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The Griz is not allowed to continue Guiding...


PierBridge

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Whoever mentioned that an oupv licensed fishing guide is equal to a barge captain is waaay off. Barge captains hold a multi ton masters license as well as a rated towing endorsement and various endorsments for waters they work. Many hours of sea service required for that job/license!! There are a great variety of Merchant Mariner documents out there!

The simple Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel {oupv} type licenses, aka 6pack license.....

Just about anyone can get a oupv of one type or another and poof you're a licensed 'captain'!! The limited scope oupv is the minimal required license for operating a for hire 'guide boat' carrying no more than 6 passengers in this state on most of MN's fed waters. On Lake Superior one needs a great lakes endorsed oupv. On the Mississippi I am not sure, either a limited scope or an inland oupv.

No you don't have to spend a thousand dollars for a limited scope oupv either, a variety of ways/places to get it where it would'nt cost you near that much.

So Darin there is a middle ground and the limted scope oupv would be that specific certification for a fishing guide on most of MN's federal waterways.

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A limited scope will not work on the rivers. It has to be a six pack. Not sure where you can get one cheaper. Pricing them out the classes I've seen are 56 hours and $750. That price doesn't include your physical or the licensing fees.

Someone today told me it was pretty much same as barge, posting word of mouth gets you in trouble.

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From the USCG HSOforum:

Quote:
Limited operator of uninspected passenger vessel licenses may be issued to applicants to be employed by organizations such as formal camps, yacht clubs, educational institutions, and marinas. A license issued under this

paragraph will be limited to the specific activity and the locality of the camp, yacht club, or marina.

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they should just make it a law that if you want to boat on the rivers than you need a coast guard certification not just impose this on the guides......also what can happen on guided trip that you would be worried about the guide having the proper insurance?? maybe I am missing something, well I must be missing something cause there is obviously insurance out there for the guide........and to who said they go into a bar/resteraunt that they are insured, How do you know that the insurance hasn't canceled-the licensed part should be up to date per the state but who is keeping an eye on them to make sure they are properly insured?

So much wrong here I don't know where to start...

"impose" it on the guides?? Guides are earning a living on our public waterways, thats why they need to be certified, insured, etc.. and pay more than thier share of fees, licenses, taxes. It really does help keep out the wannabes, and the Govt. should come down HARD on any unliscenced guides. The guys that play by the rules should benifit from it.

What can happen??? REALLY? Try taking out a few people you don't know, or know anything about, or even know if they have any experience, medical conditions, common sense, etc. What could happen???

How do you know a bar/restaraunt has up to date insurance??? Um...the state mandates it, and imposes heavy fees that could close the business (and does on occasion) if tyehy are caught. Obviously it's not foolproof, but I think you can be pretty darn sure most bars keep up with thier insurance.

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I understand the whole "they should have a license/be insured for our safety" etc. etc.... but why do we always have to have someone else make that decision for us? Why can't I be allowed to make that decision? To be perfectly honest, a guy that has been fishing the river for 30 years without this license gives me a lot more comfort than some Joe who spent $1000 and passed the class so he can guide on the river. The bottom line is let the client decide, don't force the decision on some kind of "certification." In my opinion it is all in the name of revenue. Any adult can operate a boat on any waterway without a special license, but we are making the experienced ones take more classes????? Seems silly to me.

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There are alot of careers out there where you have to carry a license that shows you are qualified, why is everyone against it in this case. My license cost me more than a couple hundred bucks and a few days in class. If the law says you need one, you need one. If the USCG is the one inforcing it then it's not just a MN thing.

Why should some people be exempt from it? Do you go to an unlicensed doctor? Would you have an unliscensed plumber or electrician fix your house? How about drivers, what if nobody got a liscense anymore? Wouldn't that be the same thing?

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Because they are a navigable water. That is what separates the Mississippi/St. Croix from Mille Lacs, and it's the law.

Now if I was a lisenced captian on the water I'd be fighting like heck to get all the other "guides" to either pony up and carry the same certification or get them off the water.

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I went out with the Griz last year, as far as Im concerned if I wanted to go out with him tomorrow (or any other unlicensed guide)I would pay him in cash and let the Coast Guard try to prove that we are not just old friends out for a day on the river.

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But why is it only on the rivers and you can guide on all the lakes without one?

Well you need at minimum a limited scope oupv on the LOTW as well as Rainy, Kab and other border lakes. Pretty sure any 'lake' on the Mississppi river is considered a Federal waterway as well as a few other in the state too. Sandman, not needing one on "all" the lakes is for sure wrong, and they don't just give them to those who wanna be a guide!

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Yep, you are correct, limited works on LOTW, rainy and other border lakes. But on the river you need the six pack.

The law is the law when it comes to this. But I'll tell you that I would feel safer with Griz on those rivers any day of the week then a just licensed or non-licensed launch capt on Mille Lacs. Don't have to deal with 6 foot waves on the river very often. And I don't know many that take out more than two or three or have over 20' boats on the river. I think the Limited would be just fine.

