Why Would Someone Do This?

[Bluebasser86]

Here we go again with the same old argument that anyone who parks their private property on a public body of water doesn't have the right to protect it against damage.  Let's hope that the people professing this philosophy use the same logic when they discover that somebody ran into the side of their tow vehicle at the boat ramp!

 

Oh wait, that's different.  There ain't no bass enjoying the shade under your Chevy!

There's a big difference in that though. If someone is up bouncing their jig off the back of your docked boat or banging their boat into your dock trying to fish behind a lift or something then that's a problem. If I'm fishing the edges or off the front of a dock or in an open stall (I don't cast at docked boats) there really is nothing to complain about. That's like complaining about someone parking next to you in that parking lot. Kind of like buying a house next to a golf course then yelling at someone when their ball lands in your back yard. 

[K_Mac]

There's a big difference in that though. If someone is up bouncing their jig off the back of your docked boat or banging their boat into your dock trying to fish behind a lift or something then that's a problem. If I'm fishing the edges or off the front of a dock or in an open stall (I don't cast at docked boats) there really is nothing to complain about. That's like complaining about someone parking next to you in that parking lot. Kind of like buying a house next to a golf course then yelling at someone when their ball lands in your back yard. 

 

You make a  point. There are differences. The problem is once you've had your property damaged a few times you may not differentiate between the guy who is casting to the edge or the guy who just damaged something on your dock and is now climbing out of his boat on your property to retrieve his crankbait. Hitting a ball into a yard adjacent to a golf course does not give you the right to retrieve it, and does not mean you are not responsible for any damage done to private property. 

 

It is not that these folks who own something that we can't or don't have special privileges or rights. They simply have the same rights as everyone else.

[Lund Explorer]

There's a big difference in that though. If someone is up bouncing their jig off the back of your docked boat or banging their boat into your dock trying to fish behind a lift or something then that's a problem. If I'm fishing the edges or off the front of a dock or in an open stall (I don't cast at docked boats) there really is nothing to complain about. That's like complaining about someone parking next to you in that parking lot. Kind of like buying a house next to a golf course then yelling at someone when their ball lands in your back yard. 

 

That IS the problem!  You may say that you don't cast at boats, but the fact remains that there is a certain segment of the fishing fraternity that does so, and doesn't see it as a problem at all.  As witnessed by other people's comments, it even seems that the wealthier the dock owner is, the less deserving they are of complaining about that damage.

 

Imagine the uproar if a dock owner bounced a jig off of some fiberglass rocket that came floating past their dock.  Do we have to accept the fact that the boat is on public water?  Probably not!  How about if it was just some leaky old tin boat, or a pontoon?  Is there a difference if your truck is dinged when its parked and you are on the lake, or when you are sitting in it?

 

The real truth is that just because you have your property sitting on public water or public asphalt, it doesn't give others the right to intentionally damage it.  Yet that is exactly what happens on a lot of lakes, by a lot of fishermen who feel their right to fish overrides a property owner's right to keep that property sitting along the shoreline.  When you see a dock owner that has put up barriers around or under his dock, you can rest assured that he has suffered the same kind of damage that the guy who parks sideways across two parking spots has. 

[J Francho]

Up here, putting in a dock is a privilege. It is not private property, and in fact by putting in a dock, you must also allow any boat safe harbor. Growing up, we had a pretty big dock, with a hoist, upper deck, and a second gangway. It was one "those docks" that extended out to 17' water, and had a weed line intersecting the middle. Never mind the three brush piles nearby, I have no idea how those got there. In my life I can pretty much count on one hand how many times there was stuff attached from a careless fisherman. No one really cared if a boat fished it, and most guys would either pass it up if anyone was there, or ask to fish it. If someone got hung up, they simply got out, retrieved their bait, or someone on the dock would help. No big deal, since they probably had a dock that we fished.

It's funny, one of these dock skipping barons introduced me to a Texas rigged worm and casting gear, when I asked how he got the baits through the weeds. Super nice guy, and I'm not sure he'll ever know how he changed a 12 year olds fishing forever, unlocking a while new world with the 5 minutes he spent, and the few baits he gave me.

People that rant and rave about their docks, and the water around them, and what is theirs and not yours… well, I feel sorry for them. They're missing out. Most people on there docks ask how the fishing is, some even invite you to cast for a big fish they saw under their dock. It's part of the culture of living on the water. Maybe it's a northern thing, with our short summers, to just enjoy things as they are. It's not like docks are littered with line and baits, or boats all dented or scratched.

Treat others as you'd like to be treated. Pass by the one in a thousand that thinks they're dock is so special, it deserves a barbed wire fence around it.

I'll just finish by reiterating, the original picture depicts something built for mooring boats, not to prevent fishing.

[F14A-B]

I don't own a dock on public waters, however if I did, if I ever, ever, felt so threatened by fisherman, that I had to find ways to run chicken wire, barbed wire, chain link fence, or any other method of undermining a fisherman? I would build a cabin in Alaska, and watch it snow.

[scbassin]

I think Bankbeater has it right. It's to defuse the rough water during a storm . It helps keeping the boat from getting so beat up during a storm. I have seen  these things before.

[EmersonFish]

I'm not sure what those are for. Still plenty of area to fish. If anything, I'd be more prone to fish that dock, assuming some algae had accumulated on those pipes, attracting some baitfish, and on from there.

 

As far as the comparing a lake to a parking lot idea; that isn't quite a direct comparison. That would be a more direct example if one could build a permanent structure on a public parking lot. When you put a structure on public land, you are taking up that space, and in some way, making it your own. That is a privilege. With that privilege comes an expectation that people will be fishing around it, throwing a wake toward it, etc... If someone damages your property, uses it without your consent, etc.; you have legal recourse, whether that property sits on private or public land.

