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| There has been lots of talk going around regarding the license requirements for guiding on Lake Winnebago, The Wolf and Fox Rivers. After talking with the Chief Warrent Officer in charge of the investigation at the Coast Guard it is no doubt that you need a Captain's License or "Limited Scope" license to operate om Winnebago and upstream to the first dam on the Fox (Eureka?) and all the way to the County F bridge at Leeman on the Wolf. For years it has been "unenforced" or "un-enforable" due to such things as the non-operational locks on the Fox River "below", as in downstream side, of Lake Winnebago, man power, confusion or who knows what. What ever, the fact is that if you are guiding the coast gurad is looking for you. They were in Winneconne on Sunday.
There is also speculation as to the license you need. Do you need the "6-pack" license with the long test and expensive school with lessons in navigation etc etc? From what I was told the answer in no. There is a "LIMITED SCOPE" area (or zone) and a license to operate as a fishing guide available for it that is a LOT easier to get as I was told. The entire packet of information is being sent to me and the coast guard is willing to attend an informational meeting if needed. The test is 25 questions, you need a Red Cross certificate, a CPR certificate, to take the "safe boating course", (available at a Coast Guard auxillery), picture ID, original social security card, to take a drug test, and be a citizen of the U.S. Once I get the packet, anything else needed will be known. The cost as quoted was less then $300 including cost of test etc.
ALSO, in 1990 the communities along the Wisconsin River had themselves removed from this requirement. I am reserching the way this is done and will be talking to the proper people in our entire group of communities that are in the boundry as to how to proceed.
Email questions to me and I will respond best I can. |
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Member
Posts: 2393
Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | Thanks Doc,
let me know if you need any assistance. For now, my guiding is done on that body of water. |
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Member
Posts: 538
| Good work Doc.
I have been looking into this myself and never came up with the Limited Scope category. I guess we will have to wait to you get the packet. My question being, can you guide the Great Lakes with the Limited Scope? I look forward to hearing what you discover.
Take care,
Jim O |
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| I got the envelope today and have been in contact with the Coast Guard stations in Cleveland, Milwukee and Sturgeon Bay. I found a mistake that is being cleared up as the original "MEMO" that the Limited scope license is available for accidentally omited the waters of Lake Winneconne and the Wolf River. This would have ment that the higher license would be needed. This license states that it is for fishing guides on the waters listed in the memo of Feb 24, 2004 under the control of MSO Milwaukee. These listed waters are the Fox River to mile marker 39 including Little Lake butte des morts, Lake Winnebago, Lake Butte des morts, Lake Winneconne, Lake Poygan and the Wolf River 96.2 miles from the mouth of the Fox River at Oshkosh to the County F bridge near Leeman. The list also included the Sturgeon Bay ship canal to the lighthousel but NOT the bay of Green Bay. I will post the letter that shows the exact requirements on my website shortly and we were told a test could be put together quickly. Total costs, (not including cost of drug test, cpr or Red Cross course or baoter safety etc) $240 The test is supposed to be 25 questions and does not include questions rgarding navigation, course plotting etc. Testing information and forms I believe are available on line and the testing center in Cleveland will make sure the correct forms are available. So it looks like the questions of WHICH license and what the costs are have been solved. |
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Member
Posts: 2393
Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | Thanks Doc!! |
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| The appropraite pages are shown at http://www.walleyeonthewolf.com/coastguard.htm
This should lcear up any questions. |
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