fox river chain sticker

[Michael J Giesler]

I think I just almost had a heart atack :eek: $120 for a user fee this year:icon_bs: it went up $30 from last year grass lake better be dredged to aleast deeper than 3' this year:(

[racerx]

Now Mike,would it matter, if you were getting the winnings each week? Probally not,they deducted 30 dollars off my annual fee,i asked why,they said there gonna charge the cheeseheads the extra 30..HE HE

[Ron V]

Mike, mine was $80. I checked the FWA website, and if they are charging you $120 for a 20' boat, then there is a mistake. I agree, hate to see the fees go up. The only defense of it is that there is nothing like the Chain anywhere.

[jphii]

Can't you cheat on the sticker too?:D:D:D

[Michael J Giesler]

I can get a cheater sticker from brett:D

[racerx]

Next thing there gonna want to change is,how many motors,that will be double...But you have to pay for Blarneys Island,the only place in the world,where they race 16 weeks a year...

[Michael J Giesler]

Now Mike,would it matter, if you were getting the winnings each week? Probally not,they deducted 30 dollars off my annual fee,i asked why,they said there gonna charge the cheeseheads the extra 30..HE HE now that's some funny sh**t:iagree:

[john w]

The prices are going up $20.00 for a (B) class sticker, any boat under 25' in length. If you use your renewal card,you don't pay a $4.00 service fee. If you buy them a satalite location you pay a $7.00 service fee.

[Cleavor]

Another reason to avoid the Chain at all costs.

[john w]

Cleavor,

I agree go some where else !!! We like it when people stay away !!!

[WATERWINGS]

I think I just almost had a heart atack :eek: $120 for a user fee this year:icon_bs: it went up $30 from last year grass lake better be dredged to aleast deeper than 3' this year:(

WHAAA???

Ya'll have to PAY to ride on your river/lake???

Thats freekin rediculoius:icon_bs:

[Cleavor]

Don't you worry your little head, you won't see me or any of my boating buddies on that over crowded, over policed swamp. The last time I was on the Chain was over 20 years ago and I have NO intention of EVER going back! We have found places that are far less crowded and much more enjoyable. Why, you can even make runs during the weekends! All I ask is that YOU stay on the Chain and don't ruin the great places we have discovered.

[Cleavor]

The Class B sticker is now $80.00 + $40.00 for non - Illinois registered boats, so Mike will be paying $120.00 if he wants to come down to the Chain. Details here:

http://www.foxwaterway.state.il.us/

[RED ALERT]

Too much of everything on the Chain.
Drunks, goofballs, white trash,cops,DNR,Coast Guard, gold chain wearing guidos throwing stupidly big wakes, "no wake zone" kamikazes blabbering on cell phones,crowds of weekend warriors piloting everything from seaplanes to canoes...but somehow it is still worth the price of admission.

[Michael J Giesler]

I understand it cost alot of money for a dredgeing projects when we did my lake 28 years ago it cost us 1.5 million dollars our lake went from 3' to 30' in our deepest spot how much did we charge people to use my lake nothing we even have a free boat launch:D they been charging fee for years and what really has been done :icon_bs:

[Ron V]

You can't expect 7000 acres of water and 30 miles of river to be much different when it's located within a 90 minute drive of 8 million people. Getting good running water is a matter of knowing when and where to run. If you try to run at 2 PM on the weekends, you would be very frustrated. The Chain is just a culture in and of itself that you either understand or you don't. It's completely different than anything else in the country. Even the other lakes just a few miles away from it are a totally different atmosphere.

[BUZZIN' DOZEN]

Glad I boat on the Iowa side of Illinois:leaving:

[QuarterHorse]

Glad I boat on the Iowa side of Illinois:leaving:


Where do you boat?

[18ftswitzer]

25ft and under $80
pwc $80
over 25ft, under 30ft $140
over 30ft $175

additional $40 if out of state

[WATERWINGS]

25ft and under $80
pwc $80
over 25ft, under 30ft $140
over 30ft $175

additional $40 if out of state

10 foot kayak....$00.00

14 foot jon boat......$oo.oo

16 foot alum. center console....$00.00

18 foot pickle fork tunnel with over 300 HP....$00.00

46 foot Fountain.....$00.00.....

