Extra led lighting….legal or not?

[airshot]

Open water travel I would not have them on. In a cove or backwater would not worry about it. I have seen boats lit up like New York skyline back inside of coves and backwaters on Lake Eufaula{OK} but open water travel most just run the proper navigation lights.

pretty much the same up here, stay out of the main waterway and nobody cares, but if underway in a main travel area, the aux lights can interfere with the nav lights to other boaters.

 

[Douglasdzaster]

pretty much the same up here, stay out of the main waterway and nobody cares, but if underway in a main travel area, the aux lights can interfere with the nav lights to other boaters.

Here in-lies the problem.
Some of the structures I’ll be fishing are on points and so forth on the main lake. Also I’ll be doing some drifting in open water.
Here’s what I ended up doing. I have two led flood lights on the back corners facing forward and one on the bow. These lights will only be used for loading and unloading in the dark. Or up in the creeks. The front one may get switched on for a few seconds just to keep my bearings and turned back off. As far as when I’m fishing the lights in the boat to see by is one blue led strip running down one gunnel which is plenty of light for use to see by but not super bright.

 

[airshot]

If it is not OK, the dnr or coastgard will let you know...

 

[Douglasdzaster]

If it is not OK, the dnr or coastgard will let you know...

I’m only fishing some small freshwater lakes and maybe the river. Every river fisherman around here has light bars on there boats. Be my luck I’ll flip on that front light to take a quick look and flash a game warden.
Depends what it looks like from a distance. Because if I’m drift fishing that means I’m underway and have to have my front red and green on as well as the anchor/stern light. If they get me for the blue leds then I’ll have to back to a head lamp but not without asking if there is a legal way to have courtesy on while fishing.

 

[pathunter]

If it is not OK, the dnr or coastgard will let you know...

I saw a couple of episodes of Lone Star or Louisiana Law and they nailed a guy for running with a light bar on his boat. I THINK the lights on the inside under the gunnel are illegal also if the boat is RUNNING. Any lights other than "running lights" are confusing to other boaters. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[thill]

It's all about the color and visibility from outside the boat.

Flashing blue lights are strictly for law enforcement. If you have those blue lights on when running, and they can be seen by other boats, that is illegal. As your boat rocks and bounces through the waves, they appear to flash to observers.

A friend of mine had blue underwater lights. In choppy waters, they would come out of the water when the boat rocked. Very quickly law enforcement caught up with him, and he was issued a citation for displaying blue lights. He swapped them out for green ones.

I have run amber under my gunnels for decades now, and I have never had a problem, despite having been checked. Gentle light you can see by, and not get in trouble.

 

[Douglasdzaster]

It's all about the color and visibility from outside the boat.

Flashing blue lights are strictly for law enforcement. If you have those blue lights on when running, and they can be seen by other boats, that is illegal. As your boat rocks and bounces through the waves, they appear to flash to observers.

A friend of mine had blue underwater lights. In choppy waters, they would come out of the water when the boat rocked. Very quickly law enforcement caught up with him, and he was issued a citation for displaying blue lights. He swapped them out for green ones.

I have run amber under my gunnels for decades now, and I have never had a problem, despite having been checked. Gentle light you can see by, and not get in trouble.

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I like your set up that’s nice. I wish my little boat had more gunnel space on top. It was a trick to mount rod holders on the round surface even with the basses made to fit.The had green and returned them for the blue because of a couple of comments that green would interfere with the green nav light on the bow making it difficult for them to tell which side of the boat they where looking at. These are under the gunnel facing down but I see what you’re saying about the boat rocking and so forth. I only did the one side so it wouldn’t be to much but just enough to see by. I’ll see what it looks like on the water. They didn’t cost that much and I can remove them and clean the area with alcohol and put a different color cheaper than a citation would probably be. I read on Texas parks and wildlife website that they’re educating to freshwater lakes fisherman with warnings as of now. That’s going to depend on the officers mood though and if he finds other things wrong which the rest of my boat is to the letter. The new wiring is just did fuel lines everything. I’m only 16’ but I even have an extra fire extinguisher. One mounted on the bow and one on the rear seat. Everything organized and labeled in different amo boxes in the storage area under the seat like first aid kit, parts etc.
Maybe if he or she is impressed with all the work I’ve done I’ll get a one time pass to replace the lights. That’s if I hadn’t all ready. Maybe amber or some one suggested black light. I want something easy on the eyes so I can look back up and eyes can still see across the water.

