lights at night?

[jasper]

When fishing at night when you are anchored do you have to have your stern light on or can you turn off when anchored? I have seen some people fishing with it off and some with it on.
Thanks.

 

[minner]

on

 

[AThornton]

ON!

 

[Andrew]

Stern light has to be on at all times...

You don't want a big pleasure boat ramming you in the middle of the river long fishing a hump/ditch at night..

 

[Hook1]

Some newer boats have an "anchor" position an the nav. light switch that only illuminates the stern light and not the bow lights.

 

[jasper]

thanks

 

[JDK]

yea usually down is stern light only middle is off and up is front and back lights.. when sitting front lights do not have to be on

 

[bass15]

That is usally how people get ran over and killed. No lights on after dark.Duh

 

[Carl Guffey]

JDK - 6/26/2009 11:03 AM yea usually down is stern light only middle is off and up is front and back lights.. when sitting front lights do not have to be on

When anchored, stern light only on. All other times, sitting or not, bow and stern lights must be on.

 

[sdfd29]

Carl is correct. If you are not anchored you must have both stern and bow lights on. This includes when you are using the trolling motor. You must have an anchor down to just have the stern light on.

Lots of people don't follow the law, but is your safety what is important?

 

[[email protected]]

not true fished the sat night dog fight two weeks ago . twra officer mike b took out with us around 2.30 asked him point blank about the light situation. he said as long as you were using the trolling motor you just had to run your stern light. but if your using your big motor at all even a idle you must have both bow and stern on.hope this answers any questions

 

[Carl Guffey]

[email protected] - 6/27/2009 4:41 AM not true fished the sat night dog fight two weeks ago . twra officer mike b took out with us around 2.30 asked him point blank about the light situation. he said as long as you were using the trolling motor you just had to run your stern light. but if your using your big motor at all even a idle you must have both bow and stern on.hope this answers any questions

</p>

<font size="3">He is trying to get you killed.</font></p>

<font size="3">From the coast guard and rules on lighting:</font></p><font face="WarnockPro-Regular" size="1"><font face="WarnockPro-Regular" size="1"><p align="left"><font size="3">All boats operating between sunset and sunrise and during periods of restricted </font><font size="3">visibility are required to display the appropriate lights. Boats are considered <font color="#990033">underway</font> </font><font size="3">and must show all the appropriate lights unless they are anchored, moored or aground.</font></p><p align="left"><font size="3">Anchored vessels must show the appropriate anchor lights. “No other lights that may</font><font size="3">be mistaken for required navigation lights may be exhibited.”</font></p></font></font>

<font size="3" /></p>

 

[Shankopotamus]

<font face="Times New Roman" size="2">Wow! I hope the same TWRA Officer didn't try to get any of those Girl Scouts killed!emoPoke </font></p>

 

[KeyWest]

When the sun goes down the nav lights come on. Thats it.

 

[sdfd29]

I hope you never run into the TWRA officer that knows the law. I have been checked severala times on different lakes and the rule has always been both lights unless anchored. I will check the TWRA web site to verify

Here is the quote from the TWRA boating guide: All boats operating between sunset and sunrise and during periods of restricted visibility are required to display the appropriate lights. Boats are considered underway and must show all the appropriate lights unless they are anchored, moored or aground. Anchored vessels must show the appropriate anchor lights. “No other lights that may be mistaken for required navigation lights may be exhibited.”

Here is the link to the TWRA boaters guide http://www.tnfish.org/files/TWRA_BoatingRegulationsGuide.pdf . The lighting requirements are on page 10 of the brochure.

 

[KeyWest]

I've never owned a boat where you could just turn the anchor light on, when I hit the switch all three come on, sometimes 4 if you have a transom light. When I use to fish king tournaments the coast guard inspected every vessel before hand and all lights had to be buring at sunset.

 

[Silverfish]

I have been asked to turn on stern light by Twra on different lakes but never bow lights when using trolling motor. I, like many others, fish without lights on until someone comes in the area. then I display both. Let's face it, that's as good as it's going to get.

 

[3391]

On Chickamauga Lake you better have both bow and stern lights on unless you have an anchor on the bottom. Any thing less and you'll get a citation that costs roughly $200.00. It's for your safety as well as others.

 

[honkytonker26]

I was headed right toward a boat 2 weeks ago that had their lights off. They turned them on when I was about 100-150 yds away. scared the hell out of me. I came off plane and hollared and told them to turn their d@&% lights on and gased it back on plane. When I came back by 30 mins later their light were off again. I was running around 35-40. Some drivers run wide open and would have been right on them before they knew it and we'd had a bad situation. "If you are in "traveling lanes" always have your lights on. I will turn them off if Im up on the bank or in the back of a slough.