It's not working!

[harvey lee]

Posted by Big Dave

It's all of these assumptions I don't like. How do you know these people you speak of don't pull their plug, drop the motor and wash every square inch of the boat and trailer with bleach and a pressure washer when they get home? Yes, it is unlikely but you don't know.

C'mon Dave, read my post, I said I watch these boats as they pulled out of the water and drove away, I would guess that is how I know, no assumption. I said they pulled their boat our and drove away, They checked nothing as I posted if you would have bothered to even read my post.

News flash Davey, you are suppose to raise your motor and drain it, pull your plug at the landing and empty your live well at the landing. Then remove all weeds and check everything else, about 3-4 minutes. Doing it at home IS NOT the law. Any more lame replies??????

You like some others here simply do not like the fact that the DNR has told you to do something and you do not like it.

I don't want to do it do I am going to whine about it, cry a little and then take my ball and go home. Just like a 2 year old.

Maybe next time, doubtful, read what I posted and then respond, but again, I would not expect anything other than what you already do.

Geez, can you read or comprehend or do you simply type before you turn that brain on? I guess I do not need to ask that as you just proved you do not think before you type.

You would think we were discussing this in the kindergarden class.

[harvey lee]

If some of you want to spend your kids future tax dollars on a futile attempt to do something that is impossible, why not just start a non-profit organization and donate your own money to the cause? If it's that important to you to make yourself feel better by trying to do something that can't be done, spend your own money!

News flash Big Dave, that's now how law's work, we all pay and we all comply or we pay again. I am sure when you or a few others who will not comply get caught, then you will be right here bad mouthing the big bad DNR for giving you a fine for not following the law

Just like any other law, yes, you can pick and choose which ones you choose to follow but when you get fined, so be it, you asked for it.

It is people like you who need to be fined heavily so you could learn the law means for all, not just those who follow the law..

You would be better served if you spent your time talking to elected officials about this program and not whining in here. Doing it here will get you nowhere, you have a chance, yes a small chance if you contact your officials or get a signed petition by a 100,000 people or more.

Complaining about it in here will get you nothing, not one law will be changed or reversed.

[20lbSloughShark]

Just like any other law, yes, you can pick and choose which ones you choose to follow but when you get fined, so be it, you asked for it.

It is people like you who need to be fined heavily so you could learn the law means for all, not just those who follow the law..

No, he did not ask for it. I don't know a single person who did. I follow most of the new laws, because I always did. Some are just so impractical, and as I have said before, I don't know a single person who follows them. You have to practically be a lawyer to fish these days. Clean off weeds, pull the plug, and wash your boat once in a while. If thats what it takes, then fine.

[CANOPY SAM]

So, after reading thru this entire thread I see where we once again have strayed from the original point of discussion. Seems to be a theme on FM.

The OP made a title line stating that the new AIS regs aren't working, and went on further to point out that they are primarily not working because it appears that many people are simply not complying with the new laws....perhaps due to lack of education, or perhaps because they simply choose not to comply with the rules.

What's my take on this situation you ask? Why am I returning to the original point of the discussion?

Well, to be quite frank and honest, I'm not surprised at all that we still see so many people either ignoring, or unaware of the new regulations. For those that are truly unaware, let's face it, many are likely not avid boaters/fishermen. I would wager that MOST watercraft owners only use their boats perhaps one or two times each year, and at that they rarely update themselves on the current laws of the land. Hence, they end up learning the hard way.

For those who know the laws and still choose to snub their noses at the system, why would this really be so surprising? Murder is a capitol crime, punishable by death in some states. Everyone knows this, yet it still continues to happen everyday all over the world. Theft is clearly against the law, yet theft is so common now it's almost become an accepted evil wherever we live. There are laws to protect and preserve our lives, homes, and heritage all over the books in our country. And everyday people intentionally choose to disregard those laws, and willingly break them. This fact will never change, and it will never go away.