 

The question is how far can one go to limit the public's access to the public water in order to protect their property? Putting up chicken wire on their own dock? Probably fine. Confronting me because I'm fishing the perimeter of your dock. Perhaps legal, but I don't recommend it.

 

It's unfortunate that some fishermen are irresponsible and give us all a bad name. It's unfortunate that some homeowners, regardless of income, are jerks. But my car, in those parking lots that were mentioned, gets dinged and scratched all the time. I never get an apology or anyone's insurance information. It just comes with the territory. If I caught a guy doing significant damage; I'd want him to make it right. If I did damage to someone else; I'd want to make it right. Everyone should be that way.

 

In any case, if I couldn't fish private docks, that would be inconvenient. The closest lake to me is Lake of the Ozarks.

[VAHunter]

_{In any case, if I couldn't fish private docks, that would be inconvenient. The closest lake to me is Lake of the Ozarks.}

 

_{Yeah, that would be inconvenient to say the least.  I've seen this topic brought up an untold number of times on many sites.  The bottom line in my opinion, there are just as many inconsiderate land/dock owners as there are fishermen.  Personally, I don't have an issue when a person asks me not to fish their dock.  However, I won't budge for one who comes shooting out the door while screaming at me.  I never raise my voice, but I tell them that I have a valid state fishing license and "his/her" dock is on public water.  If they want to escalate and call the authorities I offer to make the call for them and then wait until the LEO shows up.} 

[jtharris3]

Sorry I have my own opinion man, I just think if a guy is paying a boatload of money to have a dock and he has a sign or asks you not to fish I wouldn't fish there.

 

 

Your opinion doesn't trump what the law says. I also don't fish docks in a way that would have my lure hit their boat if one is parked at their dock. To do so, I feel that is disrespectful and sheds a bad light on fishermen. I respect people's property and would not trespass but, as I said in my previous post the water is public property so it's fair game. The property owner has NO claim to it. I'll not allow someone to push me around just because they "think" they have a right to! In that case they can go pound sand!

[PersicoTrotaVA]

It looks like something to hang bumpers off of for visiting boats...

 

If I ever saw someone bouncing a jig off of someone's boat, I'd smack them or their boat with a jig.  Respect other people and their property, even if it is parked on public waters.  We have laws that protect our cars when they are parked on the streets or in parking lots, its the same thing for a boat parked on a dock on public water.  As long as you are respectful I don't see a problem with fishing docks.

[iabass8]

 

I think for me it all depends on how the person acts if they ask me not to fish their dock. Someone comes out and asks politely for me to not fish their dock, most likely I'll move on without another word. Someone comes out screaming at me to get away from their dock I may have to work it a little harder while we have a chat about personal and public property  We're already seeing it so marina owners can run boats off for fishing around the docks on public bodies of water, probably just a matter of time before private individuals are allowed to do the same.

x2. 

 

If somebody comes out and asks me politely to not fish their dock, no questions asked, I won't. I also won't fish a dock if people are hanging out on it unless they ask me to fish it for "that bigun'" that they just saw.  It's so, so rare for anybody around here or further up river to come out screaming. I can count on one hand how many times its happened. 

[Catch and Grease]

Your opinion doesn't trump what the law says. I also don't fish docks in a way that would have my lure hit their boat if one is parked at their dock. To do so, I feel that is disrespectful and sheds a bad light on fishermen. I respect people's property and would not trespass but, as I said in my previous post the water is public property so it's fair game. The property owner has NO claim to it. I'll not allow someone to push me around just because they "think" they have a right to! In that case they can go pound sand!

Brother... I said I wouldn't fish there, let me repeat that, I wouldn't fish there.

I can do whatever I want if I don't want to fish the dock I don't have to? If you want to go ahead? But if a guy comes out and calmly asks you to stop fishing the dock and move along and you don't listen and continue to fish then that's on you.

If someone politely asks me to do something I'll do it even if I don't have too. Sometimes its just good manners, they may have had someone damage their dock so they are being more safe than sorry and asking all fishermen to stop fishing their dock.

[Code54]

It's to keep guests' boat from rubbing on the dock while moored on the side. People come up with all sorts of homemade contraptions for this.

When you see chicken wire going from the dock down under the water, rest assured that's a fishing deterrent. What you have here isn't.

Exactly - just gives a little buffer space and the PVC does not hurt the guest boats.

 

As for fishing a dock that someone does not want me to fish - no problem.  Plenty of other places and not really worth the hassle to me.

[Nice_Bass]

Your opinion doesn't trump what the law says. I also don't fish docks in a way that would have my lure hit their boat if one is parked at their dock. To do so, I feel that is disrespectful and sheds a bad light on fishermen. I respect people's property and would not trespass but, as I said in my previous post the water is public property so it's fair game. The property owner has NO claim to it. I'll not allow someone to push me around just because they "think" they have a right to! In that case they can go pound sand!

I have fished docks a long time and can admit I have hit a boat and consider myself pretty good...are you sure you have never fished one that could cause you to do that? Are you sure you never have? Cant say the same about myself.

Obviously though...this is for a boat along the side regarding original post topic

[J Francho]

There's no point in arguing about your dock morals on an Internet forum. It has no bearing on the original question.

[jtharris3]

I have fished docks a long time and can admit I have hit a boat and consider myself pretty good...are you sure you have never fished one that could cause you to do that? Are you sure you never have? Cant say the same about myself.

Obviously though...this is for a boat along the side regarding original post topic

 

Nope, never hit anyone's boat. Not because "I'm that good", but because I just don't throw toward the area where the boat is. Pretty simple really.

[J Francho]

Look like this has run it's course.