Un-Marked Fishing Nets
 

Has anyone else run across unmarked fishing nets, especially in the Great Lakes? Last trip out I was doing about 70 and before I could turn, I realized I was headed for an unmarked fishing net. All I could do was hit the trim button and hope for the best. I didn't do any damage to the out drive or prop, but it tore my speedo pick-up off the boat and did some damage to the gelcoat. Just wondering if this is a common thing or not. I was halfway between Mackinaw City and Rogers City on Lake Huron on my way to Mackinaw City when it happened. On the way back I stayed a little farther from shore but almost caught another one. Luckily I was paying a lot closer attention this time. Does anyone know the rules on this?

We see them all the time on Erie, but they are usually marked on the ends. It can be really tough to see them if it's rough and you're running hard though. Here's a little info from the DNR on how they are SUPPOSED to be marked.

I would be surprised if they were close enough to the surface to cause damage to your boat, unless it was very shallow.

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7...7209--,00.html

Lots around here, they usually have stakes on the ends but can be hard to see until the last minute if you are running at speed.

All the nets I see are right on the surface. Some only have a marker in the middle and one end. The one I ran over wasn't very far from the mouth of the harbor I was coming out of. Matter of fact if you didn't take a hard turn out of the mouth of the harbor you would hit it.

Nets north of the 45th parallel on Lakes Huron and Michigan are Indian nets and they may not be well marked. Per a re-done treaty all non-Indian commercial fishermen were sent south of the 45th ( Alpena area) back in the mid 1990's.
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