# Electric only Lakes?



## ProHawg (Sep 5, 2004)

I was wondering which electric lakes around northeastern Ohio I can put my boat in and fish. I have a bass boat with a 115 hp motor on back. I am interested in maybe fishing like Mogadore, but not sure if it is possible because I can't take my engine off. I can only trim my motor out of the water. I hear some lakes won't even let you on the water with a gas motor on your boat......which lakes are these? Thanks


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## mpd5094 (Jun 20, 2005)

You're not allowed to have the motor on the boat at Mogadore. You are allowed at Nimisilla, but can't use it.


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

you can use your boat at wingfoot with your electric motor,no mogadore or la due at all,deer creek and walborn are ok with a big motor on but run by elec-.. think thats about it in this area.......


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## Bobinstow90 (Apr 13, 2006)

Lake Hodgson (Ravenna water supply) lets ya fish with main engine tipped up running electric only. Costs a few bucks but it's a beautiful little lake to fish and produces bass, crappie, cats, gills, eyes.


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## rustyhooks (Aug 17, 2008)

a couple weekends ago at nimisila i watched a guy with a bass boat putting his boat back on the trailer . in the process he lowered his gas motor , fired it up ,and ran the boat up on the trailer. 
i think i know the answer , but , is that legal?


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## Nipididdee (Apr 19, 2004)

Akron Water Supply lakes- Moggie, LaDue and East Branch you are not even permitted to have a gas tank in the rig.

Checkout the ODNR homepage and search your lakes desired- the restrictions or HP limits are identified.


www.dobass.com


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## Eliminator (Aug 26, 2006)

rustyhooks said:


> a couple weekends ago at nimisila i watched a guy with a bass boat putting his boat back on the trailer . in the process he lowered his gas motor , fired it up ,and ran the boat up on the trailer.
> i think i know the answer , but , is that legal?


It's actions like that will no doubt lead to the total demise of what we're fortunate to have now, there's always someone that has to push the envelope you know.


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## rustyhooks (Aug 17, 2008)

Eliminator said:


> It's actions like that will no doubt lead to the total demise of what we're fortunate to have now, there's always someone that has to push the envelope you know.


thats exactly what i was thinking . i watched the guy as he trailered his boat and pulled it up the ramp, the whole time i was thinking to myself 
.." man, ya spend all the money on a very nice bass rig , nice fishing gear , a big arse merc on the back, a ton of lures , and you gotta pull some a-hole trick like that? "
granted , he was by himself, but the rules are the rules.


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## JF1 (Mar 25, 2008)

Actually....yes that is allowed. I have talked to the rangers at Deer Creek and Nimisila on more than one occasion and asked if I were allowed to "power load" my boat after a day of fishing. I have also fished several tournaments on each of those lakes, and at the end of the day we ALL power loaded our boats.....while the ranger was present.

It makes it alot faster to load the boat, thus not tying up the ramp if someone else were coming to load their boat....


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## Cull'in (Nov 21, 2005)

JF1 said:


> Actually....yes that is allowed. I have talked to the rangers at Deer Creek and Nimisila on more than one occasion and asked if I were allowed to "power load" my boat after a day of fishing. I have also fished several tournaments on each of those lakes, and at the end of the day we ALL power loaded our boats.....while the ranger was present.
> 
> It makes it alot faster to load the boat, thus not tying up the ramp if someone else were coming to load their boat....


Correct...kinda!
It's at the discretion of the ranger. Some allow you to use the gas motor to load up and a few will not. 
There's one guy at Nim who has asked me keep my prop out of the water while fishing. I asked him about loading up, his reply, "Not while I'm working".
I thanked him and went on my way...with my prop up!


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## fakebait (Jun 18, 2006)

Welcome to the gray area of life. When will things get back to black & white? I see this everyday everywhere. Interpretation of laws and rules basically allows people to do whatever they want anymore. When the rangers do not follow or understand the rules that is bad. I feel that the rangers that allow it just do not want to bother with it because it means doing work. The one ranger that will enforce it probally cares about his job and is willing to do it. I'm not saying one way or the other is right or wrong but; when you have people in the same employment as rangers enforcing two different decisions of the same rule makes you wonder which one is right. Hence this thread.


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## snake69 (Sep 26, 2005)

Out of all the electric lakes, this is the* only one *(Nimisilla) I've seen this happen on more than say a half dozen times. At the time, my 14' MFG had a 25 hp engine, but of course, I was able to load quite easily. One time though, a quick storm blew in, but I weathered it out because I thought with all my tatoos and all, they would "size me up" based on appearance alone, and I'd pay a hefty fine. Now that I think of it, it happened twice....battery died on me. I limped...very slowly back. I think that's when I went to 2 batteries in series so I didn't have to worry about *that* problem anymore!!


