# AEP Float Tubing Sept. 24-26 - Encounter with "The Man"



## thedon255 (May 4, 2008)

A little late on this report but here it is anyway. Went fishing three times during this trip, Friday evening, then Saturday morning and again late evening. This was during the transition from the beastly hot temps to the current cooler temps. We (my father and I) stayed at Campsite C and I went out on the main lake there just as it got dark. It had been up to 92 or 93 during the day and literally minutes after I got on the water, the cold front hit with substantial wind and rain. I was also trying out my dad's inflatable pontoon boat for the first time so I was getting used to the oars at the same time as the wind was having it's way with me. I still managed to get some fishing in and I was shocked by how well I did in the few hours I was out there. I've never done well on the main lake there but this time I caught 11 or 12 bass, the biggest at 16 inches, all of which were on a Rapala DT-3. I also caught a catfish from shore on it. The fish stopped hitting a three or four hours after dark.

Fishing the next morning was slow when I tried the twin lakes to the west of Campsite C. The fish had moved off shore after the cold front. That evening, I went back out on the main lake and had similar success as the previous night on the Rapala DT-3. I got 8 or 9 bass that time, nothing big. I was burning the crankbait pretty good, and I'd get it down to where I'd snag some weeds on it and then I'd move it a little deeper and catch the fish. I also got a several by bringing it through timber and ripping it over structure I hit. That's the second consecutive trip that that lure has been the ticket to getting the fish. I used mainly the Firetiger color but I also caught some on a crawdad color. I don't think it made a significant difference - I just used the Firetiger the most.

The most memorable part of the trip came during Saturday afternoon. My mom had come up to visit and we'd persuaded her to try out the pontoon and she went out in the headwaters of the lake for a spin. Just after she got back to shore, an official from the ODNR's Division of Watercraft appeared. He had seen her out on the water with the pontoon. He started asking my dad all kinds of questions, documentation for the pontoon, if it had a vin number, decals, the whole nine yards. Obviously it didn't. The whole thing sounded pretty ridiculous. My dad didn't get an actual citation but he did get a Vessel Safety Check paper (which I have scanned on my computer but it's in .pdf format at the moment. I'll try to convert it and post it soon). What caught my attention is that it sounds like the Division of Watercraft wants _everything_ registered, including flotation devices powered by your feet - aka float tubes. If anyone has a Watercraft contact or knows where to find the information, I'd really like a confirmation on this, how soon it goes into affect, if it applies to absolutely _everything_, and anything else that might be relevant.


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

If it has two flotation chambers it is suppose to be registered. One tube it's classified as a toy. I have an e-mail form DNR that spells it out.


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## FishJunky (May 20, 2004)

I fish with a couple of guys that have there FishCat float tubes regestered because they are pontoon like float tubes. Round or U shape float tubes do not need them. For three year regestertion it's 25dollars. We where down at AEP last year and where checked.


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## petermanpga (Oct 6, 2010)

Snakecharmer hit the nail on the head. Any vessel with a multiple chamber design or a Hull Identificaiton Number or "HIN" needs to be registered in Ohio. A "HIN" is usually found on the rear of the vessel and will be a 12 digit number, usually starting with three letters and having another letter the 4th character from the end. There is an alternative registration sticker option which consists of only one registration sticker instead of trying to put OH numbers and two registration stickers down the side of a small inflatable boat. The alternative registraiton is only for hand powered vessels and costs a bit more than a traditional registration, $25 as compared to the traditional $20 for 3 years. Since hand powered vessels don't have a title, you may need a Manufacturer's Statement of Origin or "MSO" which should have been included in the paperwork if you bought it new. If you purchased it second hand, a bill of sale may be needed or you may have to fill out an affadavit of ownership. Hope this helps.


