The Revenue Machine

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upsledder

Member
When you get onto Lake Gogebic at Bergland, there is a pretty well defined "Path" about 100 yards or so from the shoreline that snowmobilers use to get to the Hoop n Holler. It's nice because the snow is well packed and if you go off the path, it can be very slushy. There are plenty of fishing shacks in the area, but are all well out from shore.On Saturday Jan. 23 the DNR decided it would be a good idea to place a "Fishing Shanty" (and I use that term very loosely) right on the inside edge of this path. Tip ups were placed 100 yards from the shanty, which put them right near the outside edge of this path.

Anyone passing between the shack and the tip ups (basically using this well defined path) were subject to a sizable fine. I wish I could tell you the exact dollar figure, but it seems the amount can be adjusted depending on certain variables of which I am not sure, place of residence? snowmobile brand? I just don't know.

I just don't think the average person will take the time to memorize all the nonsense money making laws that are on the books these days. There was a day when you were able to obey the laws just by using common sense.

Can you imagine the amount of money made that day?
 
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bonnevier

Member
I know exactly what you are talking about...in fact, Tom over at the Bergland Bay Bar posted this comment on his trail report:

"The DNR was out on Lake Gogebic Last night writing tickets for driving too close to ice shacks. Although one of my renters I think received a bogus ticket the law is you can not be with in 100 feet of a shack. He was 65 feet and traveling at a slow rate of speed but the DNR were out to prove a point. And it cost Dan $100. So sledder beware 100 feet is the law. In the DNR's defense I have heard fishermen in the bar complain about sledders coming very close to their shacks. It just sucks that the IDIOTS never get the tickets, the guy behind the guy that swings at the bee gets stung."

Sounds like $100 is pretty steep unless you are out clowning around and get REALLY close.
 
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yamahauler

Active member
Was out sledding 2nd week in Jan on a trail that crossed Green Lake close to Lindstrom MN. The trail is somewhat marked and believe it or not it looked as though it had been groomed across the way which is hard to believe. Anyway, trail went right inbetween ice shacks and some dumba$$ had put tipups right in the middle of the trail. Then a little farther down there was another dbag that had the bumper of his car parked on the edge of the trail and tipups were right across the trail. Wanted to drive over and ask him if he was thinking clearly today. There was a DNR guy out there checking over ice shacks, I should've stopped to ask if there is a law for fishing to close to the snowmobile trail, lol.
 
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lvr1000

New member
beware 100 feet is the law

Learned that one in WI in '96. Got up to the Lake about 8:30pm with a brand new '96 T-cat. Unloaded and drove down to the ice. With a new sled and not sure on the location of the ice heaves, I was puttsen along about 25 mph and as my lights caught a couple shanties I slowed and veered away from them. All of a sudden I had a SUV cut me off and the passenger jumps out with a flashlight shining at me. Luckily I noticed the DNR patch otherwise I was ready to hit the gas, then I would have been in big trouble. Anyway, he asked me how fast I was going back there and I replied 15-25mph. Then he asked me how far from the shanty I was. I guessed about 60 feet. He said "let's go back and measure" ***. 87 feet at 15mph cost me $139 and I ONLY had 3.2 miles on the sled!

I asked why they didn't have lights or reflective tape, I wouldn't have got that close.
 
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HIGHLANDER

Member
sounds like entrapment, especisly when the shany isnt marked!!
that really p's me off when someone sets a tip up right in the middle of a beaten snomobile path. can say i have ran over a few.. to bad fisherman, you should use your head when setting these up.. any reasoning why the would do that?
 
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polarisrider1

New member
HIGHLANDER said:
sounds like entrapment, especisly when the shany isnt marked!!
that really p's me off when someone sets a tip up right in the middle of a beaten snomobile path. can say i have ran over a few.. to bad fisherman, you should use your head when setting these up.. any reasoning why the would do that?
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The worse part is when they stick a pc. of 1" angle iron straight up in the ice, 6" above the ice and a foot below, next to the tip up. That my friend is rough on the track
 
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upsledder

Member
rocketman356 said:
Mayb we all should just take next year off sleddin in WI and MI and ride out west and let them find out the loss.
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I've been riding in Michigan for 29 years. Except for the far eastern part, I've probably ridden every trail at least 3 times. I've paid for a trail sticker every year since they started. I've already decided there will be no Michigan sticker on my sled for the at least the next two years. There are many miles of great trails right here in Wisconsin that I've never been on.

