Trolling motor buffalo river

[Barberman1961]

I'm going on a 3 day canoe trip to gilbert Arkansas and need to know if there are any regulations on using trolling motors on the Buffalo river with my canoe. Do i need it licenced and is it allowed etc...etc..

[Owl]

Near the bottom of the page at the below link is a reference to outboard motors:

http://www.nps.gov/buff/concessions.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I couldn't find mention of trolling motors specifically. I'd suggest calling the Park at one of the numbers in the below link:

http://www.nps.gov/buff/contacts.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Deuce]

It is allowed, but IMO it'll be more trouble than it's worth, especially if you'll be at Gilbert or above. That said, Arkansas law requires that any craft propelled by anything other than human power must be registered, so based on Arkansas law you would need to register your canoe in order to use a trolling motor with it. Now, the wrinkle is the Buff is administered by the NPS, not the state, so the only way to know for sure whether you'd need to register your canoe would be to contact them. Best bet would probably be to reach out to park headquarters in Harrison if you want to pursue the TM idea.

Post up here or feel free to PM if you want more info, including info not directly related to your original questions.

[turboturtle]

I've seen Coup on the 65 to Gilbert run with a trolling motor. But rules do change and its been ten years or so since then. So yes, a call to the NPS is at hand. If you call , how about confirming the use of....


BOB

[panicman]

I think but not positive you can have them from pruit on down. Just not above. and you do have to have your vessel tagged and registered in arkansas to run a trolling motor which is pretty stupid law really. If they ticket you look at about $150 to $250 fine.

[Jim Krueger]

Barberman,

The other posters have covered the main point, that motors are allowed from Erbie put-in downstream. You may have already contacted the NPS, but I'm relatively certain no other permits are required other than to register your canoe with the state and display the registration numbers on your boat.
I recently went through this registration process for a 14' homemade boat that's been in my family for many years. In my case, the boat had no serial number (since it was homemade) so I had additional hoops to jump through with the Game and Fish Commission to get a Hull I.D. number assigned , so I could then get the boat assessed, and then move on to the Dept. of Finance and Administration to complete the registration. If you have the serial number from your canoe, or better yet, a bill of sale with the serial number, things should go a bit smoother. The fee for registration decal for a boat 16' and less is $7.50. The good news is that it's good for three years.
I agree with Panicman that having to register to use a trolling motor is silly. In my case, it gripes me less for the expense and administrative hassle and most to have to deface a wonderful old antique boat my uncle lovingly built in 1946...

Best Regards
Jim