Dock fishing upsetting owners

[shiltsy]

Alright, so I have to ask the question on fishing people's docks..... on my last two times out, I had angry homeowners standing in their yard with arms folded staring at me while I fished around their dock. I was skipping a worm under the dock, kept a good distance and wasn't casting close to their boats. Both times, I said "hi" and was friendly. One time the homeowners was a complete jerk and tonight I offered to move on an he thanked me.

I'm sure these guys are fed up with people getting hooked up on their boat/dock/etc, but more and more I see homeowners setting up fortresses of docks, diving platorms, trampolines, etc off their shoreline.

How do you guys feel about this topic?

[mww24]

they don't own the water. i fish a ton of docks. i very rarely hit a dock. if i do i don't leave hooks. if people are on their docks i won't fish it. if there in there back yard i will. i also wont fish them if there are dogs because ive had them jump in after lures. basically i use common sense and courtesy. if they dont want me fishing around there shoreline build a boat house. if someone were to ask me to leave i would leave though as a fish is not worth a fight or bullet wound. thats always been my stance on dock fishing

[ANYFISH2]

My opinion, fish on!

I choose to not fish docks that someone is fishing on for obvious reasons. Other than that I will fish any dock, raft, trampoline, and weed roller I wish. It was their choice to place private property in public waters, It doesn't extend thier property into the lake.

I have only had this experience once, offerd a good evening and continued fishing along. I have had countless pleasant conversations with lakeshore owners however. Always a few sour grapes in every group, ignore and move on.

[crappiegetter]

I have also encountered the issue while fishing docks. Its not a crime to fish their docks as long as you respect their property. I have had homeowners cuss me out, throw rocks, even had the cops called on me at one time, was kinda funny to deal with that.

[Superduty]

I try to be pleasant and respectful when confronted by a homeowner that thinks he/she owns the lake. If that don't work and things escalate, I politely tell them that it is illegal to harass someone who is legally fishing. Wouldn't want to have to call the sheriff...

[crappiegetter]

It was their choice to place private property in public waters, It doesn't extend thier property into the lake.

Actually the dock itself is an extension of the homeowners property but not swim rafts. I have battled this out with the DNR before on a similar subject when I thought I was in the right I guess by the rules I was wrong. I had the sheriff and city police called on me while shore fishing the area of the Miss. where the crow river meets it. I had my toes in the water and heels on what was dry river bed and was trespassing. I was told by the sheriff who was not very professional I was trespassing since the river was lower the homeowner gained property and when it rises they lose property. It had been some years since reading the rules so I called the Dnr to confirm this they stated what the sheriff said was right even though it was only my heels on dry land I indeed was trespassing and they also said a dock is the extension of their property.

[RumRiverRat]

They do not own the lake around their dock.

If they continue to harass you they are breaking the law.

[Ufatz]

As a dock owner and a dock fisher I follow the common sense rule. Stay as far away from a dock as I can if I want to fish it. If there are people or dogs on dock I move along. Never "camp out" on somebody's dock. If you get hung up on a dock cut the line and leave the plug/rig......people get REALLY funny about somebody crawling around on their dock!!

I've had lots of pleasant conversations with folks while standing on my dock or stand on my butt seat.

One prune-faced old lady sorta growled at me one time but that is just the nature of prune-faced old ladies. It's what they were born to do.

No, dock owners do not own the lake. But remember:they have thousands of dollars in boats and gear on that dock and the theft from lake cabins and property becomes REALLY annoying.

Use your head and if somebody gets snarly just wave and smile and move along. They are probably like that in the Wal Mart too.

[BassNut33]

I have had only one issue with a property owner and their dock. With that said, I abide by the same rules that have been stated. However if I get caught on a dock I am going to get my lure, of course if I air mail one in a spot that I would have to get on the dock I will leave it.

