Help me get fishing decriminalized on my local lake

[MN Fisher]

Just now, Yazman said:

It's ok if people aren't local; I doubt city council will even take the time to read the addresses. Thanks for your support! 

Even if they did - how would they know that the signers aren't visitors to the area and signing for that reason?

[J Francho]

Call me cynical, but the pond is full of carp and fishing is not allowed. Typically, environments that are good for bass manage themselves. My answer is to find another pond. 

[MAN]

2 hours ago, huZZah said:

Just to be fair, that does describe most of the fisherman I encounter. Throwing trash around, cigarette butts everywhere, parked right at the water under the sign that says “no parking,” keeping anything they catch, fishing without a license, cleaning fish and leaving all the guts and skeleton right where they’re sitting, playing loud music, cursing at everyone else trying to fish, throwing things into the water...yeah, they act like bums and I brush them aside and ignore them. 
 

So I understand why people wouldn’t want those people around them. I don’t even want to be around them, and I teach most of their children. 

Sadly I have to agree with most of the above.  I always bring an extra bag with me fishing to clean up after other fisherman.  All I can do is encourage my kids and others to be more respectful while enjoying the sport. 

[Sam]

On 4/20/2021 at 8:41 AM, Yazman said:

The lake is managed by two cities, and one city is cool and allows fishing but the other does not. They cited potential trash and injuries to humans. The local fisheries biologist thinks their concerns are unrealistic, but the city is unmoved. In reality, the side of the lake in question is surrounded by homes that are close to $800,000 in value. A lot of those people just don't want to see people sitting on buckets and fishing.

...the side of the lake in question is surrounded by homes that are close to $800,000 in value. A lot of those people just don't want to see people sitting on buckets and fishing. - Your answer right here.

[garroyo130]

On 4/20/2021 at 7:40 AM, huZZah said:

Ummm....why no fishing? 

 

 

[fishingtx]

http://chng.it/78XrWqbHtG

[cheezyridr]

On 4/20/2021 at 8:41 AM, Yazman said:

The lake is managed by two cities, and one city is cool and allows fishing but the other does not. They cited potential trash and injuries to humans. The local fisheries biologist thinks their concerns are unrealistic, but the city is unmoved. In reality, the side of the lake in question is surrounded by homes that are close to $800,000 in value. A lot of those people just don't want to see people sitting on buckets and fishing.

 

let me tell you a story:

i live in delaware.  we have a place called "hoopes reservoir".  it is where the city of wilmington draws it's water from when the brandywine river doesn't have enough.  hoopes is located in an area known as "the valley". it's where all the old money lives.  people sneak in there sometimes, and it's where many of our records have come from, although they are claimed as coming from somewhere else.  i was in my 20's back in the 80's, i went on a campaign to turn it into a state park.  i went around to local businesses and  got them to pledge support money, to reduce the cost.  i gathered thousands and thousands of signatures from people who supported the idea.  i wrote up a plan showing how the estimated projected use could help pay expenses through a special license to fish there, and an entrance fee.

by coincidence, biden was a friend of my father and my uncle. through them, i secured a meeting with him.  i brought all of my materials, to help convince him of what i felt was a good idea.  he skimmed through it, pushed it back across to me and said "you've worked really hard on this, but it's not going to happen." i asked why, and he told me that the old money back there in the valley didn't want regular folk in their back yard. he wasn't going to help me.  it's still illegal to fish there today. my advice to you is, find somewhere else to fish

[Yazman]

11 hours ago, J Francho said:

Call me cynical, but the pond is full of carp and fishing is not allowed. Typically, environments that are good for bass manage themselves. My answer is to find another pond. 

I'm going all in on this one. It's right next to my house and I'm there all the time. The only decent spots are half an hour away. I will likely fail, but I'm bringing my best and not looking back.