180 MPH Fountain Race boats....$00.00....


Are you for real, it cost just to ride on the water up there??

[BottomsUp]

We run Twin lakes, the chain is fun in October after the markers are pulled and you can run full throttle with out worry. We had fun last year I thought. If your running a toon or cruiser you need the chain but go fast stuff is hard to run on the chain during normal weekends. A LOT OF TRAFFIC !!

Sup with those stress cracks on that red Allison hhmmmm?

[BUZZIN' DOZEN]

Where do you boat?
Mississippi, Quad cities area

[WARLOCK]

Don't you worry your little head, you won't see me or any of my boating buddies on that over crowded, over policed swamp. The last time I was on the Chain was over 20 years ago and I have NO intention of EVER going back! We have found places that are far less crowded and much more enjoyable. Why, you can even make runs during the weekends! All I ask is that YOU stay on the Chain and don't ruin the great places we have discovered.

Different strokes for different folks! You right, to a point, you go out on a weekend and its crowded. But you did for get about the SCENERY!! You can go out out on your little backwoods lake and look at some Bear bangin a Racoon....I'll take a nice ass and a pair of jugs hanging out any time. I guess we're just differnt up here! Later, Dave

[Cleavor]

I guess my bad attitude regarding the Chain comes from the fact I used to boat out there in the 1970s and early 80's. It was free then, less crowded, less officers and more fun. Blarney's was still just the mobile home and a lot "looser", if you will. When I go there now, on friends boats, it is totally different. I reckon it's true, you can't go home again.

[Brad Zastrow]

Bear banging a racoon. Good one Dave. I have boated on quiet lakes and it is boring with no where to stop and nobody to race. The Chain has a lot to offer in those departments. About every few minutes a boat will challenge you. I personally do not like to be out there at peak times, but sit and watch from my deck.

[18ftswitzer]

The chain- bad
-****ty water
-crowded on the weekends
-have to pay

The chain - good
blarneys island
boat races every thursday
parties on petite lake
tits and ass everywhere
plenty of destinations (not just mindless circles)
no speed limit
you can run fast on the weekends if you've got a "set"



As for twin lakes, been there done that, no thanks!
Circles+dick cops watching everyone at once+a few lame bars+wisconsinites= GAY. I'd rather crap my pants!

[18ftswitzer]

Don't you worry your little head, you won't see me or any of my boating buddies on that over crowded, over policed swamp. The last time I was on the Chain was over 20 years ago and I have NO intention of EVER going back! We have found places that are far less crowded and much more enjoyable. Why, you can even make runs during the weekends! All I ask is that YOU stay on the Chain and don't ruin the great places we have discovered.

Don't worry, your not invited!!!

[Cleavor]

Sorry there skippy, not up to you to tell me where I can go and whether or not I am invited to go on a public body of water. If I want to pay the $80.00 and go out on the swamp I will do so and you have nothing to say about it.

[specboatops]

Sorry there skippy, not up to you to tell me where I can go and whether or not I am invited to go on a public body of water. If I want to pay the $80.00 and go out on the swamp I will do so and you have nothing to say about it.

Don't get your panties all bunched up Clevor ;):iagree:

Chris

[18ftswitzer]

Sorry there skippy, not up to you to tell me where I can go and whether or not I am invited to go on a public body of water. If I want to pay the $80.00 and go out on the swamp I will do so and you have nothing to say about it.

LMFAO!........ Eeeeaaassssy Turbo! I was just kidding, but now your definitaly not invited!

[Cleavor]

Cool!

[Robby321]

I guess my bad attitude regarding the Chain comes from the fact I used to boat out there in the 1970s and early 80's. It was free then, less crowded, less officers and more fun. Blarney's was still just the mobile home and a lot "looser", if you will. When I go there now, on friends boats, it is totally different. I reckon it's true, you can't go home again.

