If you plow a road and a spot for your shack............

[mysnopro]

Do you expect people not to crowd you? I plowed the road out on my local pond, made it wide enough to park in several spots, made room for 4 shacks. Guys drive out park beside and start drilling all around my shack! Asked them to moveon and got a bunch of dump! Cost me atleast 125 in gas to plow it, never asked for anything other then a thank you!

[ClownColor]

If you build it...they will come

[B-man715]

$125????

Nothing like paving the road to your fishing spot I guess it's to be expected, but I wouldn't be happy either.

[Northlander]

If you plow to your house people will use it. Plow that much and your just asking for company. People will fish where theres no fish if you plow a road to a area.

[highlife4me]

The lakes are public property. Unless they are closer than 10 feet not much you can do about it. Not illegal, just unethical.

[JollyJoker]

I plow the road out of the main landing on the lake I live on out to were I fish with my 4 wheeler. Some years I put on 200+ miles plowing the road wide enough so the wind won't blow in the road. This invites everyone to fish right on top of me as it is a dead end at my house. I have learned that I have to plow the road way past my house and then into a circle so people will go there instead. You should see on the weekend how many people look lost when they go around the circle a few times. I now make the road like a tree with a few branches going every direction so others have to find there own place to fish and lift my plow for 50' where the road turns off to my house. I don't know how else to stop the village from growing around my house.

[harvey lee]

It's today's world, no respect anymore at all.

[mysnopro]

$125????

Nothing like paving the road to your fishing spot I guess it's to be expected, but I wouldn't be happy either.

The 125 came from several, trips over to widen it as it froze down! Just to make the road i had to drill 50 holes in a row, letting it flood the snow then pack it with my SXS with tracks! 3 days of sub zero temps then i plowed it! Our four shacks are varound the edge of the plowed area.

[bobbymalone]

I get the anger over setting up literally right next to you, but it's pretty lame to think you own a road because you plowed it or you think a reef, hump, or whatever other structure is yours because you left a perm house there or got there first.

[broman]

Did you have the plow on your truck when they came out? Was there any way for them to know it was you who plowed? If not, they could have assumed that you were no different than them and had found a road that "someone else" had plowed.

Yes, I would be annoyed, but I would have expected it to happen. As others said, next time, plow yourself into your spot.

[eurolarva]

I get the anger over setting up literally right next to you, but it's pretty lame to think you own a road because you plowed it or you think a reef, hump, or whatever other structure is yours because you left a perm house there or got there first.

Pretty confrontational post. I fished ottertail two years ago with the same problem with the slush under the snow. The only way to get out on the lake was to used plowed roads. I found a hump next to a perm (fished about 20 ft from the perm) The plow guy came and I gave him 20 bucks because if it werent for him I could not fish. The guy who owned the perm got all nasty with me for being so close to his house. Funny after giving the plow guy 20 he was on my side. A lot of lakes are like this up north now with the big blast of snow. If you use a road and you see the guy who plowed it offer his some money. 9 times out of 10 he will be more then happy to let you fish near him or he will suggest a place that might work as well. After I was done fishing I put my portable away and the whole area was plowed around my Explorer and I had no problems getting back to shore.

[BobT]

Do you expect people not to crowd you? I plowed the road out on my local pond, made it wide enough to park in several spots, made room for 4 shacks. Guys drive out park beside and start drilling all around my shack! Asked them to moveon and got a bunch of dump! Cost me atleast 125 in gas to plow it, never asked for anything other then a thank you!

If you're plowing the road on open ice for recognition, you're doing it for the wrong reason. Truth is, you plowed the road for yourself and are now miffed because others made use of it. Don't like it? Put the snow back behind you and problem solved.

If you spent $125.00 in fuel plowing a road on the lake you've got way too much money on your hands and need to find a more economical plow.

Personally, I understand that you don't like close company and I personally avoid fishing next door to others but it is open ice for everyone.

Every time we get a major show fall I use my tractor and snow blower to open the 1/2 mile of township road along my property. I do it so I can get out if needed. So what if others use the road. You won't see me blow a cork because you happened to drive on that stretch of road. I could care less and in fact, I'm glad to do it and will even spend my time and money digging you out if you happen to get stuck on that stretch and I hear you out there. No thank you necessary. Just being neighborly.

[bobbymalone]

Pretty confrontational post.

LOL. Posting up 20 feet from another house is pretty confrontational.

[ammoman16]

I understand the frustration, but often times these roads go right to some of the best spots on the lake and there's no way you can reserve a spot for the season by plowing a road to it.

[JBMasterAngler]

Plow a 2nd road that leads to a sunken island that's only a foot or 2 deep And then plow yourself into the spot you fish so nobody can surround you.

[usmcjsy]

I hear what your saying. I also use a plow on the lake and I don't mind others using the road but when they plant right next to you it's aggrevating. I plan on investing in a set of tracks for my rzr and a nice set of skis for the wheel house. Hopefully that will solve the unwanted neighbors. As I won't need to keep a road open then. Also something I thought would be fun, is to take my house off and plow the road I made shut behind me. That would be a Dick move, but no more of a Dick move than those who want to plant right next to me.

[Sonicrunch]

If you plow a road, and somebody else uses it, it's good karma for you.

[Chad Holst]

Everyone has the right to the lake and any roads plowed on that lake. With that said, you also have the right to park your vehicle where ever you choose to. If you REALLY plowed $125 worth on road, and you REALLY don't want anyone fishing near you, then why not put your vehicle sideways on the road, a bit before your house. You made the road, you can block it. (so can anyone else)

My suggestion would be to let people fish around you, say HI when they show up, give them pointers on what is biting, and anything else you can to be a good neighbor. Fishing is a lot more fun when you socialize with the people that are going to be near you, regardless of your attitude. I know some people think they own the fish, because they found them 1st, but they do not.

Tell me all about how you found them, and how everyone just follows you around and how that's so bad. I will not feel sorry for you. I will feel happy for you, even if you don't.

[hillbilly...]

my father inlaw did this up on long lake in OTC and did it with his fourwheeler all the way to the tullibe spot lot of people used the road no big deal until sum jack ars desided he would drive up threw the yard get stuck tear the yard up and almost take out a small tree. father inlaw had to go pull him out and the guy never even gave him a thank you.

[Swiftswamper]

I had a 16 year old drive between my tip up and house the other night at about 40... tip up was no more than 20 yards away. Scared me a little

[harvey lee]

If one plow's a road on a public lake, one should expect that others will use it to get to a spot on the lake, it is public.

Where I have a issue with this is, not when someone uses the road but when they drop thier house or portable right on top of you. If they were to stay 20-30 yards away, then so be it. Setting up 10ft away is a nogo for me.

[BobT]

Literally next to you like that Harvey would be a bit presumptuous. But some guys act as if you're too close if they can hear conversation which can travel for hundreds of yards.

[Greenhornet84]

I guess I would expect d everyone to follow the trail kinda how it goes. I do think the law should be more like 50 feet I don't like looking out my window and into someone else's. For the record I prefer to be hundreds of feet from others shacks.

[waskawood]

I can't keep them out of the holes I drill much less a road!!

[beebsout]

I used to plow roads too. I even at times let it bother me that guys would camp out next to me - not that they were doing anything wrong it just was frustrating me and reducing the quiet I was hoping to have. I eventually realized I had two options: Learn to enjoy their company and B.S. with them, or leave the plow at home and go portable/mobile and get away from the masses. There are so many off trail options now, that if you aren't up for having a friendly neighbor, then maybe a new approach to getting to your spot is needed.