,
Eyez (SD)

[bob oh]

Sorry Ness, thought you were referring to Finger Lake. Don't know if charts are available for smaller lakes. Really we can't expect USCG to take care of all lakes they barely have the personnel to take care of their job.
Bob

[Ness]

That's why I was there for the Eyes and the perch.
:-) I'd just rather not wreck the boat trying to get them...

[D189]

Ness,
The Coast Guard maintains the "US Aids to Navigation System which includes all federal waterways and the Great Lakes. Most states use the "Uniform State Waterway Marking System" and the markings and bouys mean different things. If that's not confusing enough, the Intercoastal Waterway in Fla. uses a variation of the U.S. system also with different color markings. In the State system rocks are supposed to be marked by a sign with an orange triangle in the middle. (New York obviously hasn't gotten around to it yet) Like someone already said, get a good chart of the
lake and the rockpiles will show on it. Be safe.
D189

[Richard]

I had a close call with a rock pile one time and it bothered me all day. When I got to the ramp to load out I ran into a game warden (ND). I mentioned my near catastrophe and asked why there wasn't a marker. He told me "if we mark one, we must mark them all. If we miss one or markers free themselves and an accident occurs, we are liable".

[Hmmm!]

So if I hit a deer on the highway and there is no deer crossing sign in sight, I can sue the highway department? C'mon.

[Hans]

I want the DNR to spend their limited time and money on improving hunting and fishing.

I'm bright enough to practice prudent seamanship and avoid entanglements with submerged objects in the lake.

"Mommy, mommy, I hit a rock." Whattabunchofbabies!

--
"There is nothing; absolutely nothing; half so much worth doing,
as simply messing about in boats." :-)