spotlighting on metro lakes

[50inchpig]

Was out on Bald Eagle just after midnight on Saturday, a car stops on the south shore and starts shining a very powerful green colored spotlight at my boat. This went on for a few minutes until it just got too creepy and I left the spot, but the car and light stayed put for a few minutes after that.

Not my idea of a good time, very strange to say the least, not the first time I've trailered the boat with the fillet knife in one hand. Anyone seen this weirdness before?

[nater]

Night fishing is fun, but there are times that make you wonder why is this guy boating up to me at night or times when your vehicle and/or trailer is vandalized. Not fun for sure.

It's hard to say if it was kids messing around or not, but after 30 seconds of that I'd have left also. Too me its not worth waiting around to see what their up to. I still don't carry any protection with me, but the accesses with no lights can be creepy when alone.

[HugoBox]

Marc-

Eerie for sure - you gotta buy the same 15 million candle power spotlight I have and you'd be able to outshine them pretty quickly!!

I gotta admit though - walking to the rig in the dark parking lot and putting the boat on the trailer (especially when you're alone) makes me carry at least a mag light.

-erik

[setterguy]

I've had police do this to me on White Bear, the only thing I could think is they were trying to figure out where my trailer was since the ramp closes at 11 and it was 1am....that is a little weird.

[JRedig]

I've had police do this to me on White Bear, the only thing I could think is they were trying to figure out where my trailer was since the ramp closes at 11 and it was 1am....that is a little weird.

I actually had a cop check the regs for me, the ramp doesn't ever close, it's the park it's connected too. Technically the ramp and parking is out of the jurisdiction of the local police and is left to the DNR. Or at least this is what I was told by a WBL police officer earlier this year.

I'm curious why Ramsey County doesn't have lights up at more of their launches, or why when one goes out they can't fix it? There are a lot of dark ramps around the east side...

[Tom7227]

I was out on Bald Eagle on Saturday night and the sheriff's patrol was out. It's possible they were checking to see who was still out but the green spotlight seems odd. I've never seen that used by law enforcement.

[Zelmsdawg]

I would guess the green spotlight because if I recall correctly, it doesn't wreck your night vision. Same reason some guys put like green cellophane over their headlamps when fishing.

Zelmsdawg

[50inchpig]

I actually emailed the Sheriffs office last week because of all the people out on BE without lights that I saw on Tuesday night, not at sunset either, way late.

I usually mind my own business when I can but it seemed like it was only a matter of time before something bad happened, especially with the increased traffic, so props to the RCS for their response there.

I would have checked out the spotlight if I wouldn't have been by myself.

[Tom7227]

So you're why I got pulled over for no lights. Brand new boat and apparently I blew a fuse. I had been out and had used the lights 3 or 4 times when moving around and then of course when it's totally dark and time to go home the d--- things won't work. Headlights and interior lights and a slow throttle kept me from a ticket, but of course a couple neighbors have already commented on it asking if I needed bail money.

If the cops were checking up to see what was going on why would they bother with a green shade? What do they care about night vision? Sounds more to me like a local trying to see who was out chasing things in the middle of the night.

[TSchultz]

Kinda related,

A couple years ago I was night fishing WBL on the muskie opener pretty late, probably 1-2 in the morning. As I was casting the shorline a small boat pretty close to shore was going along and periodically shining a flashlight up into people's yards. At the time I couldn't figure out what the heck they were doing. Were they trying to find a friends house on the lake and dind't quite know where it was or what. Then the next day I figured it out. They were probably losers looking for loot to steal that people had left up on their lawns. I did remember them not shining on the actual houses and just on the lawns and docks. Then I figured these guys must be pretty stupid. If they wanted to do it right they would be going along while the sun was still up casing the joints out instead of shining lights at night. If it had occurred to me what they were doing at the time I would have called the cops.

[hunterjoe]

A similarly related subject to yours TS. My dad and I were out spearing/shooting carp one night and a woman started yelling down at us. Apparently we were stealing motors. She asked what we were doing and we said fishing. She promplty told us we were stealing motors and was calling the cops. We continued fishing for a while after that and no cops came by. It would have been one thing if we were being sneaky, but with the generator running and all sorts of lights on, one would think we're the worst theives in the world. BTW, we didn't get any motors that night but did get a few carp.