Offshore fishing and guns

[blkexp98]

I know this site isnt packed with lawyers but i was curious what the laws are reguarding carrying a rifle or shotgun with you for defence while offshore fishing? I also assume a SBR would be out of the question since you cant really give a state that your leaving to. On the other side would international waters be a nonissue?

Being 10 to 50miles out in the ocean makes for a pretty hard place to simply run if anything happened. I know ive seen the coast guard cutter drop boats and check us out before. I dont have a problem with that and its nice in a way to be reassured you remembered all the safety gear and there may be help somewhat close by if needed.

So what do yall think?

[msstate56]

The US Economic Exclusive Zone extends out to 200 miles. Federal law applies because you are in Federal waters, state law applies if you are within a state's waters- 3 to 9 miles out depending on the state. I don't know of any law which prevents you from having a firearm onboard your vessel.

[NoBody]

Deleted.

[5pins]

This article will not give you info on firearms possession but it gives you some idea on the complexity of territorial waters.

http://www.marinelink.com/Story/Government+Update:U.S.+Territorial+Sea+and+Other+Lines+in+the+Water-12745.html

[IrishDevil]

My friends and I do it all the time. It's apparently no big deal as we've had the Coast Guard inspect our boats and they've seen them, they didn't even acknowledge them. I've recently sold my boat, but I kept a Benelli Nova H2O and a Glock 19 on it whenever I was out on it. A friend who has a large pleasure boat and takes it to Mexico and other places in the Gulf, keeps a shotgun, rifle, and 2 handguns on it fulltime. He's been checked by the Coast Guard, and officials from other countries with no problems.

[blkexp98]

We used to take a stainless mini 14 with us but i couldnt remember if we had it the time we were boarded or not. I could see where a shotgun would probably be the prefered weapon since chances are an attacker would be real close in that situation. Id still like to have a carbine if i had the chance to run to deter them from pursuit. It would be hard to justify shooting a rifle at distance unless they were shooting back.

Shooting from a boat moving or not would definalty be a test of your skills. That would seem to give new meaning to a hard shot. Wonder how you would train for that? Anyone tow a target stand on floats to see what you could do? I think i remember visability being about 10 miles not figuring in a radar so it should be pretty safe considering responsable/safe weapon handling.