As others have already said, and I agree. The DNR isn't doing anything wrong with minimally trying to slow the spread of problematic aquatic species. I agree they are likely spending far too much money in their efforts, but every process takes time to develop, and at their inception most of these processes come at the highest expense. Given time, I would expect them to streamline the process, improve their surveillance methods, and get more efficient with achieving their goals.

Is this going to eliminate the habitual criminal offender who chooses to ignore the laws and regulations? Well, let's see. Has anyone recently heard of people taking more fish then legally allowed by law? Have you seen any reports of criminal activity in your region of the state of any kind?

It's a process folks. It will get better with time. And for those of you who believe this will ultimately end up with the privatization of all our lakes and rivers, you'd better run out right now and buy up all the guns and ammo you can afford cause the government plans to take them all away from us tomorrow!!!

[Down Deep]

It's a process folks. It will get better with time. And for those of you who believe this will ultimately end up with the privatization of all our lakes and rivers, you'd better run out right now and buy up all the guns and ammo you can afford cause the government plans to take them all away from us tomorrow!!!

I pretty sure that Government taking away my guns has nothing to do with the original topic. I'm also not ready to accept that ES law violators are common criminals on par with bank robbers and other violent offenders. I've forgotten to pull my plug a couple of times.

[Big Dave2]

[20lbSloughShark]

So someone who accidentally forgets a weed on their trailer, or wont transport gallons of water for live bait is on the same level as a bank robber, or murderer? I'd say its because of people like you that these kinds of laws exist.

[Comit 2]

Quote:

With the attitude of some the people on here you can see why it is not working. Fix it but I am not going to put the slightest effort into it, then I will tell you how dumb you are when it doesn't work. Is it really that hard to check things over?

Wow!!!

I am amazed no one said, I never did it before why should I do it now. Why should I? He didn't.

No one is going to do it for you! The only one who can stop it is you. If you say it won't work it is because of you! It is that easy.

If you don't like it, stay away from infested lakes!!!! I do because I know the only way to make sure all the water is out of my boat is to stand it on end and I'm not going to do that. So I will just stay away from infested water. It is just that easy!!!

Some of you sound like cigarette smokers. You know you should quit and complain about the price. No one is going to do that for you ether!

[harvey lee]

One cannot argue with the likes of those who reads part of a post and then assumes the balance.

[BobT]

Probably my biggest concern about this is that it turns every one of us that ever launches our boat in an infested lake a criminal potentially facing fines or worse.

If we get into our car and drive down a road at 60mph with a posted 55mph speed limit we are guilty of speeding and we are aware of it when we do it. Suppose there was no such thing as a speedometer to inform us of our speed but the state still posted speed limits and law enforcement still had a means of determining our speed? How could we possibly be sure not to exceed the posted speed limit? It would be impossible to avoid a potential violation resulting in a fine or worse.

That's exactly what our AIS laws do. Every one of us that launches a boat in infested water potentially leaves that water carrying invasive species either in adult form or in their microscopic infant form and we could still be carrying them days or even weeks later under the right circumstances. It is virtually impossible for us to avoid this situation no matter what we do.

They actually have AIS sniffing canines now in use and if something is found you are potentially facing fines or worse and what defense do you have? Just like trying to defend yourself against the speeding violation I mentioned above, it's your word against the arresting officer and they have the evidence from their investigation to back up their position. How do you defend against an AIS sniffing dog or laboratory analysis? And, since we have no practical means to totally eradicate the little critters from our boats, we are all potential victims of this law. Now I don't usually consider a violator of law to be a victim but in this case I will.

[DTro]

That's a good analogy and I expect eventually this will all be challenged in court.

[raymondk]

everytime I have checked by the dnr and the inspectors at the landings they have been very nice and helpful even pulling weeds on the bottom of my trailer while I still was strapping my boat down. The few on here that dam about everything the dnr is doing to slow it down either start doing your part or sell your fishing/boating stuff and find something else to screw up.

[walleyefisher10]

What happens if there are weeds on your bunks of the trailer and there between the boat and trailer and you can't see them but the dog can smell them?? Should I get a ticket for something that I didn't know was there??