 

[LDUBS]

Rules for anchor & Nav lights are pretty clear. Rules about other allowable illumination are not easily found. At least I can't find them. I cannot imagine having other lights on while anchored would be an issue, excepting I can see reserving red & green for Nav lights and it sounds like blue is reserved for LEO's. Just don't be shining floods or spots are others or use them while underway. Those are bad things to do regardless of what the reg's say.

 

[Douglasdzaster]

Rules for anchor & Nav lights are pretty clear. Rules about other allowable illumination are not easily found. At least I can't find them. I cannot imagine having other lights on while anchored would be an issue, excepting I can see reserving red & green for Nav lights and it sounds like blue is reserved for LEO's. Just don't be shining floods or spots are others or use them while underway. Those are bad things to do regardless of what the reg's say.

Last thing I want to do is interrupt someone’s vision. It takes to long for your eyes to get over it.
When anchored I’ll only have my stern light on with my leds. While under way just the red and green on the bow along with my stern. Problem is when I’m drift fishing. I may only be moving 1mph but it’s considered underway. I found where it actually says no lights that aren’t coast guard approved. But a lot jon boat owner I know has extra lights that are for off road vehicles.
When I got this boat I had an old v bottom that still had Sears on the side of it. Just to see what would happen I listed it. A guy from George Town contacted me and made me a heck of a offer. He acted like he had struck gold. The boat had nothing on it. Just the hull and the seats.
He kept sending me text showing me how he was fixing it up. When he was finished he pulled it all the way back here to show me. He had really decked out the boat and the paint job looked awesome. Even had shark teeth on the front which he did it all by hand. He had the entire inside lite up with blue leds. Way brighter than what I’ve done.
He said he was taking it to Canyon lake all the time. Which isn’t far from Austin and a big popular lake.
I just thought about him when I started replying to you. It’s just a 14’ he put a 15 Merc I think it was and had three group 24 batteries to run all the different lights and the little trolling motor on the bow.
I haven’t heard from him in a while I wonder now if he ever had any run ins with the patrols on the lake.
Where I’m going there’s only a handful of boats on the lake because I go during the week. Probably less than that at night.
There’s a State park a few miles from my house with a small trolling motor only lake. Doesn’t even have a launch. There’s usually a game warden around I’ve stopped and asked him questions before. Think I may visit with him. Or look up the Warden for the area I’m fishing and call him.
I’ve never seen one on Lake Somerville. I ask the guy running the marina and he said it’s because it’s during the week when it’s slow but also said you never know when that sneaky so and so is going to suddenly appear.

 

[LDUBS]

I would think we can drift with illumination other than our nav lights, but what do I know! Asking your Warden buddy is probably a good idea.

 

[Douglasdzaster]

I would think we can drift with illumination other than our nav lights, but what do I know! Asking your Warden buddy is probably a good idea.

You’d think it would be okay because it’s safe to see in the boat .
I still need to get my inflatable life jacket. I haven’t exactly found those on sale.

 

[LDUBS]

You’d think it would be okay because it’s safe to see in the boat .
I still need to get my inflatable life jacket. I haven’t exactly found those on sale.

Exactly. Must be a pretty common occurrence, IMO.

I have one of the inflatible PFD's. Doesn't count as one of the required PFDs unless you are wearing it. Which is OK because that is kinda the whole point of having one.

