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#1612030 - 12/24/14 04:38 PM West Hill motor restriction
Tom59 Offline

Member

Registered: 12/28/10
Posts: 1174
If Im reading this correctly, after Sept. 15 there is no restriction on motor size? My 15 would be legal? Just want to be sure. Thanks

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!


WEST HILL POND, New Hartford-Barkhamsted
(261 acres)
L
TROUT MANAGEMENT LAKE / KOKANEE LAKE
• Species: (T K SMB YP S LMB RA)
• Season: Open 6:00 a.m. 3rd Saturday
April–March 31.
• Trout: from March 1–March 31, 16"
minimum length, Daily creel limit—1.
• Trout & Kokanee combined: Daily
creel limit—8 for both species in aggregate,
of which no more than 5 may be
trout (except 1 trout from March 1–
March 31).
Change expected in 2014 (see page 20):
No more than 5 fish can be kokanee.
• Other: The possession and use of any
live alewives, blueback (glut or river)
herring, gizzard, hickory or threadfin
shad as bait is prohibited. 15 mph
speed limit except 6 mph between
sunset and sunrise. From Memorial
Day through September 15th motors
limited to 8 hp.


Edited by Tom59 (12/24/14 05:15 PM)
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#1612483 - 12/29/14 09:08 AM Re: West Hill motor restriction [Re: Tom59]
EnCon Police Offline

Moderator

Registered: 03/01/04
Posts: 3899
You are reading it correctly. Remember the speed limit though.
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#1612525 - 12/29/14 01:44 PM Re: West Hill motor restriction [Re: Tom59]
Jighead Offline

I love re-re-opening day

Registered: 04/05/02
Posts: 11152
No offense to EnCon (I know these are not your rules) but I thought I knew all of the stupid HP limits rules in CT - but I never heard this stupid one - of limiting HP only between Memorial day and Labor day to control speeding. facepalm

....If we have any say... Vote for May






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#1612625 - 12/30/14 08:57 AM Re: West Hill motor restriction [Re: Jighead]
EnCon Police Offline

Moderator

Registered: 03/01/04
Posts: 3899
Originally Posted By: Jighead
No offense to EnCon (I know these are not your rules) but I thought I knew all of the stupid HP limits rules in CT - but I never heard this stupid one - of limiting HP only between Memorial day and Labor day to control speeding. facepalm



During the summer there's a lot more traffic on that small lake including two Boy Scout camps with kids swimming and canoeing. I'm sure if there wasn't a HP limit then everyone who put their boat on the lake in the summer would obey the speed limit, right?
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#1612635 - 12/30/14 09:50 AM Re: West Hill motor restriction [Re: Tom59]
Jighead Offline

I love re-re-opening day

Registered: 04/05/02
Posts: 11152
Right - almost all of us would. Those few that dont deserve a fat speeding ticket.
Lots of us do obey all the rules but get punished anyway.

If I'm bass fishing. I'm on the trolling motor all day. Might use the motor once or twice. But I get limited on what lakes I can even launch in because of the motor bolted on my boat that I am not really using ????

What's with this guilty until proven innocent approach?

I know the answer is that you can't be everywhere all the time so this is the lesser of two evils but you have to admit that using HP limits to control speed is not fair to people that don't speed. Right ? Especially bass fishermen trout trollers.

....If we have any say... Vote for May






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#1612662 - 12/30/14 01:02 PM Re: West Hill motor restriction [Re: Tom59]
EnCon Police Offline

Moderator

Registered: 03/01/04
Posts: 3899
We've taken the stance that you don't need to take the larger motor off. My advice to everyone has been to tilt the motor up and tape a plastic bag around the prop as an indicator that the motor is not being used. That lake and most if not all of the ones with a HP limit are fairly small and things can go sideways in a hurry if someone doesn't know what their doing or doesn't care. In a perfect world everyone would obey all the rules and I'd be driving a truck for a living but it's not a perfect world. Like you said, we can't be everywhere at once and there has to be some sort of regulation for public safety. Without a HP limit I can just about guarantee that the usual 20% would be operating above the speed limit and that presents a potential for really bad things to happen when you have a lake full of summer campers. Unfortunately it's the same for everything where a couple of people do something stupid or illegal and ruin it for everyone. The political reaction is to pass laws that will "prevent" if from happening in the future. Any other laws come to mind? While the intent may be good, it doesn't always work out that way and a lot of people, the law abiding ones, yourself included suffer as a result.
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#1612699 - 12/30/14 04:37 PM Re: West Hill motor restriction [Re: Tom59]
Jighead Offline

