After the boating accident in Alabama what do you think about speed limits for boats?

Are there not speed limits for boats already?? I guess only near ports perhaps?

There’s too many variables. A reasonable speed depends on the body of water, the weather, the skipper, the craft itself, and how much of a load is on board. Just to name a few

Many lakes already have hp restrictions. Alabama is strict on hull hp ratings.

I think the issue is the bass tournaments themselves and that they need to go or be restructured so no one is racing to get away from or back to the dock. There's no reason they can't figure out how to get in so many hours of fishing without the need to run like a bat out of (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman).

Personally, I would like to see them done away with.

Green Bay hosts some major walleye tournaments so this is an interesting discussion to me. One of my friends is a top guide in the area and a tournament las year the competitors launched from Green Bay Metro boat launch and they could fish anywhere they wanted as long as they were back in by the stop time for the day. Waters in Green Bay were really warm so the fishing was horrible. Guys were running flat out all the way up to Little Bay de Noc which is close to Escanaba, MI because the water was cooler up there. That is about 110 miles from Green Bay by water! It was lucky they didn't run someone over out there.

Can't stand the sparkle boat mentality, wish every one of 'em would challenge a wing dam going full bore.

Not really in favor of more laws and regulations.

x2

Many lakes in Minnesota have speed limits and no wake areas both. Go to court, pay the fine.

Don’t ask me how I know. Bedsides, it was 160’s fault.

Osky

Not a fan of general speed limits on lakes, on areas near shorelines and obstructions slow no wake makes sense but in open water I don't see the need. Maybe a limited speed when near other crafts would make sense as well.

We have speed limits here on many lakes

Makes sense like the no wake within 100 feet of any boat or dock that people seem not to be able to follow. I see no need for going 60 miles per hour on the water. That's fast for boating. Accident waiting to happen.

There is a 40 mph statewide speed limit for watercraft in Minnesota. There are many lakes with lower maximum speed limits or "no wake".

Here....it's 5 mph within 100' from shore, anchored boats, or swimmers in the water. 5 mph in anchorages, approach channels, marinas, basically no wake zones, Pretty much as fast as you can go in the open.
Not that a lot of people abide by the regulations, but they hold up in court, and if you injure or kill someone in a speed restricted zone your screwed....

I heard this accident happened in foggy conditions? Not sure if that’s true or not? If so and you’re going faster than you can see you’re an idiot. We had a close call last year tuna fishing, watching radar we could see a boat overtaking us. We were in a 30 foot glass boat and all of a sudden a little tin boat goes right out in front of us. If the captain was not watching and shut the throttle down we would had run it over. They had no idea they were as close to swimming as they were. This was in the famous buoy 10 area of the Columbia river!

wws

I was running pots in the heavy fog once, went to move to a new line across the channel when a 42' sportie boat going full steam ahead almost cut me in half...His chart plotter had him in the channel, but visibility was around 50 '.....Lot of morons running around, no matter the size or expense of their boats....add a few beers and things go south fast....

Too bad Jbyrd is gone.

Catch me if you can………

Going fast in the dark or fog is stupid. IMHO, we don't need more laws, just common sense. Men have been trying to go faster on water since they started riding in boats. Sometimes you feel the need, the need for speed!

I'm not usually a fan of more regulations but, as a fisherman, I would love to see a no wake between 7:00PM and 8:00AM on our Chain. Tear up the water during midday but let the rest of us have a few hours of quiet time. All summer long we see water skiers at dark being pulled by boats requiring running lights and jet skiers that you can hear but only see their white wakes. Don't get me started on wake boats on small lakes.