[RK]

Hiya -

Like most of you I suspect, I follow the common sense rule. If there are people around, I move on. They don't need some stranger intruding on their day at the cabin. However, if the dock is unoccupied, it's perfectly legal to fish around it. At least where my cabin is, a few lakeshore owners seem to think there's a state law that says I can't fish within 100 feet of their dock. I've had a few animated conversations (with one particular cabin owner, him storming out of his cabin to yell at me has become an annual event) about what is and isn't legal.

My usual response is "I'm not trying to bother you or anyone else - I'm just fishing. I'll do my best to respect your property, but the lake isn't your property."

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[river rat316]

I had a lady coming running out last night with a camera in her hand, and thought I was in for a battle, instead she told me she taped my last 5 fish to prove to her husband that there was fish in the lake...lol, we chatted for a bit and I moved on, I follow the same rules as most others and do run into a sour grape every once in awhile, I usually act like they are not there or I can't hear them, it seems to make them even madder which I enjoy

[Getanet]

Since this is in the Bass forum I'll assume most of you guys Bass fish quite regularly and have better casting control than the average angler. I'm sure it's more a situation where you're not getting the benefit of the doubt, because others aren't as careful as you.

I've seen it plenty of times - and have even fished with a few guys - where it's about 50/50 if that lure will land where it's supposed to or bounce off a dock, boat lift or boat before landing in the water. And if they sense the owner isn't home they're a lot less concerned about making sure they don't hit something first.

While the people don't own the lake, you wouldn't expect the owner to be happy if people were throwing small rocks at their property, which is essentially what a lure is.

[BassNut33]

Well, A few years back I had a fine gentleman come running out of his trailer on the lake in his tighty withies yelling at my Dad and I about going between his floating raft and dock. My Dad had a few choice words for the gentleman. I speed up the trolling motor in an effort to avoid gun shots in our direction.

[Nick Kuhn]

Why would anyone be mad about lures on their docks? Have you seen the price of some of those baits lately? I wish I could go out on my dock and find a few hung up on it.

[eyeguy 54]

LOL Rat! good one

[Raider4ever]

The only situation where I would side with "Outraged Cabin Guy" is if there is a glass boat on the lift next to the dock or tied to it. Would you be happy with someone bangin' a 3/4oz tungsten weight off your Ranger/Skeeter/Nitro/Bass Cat/etc. and chipping it up? I hardly think so. Other than that, if you don't bang it off his dock/boat they have no issue. And I LOVE swim rafts!!! The bigger and deeper out the better. They are like one big milfoil mat without all the "Stuff" underneath and chuck-full of small sunnies. Those ones with ladders, slides, bounce logs, and all sorts of other extensions are the best as they create corners where you can flip into and have shade on two sides of your flip.

The problem with swim rafts is that they are on public property and anyone can swim on them (Legally, I'm almost positive you cannot "shoo" people off your swimraft if it is not attached to your property. Since nobody swims on a raft that isn't theirs anyway, this point is rendered nearly moot ). BUT... if someone gets hurt on it, guess who gets sued (and no it is not the state)?

[workin4bait]

I also had a gal come running out of the house one morning in her pjs,I figured I was about to get an earfull. Instead she asked me about fishing in the area and told me she had never seen anyone actually catch a fish in the lake there. I flipped a wacky rigged worm near a clump of weeds and pulled out a bass and she was almost amazed it looked so simple.

[Mid-Lake Rock]

As a dock owner and a dock fisher I follow the common sense rule. Stay as far away from a dock as I can if I want to fish it. If there are people or dogs on dock I move along. Never "camp out" on somebody's dock. If you get hung up on a dock cut the line and leave the plug/rig......people get REALLY funny about somebody crawling around on their dock!!

I've had lots of pleasant conversations with folks while standing on my dock or stand on my butt seat.

One prune-faced old lady sorta growled at me one time but that is just the nature of prune-faced old ladies. It's what they were born to do.

No, dock owners do not own the lake. But remember:they have thousands of dollars in boats and gear on that dock and the theft from lake cabins and property becomes REALLY annoying.

Use your head and if somebody gets snarly just wave and smile and move along. They are probably like that in the Wal Mart too.