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For the USCG license... It is only needed on waters that are FEDERALLY controlled by the USCG... Including both lakes and or rivers here in our area of WI and MN..

Some areas have different levels of licenses you can get for guiding purposes as Fisky has mentioned.. St. Louis River, Lake Winnebago, Kab, Rainy, LOW, Chequamegon Bay (but not the Apostle Islands, etc etc you can take the limited scope license. This only allows you to have your boat for hire on that particular body of water or river..

The OUPV, or 6 pack license, is the typical "charter boat" license for other waters that you can not get a limited license and can have a boat for hire up to 6 clients. Which is what I have for here on Lake Superior, including Chequamegon Bay as well.. With this license, I can guide on other federal waters throughout the states as well too.

Then you go up from there, like Masters.. with different tonnage limits, etc etc.. These are the big boat operators like barges, tour boats, ferrys, etc etc etc..

Each type of license has a limited amount of hours of operation needed for the licensee on federally regulated waters, etc etc as well...

So, federally regulated is the difference between these waters and others you are familiar with.. And with this license then you are insured differently and carry different safety gear on board as well.

And to those thinking that its cool just to slip under the table... It really isnt... It may seem like a good way to keep folks employeed and such, but if an accident occurs on these federally regulated bodies of water. Your friends life and livelyhood probably just went down the crapper...

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I can tell you a lot of guides that think you're insured while guiding under your regular boating insurance are sadly mistaken. A normal boat insurance policy will not cover you in the event you are using your vessel for monetary gain.

I know it's a hassle and a bit of money and time but if you're serious about being a legit guide. Get it done!!!

I've heard good things about "explorersguidellc" and you can do it on-line!

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I'm glad they are cracking down on this, I really am.

I know people who guide on these waters without proper certifications and I know those who wouldn't guide until they had those certifications. Knowing the guys who went through what they had to to be able to guide on these waters, I'd want everyone else who "guides" as well to be properly certified too.

If you don't want to play by the rules, don't guide on these waters. Its that simple. If you want to guide on these waters, get your certifications and insurance in order and have at it.

I do not know the exact particulars but I know one outstanding catman who got out of guiding because he was going to be required to get coast guard certified to do so on the Minnesota River. The Minnesota is a commercial body of water up unto HWY 169 but I'm not sure where the legal boundaries land.

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I can tell you a lot of guides that think you're insured while guiding under your regular boating insurance are sadly mistaken. A normal boat insurance policy will not cover you in the event you are using your vessel for monetary gain.

I know it's a hassle and a bit of money and time but if you're serious about being a legit guide. Get it done!!!

I've heard good things about "explorersguidellc" and you can do it on-line!

Guides insurance can be costly, I have paid up to $1500.00 for a year.

The guys that guide on Mille Lacs with watercraft over 21 ft are required to have a watercraft pilots license. Which you have to operate a boat with a person already licensed for XX numbers of hours. The 6-pack also requires the same physical truckers have to pass, plus a back ground check, people that have a crimal record are not allowed the license.

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Ok, here is one for those guys that think everyone should have the USCG ticket, then why is it that the DNR, the Washington County Sherrif, Pierce County Sherrif, ETC. doesnt have to? They should know more than anyone. I have been tied up to just to check for license and such and been banged around and put in some not so good situations by them. Just my opinion, but I feel that this group should come first and let the guides do there thing with just there business license and insurance like other business. It's just more regulation and taxation without regulation. Another way to stick it to the small business man.

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Is guide insurance pretty much like business insurance just worded up differently to cover different aspects.

I pay around that for my line of work. Though that is pretty steep considering the season and all and the time you actually are on the water.

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Not sure if this matters to many of you or not but having this Coast Guard certification has been the law for quite awhile now. This is nothing new, didn't come out of the woodwork, or should not come as a surprise to those who are guiding without it.

Sort of like drinking underage with a fake ID, you know its illegal but you'll do it until you are caught.

IMO... reason the CG is cracking down now is they are being pressured by those who have complied with the law.

In the state of Minnesota, there are only a handful of bodies of water that this applies to. If you don't want the privilige to run a commercial business on these few bodies of water, there are 10,000 other lakes you can do it on.

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along with the oupv( 6pack)license you also need to carry a TWIC card, all river guides must have this also I went down today and filled out the paper work and got finger printed and payed the fee for this as well cost is 132.50 nonrefundable, they do a extensive back ground check on you and if you meet the standard and are approved you get the card, if you are denied you can file a appeal but the chances of there decision being over turn is rare and you are out the money and the right to legally guide on the river, I've done alot of stupid stuff when I was a teenager and I hope and pray my old life style 20 plus years ago won't come back to haunt me and put a end to my guiding on the river.

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