I always drain everything at the landing when I load my boat, its just part of the routine that I do when I load my boat, I always look under the trailer and make sure there is nothing hanging on brake lines or bunks and frame.

I am trying to do my part but if a dog smells something that we as humans can't even see, should we get a ticket?? we are not transporting drugs so stop treating us like we are!!!

Thanks for letting me vent, I'm done now lol.

[DTro]

Raymond, I don't think anyone is questioning the niceness or intelligence of the inspectors, I agree that they are out there to help us, but none of that matters when a random co sees a weed (that you honestly overlooked) while on the road on your way home or during a routine traffic stop.

[BobT]

It's funny. People will intentionally speed with their car and when they are caught and ticketed they blame the arresting officer claiming he/she should have shown leniency. Now, guys like Raymond are saying that if we get "caught" transporting an invasive stowaway we are unaware of, we should just take it in the shorts? I'm sorry, I thought I was living in the United States where I'm innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

[walleyefisher10]

Bob, your living in the great NANNY state of Minnesota where they want to control everything and everyone. I love our state and love the lakes but I don't agree with everything our state does.

I agree with drug sniffing dogs but invasive species sniffing dogs???? That is treating boaters like drug dealers!!! And I think they are going over board.

I think they need to look at where these invasive species came from in the first place!!

[CANOPY SAM]

Bob,

I don't entirely disagree with you, but keep in mind, if a person does everything they can to abide by the laws of the land, and yet misses one minor detail, I highly doubt the authorities are going to prosecute anyone in that situation to the full extent of the law. The regulations aren't a complete mystery to everyone. They're actually pretty straightforward.

The folks who have checked my boat, which has occurred at a couple of different landings now, have been very helpful and cooperative, as I have as well. I comply with the regulations to whatever degree I can, and for the issues that I may inadvertently overlook, they have a degree of leniency and simply remind me, and encourage me to pay attention to these points in the future.

This isn't impossible to comply with. Make an honest effort to do your best to meet all the new standards, and the authorities will recognize it and respond accordingly. Completely ignore the new laws, play ignorant and hope for the best, and you're likely going to get a ticket.

I get the impression from a few posts following my last that some folks think I am lumping an AIS infraction together, at the same degree as murder or theft. That is not what I am saying at all. What I am saying is there will always be people that ignore, or intentionally disregard the law. Whether they be laws against theft, murder, or not removing the plug from your boat, or at least making an effort to remove hitchhiking undesirable critters.

It's really not that difficult. Try to keep your boat clean and free of aquatic hitchhikers. It's a little silly to make it out to be anything more then it really is.

Honestly, what I find most difficult is picking those tiny dried up pieces of weeds out of my indoor/outdoor boat carpeting. It actually seems to help to fly down the road with the boat cover off. This seems to scour out all the debris from the boat. But I still try to pick out all the bits and pieces of weeds from the carpeting before we leave the lake landing. Keeps a guy really mindful of where those little weeds go when your reeling in weeds on every other cast while fishing bass and pike from a weedy shoreline.

[CANOPY SAM]

Come to think of it, perhaps we should all simply make a habit of keeping one of those little hand held, rechargeable vacuums in the boat? $35.00 for one of those little units could help to avoid a much more expensive ticket in the future.

[Scott K]

So now I am suppose to vacuum out my boat at 1 am too?

[CANOPY SAM]

Not to be the bad guy, but I guess if that helps you to remain compliant with the laws designed to prevent the spread of aquatic hitchhikers, then yes.

If it's any consolation, it doesn't just apply to you alone. We're all in the same boat. No pun intended.

[harvey lee]

Bob,

I don't entirely disagree with you, but keep in mind, if a person does everything they can to abide by the laws of the land, and yet misses one minor detail, I highly doubt the authorities are going to prosecute anyone in that situation to the full extent of the law. The regulations aren't a complete mystery to everyone. They're actually pretty straightforward.

The folks who have checked my boat, which has occurred at a couple of different landings now, have been very helpful and cooperative, as I have as well. I comply with the regulations to whatever degree I can, and for the issues that I may inadvertently overlook, they have a degree of leniency and simply remind me, and encourage me to pay attention to these points in the future.