I agree with this post. It is a two sided issue. When my parents lived on the lake, our neighbor had a 75hp outboard taken off his boat that was on a lift, so homeowners get paranoid. My dad didn't mind people fishing our dock, but he didn't like people walking around on the dock.

One funny story to relate happened to a friend of mine a few years back. His parents live on Minnetonka and he took his son out fishing. They were casting docks in the spring for crappies. A homeowner comes out tells him he's breaking the law, starts swearing, really reading him the riot act. My buddy's son is like five-years-old and is scarred and not happy that someone yells at daddy. My buddy packs up and leaves, but decides he wants get back at the homeowner. He stops at a busy launch on Minnetonka and tells everyone he can that the fish are snapping like crazy in front of a "special dock."

The exact location may have also been posted online...

[MN BassFisher]

One prune-faced old lady sorta growled at me one time but that is just the nature of prune-faced old ladies. It's what they were born to do.

Hahahaha

[bassmann77]

Crappiegetter, I know the exact guy you are talking about. He is pretty protective of his little area. We are in that area often for work, and every time we are there he comes out. I don't think that guys works, must be nice!

[gurkster]

they don't own the water. i fish a ton of docks. i very rarely hit a dock. if i do i don't leave hooks. if people are on their docks i won't fish it. if there in there back yard i will. i also wont fish them if there are dogs because ive had them jump in after lures. basically i use common sense and courtesy. if they dont want me fishing around there shoreline build a boat house. if someone were to ask me to leave i would leave though as a fish is not worth a fight or bullet wound. thats always been my stance on dock fishing

+1

[LightningBG]

In front of our cabin is a hotspot for Bass. Everyday I'd say there are at least a dozen boats that work their way past casting the dock. Normally I just say hi and ask how the fishing is.

But...

We've had hooks left in docks that kids step on or almost step on. We've had lures casted into boats ripping the seats. Lures tearing holes in the canopy of the lifts. Torn waverunner covers. Mooring lines that are tangled up with line and hooks. Countless dings on the back of fiberglass boats.

That stuff gets old pretty fast and quite expensive to repair. Keep in mind, it may be private property on public land, but so is your truck and trailer over at the landing. I have a feeling nobody would be too amused if all the local kids were having a contest to see who can throw the stone closed to the truck without hitting it...

[NTW]

In front of our cabin is a hotspot for Bass. Everyday I'd say there are at least a dozen boats that work their way past casting the dock. Normally I just say hi and ask how the fishing is.

But...

We've had hooks left in docks that kids step on or almost step on. We've had lures casted into boats ripping the seats. Lures tearing holes in the canopy of the lifts. Torn waverunner covers. Mooring lines that are tangled up with line and hooks. Countless dings on the back of fiberglass boats.

That stuff gets old pretty fast and quite expensive to repair. Keep in mind, it may be private property on public land, but so is your truck and trailer over at the landing. I have a feeling nobody would be too amused if all the local kids were having a contest to see who can throw the stone closed to the truck without hitting it...

Stinks that people have caused so much damage to your property over the years. They ought to show more respect and remove their hooks/be more careful!

But I don't agree with your analogy. If the water was a hotspot for bass (or even worthy of a cast) before someone buys the land in front of it, you don't have much right to take that spot away from fishermen. IMO private docks are not much different than semi-permanent litter.

+ Trying to put a lure where a fish will strike isn't much at all like throwing rocks towards vehicles in a public parking lot.

It doesn't seem you were complaining about people fishing by your dock but rather pointing out that some "fishermen" aren't considerate of your property. I get your point

[SkunkedAgain]

I love looking out from my deck and seeing folks working my dock. I've never seen anyone haul one in but I'm sure that they have done it. If anything, seeing someone out there just reminds me that whatever I'm doing ISN'T fishing and I should be out there too!

[crappiegetter]

Bassmann77, that guy really gets me going I have had too many encounters with that guy and been pushed to the point were I almost lose it on him. Two friends that were with that day want to wait for the water to drop so they can sit in a chair right in the water on the very edge all legal and by the book so he calls the cops and they cant do a thing about it.