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Author Topic: Inspection stations  (Read 2379 times)

Tinker

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Inspection stations
« on: Jun 13, 2017, 02:07 PM »
Figured I might as well start here rather than MFF.  Anyone been through an inspection station, are they working? I have been through the Helena station with no issues, friendly and quick staff the times I have been through. 

I cry BS on these stations and below is why.

I was at Fort Peck and drove clear to Helena before being inspected.  I talked to a fellow at Peck that had come in from ND with no inspection as he never encountered a station.  I see there is supposed to be a roving station at Jordan but I didn't see it on the way in or the way out of Hell Creek and Jordan is pretty small.  I would assume they would do it at the intersection to go North on the edge of town as that would catch traffic from both east and west.  This fellow came from eastern ND, and could have driven clear to Helena before being inspected, SMH. 

Does FWP give a crap about Eastern MT???

I also see that it is law that all out of state boats get inspected before launching, are they supposed to find a station on there own?  No one is around at the boat ramp, I pull my white inspection tag right after putting the plug in the boat at the ramp but no one is around to see if I am okay to launch. 

Maybe we should all just save our $2 and use it to clean the dams and such when the mussels do get here, doesn't seem like we are real serious about stopping this unless you are going over the precious divide into trout country. 

Maybe this whole deal is just some sort of conspiracy from the antis, get the warm water fishers and the trout fishers to fight, divided we fall.

I'm not trying to start a war, please keep it civil, any thoughts?

Tinker

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Re: Inspection stations
« Reply #1 on: Jun 16, 2017, 09:09 AM »
Rumor has it that boaters are bypassing the station at Fairmont on the way to G-town, yeah working great isn't it.  I'm off to the lake myself this morning for weekend of chasing eyes.  FYI I think I paid $1 each for a tile grouting sponge at Lowes, they seem to be about the right size for mucking out bilge and livewell and since the tile project is done they have a new purpose.  I have one for the dirty bilge and one for the clean livewell.

Offline PerchPounderMT

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Re: Inspection stations
« Reply #2 on: Sep 18, 2017, 08:53 AM »
They still havnt verified any mussels in MT,the whole thing was a F&G scam.
Dont ask

Offline montanabob

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Re: Inspection stations
« Reply #3 on: Sep 20, 2017, 03:45 PM »
Here's my issue with the whole inspection issue. 

As a fisherman, I have to pay the 2 bucks to help support the initiative.  AND it was retroactive so even though it was passed (June I think) after we had to buy our licenses in March, we had to retroactively pay the charge. 

Let's say I have a boat and fish, I have to pay.
Let's say I have don't have a boat, but fish.  I have to pay.
Let's say I have a boat but don't fish.........don't worry about it.  You don't have to pay.

BULLcrap.

They should be inspecting every boat, so every boat owner should have to pay.  Be it a raft, paddle board, canoe, kayak....you should have to pay. 

Please, don't go a whine to me that you don't a bilge or a live-well.  Paddle boats leak.  Rafts leak.  All boats leak at some point, or gather vegetation at some point. 

I'm tired as a hunter/fisherman I have to pay for all kinds of things I might never use (landlocked state sections, 75 % of forest lands, high altitude horse corrals) but I have to pay for them.  But if just own a boat, churn up the water, make all kinds of noise, swamp the shore and bomb around like a d**khead in my speedboat pulling tubers, I don't have to pay for any of that. 

Everyone that has a boat or goes to the river or lake needs to be invested in getting on board with keeping the invasive species out.  Except brown trout and rainbows, cause they make money for the state. 


Offline MT204

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Re: Inspection stations
« Reply #4 on: Sep 20, 2017, 11:13 PM »
Montanabob.
Couldn't have said it better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Offline SpitzoMT

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Re: Inspection stations
« Reply #5 on: Sep 21, 2017, 02:04 AM »
Well said MB.....I had a discussion about this with 2 Game Wardens about a month ago. They actually brought up the point about everyone who owns a boat should have this fee incorporated into the price of their boat decals. I don't own a boat, so I have no clue what decals they were referring to. I agree with you.....every raft, paddle board, canoe, kayak, etc. etc. should have to pay the fee !!
        

Offline brkmsla

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Re: Inspection stations
« Reply #6 on: Sep 22, 2017, 12:04 PM »
Considering they require all rafts, boats, flotation devices to be inspected why not just add the fee to vehicle registration. Almost all of them get transported by a vehicle right. But then again that would be another form of taxation without calling it a tax.

Offline PerchPounderMT

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Re: Inspection stations
« Reply #7 on: Sep 23, 2017, 04:27 PM »
They know we will pay,everyone else gets a free ride.Thats how MT treats its sportsmen.
Dont ask

Offline MT204

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Re: Inspection stations
« Reply #8 on: Sep 23, 2017, 08:29 PM »
The whole bill was a very badly written piece of crap from the very get go.
The very first version actually had a prevision in it to charge a $25 fee on out-of-state bicycles, yep that's right.
http://missoulian.com/news/government-and-politics/bill-to-fight-invasive-species-scraps-boat-decals-for-fishing/article_40fc5bda-0a81-5712-a46f-e695d3f238e2.html
It was voted on and almost passed before someone actually read it and they then had to run it back through all the proper channels to correct it at an untold cost to the taxpayers!
It's also very unfair to charge out of state'rs $15 on even a short term fishing license.
Something else that most folks are forgetting is that the hydroelectric industry is the one that's getting hit the hardest.
But then their not about to take the added expense so in fact they just pass it on, to the electric customers!
Up in the Flathead, if your a FEC customer you now pay an extra 45 cents per month on your electric bill!
http://flatheadbeacon.com/2017/06/29/invasive-species-bill-adds-fee-flathead-electric-members/
The fact of the matter is the inspection stations don't work!

