The Coast Guard contends it is patrolling to promote safety on a federal navigable waterway, and the charter license, with the safety training required to get it, falls into that category.

Coast Guard Cmdr. Tracy Wannamaker, commanding officer of the Lake Michigan Coast Guard sector, said fishing for musky and walleye on the Chain might not be as dangerous as going for marlin or shark on the ocean, but accidents can happen anywhere.

"It can be expensive and time consuming to obtain the license, but it's a necessity," she said. "Simply stated, it's safer for fishing charters to have captain's licenses."

Wannamaker could not cite incidents of safety problems or accidents involving fishing charters on the Chain. She also could not immediately provide the number of operators cited since the Coast Guard began its crackdown in 2005.

Obtaining a captain's license can take up to eight weeks and $1,500, Coast Guard officials said. The exam costs $255, but the test is difficult and most boaters take a course first. The cost of the course, about 50 hours of study, can run $500 to $1,000. The nearest testing stations to the Chain are in St. Louis and Toledo, Ohio.

A person operating a charter business without the license on the Chain could face fines of $500 to $27,500 if caught by the Coast Guard.

Charter operators without licenses say dangers on the Chain during the early morning hours while trolling for fish are minimal, but they wouldn't speak further for fear of retribution from the Coast Guard. They quietly advertise their services in bait shops and marinas around the Chain, and on Web sites.

Said one charter captain, who operates on the Chain and in Twin Lakes, Wis.: "I know a lot of friends who either dropped out of the business when the Coast Guard showed up, or do it quietly. It's (the license) just not necessary for the amount of people we take out."

Fox Lake Assistant Fire Chief Ted Beskow said he considered starting a charter service a few years ago but pulled out when he learned the time it takes to get a license.

"But from a safety standpoint, I completely see the need for it," Beskow said. "The Coast Guard requires advanced safety, which is important to have on the water."

It's not the first time the Coast Guard has made waves on the Chain.

Boaters have complained of being stopped for safety checks on multiple occasions in the same afternoon. Coast Guard officers met with local and state officials to work out a resolution. The Coast Guard agreed not to overly target any one location and that boaters who receive a vessel check from the Coast Guard Auxiliary would not be pulled over unless passengers appear reckless.

Among the critics is the Fox Waterway Agency, which has complained about the lack of financial support by the federal government to help offset the cost of maintenance and dredging on the Chain.

Agency Chairman Howard "Bud" Scott said the licensing flap is another example of the federal government's eagerness to enforce laws on the Chain but not pay to help maintain it.

"I could see if it's a commercial boat hauling freight or someone carrying a lot of passengers," he said. "But most of these cases is a guy going out with a couple of people for a little bit of fishing."

He said there were more complaints regarding the licenses in 2005. Since then, charter operators stopped telling the Coast Guard what they were doing.

"I think these guys are not mentioning that they are being paid to fish," he said. "That's one way around it, I suppose. It seems to be working."

Scott said he would like the Coast Guard to meet with local officials on how to better handle this situation.

"It's true there is a safety issue on the Chain, but the Coast Guard is there inspecting boats and stopping people when necessary," he said. "This is a case where people are just trying to do a little fishing. So, until they can explain where I'm wrong, it's overkill."