No loophole here G-Man, and you "done good" with your post! There is one more definition that closes the alleged loophole, look in the regs under Equipped with a motor where the definition states, "Equipped with a motor - A motor is attached to the floating device, regardless of whether the motor is in the water." If the selective gear fishery rules apply, and there is no amendment in the special rules for the lake, then the person is wrong to fish from a boat equipped with an internal combustion motor, in the water or not.G-Man wrote:INTERNAL COMBUSTION MOTORS
PROHIBITED
Means ?shing from a ?oating device equipped
with an internal combustion motor is not
allowed.
Page 29 of the current Washington State Fishing regulations
SELECTIVE GEAR RULES
Only unscented arti?cial ?ies or lures with
one single-point, barbless hook are allowed.
Up to a total of three arti?cial ?ies or lures
containing single-point, barbless hooks
may be used. Bait is prohibited]No one may ?sh[/u] from any ?oating device
equipped with an internal combustion motor,
except where speci?cally allowed under
Special Rules for individual waters. If any ?sh
has swallowed the hook or is hooked in the
gill, eye, or tongue, it should be kept if legal to
do so.
Page 30 of the current Washington State Fishing regulations
As Rattlesnake lake is a selective gear fishery there may be a loophole! Was he just out for a boat ride? It is not listed as a lake with an internal combustion motor restriction. If the guy was fishing, he was in the wrong, so next time get a picture of him in action and phone up the local fuzz. If you are reporting a violation sometimes you need to make a few calls before you get an interested party on the other end of the line. I'm sure you've heard the response, "not my jurisdiction". With the decrease in WDFW enforcement officers try and get hold of the county's authorities in which the body of water resides. They will have jurisdiction and should be itchin' to write a ticket to fill the county's coffers.
For those of you that have issues with the rules, you need to speak up the next time WDFW solicits input from us sport fisherman on what changes we'd like to see. Otherwise, well, live with the rules as written.