 


Offline Golden Trout

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Re: Inspection stations
« Reply #9 on: Sep 26, 2017, 11:35 PM »
Are we really complaining over a $2 increase on your fishing licenses?  Yeah that sucks, I guess we are one tall boy short for the season when we go drown a worm.  Yes the Stations are working.  If any of you have been following up on this there have been 8 mussel fouled boats found at these stations.  This was a while ago and with this being said there could be more?  There have been some times when the stations were closed or short staffed, for example when all these started up in the beginning of the year Wibaux was closed the first week or two after they opened.  Same with Eureka having problems keeping employees and no they cant be at every entrance into the state on every road.   Believe it or not FWP does care about our waters, and think about this.  Think about a seasonal job, out in the middle of no where in eastern MT with not the best pay.  Think about what type of people that attracts to apply for these jobs... its hard to get good people that stay off the first year of a major hire.  Tiber does have mussels.  Canyon Ferry is "suspected".  And with the boats that they have found with mussles on them I say good job to the invasive species crews.  Think about the lakes here that could have them versus they dont thanks to the stations.  Did you know one of them was intercepted in browning heading for Flathead Lake?  Sometimes I wonder how many people even care.    $2 extra a year is nothing if it means keeping mussles out of our waters.  Has anyone ever thought about the boats coming from Havasu, Mead, Powell, Great Lakes, Etc... that werent inspected until they reached Montana?  Now think about the motor flushes that these stations did after these boats were just in mussel infested lakes.  Those arent counted as "mussel boats" even though there is a 50/50 chance they are carrying them depending on what body of water they were on. 

Just my 2 cents.  Clearly its a scam  ::)   

 

Offline PerchPounderMT

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Re: Inspection stations
« Reply #10 on: Sep 27, 2017, 01:43 PM »
Complaining about the F&G lieing to receive millions in funds that could have been used to buy more land for the people of MT.Nobody gives a sh%% about the $2,its all the appropriated funding that was wasted based on a lie.But Im sure you are ok with that.They put out sections of pipe in Tiber as a test NO MUSSELS were found after the test period,0,zero.As far as their employees,they were all unemployed half way through the summer when they were hired so Im sure they can just go back to doing what they were before the mid-summer hire,nothing. I havnt been washed once,havnt had them actually look in the boat AT ALL,they ask a few questions and slap a seal on the bow,real effective.After millions wasted and repeated false positive tests by the F&G I want to know who is going to be held accountable for this waste.

Dont ask

Offline Golden Trout

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Re: Inspection stations
« Reply #11 on: Sep 27, 2017, 08:22 PM »
What exactly did the Fish and Game lie about?  The mussels?  They did find mussels in Tiber, plain and simple.  Sections of pipe coming up as a negative result doesnt indicate the reservoir is mussel free when you have a water body that big.  I guess nothing should have been done with the mussel issue?  Yeah that makes a lot of sense.  Sit around and ignore them problem, call it a scam and it will go away on its own.

Want proof?  Call them.      @)

Offline MT204

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Re: Inspection stations
« Reply #12 on: Sep 27, 2017, 09:15 PM »
It's not the $2.00!
It's about the fact that (in my opinion) the majority of people using Montana waters are not fisherman but fisherman are being charged!

Offline Golden Trout

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Re: Inspection stations
« Reply #13 on: Sep 27, 2017, 10:18 PM »
Your correct it doesnt seem fair to the anglers who dont own/use watercraft. 

Offline fridayfish

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Re: Inspection stations
« Reply #14 on: Sep 29, 2017, 01:14 PM »
its a lost cause anyway. waterfowl spread this stuff more than boats. they would be better off putting up bill boards and signs at the docks with key information than making everyone stop and wasting everybodys time and money with these check stations. do they really even have the right to make everyone stop for this? they can control anglers by taking away fishing and hunting privledges but i doubt they can legally make others stop at all.

Offline PerchPounderMT

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Re: Inspection stations
« Reply #15 on: Sep 29, 2017, 04:40 PM »
I know a guy employed by the state working on the project....SIX FALSE POSITIVES does not = mussels in Tiber....spit out the coolaid man it doesnt taste as good as advertised.

http://mtpr.org/post/no-evidence-invasive-mussels-after-divers-scour-tiber-reservoir
Dont ask

Offline SpitzoMT

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Re: Inspection stations
« Reply #16 on: Sep 29, 2017, 06:39 PM »
Thanks for the link PPMT.....It's a good read !!
        

Offline MT204

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Re: Inspection stations
« Reply #17 on: Sep 30, 2017, 05:45 PM »
And in case you were planning on using Whitefish Lake, according to the e-mail I just got from the Whitefish Lake Institute the 2 inspection stations (only 2 public launches) will be closed and locked as of Oct 1 2017!
"Whitefish Lake Off Season (October 1 - April 30) Access
Whitefish City Beach and Whitefish Lake State Park boat ramps will be chained/gated and locked in the off season (starting October 1)."
If you'd like to use the Lake you have to pass this test.
https://www.classmarker.com/online-test/login/

 



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