Yep, I did the same. Remember the Red Switzer, 1500XS, tossing that massive roostertail? That was me..It was a mess on weekends then, but a fun mess. We all knew each other, and ya darn right on Blarneys..it was VERY loose back then...and no ferrying people out..boats only.
But the Chain was/is, always been a gas...but even those I still know back there, who live on the water, just watch from the sidelines now on weekends.

[racerx]

If you want to party,you go to the chain..If you want the most peacefull boating in IL,you go to Golconda IL...

[Speed Jr.]

I love the chain and all the mess that goes along with it. Hual ass on the weekdays, race thursday night, and party on the weekends. Cops are dicks, but I still love it. I grew up here in Fox Lake and never plan to leave..........

Larry Gempp Jr.

[Michael J Giesler]

I just want to know an estament of how many stickers they sell a year and were does the money go:rolleyes:

[Robby321]

Few pix, the Chain, in the 70's..."pay the dough, enjoy the show!"

http://i47.tinypic.com/m7ylw3.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/2uoqil0.jpg

http://i46.tinypic.com/2aj40fm.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/2ebbs7l.jpg

http://i46.tinypic.com/feow41.jpg

And this last, is how, at times, I would tow the boat home, needing "work"..Chain house was weekends, lived 50 miles south, western burbs, Chitown. I always rode back, bunch of still drunk friends. riding back RT 12, still IN the boat!...this pic is how we rode back. Try THAT chit nowadays! Remember one night, cops pull me over. Told all in the the boat ..OUT!..NOW". Welll crazy Jimmy said him straight up.."can't do, I CAN"T SWIM! Cop laughed, then had to stuff 8 people in a 74 Monte Carlo...just a hint, what the Chain was, 30PLUS, years ago!..

http://i47.tinypic.com/fyn4t3.jpg

[Ron V]

Those who are asking if we have to pay to use the water "up there", the simple answer is "only in communist northern Illinois". The Chain is the busiest waterway in the country in terms of boats per acre. Dredging is a continuous need since it is fed by a river that carries a lot of muck and silt, and several of the lakes basically sit on swampland. Between the crowd and the maintenance needs, the Fox Waterway Agency was established to regulate and maintain it. The first time they charged fees was 1987 I believe. There are about 60,000 boats registered on the Chain, so the revenue generated is considerable. Most of the money is spent on dredging, marker buoys, policing, etc. Truthfully, the fees are the only thing that even remotely begins to control the number of boats. I'm not defending extortionists, but there is this other side to the story.

Most other lakes in this part of the country are free like everywhere else, with a few exceptions. My hometown lake, Bangs Lake, has a village inspection sticker requirement and the cost for anything 140 horsepower or larger is $90!! The fees support the policing of the lake by the village. It has been said that this is illegal since it is a state owned lake, but the state looks the other way because it's one less lake that they have to police. It's not the worst thing, because the DNR is hardly ever out there and the state boys stay away, so we get to fight the devil we know.

Sure, you can go boating for "free" here too. But if you want a lot of room to run, you have to drive 130 miles to the Illinois River or 75 miles to Lake Koshkonong. That could eat up $80 in gas real quick. So I pay the sticker fees and have 15 miles of river with no speed limit or no wake zones, 10 minutes from my house.

I wish I had been around in the heydays that Robby posted about above. Truthfully there are still quite a few DUIs that happen on Route 12 on weekend nights because the cops see a Sea Ray laying sideways on the trailer heading back toward Chicago.

[Robby321]

I wish I had been around in the heydays that Robby posted about above. Truthfully there are still quite a few DUIs that happen on Route 12 on weekend nights because the cops see a Sea Ray laying sideways on the trailer heading back toward Chicago.

It was insane back then, and too many stories..somehow I survived.

I swear Fox cops just more or less let us funnel out on 12 late Sunday, wave goodbye.."ya'all come back now ya hear!" We were money to the town... let down stream cops deal with ya if they want.

So a parade of wasted, sunburnt, worn out boaters, would head out..if the first one started weaving, all behind would follow, long azz snake, all the way home..too much fun:eek::thumbsup: