Stopping random boarding and inspections in Florida.

Can we recruit him when he's done with Florida?

https://www.thecentersquare.com/florida/article_2f26d035-3739-422e-bef4-93de559f21e9.html

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The bill would also prohibit state or local governments from restricting the use or sale of any watercraft based on its power source.

"We're not going to allow local governments to step in and block the ability to purchase and for the businesses to sell vessels based on the source of fuel that those vessels are using," DeSantis said. "You know, we know a lot of families opt for used vessels, and of course, they're going to be gas powered. People want to be able to afford this, and if you don't, if you impose these draconian restrictions, you're not going to be able to do it."

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Why would you not be able to sell a gas powered boat?

Environmental regulations?

Force you to use sail or electric?

Regarding the restriction of use in certain areas based on power source for a boat, I would really want to see that fleshed out more.

No-motor zones have proven to be pretty effective conservation tools in vulnerable areas. I don't believe Texas has created any NMZs but I believe we have had some TPP (troll, paddle, pole) areas down near Rockport/Port A.

Same as not being able to sell gas powered weed eaters or lawn mowers. Climate and AOC crazies. He is getting ahead of the curve.
Florida employs thousands of people in powerboat manufacturing and the fishing, boating and marine industries. He's shoring up some voters.

Desantis is a true leader. Gotta love that guy!

I've only been on 2 water safety checks and neither time did the warden board the boat. They just asked for life jackets and to see fire extinguisher expiration date. I can absolutely see and have seen (on TV shows - lone star law) how it leads to a search without probable cause/justification.

I would imagine anyone engaged in fishing/hunting is not exempt though.

There is good and bad in this, especially in Florida….as so much drugs are shipped and hauled by power boats in all the coastal regions. Lots of those drugs are found from incidental stops checking safety gear. Surprised he will hamstring his LEO's on that.
90% of boating accidents are caused by BUI…. and fatal accidents are on the increase in just about every recreational boating state from the abuse of that. LEO's need to be able to somehow check and enforce for that.
I have made my living on the water in the marine business for over 40 years with literally thousands of hours logged in a boat on many waters, inshore and offshore, of many states. I don't believe I have been stopped even a dozen times in all that time and years and never boarded at that.
I'm a DeSantis guy though. Guess he felt the need for it in Florida.

The referenced article is kind of funny. Apparently some legislator's neighbor got stopped 3 times in one trip...I guarantee there is ALOT more to that story, and I seriously doubt it involves the neighbor happening to cross paths with 3 different game wardens that were running safety checks.

cslifer said:

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The referenced article is kind of funny. Apparently some legislator's neighbor got stopped 3 times in one trip...I guarantee there is ALOT more to that story, and I seriously doubt it involves the neighbor happening to cross paths with 3 different game wardens that were running safety checks.

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You obviously haven't been out on a busy boating area on holiday weekends. Ive been checked three times on South Toledo Bend on holiday weekends. Twice in the same day a ton of times.

Supposedly this was the incident that kicked it off. Dude obviously unfamiliar with boats and the water fell in the trap.

CS78 said:

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cslifer said:

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The referenced article is kind of funny. Apparently some legislator's neighbor got stopped 3 times in one trip...I guarantee there is ALOT more to that story, and I seriously doubt it involves the neighbor happening to cross paths with 3 different game wardens that were running safety checks.

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You obviously haven't been out on a busy boating area on holiday weekends. Ive been checked three times on South Toledo Bend on holiday weekends. Twice in the same day a ton of times.

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The GWs on lake LBJ are the worst that I have run across.

They sit under the bridge at wakepoint and harass every boat they can get to. I can't believe that Texans tolerate their heavy-handed behavior.

We don't allow people driving down the road to be randomly searched. Their *******ized use of a maritime law needs to be reined in.

Tumble Weed said:

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The GWs on lake LBJ are the worst that I have run across.

They sit under the bridge at wakepoint and harass every boat they can get to. I can't believe that Texans tolerate their heavy-handed behavior.

We don't allow people driving down the road to be randomly searched. Their *******ized use of a maritime law needs to be reined in.

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It definitely takes the fun out of the day. You can't help but be nervous. Not because you've knowingly done something wrong but because you might have and not even realize it.

Damn, I feel lucky now. I had a Texas game warden put me through that mess once and I had actually had a couple of beers earlier. I wasn't impaired but I would have been closer to it than this guy was, obviously. Those tests were crazy but apparently I passed mine. I don't blame them for checking given we had actual beer cans in our trash bin in the boat.

TarponChaser said:

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Regarding the restriction of use in certain areas based on power source for a boat, I would really want to see that fleshed out more.