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## ZEBRACON1 (Feb 15, 2008)

This is one of the better threads I've read on the site lately. Lots of good info. I didn't know you could take a med/big motored boat on Walborn. I've got an 18' aluminum bass boat with a 70hp motor now so I had drawn the conclusion that my days on these 10 horse lakes were over. Electric down with the big motor trimmed up is at least an alternative to not being able to launch at all. And I wouldn't abuse the rules by power-loading. Nice thread guys !


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## Bobinstow90 (Apr 13, 2006)

Suspect that the electric only rule at Hodgson means electric only including loading. Would be a good idea to ask. They don't want gas/oil residue in the drinking water.

Power loading over time can really tear up the simple sand/gravel ramps that are not build to withstand the wash that goes with power loading.


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## ProHawg (Sep 5, 2004)

Hey Nip, Yeah I checked out the odnr site, but they don't go into the specifics about if a lake is electric only..... you have to remove the motor. Thanks all for the info. It is much appreciated. I think I will be giving Nimisilia a try soon!


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## lakeslouie (Jan 11, 2006)

Not gonna quote anybody here but you holier than thou folks down on using big motor to load rig, need to get a clue. Its a ramp. I fish Nimi alot and have talked to probably all the rangers about this and they are OK with it. Keep squawkin and next time you can wait 10 min for me to do it your way or 30 sec my way. Geesh!


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## cedar1 (Feb 5, 2006)

lakeslouie said:


> Not gonna quote anybody here but you holier than thou folks down on using big motor to load rig, need to get a clue. Its a ramp. I fish Nimi alot and have talked to probably all the rangers about this and they are OK with it. Keep squawkin and next time you can wait 10 min for me to do it your way or 30 sec my way. Geesh!


I heard that!


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## ZEBRACON1 (Feb 15, 2008)

Or YOU could be waiting 10 minutes for me to load.... depends on who is at the ramp first. Some guys like to follow the rules man. If you're so "in" with the rangers, why don't you get them to post on here that we can all power-load if we want to. If you gotta wait an extra 10 mins for someone following the rules, use the extra time for a few more casts. Or even give them a hand... geesh.


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## rustyhooks (Aug 17, 2008)

lakeslouie, i was NOT try to come off as '' HOLIER THAN THOU", ! if you took it that way ......oh well. i was simply trying to point out a ,hopefully small, group of people that for what ever reason think the law does not apply to them. 
ELECTRIC ''ONLY'' MEANS ''ONLY''
i have lost enough fishing spots over the past 45 yrs to that '' group " that are immune to the rules' behavior , that i believe i have the right to state my opinion. sorry if you dont agree.
JF1 ''actually ,no ! it is not allowed. i hate to disagree but.......
i spoke to 2 rangers over the past few day's and they both emphatically said QUOTE '' no way''
1 of them actually looked at my plate as if t make a mental note of it
when i asked him about power loading his response was ... electric only, look it up !! no kidding , thats what he said


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## Cull'in (Nov 21, 2005)

Here's a complete list of electric motor only lakes...

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/watercraft/tabid/2687/Default.aspx

Way too much gray area on power loading at places like Nimisila, Walborn and Deer Creek.
Don't expect any clarification though, even at the DOW office on Arlington St. the whole issue of prop in or out of the water is posted as being at the discretion of the ranger.

My advise, follow the posted rules unless told otherwise on that particular day!


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## smallieguy (Apr 7, 2004)

I fish nimi 2-4 times a week. Have seen boat of all sizes and makes.
As long as COMMON SENSE is used, what is the problem?
A bass boat can weight 1600-1900lb easy. Wrenching that thing onto
a trailer is impossible. And should not exclude people who own them 
from using a lake labeled "electirc motor only". I myself have used my
gas motor on nimi. Talked to the ranger afterwards and he told me
he would have done the same thing. Mind you it was to more than 
likely save my own dumb arse during a severe thunderstorm but no 
ticket was written. All I'm saying is let it alone. Nobody is using their
big motors to waterski so whats the problem?


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## Nipididdee (Apr 19, 2004)

Here's a trick...back the trailer deeper into the water with no gas load- it's almost easier than powerloading...

