Jet Ski Legislation

No More Whining!

Recently, legislation has been passed - since rumors last year began circulating about what could be done to avoid the unsafe practices, along with the constant nerve grinding whine, that the increasing thousands of jet skis were creating in our area of the Great Lakes.

Being a fun loving water sports kind of guy, I even got to a point where the mere sight of SUV's full of tourists, towing one or more of these wild little watercraft made me cringe as well. They wouldn't follow the "rules of the road", like speeding through channels of slow moving boats at 50 mph, weaving in and out of traffic and generally pissing people off.

Local tourism areas began publishing stories about such infractions to such a point that local State Representatives finally have passed a bill that requires jet ski operators to pass testing before they can be licensed to operate them on the lake.

What a relief it's been this summer without the hundreds of jet ski's mindlessly racing back and forth without any purpose but to spin around and capsize on their own wakes. No more 10 yr old operators who don't know how to read the speed signs in channels or care to obey them if they could read to begin with. Jet skis aren't particularly loved in our area, chiefly a fishing haven, where such antics not well tolerated by serious minded visitors.

The USCG is really showing a much stronger than usual presence this past summer and things have quieted down by 75%. A much needed fix to a viral problem these watercraft were becoming. Perhaps the great leap in fuel prices had something to add to these other measures.

Again, let me say that a jet ski is a lot of fun to ride but they have, for some or all of these reasons, slowed down, making for a much quieter and safer summer with less jet ski's on the lake. I hope that any readers who love these little critters don't get too ruffled, but something had to give. A little common sense has limited the amount of nuisance they caused but responsible operators are still welcome!

Perch Bonanza In Lake Erie!

Perch Fishing In Full Swing

My friends at the local fish company have told me that the near shore perch honey holes are producing decent catches of Yellow Perch, but are very small and barely "keeper" sized.

Compare these catches with those being taken in deeper water, North and East of the Bass Islands and I'm told that the perch being taken much further from shore and near the Canadian border are enormous. Really big hauls of monster yellow perch!

They told me that clients are catching 4 and 5 man limits in just under an hour, lots of double headers and all very, very big. Like 10 to 12 inches average size. As our old buddy Al Lindner says "I heard dat, some really big pigs!"

While this area is famous for Walleye primarily, Fall offers a bonanza of jumbo yellow perch and smallmouth bass fishing. If you're in the area you can rent private charters for 6 people or take your sweet time and take a fishing trip on one of the many "head" or "walk on" boats for a pittance. You're bound to catch enough for dinner and have a great day on the water. Don't forget to have your waterproof camera with you for memories of your fishing trip!

You know what Auggie says right? Auggie, long departed, was always one to mention "it don't take long once you get into 'em"!