 

[DaleH]

Here is the issue …each State’s boating navigation or safety rules can differ from the USCG or Federal rules (usually LESS prescriptive!), which are codified or promulgated (meaning ‘ruled into law’) via the US Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

Yet the USCG has the mandate to enforce ‘Federal’ laws both inland and at sea.

But take Regs like the ColRegs (lighting to prevent ‘collision’ at sea ‘regulations’), those can only be applied when offshore … as how could one EVER enforce a minimum ‘2-mile Nav light visibilty’, when down in a swamp in a Louisiana bog or bayou where you’re lucky to see 50’ ahead of you in a straight line, LOL!

 

[Douglasdzaster]

Exactly. Must be a pretty common occurrence, IMO.

I have one of the inflatible PFD's. Doesn't count as one of the required PFDs unless you are wearing it. Which is OK because that is kinda the whole point of having one.

I promised my wife I would where one the whole time I’m on the water. Before I only had it on while running the outboard. But I go solo a lot. I want an inflatable for comfort in the heat as well as when I’m throwing a cast net. A regular life vest would probably take me overboard with the net.

 

[Douglasdzaster]

Here is the issue …each State’s boating navigation or safety rules can differ from the USCG or Federal rules (usually LESS prescriptive!), which are codified or promulgated (meaning ‘ruled into law’) via the US Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

Yet the USCG has the mandate to enforce ‘Federal’ laws both inland and at sea.

But take Regs like the ColRegs (lighting to prevent ‘collision’ at sea ‘regulations’), those can only be applied when offshore … as how could one EVER enforce a minimum ‘2-mile Nav light visibilty’, when down in a swamp in a Louisiana bog or bayou where you’re lucky to see 50’ ahead of you in a straight line, LOL!

There’s creeks on this lake that I’ll be going into especially in the spring.

 

[jethro]

Up here in inland NH you would be fined heavily for that. I've personally seen people get fined for forgetting to turn their docking lights off. May seem excessive but you don't want to impair other people night vision.

 

[sonny1]

Never seen or heard of anyone getting fined or talked to about their extra lights. At night on the water most boats are lit up like a New York skyline. Anchored or drift fishing no issues. Now when underway different story. Most if not all boat ramps in Oklahoma are lit up with overhead lights.

 

[airshot]

The issue comes about when in navigable waterways. In some pond, small barely used lake or some back bayou, no one cares or will bother you. You need to be able to see other boats and other bosts need to be able to identify your direction of travel. Use you best judgement and you will be fine. The Leo's are looking for people creating dangerous situations or idiots !! If you are neither, you are good to go !!!

 

[Douglasdzaster]

Never seen or heard of anyone getting fined or talked to about their extra lights. At night on the water most boats are lit up like a New York skyline. Anchored or drift fishing no issues. Now when underway different story. Most if not all boat ramps in Oklahoma are lit up with overhead lights.

The ramp I use the parking lot is lite up. But it’s a fairly long Kane down to the ramp. It and the ramp have no lights. Before I started the rebuild those lights on the stern of the boat facing forward came with the boat. My first time to load after dark I decided to use them and they lite up the ramp and the whole lane. I could see deer on the other side of the parking lot grazing.. The little light I added to the bow isn’t near as bright.
The boat also came with a 24” light bar on the bow and I removed it because it was in the way on anchoring etc.
The previous owner spent al, his time on the river I think. There’s a home made piece that fits in the whole where the seal goes on the bow that is for running trotlines. Probably did some bow fishing. A lot of people have a boat like mine with rails around the bow and boi lights facing the water all around and a generator running them for bow fishing.

 

[flatheadsteve]

I have a 12" 3 row lightbar mounted to the top of leaning post around the center console. I also have amber led lights across the transom for night fishing. I only use the lightbar on secluded rivers when it's necessary. Most the ramps I use have zero lights it's pretty handy for loading/docking too. The transom lights provide just enough glow to see the rods. Just about everybody in this area has all kinds of lights. Lots of hazards on the rivers and night fishing is pretty popular. Never seen dnr care unless someone was running around with a spotlight on blinding everyone.