By far the worst big boat ramp is at Hodgson...my 9 year old drives a 21 ft glass rig via electric onto the trailer- I wench it up- we leave. 

Maybe it a Stratos engineering detail


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## lakeslouie (Jan 11, 2006)

Not trying to say it is right, but its been goin on for years. This is not "news" at Nimi. Smallie said it best that nobody is gettin away with anything, just leave it alone. I just get frustrated when I get on here to learn stuff and find folks who will bitch at the most petty stuff. 
BTW Nip I will try your suggestion next time out. Huh, I may have learned something here after all.


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## Eliminator (Aug 26, 2006)

Nipididdee said:


> Here's a trick...back the trailer deeper into the water with no gas load- it's almost easier than powerloading...
> 
> By far the worst big boat ramp is at Hodgson...my 9 year old drives a 21 ft glass rig via electric onto the trailer- I wench it up- we leave.
> 
> Maybe it a Stratos engineering detail


That's exactly how I load my 21' er, I pull it up to winch post by hand, don't just yank it out with your tow vehicle, ease up till she settles into the bunks then go.
Deep offload and she'l float right off, if it's too shallow then I have to work at it both on and off.


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## ZEBRACON1 (Feb 15, 2008)

I get on here to get advice and learn too. I think cull'in said it the best in his post. Let the situation dictate. If a ranger is there and says it's ok or the conditions don't permit safe loading w/o the power than I agree to go with the power-load. I just have to wonder with Ohio hurting so bad for cash flow, who knows.... one of us may be the first to start a new trend for tickets to be issued. I still think this is a good, informative thread. I wish it would quit raining......


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## lakeslouie (Jan 11, 2006)

Eliminator said:


> That's exactly how I load my 21' er, I pull it up to winch post by hand, don't just yank it out with your tow vehicle, ease up till she settles into the bunks then go.
> Deep offload and she'l float right off, if it's too shallow then I have to work at it both on and off.


I have a question....What if the wind is blowin hard and won't allow boat to settle on bunks? Do you keep tryin? I mean keep backin back in and re-tryin till it goes on? Anyone else experience this and how to fix to avoid power load?


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## Cull'in (Nov 21, 2005)

I say the heck with it and let's bring it back for public discussion that Nimisila be made unlimited hp/no wake! It _almost_ went through before


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## smallieguy (Apr 7, 2004)

Now we're talkin.
I'd vote for that one.


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## Nipididdee (Apr 19, 2004)

> I say the heck with it and let's bring it back for public discussion that Nimisila be made unlimited hp/no wake! It almost went through before


Thats a real possibility- much success with this elsewhere and topic presented during the most recent bass forum by ODNR.

Here's another trick Louie (  ) get full length of bunks wet to slide easier- then pull trailer out even further than if power loading- easier to wedge boat into position without shifting back end from wind and to walk bunks to winch. Crank up.

If this fails, or you fall in, you can always cuss at the people watching you, blame your partner for not helping... and use your cell phone for an emergency. Later, post the incident on OGF.


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## snake69 (Sep 26, 2005)

When I use to fish Nimi, I had a smaller boat, a fiberglass 14' MFG. It was never much of a problem. Don't recall *ever *putting my 25 hp engine down in the water. But even to this day, I always put the trailer in far enough to soak the bunks and then pull out to where I like it and trailer my boat, of course, these days I don't fish electric only so it doesn't matter!


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## JLeo (Jan 9, 2007)

I cant believe powerloading on an electric only lake is even questionable. 
The original question to this thread was which electric only lakes allow you to have a gas motor attached to your boat.
If people didnt power load the answer to this question would be all of them. If more and more people keep power loading soon none of these lakes will allow you to have a gas engine on the boat, period. 
If you cant handle loading your boat on the trailer with a winch:
1. Get a smaller boat
2. Go to a lake that allows gas engines
3. Get an electric winch
4. Learn how to do it with a hand winch.
5. Fish from shore
I have always loaded a 2000 lb. boat with a hand winch without a problem. Even on lakes that allow gas engines I have never had to power load.

Back to the original question, I have never looked into it but I saw a guy in a bass boat with a gas motor on Punderson last time I was there. So I would assume you are allowed at Punderson. Just keep your gas motor out of the water at ALL times.


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## Evinrude58 (Apr 13, 2011)

I am not a big guy and am disabled. I use to use a trolling motor to load my 22ft cuddy cabin and then manually crank it on, and did this on all waters. For a number of reasons such as fuel prices I switched to a smaller 14ft boat. I sometimes feel it was actually easier to load the bigger one.


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