Booze and rivers
- Thread starter rockriver
- Start date
rusty 54
Well-known member
We have been making a trip,in late August, to the Ausable below Mio for years. The last few years, the crowd has grown considerably. In 2017, we wanted to launch for a late afternoon/evening float. Due to the crowds, we were unable to launch at Mio or Commins Flats accesses. We have seen some amazing things over the years. Usually, quite entertaining, but I felt bad for the families I saw trying to navigate that mess. Maybe this will lessen the pressure on the river. I would like to see an exemption for fishing boats. I'm much smarter and cast much better after a couple Labatts! ( I'm kidding, I will comply).
willyf
Well-known member
I don't drink, so I'd be, selfishly, really happy if I fished this stretch of the Au Sable a lot. Less traffic on the river (especially the traffic that goes heavy on the booze) is only a good thing for the fishing. Unfortunately, I like to fish other parts of the Au Sable--and they're likely to end up with more traffic and more bad behavior as the tubers, canoers, and fishermen who like to drink disperse across the rest of the river where alcohol is still allowed. This seems to be coming from the feds (who I believe control these stretches of river) and not the state, so it's going to be really interesting to see how strictly enforced these new rules are.
rusty 54
Well-known member
I agree with your fears. I worry about traffic closer to Grayling. "Be careful of what you wish for!"
I am a big fan of Bourbon and certain blended Irish whiskeys. That said, I have a 17' Lund that I have had all over Iowa, Northern Minnesota every year, and parts of Northern Missouri. I never, repeat never, drink and get in my boat. I don't even drink from the dock. There are lakes in Minnesota that you can be in 3' of water 1 second and 20' away, you're in 80', 100' or more. Trust me, I am not a sheep or a "rules" guy. I just feel there are times and places for everything. I happen to think the best time to drink 12yr old Red Breast is after the day is over, celebrating the day or reliving the one that got away...jmho
pryal74
Well-known member
good idea. Might save someone's life. Plus, I've seen what a disaster it is during the salmon run down there. Willyf, great comment.
bumble54
Well-known member
I'm afraid such hopes may come to nothing. People who drink responsibly are not a cause for concern, people who don't drink responsibly or have the addiction won't care about bans, nor do they care much for the litter or the consequences they leave in their wake.
I do hope it works or at least causes some to stop and think, but when I was a heavy drinker it would not have made any difference.
It sometimes takes a shock to wake people up to the consequences of their behavior, as it did with me.
I do agree with the sentiment you express however.
srock
Well-known member
I think this is a very good idea both for the rivers, the fish, and the people using them. Missouri ozark streams had a bad party rep several years ago, and although not living in MO at the time, I have heard that strick enforcement has cleaned up this problem for the most part. At one point is was hard to fish or use one of these rivers during mid day without running into various drunken groups. So, I applaud Michigan’s effort and hope there is not a spillover onto other streams, such as the Pere Marquette. SR
rockriver
Well-known member
A pushback on this rule.
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/02/08/alcohol-ban-michigan-rivers/2811560002/
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/02/08/alcohol-ban-michigan-rivers/2811560002/
Being U.K. based I don’t float rivers, but as an outsider it seems as is often the case the minority ruin for the majority.
I don’t ‘drink’ when I am fishing, but if I was floating for the day I’d probably have a single can of beer when stopped for lunch.
Be interesting to hear whether you think they will enforce a full 100% no alcohol, would a single beer be likely to get you thrown off the river?
I don’t ‘drink’ when I am fishing, but if I was floating for the day I’d probably have a single can of beer when stopped for lunch.
Be interesting to hear whether you think they will enforce a full 100% no alcohol, would a single beer be likely to get you thrown off the river?
rusty 54
Well-known member
If the pushback is not successful, I would expect that enforcement would be strong, for a while. If you have never experienced one of these Saturday spectacles, it is hundreds of canoes, rafts and tubes coming down the river. The river is quite large in many places. I would think that it would require several officers on jet skis or something similar to be effective. I once came upon a couple of teams of officers, each team had 1 State of Michigan officer and 1 USFS officer. They were observing the activity on the river. We were hiking back to our camp from fishing; waders, vests ,rods. They never even asked to see our licenses. They asked if we had been harassed, I told them that while the tubers were drunk and stupid, we had never had a problem
I doubt that drift boat occupants would be usual targets, but the penalties are severe and I hold a teaching certificate so I won't risk it.
I doubt that drift boat occupants would be usual targets, but the penalties are severe and I hold a teaching certificate so I won't risk it.
lake flyer
Well-known member
I live here on the North Branch AuSable and participate in the annual river cleanup. The majority of trash we pick up is beer cans and beer bottles and the majority of boorish behavior we see on the river, I believe, is fueled by alcohol. If it reduces all that, then I, for one, am in favor of the regulation. Now that Michigan has legalized recreational marijuana I guess I’ll see a more mellowed out bunch.
Dougred
Member
I have been up by Tippy Dam a couple times attempting to fish for steelhead, but most times it is a zoo of people. A lot of people drinking and "forgetting" to take their empties with them. I do drink, not often on the river, but more when ice fishing, and the complete carelessness of leaving liter around after spending a day on the ice about sends me into a rage. How hard is it to clean up after yourself. I think this will be good for the river around Tippy, I have never been to the Au Sable but am planning a trip this summer, but it is a terrible thing to see all of the liter on shore. I have heard the fines are up to 5000 dollars or 5 years in prison if you are caught with alcohol in these stretches of river. I hope that this will clean it up some, even though people will still sneak it or come to the river already belligerent. Time will tell what will happen.
rusty 54
Well-known member
Well, the ban has been lifted. Over 43,000 people signed an on line petition against it. Apparently, there will be a community committee formed to develop an action plan to deal with the issues. The plan is due by May. The threat of the ban remains for 2020 if the plan fails to work. That's probably what should have happened originally. Boy, this sure got a lot of attention!
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