Electric only?

Okay just so everyone knows, Ive only been seriously fishing since 2007. I was a 12 month a year hunter until i got hooked on fishing two years back.

I see a lot of "electric only" signs on some waters ive never fished before and i understand it means trolling motors only or electric motors. Question i have is, is that can you keep your regular engine on your boat as long as you dont use it? or do i really have to take the dang thing off every time i wanna stop real quick at a electric only lake?

or does it vary?

-matt

it probably varies... atleast it does here in GA...

some lakes are electric only, but you can still have the motor on it, just can't use it.

The lake I fish at regularly is a water reservoir, so it's drinking water... no gas cans or engines can be on or in your boat. I'm not sure how you would find out, but the reservoir I fish has at signs all over the place saying no gas and no motors

that kidna blows though... id hate to have to take my 9.9 off every single time

does that mean u cant use lead? if your fishing in drinking water?

Russ is right on.Some will not allow gas motors to be on.Most require the fuel tanks and/or prop to be removed.I run a 1980 5HP Gamefisher outboard.It only takes me a couple minutes to remove it.I usually remove it and lock it up after every fishing trip.May want to consider something like a Briggs N Stratton 4 stroke 5HP outboard.A lot of lakes have been banning 2 stroke outboards.Right now,I can't fish my favorite lake because of the 2 stroke ban.Lake is to large for my power hungry trolling motor.I can't sport a second battery because my boat is so small.I'll be over weight and sink.

i have a 9.9 mercury 4 stroke

OhioStateBuckeye said:

i have a 9.9 mercury 4 stroke

Click to expand...

That maybe a little heavy for on/off just to fish.My 5HP Gamefisher is roughly 40lbs.I can carry it one handed.

OhioStateBuckeye said:

that kidna blows though... id hate to have to take my 9.9 off every single time

does that mean u cant use lead? if your fishing in drinking water?

Click to expand...

never thought about lead weights... but no, they don't say not to use them... and I've lost quite a few shakey heads. I guess they have some filtration because this reservoir feeds into a creek which goes to the water plant... atleast I think that's what happens. I watched them open up the spillway once when the creek was low.

This lake is 360+ acres and today I think I might have found the deepest spot (102.2') Near the spillway the depth in the middle avg's 85-90' and then all the way around it goes from 2', 12', 20', 30, 40 and so on... I think most of the parts are 30-40' deep and from the bank out to about 15 yards the dept runs around 20'. It's clear and freakin deep.

Wow Russ, thats a deep lake for its small size.

what another interesting night tonight... im bored, all i want to do is fish and work on my boat, and its freaking three degrees out right now....

wake me up when febuary ends.

I've wondered about the electric only lakes you guys fish. Is 360 acres like Russ010 mentioned an average size? We don't have any in Texas that I am aware of. It is a big state though.

Our (tourney) lakes are:
acres
260
260
360
650
650
660
860

Brine said:

Our (tourney) lakes are:
acres
260
260
360
650
650
660
860

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. The 2 lakes that I normally fish are 21,400 and 22,475 acres respectively. The electric only setup seems more feasible with those smaller lakes.

Ouachita said:

I've wondered about the electric only lakes you guys fish. Is 360 acres like Russ010 mentioned an average size? We don't have any in Texas that I am aware of. It is a big state though.

Click to expand...

Lady Bird Lake in Austin is electric only. That is the only one I know of.

As stated above by others it varies. The two lakes I fish here are electric-only (drinking water reservoirs) and absolutely no gas motors are allowed on the boat. I fish a lake 50 miles north of here with a buddy of mine, and that lake is electric-only also, but boats with main motors can use it as long as the motor is tilted-up and not in the water. Last summer there was a guy out there in 20' Triton using nothing but his TM.

One of the electric only lakes I go to, I've seen many times guys using thier gas motor, I guess its just a matter of time before they get busted :roll:

FishingBuds said:

One of the electric only lakes I go to, I've seen many times guys using thier gas motor, I guess its just a matter of time before they get busted :roll:

Click to expand...

Are there signs posted about no gas motors that those "widgits" can read? Always the few ruining it for the many.

I dont mind takin my gas tank out of the boat, just would get annoying taking the engine off and on every time.

Waterwings said:

FishingBuds said:

One of the electric only lakes I go to, I've seen many times guys using thier gas motor, I guess its just a matter of time before they get busted :roll:

Click to expand...

Are there signs posted about no gas motors that those "widgits" can read? Always the few ruining it for the many.

Click to expand...

No, no signs, just have to contact the wildlife area for the rules, its very relaxed for some reason around there on inforcement, even thru the hunting season, I have never been stopped nor can recall ever seeing a gamewarden? This is the same place I told ilinimud about on here.

funny part is I have been stopped and asked for my fishen license three times in the past 4 years at the city lake :lol:

Yeah i still want to get to that lake sometime FishingBuds. I think i am going to get a IN license this year.

Ouachita, do you fish those 22,000 Acre lakes in a little tin boat? And if so what would be the best way to fish a big lake in a little boat? Im scared to try big lakes.

Back to the subject. I usually think if a lake is TM only the fishing is probably better there because of less pressure, but i havent found that to be the case.

ilinimud said:

Ouachita, do you fish those 22,000 Acre lakes in a little tin boat? And if so what would be the best way to fish a big lake in a little boat? Im scared to try big lakes.

Click to expand...

I don't work the entire lake but I may a cover a few miles every time I go. The spot I throw for bait is 1-1/2 to 2 miles from where I launch. I feel comfortable in my 16' boat cutting across the big part of the lake but you can stick to closer to the shoreline and hit the coves in a smaller aluminum boat with no problems. Just always go out with a plan in case of sudden weather or mechanical failure.