# Inland Pilot License



## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

Is an inland pilot license any different than a charter boat or 6 pack license? If so what is the difference? Does it make any difference if your watercraft is non motorized like a drift boat, kayak, or canoe?


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## WALLEYE MIKE (Jan 7, 2001)

1000 time different. Pilot license is for inland only to start. Go to the dnr website for rules and regs (which is minor) The test alone for a capt.license would scare many.


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## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

Robert Holmes said:


> Is an inland pilot license any different than a charter boat or 6 pack license? If so what is the difference? Does it make any difference if your watercraft is non motorized like a drift boat, kayak, or canoe?


It is quite different, especially in regards to cost...

If your vessel is non-motorized, all you need is an inland pilots license to run trips anywhere in Michigan...

The problem you will have is, liability insurance is very hard to get when running trips on Federal waters without your OUPV Captains license and running trips without liability insurance would be absolutely insane...


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

Boozer said:


> It is quite different, especially in regards to cost...
> 
> If your vessel is non-motorized, all you need is an inland pilots license to run trips anywhere in Michigan...
> 
> The problem you will have is, liability insurance is very hard to get when running trips on Federal waters without your OUPV Captains license and running trips without liability insurance would be absolutely insane...


Insurance is not a problem. No trips on Federal Waters Inland lakes. Salmon fishing is going to hell in a heartbeat so I am getting a jump on the alternative. Inland steelhead and brown trout with bonus pike walleye and muskie. Looking at purchasing a boat with a smaller outboard.


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## METTLEFISH (Jan 31, 2009)

Boozer said:


> It is quite different, especially in regards to cost...
> 
> If your vessel is non-motorized, all you need is an inland pilots license to run trips anywhere in Michigan...
> 
> The problem you will have is, liability insurance is very hard to get when running trips on Federal waters without your OUPV Captains license and running trips without liability insurance would be absolutely insane...


That would only be an issue on federal launch properties. The State of Michigan owns it's waters, even where flowing / located through Federal lands. You can always have Insurance that gets voided if negligence is evident. Also you can sign safety wavers pre trip. Same as for sky diving, bungee Etc..


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

This state is so money grubbing. You get a pilot license it is good for absolutely nothing because you still need a charter license or you are operating illegally and the fines are scary. They make you think that you are a legal operation until you read all of the fine lines. After checking things out I would pay about 50K to make about 15K per year. Not worth the hassel


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## WALLEYE MIKE (Jan 7, 2001)

Robert Holmes said:


> This state is so money grubbing. You get a pilot license it is good for absolutely nothing because you still need a charter license or you are operating illegally and the fines are scary. They make you think that you are a legal operation until you read all of the fine lines. After checking things out I would pay about 50K to make about 15K per year. Not worth the hassel


 What are you talking about?


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## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

METTLEFISH said:


> That would only be an issue on federal launch properties. The State of Michigan owns it's waters, even where flowing / located through Federal lands. You can always have Insurance that gets voided if negligence is evident. Also you can sign safety wavers pre trip. Same as for sky diving, bungee Etc..


When you apply for liability insurance, you must declare what waters you will be guiding on, if ANY of the waters you guide on require a Captains license and you are guiding a non-motorized vessel on those waters with just an Inland Pilots license, most if not all insurance carriers will not cover you...

Good luck finding good clients whom are OK with signing waivers, I would never take a guide seriously if he made me sign one. Just makes you seem very unprofessional in my opinion... What happens if some idiot with no insurance hits you, knocking everyone from the boat and injuring your clients? If you spend any real time on the water, you quickly realize that is a real possibility and it has actually happened to guides in this State. Not to mention, people have signed waivers in many situations in this country in the past and still won law suits...

The launch issue is entirely different, on Federal launches you must have a very expensive permit, not sure exactly how much as I have never inquired about one as there are no federal launches down here. The State launch lease to use State launches is $600.00 for your first 5 years, $500.00 for every 5 years after that...

If your using State launches, you must have a minimum of $300,000 in liability coverage with the State of Michigan covered under your policy in order to qualify for your lease...


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

WALLEYE MIKE said:


> What are you talking about?


Talked with the law enforcement division yesterday she claims that the inland license (pilot) is not valid if you want to have a charter boat even on inland lakes. If you accept a fee for charter you must have a charter license. The pilot license might be good for a river guide that fly fishes with waders on I did not ask. By the time that I pay all of the fees and get a charter license I have $4000 invested with insurance. It could be higher. If I get a charter license then I would buy a great lakes boat. A decent boat would cost about $25000 then I would have to rig it $6000. New rods reels and an assortment of lures $4000. At best with my current job I could run about three trips per week so it is not something that would pay for itself anytime soon.