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## JDBassSlayer (Apr 8, 2008)

My tube is a Togiak brand and it is a U-shape float tube. However it has two seperate bladders to inflate. I am not gonna register it. They can fine me, drag me to jail, or make me eat vienna sausages right outta the can...but I aint paying no more taxes to fish a couple of times a year. What is next? Fishing reel registration? Live bait tax? Whoops...I shouldnt be giving these moronic beaurocratic policy/lawmakers any ideas:angry:


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## NewbreedFishing (Apr 15, 2004)

if it has more then one bladder it has to be registered.


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## thedon255 (May 4, 2008)

JDBassSlayer, I have the exact same float tube as you, except it's teal instead of the yellow in your pic, and I can't imagine getting it registered. Anyway, I'm not too considered about it because no official will ever be able to find me on the ponds I fish.


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## JDBassSlayer (Apr 8, 2008)

OK...I made an attempt to "give-in" and jump through the hoops to get a registration for my dual bladder float tube. I called the Ohio Division of Watercraft and spoke with a lady that confirmed the fact that the float tubes with more than one air chamber needs to be registered. I asked to speak to someone above her in the chain of command and was transferred to another lady (anybody see a pattern here) who politely explained to me the "reason" for registration. The "reason" is that this is a directive from the Office of Homeland Security. As a result of 9/11 and the bombing of naval ships by terrorists, all water craft need to be registered in order to trace those who commit such crimes. I assured her that my float tube would only be used to fish from in the backwaters of AEP and that I had absolutely no intention of kicking up next to a naval battleship and blowing up my float tube(pun intended). I asked her what the fine would be if caught tubing without a registration. She told me that the watercraft officers are there to "educate" and "inform". They would probably inspect the craft and then inform you that it needs to be registered and give you a period of time to accomplish that. I continued to impress upon her my displeasure with this ridiculous mandate and she continued to assure me that this whole process was created in the best interest of national security. So....I called Classic Accessories which is the manufacturer of my tube and explained the situation to another lady at their facility on the left coast. She has been inundated with such requests for Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin documents and HIN numbers. Neither of these exist for my model of float tube. So now what to do? The only way to register now is to inflate the tube and take it to a watercraft inspection station 50 miles away, hope that someone is there to inspect it. I'm on my way to get a few cans of vienna sausages and join up with "TheDON" way back in somewhere.


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## peach680 (May 19, 2010)

JDBassSlayer said:


> OK...I made an attempt to "give-in" and jump through the hoops to get a registration for my dual bladder float tube. I called the Ohio Division of Watercraft and spoke with a lady that confirmed the fact that the float tubes with more than one air chamber needs to be registered. I asked to speak to someone above her in the chain of command and was transferred to another lady (anybody see a pattern here) who politely explained to me the "reason" for registration. The "reason" is that this is a directive from the Office of Homeland Security. As a result of 9/11 and the bombing of naval ships by terrorists, all water craft need to be registered in order to trace those who commit such crimes. I assured her that my float tube would only be used to fish from in the backwaters of AEP and that I had absolutely no intention of kicking up next to a naval battleship and blowing up my float tube(pun intended). I asked her what the fine would be if caught tubing without a registration. She told me that the watercraft officers are there to "educate" and "inform". They would probably inspect the craft and then inform you that it needs to be registered and give you a period of time to accomplish that. I continued to impress upon her my displeasure with this ridiculous mandate and she continued to assure me that this whole process was created in the best interest of national security. So....I called Classic Accessories which is the manufacturer of my tube and explained the situation to another lady at their facility on the left coast. She has been inundated with such requests for Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin documents and HIN numbers. Neither of these exist for my model of float tube. So now what to do? The only way to register now is to inflate the tube and take it to a watercraft inspection station 50 miles away, hope that someone is there to inspect it. I'm on my way to get a few cans of vienna sausages and join up with "TheDON" way back in somewhere.


the officers are pretty nice i deal with. Just call ahead of time and make sure there is soemone on duty to inspect.


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

You would think if it was a Homeland Security issue that they would make you register it when you buy it instead of letting these dangerous things get out in the unsupervised world. JMO.


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