Boating & Fishing

STORY BY BETSY ILER PHOTOS BY KENNETH BOONE

GGet to know boating and fishing license requirements and regulations as you settle in to lake life to ensure your are in compliance when you get out on the water. Then, consider getting involved with the volunteer organizations that work to keep the lake safe and clean for your enjoyment.

Boat Access

Put a boat in the water at any of 18 public boat ramps on Lake Martin. Visit lakemartin.com/POI/ Boat-Ramps/ to locate a ramp near you.

Boating License

Boating education is available online at the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Marine Patrol webpage, but an applicant must visit the local Department of Public Safety Driver’s License Examining Office to obtain an operator’s license. The application fee is $5 and an issuance fee of $36.25. Visit alea.gov/dps/ marine-patrol/boatingeducation-and-operatorcertificationlicense for the boater operation education course, online testing, boating equipment requirements, rules and regulations and more.

Alabama Residents

The applicant must complete an examination and answer medical questions. A minor applicant must bring a certified copy of his/her birth certificate, original Social Security card and a certified statement from the superintendent of the school in which the applicant is enrolled, containing the applicant’s name, date of birth and address.

Residents 14 years of age or older may obtain a vessel operator’s license and legally operate any motorized vessel, including a personal watercraft, without supervision. Residents 12 or 13 years of age, may obtain a vessel operator’s license but may only operate a vessel if someone 21 years of age or older with an operator’s license is on board and prepared and positioned to take over operation if necessary.

Non-residents

A non-resident 14 years of age and older may operate a vessel for up to 45 days per calendar year without obtaining an Alabama Non-Resident Vessel Fishing is popular among Operator’s License. A amateur anglers as well vessel certification or as tour pros at Lake Martin license from the operator’s home state may be used in lieu of a nonresident license. A nonresident who is 12 or 13 years of age can only operate if someone 21 years of age or older with a valid operator’s license or falls under the 45-day non-resident exemption period is on board, prepared and in position to take over if necessary.

Fishing License

If you are an Alabama resident 65 years of age or older, you are exempt from the freshwater fishing license requirement. Get out there and go fishing! Everyone else must obtain a freshwater fishing license. This is easy to do online at outdooralabama.com. Click on the fishing tab and then on the red Purchase Licenses button. Scroll down to the Freshwater bar and choose Resident Freshwater Fishing under the annual options; then, continue. A hard card is not required. Follow instructions for additional donations and checkout, and print your license or save it on your cellphone. Then, just grab a rod and go!

All recreational licenses expire on Aug. 31, so you’ll need to repeat the process on Sept. 1.

Keeping Lake Martin Clean and Safe

Lake Watch Lake Martin, Lake Martin Resource Association and Lake Martin Homeowners and Boat Owners Association work together and apart to enhance the lake experience for residents and visitors. Join one or all of these essential organizations to support the work they do for the Lake Martin area.

Lake Watch Lake Martin takes a proactive approach to preserving and improving the quality of Lake Martin’s water. Lake Watch trains and provides supplies to volunteer water monitors who regularly test the water for toxins and harmful bacteria. Lake Watch also maintains a local online swim alert system, so anyone recreating at Lake Martin could check the health status of the water at a number of popular area beaches, docks and swimming holes. For the most recent swim alert information at the lake, visit lakewatchoflakemartin.wildapricot.org/Swim-Alert. Choose a swim site on the interactive map for links to the swimming status and historical data regarding that site.

Lake Martin Resource Association focuses on the safety and cleanliness of Lake Martin by maintaining more than 400 safety buoys in the 41,150-acre lake. ALEA Marine Patrol must approve buoys prior to placement.

Each buoy is marked and numbered, and boaters can use buoy numbers to help locate their position on the lake. When you are on the water and see a buoy, visit lmra.info on your cellphone and click Buoy Placement under the Projects tab. Scroll down to the Buoy

Placement link; then, under LMRA Buoys in the column at left, click on the carrot next to the Diamond icon. Select the number of the nearby buoy, and its position will be highlighted on the map. To help first responders locate emergencies on the water quickly, lake residents are encouraged to purchase a lakeside address sign and post it to the docks. The sign is $45 and can be purchased through LMRA. Download the order form under the Projects tab on the website. LMRA also administers the Treasured Mile program that helps to keep islands and shorelines litter free and coordinates the annual Renew Our Rivers cleanup, which has removed more than 160 tons of trash from lake area shorelines and roadsides. The ROR cleanup is scheduled annually on the first weekend of November. Additional cleanups are organized The LMRA buoy team main- monthly. tains the hazard Another LMRA buoys on Lake Martin program offers a $5,000 reward for anyone who provides information that leads to a conviction in a lake area break-in. Boating safety videos and links to boating rules and the license certification course also are available under the Projects tab at lmra.info. Lake Martin HOBOs support the work of Lake Watch and LMRA, as well as advocate for laws and regulations that protect Lake Martin and its shorelines and support the economic and recreational interest of the lake and surrounding areas. As rapid growth and development around the lake continues, HOBOs works closely with local, state and national government to craft enforceable legislation that improves quality of life and preserves the lake for future generations. HOBOs also sponsors and coordinates boating certification classes and non-citation boat inspections with marine police for the benefit of all who recreate at Lake Martin. Visit lakemartinhobos.com.