This isn't impossible to comply with. Make an honest effort to do your best to meet all the new standards, and the authorities will recognize it and respond accordingly. Completely ignore the new laws, play ignorant and hope for the best, and you're likely going to get a ticket.

I get the impression from a few posts following my last that some folks think I am lumping an AIS infraction together, at the same degree as murder or theft. That is not what I am saying at all. What I am saying is there will always be people that ignore, or intentionally disregard the law. Whether they be laws against theft, murder, or not removing the plug from your boat, or at least making an effort to remove hitchhiking undesirable critters.

It's really not that difficult. Try to keep your boat clean and free of aquatic hitchhikers. It's a little silly to make it out to be anything more then it really is.

Honestly, what I find most difficult is picking those tiny dried up pieces of weeds out of my indoor/outdoor boat carpeting. It actually seems to help to fly down the road with the boat cover off. This seems to scour out all the debris from the boat. But I still try to pick out all the bits and pieces of weeds from the carpeting before we leave the lake landing. Keeps a guy really mindful of where those little weeds go when your reeling in weeds on every other cast while fishing bass and pike from a weedy shoreline.

I agree 100% Canopy, you can comply or make it out to be a way bigger deal than it really is.

I have had nothing but a very good experience with those who checked my boat, never one issue and I would agree 100%, try and comply and really no fears at all.

Do not comply and yes, you will run into an issue.

Whether one likes this law or not, the DNR is not going to go away from it due to the fact some do not like it.

I have to deal with live bait, catch live bait to fish the river for some specie's and I also go to many different lakes. Pull plug, clean weeds, empty live well and on and on, I simply has not bothered me one bit.

So it takes a few minutes to comply, really, no big deal as far as I am concerned.

I can honestly say that I have not been detained long enough to drink a can of pop the times I have been checked, just no issue to me at all. I have also not heard of one issue where a person was fined for having a microscopic critter on the motor, trailer or any part of the boat. If I forget to pull my plug or drain my live well or have weeds hanging from my boat, well I guess I deserve a fine for not doing what the law states. The DNR has given all of us plenty of time to comply.

Now, if I wanted to dwell on it and worry about being fined as I would not comply, I guess before I went through all of that, I would just aprk the boat.

I guess we all have to decide for our own if we would like to comply or not. I personally would rather not have the fine for not. Maybe just me.

To each his own.

[harvey lee]

What happens if there are weeds on your bunks of the trailer and there between the boat and trailer and you can't see them but the dog can smell them?? Should I get a ticket for something that I didn't know was there??

I always drain everything at the landing when I load my boat, its just part of the routine that I do when I load my boat, I always look under the trailer and make sure there is nothing hanging on brake lines or bunks and frame.

I am trying to do my part but if a dog smells something that we as humans can't even see, should we get a ticket?? we are not transporting drugs so stop treating us like we are!!!

Thanks for letting me vent, I'm done now lol.

If you missed a wed you cannot see, my guess is it would be a warning at best.

The big bad DNR is not out to get us all but more to teach us all what we need to check. I forgot to lift and drop my motor to drain the water at a landing one day, the DNR CO just asked if I knew I had to do that, I said I forgot and he said, try to do a better job. End of that deal and I said thanks for reminding me as I typically always do that.

I guess I do not believe the CO's or people checking at the landing are out to get us all for a very mistake that we could not see.

[shamalex72]

We weren't positive, but it sure looked like the plug was still in. You can kind of see gold/copper dot where the drain hole is. This was the sheriff water patrol. They aren't setting a very good example.

[harvey lee]

I cannot tell if it is or is not there but if I saw it was there, I would have taken his plate number down and call it in. maybe a passing picture also for proof as the one driving would more than likely deny it.

That's if the plug is in the boat, maybe a plug that goes in from the inside also, I have no idea.

One can always take a photo and send it to the DNR and local newspaper.

[Big Dave2]

If the DNR is being so lenient on everyone and not writing tickets as long as an attempt is made, why the need for AIS sniffing dogs?