The new NYS boating safety certificate is required for all recreational boaters using motorized vessels, including personal watercraft, though operators of non-motorized boats, such as kayaks and canoes, are not required to have a certificate at this time. They are encouraged to take a safe boating course, as well. NYS does recognize the boating safety courses issued by other states for visitors to NYS. Folks are allowed to rent and operate a motorboat from a livery without first obtaining a boating safety certificate, though staff at the livery must provide basic instructions and safety information before departure. This is a gap in safety, many should argue about this point if we strive for eclipse totality, certified education for all.

The NYS Safe Boating Course provides basic boating skills and encourages common sense and courtesy to everyone sharing the water. Boaters can earn the certificate by taking a classroom course with certified NYS instructors or through several approved online courses. The eight-hour classroom course is an intro to basic principles of safe and responsible boating. Students successfully completing the course earn a safe boating certificate. The online course may take much less time. If you are 18 or older, there is a $10 fee for the permanent boating safety certificate, payable to New York State Parks. This is in addition to course fees paid directly to the instructor. NYS Parks does not collect a certificate fee for students under 18, but the course/instructor may charge a course fee. Students must be at least 10 years old to take a safe boating course.

Classroom courses are an excellent opportunity for boaters of all ages, especially first-time and youth, to earn certificates. With an approved online course, learning is completed online with successful completion of unit exams to advance through the course. The state-approved course allows boaters to study at home at their own pace, and it covers state and federal boating laws, rules of the road, boat handling, required equipment, navigational aids, accident reporting, and special topics. The approved NYS Quick Start Program can be found at https://newyorkboatingcard.com/. This course provides a three-step process to earn the NYS Boater Certificate. You can use any device, the course is user-friendly and fully mobile-friendly too, start to finish. The safety course software is designed to work on a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer. Step one is to pass the course. The program will teach you first, then test your boating knowledge while you navigate through the course. Once you successfully complete the material, you can take the final exam. The final online exam consists of 55 multiple-choice questions. You have two attempts to pass the final exam. Step two is to print out the temporary license. The course will issue you a Temporary Certificate of Completion to use as proof of completion, available to print from within your account. The temporary copy of the certificate will allow you to go boating immediately and is valid for 90 days. Step three is to get on the water. Your permanent NYS Boater Certificate will be mailed within 3-5 business days. You can also follow steps to add the certificate to your NYS Adventure Driver’s License. The online course cost is $34.95 and includes a complete and easy-to-read study guide, the course, the final test, and an online certificate. Need some incentive? There is a $250 fine if you operate a motorized boat without an NYS Boater Certificate per the dates and rules noted earlier. Gotta love NYS for protecting our safety at our expense. Yep, it’s opinion Tuesday.

Now, about the fun of spring fishing. Make sure you have a current NYS fishing license. Make sure you have your boat registered for the current year. Make sure your boat trailer is inspected for the current year. Make sure your trailer pull vehicle is inspected and registered. Make sure you pay your boat launch fee. Make sure you pay the fish-cleaning station fee. Are you getting the point? Should we need one more fee requirement to put our boats into the water if some of us have been boating safely for 70 years?

The fishing right now in Lake Erie is great. The boat launch parking at the Hanover Boat Launch on Cattaraugus Creek was filled up by 630 a.m. each day last weekend. The launch line was a half-mile long. It reminded many of us older anglers when the word got out about walleye fishing in Dunkirk in the 1980s. Well, the word is out on the great Lake Erie yellow perch action right now. From Sunset Bay to Sturgeon Point at depths of 50-60 feet of water, the best bait is live emerald shiners fished on the bottom using the usual 2-hook crappie-style fishing rig with a sinker and a lightweight fishing rod. While the Town of Hanover and Sunset Bay Marine Park boat launches are open, the Sturgeon Point launch is closed until dredging occurs (the usual annual issue).

Note that in NYS, one more safety rule — no charge — during colder weather months from Nov. 1 through May 1, anyone underway in a boat less than 21 feet must wear a securely fastened personal floatation device. This includes canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and motorboats.

CALENDAR

April 13-14: Little Valley Volunteer Fire Department Spring Sportsman’s Show, Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds, Little Valley, N.Y., call 716-609-0500 for info.

April 20: One-Day Lake Erie Yellow Perch Derby, Southtowns Walleye Association, 716-796-5372 for info.

NOTE: Submit calendar items to forrestfisher35@yahoo.com.