Guys disrespecting a private dock

[returnofthefish]

I saw an example of why private dock owners get angry when real fisherman fish near thier docks today. I was out on my float tube today at a public lake. These 3 people were fishing and dropped anchor about 2-3 feet away from someones dock. This is fine because the homewners don't own the lake. I keep going on my way and come back later.

Guess what I see. Two of the people were standing on the private dock and fishing off of it. Thier boat was also parked right next to the dock. I was suprised the homeowner didnt come out. I went by them towards the boat launch and they eventually leave the private dock. Thier truck and trailer were from out of state. No wonder homeowners harass bass fisherman close to thier docks.

[Amx]

Now that is outright DUMB. Too bad the dock owner didn't call the police and have the people arrested. Even anchoring 3 feet away is way too close for me.

I don't usually like it when my boat is that close, unless I have to unhook a lure, and I don't like having to do that, or even touching the dock to control thngs better to get the lure off the dock. Today I even had to take the boat up into the slip in a dock to get to the lure that was hung up there on the edge. Made me feel funny and intrusive to move the boat into the slip.

[tommytitan08]

And you wonder why people get ticked off at fishermen!!!! Rude, Rude, Rude just flat out disrespectful

[salmonslayer117]

If you've got a whole lake to fish and a boat to fish it (which you would probably have better luck with anyways) then why would you bother trespassing on someone's dock... Common sense people. Stop giving fisherman a bad name.

[Matt]

If you've got a whole lake to fish and a boat to fish it (which you would probably have better luck with anyways) then why would you bother trespassing on someone's dock... Common sense people. Stop giving fisherman a bad name.

+1 on that. My exact thoughts.

Goofballs.

[Rich McVey]

Now that is outright DUMB. Too bad the dock owner didn't call the police and have the people arrested. Even anchoring 3 feet away is way too close for me.

I don't usually like it when my boat is that close, unless I have to unhook a lure, and I don't like having to do that, or even touching the dock to control thngs better to get the lure off the dock. Today I even had to take the boat up into the slip in a dock to get to the lure that was hung up there on the edge. Made me feel funny and intrusive to move the boat into the slip.

Agreed!

I dont like getting that close either. Even thought the lake is public, its still their back yard... kinda.

The way I look at it, I wont fish a swimming area and a private dock is pretty much that. There are so many places I can fish, I dont need to be tossing hooks into places their kids may be swimming. I also dont want to be the eye sore hosing up some ones Saturday morning coffe drinking view.

It would be hard for me to be a water front owner on a popular lake. I like privacy way to much.

[Anglinarcher]

I understand both sides of the issue. I suspect that the fishermen were after Bass, or perhaps Crappie, both which can school up in large numbers under docks. Dock fishing is a big thing, and the further East you go in the US the more important it is. I don't like getting hooked up on docks either, but I will fish them with the right lures.

Having said that, there is no reason that a person should get out of their boat to stand on a private dock and fish from it. The fact that they were out of state suggest that they just don't care about the impact such rude behavior has on the local fishermen. But it is possible that they were just ignorant as well. I grew up in a few states were private docks were unheard of. If you saw a dock, it was public, so perhaps...................

I would suggest just asking the guys, "hey, do you know that you are on a private dock?". If they say no, then say something like "just thought you should know, they can charge people with trespassing and I'd hate to see a fellow fishermen busted". If they say yes, then your are probably best to say "cool, just wondering" and move on.

[Matt]

Another thing to consider is that these dudes may have in fact known the owner(s) of the dock and are visiting from out of state.

I would have just asked if they knew the owner of the dock.

[Nik]

Another thing to consider is that these dudes may have in fact known the owner(s) of the dock and are visiting from out of state.

I would have just asked if they knew the owner of the dock.

Exactly, you don't even know close to the whole story so don't jump to conclusions. Maybe they were doing nothing wrong wahtsoever, maybe they were tresspassing. If someone does something like that the dock owner has every right to be upset. What they have little or no right to be upset about is a skilled bass fisherman with good accuracy casting close to their dock. If i throw it in their boat or hook a lawn chair that's another thing, but i get tired of people coming out of their house as soon as i get within 50 feet of their dock.

[rl206]

Yeah, i paid the price for someones actions like that, possibly?
For example i was out on a lake 2 wks ago
It's 630 am, and I was in a tube making casts towards a dock, (understand making casts Towards the dock)
Nowhere close to being on it, maybe 20 ft away.
and I hear a "hey, your too close", I had no idea where it was coming from or who it was directed to, seeing that I was close to nothing of anyone's belonging of any sort.
Anywho, we argued for 2 mins. I saying that I wasn't disrepecting any object of his, I made a last cast and landed a PB smallie off the end of his dock, in front of him, weighed over 5 lbs. lol

[Phill Smart]

You called them bassfishermen haha.That's some funny stuff right there.

[Phill Smart]

Are the "right lures" the ones without hooks.That's a funny comment.

I understand both sides of the issue. I suspect that the fishermen were after Bass, or perhaps Crappie, both which can school up in large numbers under docks. Dock fishing is a big thing, and the further East you go in the US the more important it is. I don't like getting hooked up on docks either, but I will fish them with the right lures.

Having said that, there is no reason that a person should get out of their boat to stand on a private dock and fish from it. The fact that they were out of state suggest that they just don't care about the impact such rude behavior has on the local fishermen. But it is possible that they were just ignorant as well. I grew up in a few states were private docks were unheard of. If you saw a dock, it was public, so perhaps...................

I would suggest just asking the guys, "hey, do you know that you are on a private dock?". If they say no, then say something like "just thought you should know, they can charge people with trespassing and I'd hate to see a fellow fishermen busted". If they say yes, then your are probably best to say "cool, just wondering" and move on.

[soulfishhawk]

Wow, I guess you just can't fix stupid. Getting OUT OF YOUR BOAT and standing on someone's private dock???? Let alone just parking your boat right next to it???? I'm sure they left cigarette butts and garbage as well.
unreal