No-motor zones have proven to be pretty effective conservation tools in vulnerable areas. I don't believe Texas has created any NMZs but I believe we have had some TPP (troll, paddle, pole) areas down near Rockport/Port A.

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I thought there were a couple down around Welder flats, but it appears that those are voluntary no prop zones. If you have a tunnel hull you can run in them without scarring or killing the seagrass.

Unfortunately because there are more morons out there than not it is inevitable that laws like NMZ's will become common or we will never see recovery of seagrass, oyster beds, etc. I cringe every time I see a video of some dumbass in his flats boat throwing a rooster tail of mud up behind him because he's in 1" of water and isn't smart enough to read charts or know what the tides are.

Tumble Weed said:

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CS78 said:

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cslifer said:

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The referenced article is kind of funny. Apparently some legislator's neighbor got stopped 3 times in one trip...I guarantee there is ALOT more to that story, and I seriously doubt it involves the neighbor happening to cross paths with 3 different game wardens that were running safety checks.

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You obviously haven't been out on a busy boating area on holiday weekends. Ive been checked three times on South Toledo Bend on holiday weekends. Twice in the same day a ton of times.

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The GWs on lake LBJ are the worst that I have run across.

They sit under the bridge at wakepoint and harass every boat they can get to. I can't believe that Texans tolerate their heavy-handed behavior.

We don't allow people driving down the road to be randomly searched. Their *******ized use of a maritime law needs to be reined in.

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DWI checkpoints, CBP checkpoints and "probable cause" argue against this.

(I don't agree with either, but they happen every day)

schmellba99 said:

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TarponChaser said:

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Regarding the restriction of use in certain areas based on power source for a boat, I would really want to see that fleshed out more.

No-motor zones have proven to be pretty effective conservation tools in vulnerable areas. I don't believe Texas has created any NMZs but I believe we have had some TPP (troll, paddle, pole) areas down near Rockport/Port A.

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I thought there were a couple down around Welder flats, but it appears that those are voluntary no prop zones. If you have a tunnel hull you can run in them without scarring or killing the seagrass.

Unfortunately because there are more morons out there than not it is inevitable that laws like NMZ's will become common or we will never see recovery of seagrass, oyster beds, etc. I cringe every time I see a video of some dumbass in his flats boat throwing a rooster tail of mud up behind him because he's in 1" of water and isn't smart enough to read charts or know what the tides are.

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Yup.

And even those dudes in tunnel hulls will tear up the seagrass when they spin up in shallow water. Go look at the satellite views of our bay systems and you can see the prop scars.

This is down in the Lower Laguna almost due east of Arroyo Colorado and you can see where folks have spun up to get on plane or run through the grass.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/zgTAi7CtA7oBv7Ec8

Of course we still have the Corps of Engineers fcking stuff up here too. One of my favorite nearby spots was the north shoreline of West Bay, immediately south of the spoil islands along the ICW. After Ike scoured out the bay in 2008 we had seagrass regenerate like hadn't been seen in at least 30 years according to old salts I know. And we had a stretch of grass flats that was probably 3 miles long from the NE to SW and extended out from shore about 200 yards on average. Unless the wind was howling from those flats were usually gin clear and shin deep.

Until the COE dredged the ICW in like 2019 and dumped all that sludge & mud from the bottom of the ICW all over the grass flats. Hasn't been the same since.

Until we moved I spent tons of time on Lake LBJ as my folks had a lake house there since the early 70's. My wife's family still has one there. I fish Bass Champs tournaments there every year ( Most recent was last fall) and my boat company does an annual demo event there.
Travel up both the Llano and Colorado arms. None of us have ever been randomly stopped by the GW ever.
On busy dangerous week ends like Labor Day, 4th of July, etc they work it hard because of all the drunks and drug heads running their boats and jet skis…. most not following any boating laws at all.

Gunny456 said:

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Until we moved I spent tons of time on Lake LBJ as my folks had a lake house there since the early 70's. My wife's family still has one there. I fish Bass Champs tournaments there every year ( Most recent was last fall) and my boat company does an annual demo event there.
Travel up both the Llano and Colorado arms. None of us have ever been randomly stopped by the GW ever.
On busy dangerous week ends like Labor Day, 4th of July, etc they work it hard because of all the drunks and drug heads running their boats and jet skis…. most not following any boating laws at all.

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We own a house on the Colorado and have been using the lake since the 80s.

Several family members have been stopped multiple times. It is out of control. I have never received a boating ticket in my life. They need to quit harassing boaters.

They don't harass boaters.

ttha_aggie_09 said:

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Desantis is a true leader.