I love re-re-opening day

Registered: 04/05/02
Posts: 11152
Thanks - not that everything is going to change - just wanted to hear I'm not crazy smile1

And I know its the towns and not the State that created these regulations. I just glanced through the Anglers Guide again and see plenty of small lakes that have a speed limit of 5, 6, or 8MPH - essentially the same thing (so why not just make them all the same once and for all) and apparently sufficient enough in the majority of the state.

Then there are the odd balls that just insist on being different, like West Hill above, Alexander Lake with a 10HP limit, Great Hill with a 12mph limit, Mudge with a 7-1/2hp limit, Rogers lake with a 135hp limit.

....If we have any say... Vote for May






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#1713992 - 05/08/17 06:02 PM Re: West Hill motor restriction [Re: Tom59]
Steely Dan Offline

Member

Registered: 07/15/03
Posts: 456
I don't know where you get saying you can put a bag over the propeller. I fish there a lot and live in town.

The state statue and law is you have to remove the propeller. This is clearly noted on the rules at the boat launch.

Sec. 15-136a. Compliance with certain engine size requirements. In complying with the requirements of any statute, regulation or ordinance restricting the horsepower or size of the engine on any vessel while being operated on an inland body of water, a person may (1) in the case of an outboard motor, remove the propeller from the boat’s engine and incline the engine out of the water so that the absence of the propeller is clearly visible, or (2) in the case of an inboard motor, remove the propeller from the boat’s engine and incline or trim the engine to an upright position. This section shall not be construed to allow vessels with the gasoline-powered engines on bodies of water where such engines are not allowed.

Also I've seen people stopped there trying to do this by the local landowners association. You can see their website below and that they state correctly the law is you must remove the propeller

http://westhillpond.org/west-hill-pond/fishing/
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#1713998 - 05/08/17 07:04 PM Re: West Hill motor restriction [Re: Tom59]
Jon Pski Offline

Member

Registered: 04/15/02
Posts: 5742
Loc: Winsted, CT
My 14 foot boat has a 40 HP on it and I've "bagged" the prop MANY times on West Hill and never had an issue with even some of the locals knowing what I was doing and not having a problem with it. Now, I have a nearly 19 foot bass boat with a 175 and am certain the bagging procedure will not fly. Why? It is all about perception. Living nearly my whole life in the area, I've heard all the stories. The most common one: "Your boat is too big and ruins the beauty of our little pond." Another common one: "I've lived here my whole life and we will do anything neccasary to keep this pond looking like it was in the 1950's".

ENCON is well aware of the many boating issues on that pond yet enforcement is lacking.
Quote:
In a perfect world everyone would obey all the rules and I'd be driving a truck for a living but it's not a perfect world. Like you said, we can't be everywhere at once and there has to be some sort of regulation for public safety. Without a HP limit I can just about guarantee that the usual 20% would be operating above the speed limit and that presents a potential for really bad things to happen when you have a lake full of summer campers
I dont know if speeding would be as high as 20% BUT I can say that PFD violations by kayakers and paddleboarders are likely 40 to 50%. But, those are nice passive uses of West Hill that are encouraged by the town.

We will see what will happen when I put my boat into West Hill this summer. I expect I'll be needing my cell phone with Encon, Boating, and resident troopers number on speed dial.
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#1714030 - 05/09/17 08:33 AM Re: West Hill motor restriction [Re: Tom59]
RayZCT Offline

Member

Registered: 03/17/02
Posts: 4105
Loc: Glastonbury, CT
Why not drop a note to the local DEEP and tell them what you are planning to do. The DEEP people know who you are.

Z-Man Custom Fishing Rods
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