Guess I should change my user ID
 
chords

chords

Active member
"not upon a snowmobile within 100 feet of a fishing shanty or shelter except at the minimum speed required to maintain forward movement of the snowmobile"

Youse guys need to know the rules in MI. If ya see a shanty, steer way clear. They are not so hard to see. When there is 13,000 acres of frozen lake, why would you buzz into my surrounding zone and crush my tip up. Guess I lost my head a 1/2 mile from shore. Where does a beaten snowmobile path on a lake begin and end ?

I cant believe the DNR would set a shanty up with tip ups spread out* and 300' in front of a bar with engines idling ready to jump from hidden bushes with a tape measure. But I wasnt there so OK.
 
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upsledder

Member
13,000 acres can get used up pretty fast when every Tom, ****, and Harry that wants to set up a shack is alloted in excess of 40,000 sq. feet. The fishermen do not own the lake. And Yes, the shacks can be hard to see, that's why some states require a couple bucks worth of reflective material on them. Could save a life.

Who said anything about 300' from a bar?
 
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jojo69

New member
I've had guys in pick-up trucks pull up to my ice shack and put their tip-ups next to my. They were closer than 100'. To much bias against snowmobilers.
 
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chords

chords

Active member
*** Beware ***

Who said anything about 300' from a bar?
Well no one did. Hoop n' Holler is a bar and 100 yards is 300 '

No one owns a lake. I didnt realize me ice fishing caused such a hazard. I have reflective tape in place by my choice. What states require tape ? Be carefull and watch for floating boats in warm weather.
 
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upsledder

Member
chords said:
I didnt realize me ice fishing caused such a hazard.
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And I certainly did nothing hazardous by riding 50-60' away from that shack. The only hazardous thing I saw that day was when Warden Miller put his machine within two feet of mine at 50-60mph. He doesn't know my riding ability. If I would have kept looking straight ahead and veered slightly left, there would have been certain injury, if not death!

I believe Minnesota requires reflective tape.
 
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snodogg

New member
MN does require reflective tape, in my opinion every state should. I would be very nervous sitin' in the shack after dark waitin' for a speed demon to crash into my house. I ice fish a lot and sled there's room for both groups. For every person who puts tip ups on the trail there's 10 snowmobiles that buzz ten yards from every ice fisherman they happen to pass. It is very annoying when you get buzzed by sleds or jet skis in the summer for that matter. There's plenty of lake for everyone.

Maybe the guy fishin' just off the trail 100 yards from shore is 85 and has a hard time walking out through the slush, ever think of that?

Ice fisherman on the other hand should avoid the staked trails, and obey tip up laws requiring them to be within certain distances of where they are fishing. If it's unavoidable I slow way down to respect those fishing. Otherwise there's no reason not to steer clear.

Just slow down, you drove too fast too close to a shack your own fault. How does the warden know that you won't do it past every shack you encounter.
 
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upsledder

Member
snodogg said:
Maybe the guy fishin' just off the trail 100 yards from shore is 85 and has a hard time walking out through the slush, ever think of that?
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If I were 85 and had a hard time walking through slush, I doubt I would try to walk anywhere near 100 yards.

snodogg said:
you drove too fast too close to a shack your own fault
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As far as I know, once you are within the 100' and past the "Forward Momentum" part of the law, the violation has been commited, that's why I can't understand why I was singled out while running 5th out of a group of 7.



famousguy said:
Hazardous. Maybe not.

Illegal. Yes
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You have an incredible ability to state the obvious.
 
H

HIGHLANDER

Member
upsledder..5th OUT OF 7?
ever go fishing? you dont catch all the fish do ya?
you just happened to be the on that was caught.
 
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upsledder

Member
HIGHLANDER said:
upsledder..5th OUT OF 7?
ever go fishing? you dont catch all the fish do ya?
you just happened to be the on that was caught.
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No, I don't go fishing, it's boring. Maybe I'll do it when I'm 85.

No, I wasn't the only one who got caught, the Warden told me right out that I could split the fine with the person in front of me who commited the same violation.
 
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