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## WALLEYE MIKE (Jan 7, 2001)

Robert Holmes said:


> Talked with the law enforcement division yesterday she claims that the inland license (pilot) is not valid if you want to have a charter boat even on inland lakes. If you accept a fee for charter you must have a charter license. The pilot license might be good for a river guide that fly fishes with waders on I did not ask. By the time that I pay all of the fees and get a charter license I have $4000 invested with insurance. It could be higher. If I get a charter license then I would buy a great lakes boat. A decent boat would cost about $25000 then I would have to rig it $6000. New rods reels and an assortment of lures $4000. At best with my current job I could run about three trips per week so it is not something that would pay for itself anytime soon.


Charter capt license is only required on federal waters to run your own boat. Around here its the great lakes, LSC and connecting waters and parts of some rivers such as Saginaw up to a certain point.

You can guide on these waters but must use the clients boat and he must run the boat.


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## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

Robert Holmes said:


> Talked with the law enforcement division yesterday she claims that the inland license (pilot) is not valid if you want to have a charter boat even on inland lakes. If you accept a fee for charter you must have a charter license. The pilot license might be good for a river guide that fly fishes with waders on I did not ask. By the time that I pay all of the fees and get a charter license I have $4000 invested with insurance. It could be higher. If I get a charter license then I would buy a great lakes boat. A decent boat would cost about $25000 then I would have to rig it $6000. New rods reels and an assortment of lures $4000. At best with my current job I could run about three trips per week so it is not something that would pay for itself anytime soon.


That lady was dead wrong, just so you know...

To guide on inland waters with a motorized or non-motorized boat, all you need is your inland pilots license... It doesn't matter if your fishing, hunting, photographing, sight-seeing in or out of the boat, that is all you need to run guided trips...

You either worded the question wrong or she flat out doesn't know what she is talking about...


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## WALLEYE MIKE (Jan 7, 2001)

Taken right from DNR website:

Michigan Inland Waters Fishing Guides 
Since 2006, Inland Fishing Guides in Michigan have been required to obtain written permission in the form of a lease in order to use state owned public water access sites. Guides pay an annual Use of Land fee and must also provide proof of insurance and be a licensed Inland Pilot *or *Coast Guard Captain. Use of Land fees are used by the Department for maintenance of state forest lands, including public water access sites.

Notice the word 

And check this out:http://www.michiganwaterfowl.com/forum/showthread.php?p=866859


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## METTLEFISH (Jan 31, 2009)

I know all that Boozer. I once was going to guide earlier than my present plans. My present Ins. plan would add me on for guiding. Pretty sure your going to need to follow the MDOT regulations too if you drag your boat with a vehicle over 10,000 GCWR...


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## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

METTLEFISH said:


> I know all that Boozer. I once was going to guide earlier than my present plans. My present Ins. plan would add me on for guiding. Pretty sure your going to need to follow the MDOT regulations too if you drag your boat with a vehicle over 10,000 GCWR...


Fortunately my half ton Sierra only has a GVWR of 7,000 pounds LOL

If you know all that, what was your statement I quoted all about???

Anyway, off to go fishing, been cold but the river is clear, take care!


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## john warren (Jan 25, 2005)

i thought charter, for your boat, guide for theirs or wading.
was my impression,,,which may be way off is pilot is one that operates anothers vessel in waters the captain is not familiar with. such as entry to and from a difficult port. or river system. i may be confusing that with a different form of pilot?


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## dead short (Sep 15, 2009)

Robert Holmes said:


> Talked with the law enforcement division yesterday she claims that the inland license (pilot) is not valid if you want to have a charter boat even on inland lakes. If you accept a fee for charter you must have a charter license. The pilot license might be good for a river guide that fly fishes with waders on I did not ask. By the time that I pay all of the fees and get a charter license I have $4000 invested with insurance. It could be higher. If I get a charter license then I would buy a great lakes boat. A decent boat would cost about $25000 then I would have to rig it $6000. New rods reels and an assortment of lures $4000. At best with my current job I could run about three trips per week so it is not something that would pay for itself anytime soon.


Send me a message with what you want to do and where and I will tell you what you need to do it...


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