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100%

Everything Ironsides did during and after covid was a parroting of Desantis actions and policies. Abbott waited to see what kind of response Desantis got then he copied it and yook credit for being a Maverick. RdS is a leader!

Tumble Weed said:

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Gunny456 said:

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Until we moved I spent tons of time on Lake LBJ as my folks had a lake house there since the early 70's. My wife's family still has one there. I fish Bass Champs tournaments there every year ( Most recent was last fall) and my boat company does an annual demo event there.
Travel up both the Llano and Colorado arms. None of us have ever been randomly stopped by the GW ever.
On busy dangerous week ends like Labor Day, 4th of July, etc they work it hard because of all the drunks and drug heads running their boats and jet skis…. most not following any boating laws at all.

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We own a house on the Colorado and have been using the lake since the 80s.

Several family members have been stopped multiple times. It is out of control. I have never received a boating ticket in my life. They need to quit harassing boaters.

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Theres a direct correlation between the number of hot women in bikinis on your boat and the probability you get boarded by GW / marine patrol.

Thats all they do all day every day is sit on the binoculars and look for the boats with the most hot women on it and board them first.

What if they are women GW's? Lots of them around now.

Or maybe cause they know that boats with the most babes have the most beer and weed?

There isn't a single thing the ACE has touched that they haven't absolutely F'd up. It's what they do. Pretty sure they have entire divisions that have a sole charge of finding the most F'd up way of doing something they can.

This.

Gunny456 said:

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What if they are women GW's? Lots of them around now.

Or maybe cause they know that boats with the most babes have the most beer and weed?

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Hey.... you can't do that because that is profiling!

Gunny456 said:

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Until we moved I spent tons of time on Lake LBJ as my folks had a lake house there since the early 70's. My wife's family still has one there. I fish Bass Champs tournaments there every year ( Most recent was last fall) and my boat company does an annual demo event there.
Travel up both the Llano and Colorado arms. None of us have ever been randomly stopped by the GW ever.
On busy dangerous week ends like Labor Day, 4th of July, etc they work it hard because of all the drunks and drug heads running their boats and jet skis…. most not following any boating laws at all.

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My In Laws have a place on LBJ. We are there often. Fished a few tournaments but when we are there I am out on the boat every morning and every evening. From one end to the other fishing. And plenty of lake life boating. My wife is bikini model smokin hot, fishes in her bikini, and would be a prime target for warden binocular visit. Have never been stopped on LBJ by a warden in the 12 -13 years I've been frequenting that lake.

Roger that!

That's crazy. Glad he had those connections to help him out…wonder what would have happened if he didn't.

Gunny456 said:

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Until we moved I spent tons of time on Lake LBJ as my folks had a lake house there since the early 70's. My wife's family still has one there. I fish Bass Champs tournaments there every year ( Most recent was last fall) and my boat company does an annual demo event there.
Travel up both the Llano and Colorado arms. None of us have ever been randomly stopped by the GW ever.
On busy dangerous week ends like Labor Day, 4th of July, etc they work it hard because of all the drunks and drug heads running their boats and jet skis…. most not following any boating laws at all.

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No one is arguing stopping people for breaking laws.

This is about the stupid "safety checks" with no probable cause. My presence on public waters is not probable cause.

I disagree with DWI checkpoint as well and glad we don't have them in Texas even though they wouldn't ever be a problem for me. Most people would have a problem with a random officer just pulling you over with no cause, so they could do a "safety check" on the car, rifle through coolers, trunk, etc just to see if you might have anything.

I have a problem with law enforcement doing random stops for me to "show my papers". If they see laws being broken, then please, pull them over and deal with what is found at that point.

I can guarantee when I go down to Port O'Connor this weekend, that I will get stopped for a safety check, if we actually head out on the water. Every single holiday weekend. That is with every single person on the boat wearing an inflatable or regular lifejacket, every time, so we are very visibly following the rules, actually know the laws and rules of the water and following them religiously. We are huge proponents of water safety, but I don't believe that means giving up any of my rights.

You said the key two words….."holiday weekend". That is also when the most watercraft fatalities occur.

All a person has to do is go hang out at a busy boat ramp on a holiday weekend and watch the ineptness of folks loading and unloading their boats…..seeing that carnage makes me very glad GW's are out on the water.

In POC when I was younger, we had girls in bikinis going to Sunday beach on most holiday weekends. We always got pulled over. We ended up just throwing a crawfish boil on the first night of every holiday and walking over to the coast guard station and inviting them over. Lots of funny stories, but never got pulled over again.

Seems like there were wardens at Gibbons more times than there weren't growing up.