i was looking over some club tournament rules, and came upon a rule i had no idea existed: You cannot fish within 50 feet of a gas pump. I had no idea that rule existed, so i started to investigate it further. i googled it several different ways, and cannot find anywhere that it is a michigan state law. i could not find anything from the DNR either.
the problem i have with this rule is, how am i supposed to know where every gas pump in the lake is located, so i can stay 50 feet away from them? there are no bouys in the water like there are for a no wake area, or a beach that clearly defines where it starts. what if i am fishing down a shore and there is something blocking the pump from my direction until i am on the other side of it, it is already too late.
is this an outdated rule that no longer exists, but remains in the tournament rules? if anyone can either prove or disprove that this is a michigan law of some sort, please help and provide some info. thank, nitroderrek
I was always under the assumption that the main purpose of this rule is twofold; to scoops the risk of snagging any lines, pipes, or hoses associated with such a pump, and so you cannot fish while refueling your boat. I think it's a valid rule, and most lakes with a pump on them are clearly marked to be seen from 50 feet away. That's not as far as it sounds.
1jav
I've seen a few tourneys that had "no fishing around a gas dock" as a rule. I guess it could partly be because it's thought that we shouldn't interfere with commerce by holding up gas docks while we slowly fish around them. That's only conjecture on my part about why that rule may have come about in the first place. I noticed in recent years that many gas docks have 'no fishing from the dock' signs. It's probably for the same reason. Whenever I'm out fun fishing and I happen to fish around a gas dock, I move whenever I'm asked to and if I see a boat coming, I immediately get out of the way. But I suppose not everyone is considerate when it comes to fishing locations.
Anyway, that's my best guess.
It's been a rule in many or most circuits for a long time - some have it as 25 or 50 yards. I think it is a good idea if only for the PR value if no other. There's plenty of places to fish without upsetting other boaters and marina owners by interfering with their commerce and safety while gassing up the boat. In some places around the country, I would not be surprised if there are local ordinances or other legal issues.
When I fish around a gas dock all I ever catch are flip flops and sunglasses.
I do drive slowly by on bigger lakes when the weather is bright and hot. For the scenery that is sometimes good.