Porktown
I am not a WCO, but I think there is a big difference between someone that has a legal motor on their boat with a larger motor, and someone with nothing but an illegal motor (and a trolling motor or paddles). In all honesty, on Pymy and other larger lakes, if you are running a trolling motor only, you shouldn't be more than 400 yards from the launch, 200 yards in sketchy weather. I would think a warden would be much more lenient to someone that has a 9.9hp at the time (20 now) with horrible conditions, and sees them getting back to shore with a larger motor. It shows that they are likely usually playing by the rules with their legal motor and just happened to use something bigger to get out of trouble. To show up to a 9.9hp lake with only a 20hp motor (and an old beat up trolling motor), that WCO has full reason to assume the boater is using that 20hp all of the time and he just happened to catch them. Whether that was your case or not, many others at the time were running illegal motors all of the time, and still do. So much, that it was one of the primary duties of the WCOs at the time. The conditions mentioned, a 9.9hp would have gotten the boat to safety. If I were a WCO that day, I would have probably given you a ticket as well. Not to be a jerk. On the same note, if I saw a boat clearly struggling with a 9.9hp and I hear their 50hp or 80hp (or 20hp) fire up and get them into shore safely, I'd probably talk to them, but give them a warning. As they were clearly trying to play by the rules, but mother nature changed the rules. Again, I'm not a WCO or advocating using a larger motor, but I personally see it as apples and oranges to this story.
As a side note, if the weather came out of nowhere, and it really was dangerous conditions. $100ish fine to save you and your uncle is well worth it. I personally, would have never ventured onto a lake like Pymy without a 9.9hp, especially in early April, when we all know conditions you mentioned are likely. The judge was right to note that you should have thought about safety before leaving the house. The Weather Channel and many other services were alive and well in 1999. I very highly doubt that the weather forecast didn't at least include a possibility for a heavy snow storm, a few hours before it happened.
Blah...Blah....Blah................blah. Thanks for your opinion. I can understand in all your perfection of life you have never did something stupid. I applaud you good sir, you truly give us all an example to live by. I wish we could all live in your candy-coated liberal world.
Never once did I defend my actions, nor did I place blame on the judge or the officer. Please preach more to me so I can learn all your ways and become a controlled zombie that follows every rule and collects my free stuff. Or, maybe realize
why you were given 2 ears and only 1 mouth.
Anyways, we were out that day to grab some fish for dinner. We did decent that day. I lost my job in 1999 when the economy began tanking and catching fish to eat was a big part on my life back then. I didn't have Mommy, Daddy or the big brother Gov't to support me. Being self-employed back then......it wasn't like unemployment was much of an option. If I was hungry I went and got food. I even shot squirrels out of season to keep food in my families belly's. Not saying I am proud of violating the law back then, but I did what was necessary.