3 hours ago, cheezyridr said:

 

let me tell you a story:

i live in delaware.  we have a place called "hoopes reservoir".  it is where the city of wilmington draws it's water from when the brandywine river doesn't have enough.  hoopes is located in an area known as "the valley". it's where all the old money lives.  people sneak in there sometimes, and it's where many of our records have come from, although they are claimed as coming from somewhere else.  i was in my 20's back in the 80's, i went on a campaign to turn it into a state park.  i went around to local businesses and  got them to pledge support money, to reduce the cost.  i gathered thousands and thousands of signatures from people who supported the idea.  i wrote up a plan showing how the estimated projected use could help pay expenses through a special license to fish there, and an entrance fee.

by coincidence, biden was a friend of my father and my uncle. through them, i secured a meeting with him.  i brought all of my materials, to help convince him of what i felt was a good idea.  he skimmed through it, pushed it back across to me and said "you've worked really hard on this, but it's not going to happen." i asked why, and he told me that the old money back there in the valley didn't want regular folk in their back yard. he wasn't going to help me.  it's still illegal to fish there today. my advice to you is, find somewhere else to fish

It sounds like you did all you could do. I'm going to give this my all, and I don't care if I fail. For once I want to thumb my nose at all the snobs and government shills that look down on us anglers. I don't fault anyone for not signing, but come hell or highwater, I'm fighting this fight. 

[cheezyridr]

6 minutes ago, Yazman said:

I'm going all in on this one. It's right next to my house and I'm there all the time. The only decent spots are half an hour away. I will likely fail, but I'm bringing my best and not looking back.

It sounds like you did all you could do. I'm going to give this my all, and I don't care if I fail. For once I want to thumb my nose at all the snobs and government shills that look down on us anglers. I don't fault anyone for not signing, but come hell or highwater, I'm fighting this fight. 

 

i hope you will find success.  please post updates, no matter which way it goes.  at the very least, all of us here in this forum are rootin' for ya

i just thought of another possible solution: 

if you launched a small boat from the legal side, you could fish the illegal side from the water, couldn't you?

[Yazman]

10 minutes ago, cheezyridr said:

 

i hope you will find success.  please post updates, no matter which way it goes.  at the very least, all of us here in this forum are rootin' for ya

i just thought of another possible solution: 

if you launched a small boat from the legal side, you could fish the illegal side from the water, couldn't you?

You can totally fish both sides as much as you want and no one will bother you at all. I'm just trying to get it stocked since the last draining removed all the carp. The DNR is willing to stock it, but only if both sides agree to "officially" allow fishing (only one side does as of now). That's for support, and thanks for the story! That's incredible and I'd love to hear more.

[Bird]

11 minutes ago, cheezyridr said:

 

i hope you will find success.  please post updates, no matter which way it goes.  at the very least, all of us here in this forum are rootin' for ya

i just thought of another possible solution: 

if you launched a small boat from the legal side, you could fish the illegal side from the water, couldn't you?

You'd think the other side was accessible by the legal side.......but $800,000 homes??? Lol

Them folks gotta have clout !

[MidwestBassAttack]

Signed and shared - best of luck!

[MyKeyBe]

2 hours ago, Yazman said:

The DNR is willing to stock it, but only if both sides agree to "officially" allow fishing (only one side does as of now).

Maybe bring up the idea that if the DNR doesn't stock it, someone else will try and that never turns out well. 

[Deleted account]

10 hours ago, Yazman said:

You can totally fish both sides as much as you want and no one will bother you at all. I'm just trying to get it stocked since the last draining removed all the carp. The DNR is willing to stock it, but only if both sides agree to "officially" allow fishing (only one side does as of now). That's for support, and thanks for the story! That's incredible and I'd love to hear more.

So "decriminalize" is just click bait? 

I wish you luck, but if I was a betting man (and I am) I'd take the Home Owners and give the points.

[Yazman]

1 minute ago, BassWhole! said:

So "decriminalize" is just click bait? 

I wish you luck, but if I was a betting man (and I am) I'd take the Home Owners and give the points.

No. Decriminalize meaning legally allow it. Right now it is technically banned but not enforced. There is no HOA. The lake is owned and managed by two cities. 

[J Francho]

28 minutes ago, Yazman said:

The lake is owned and managed by two cities.

No one here can help you here.  Take it up with your local leaders.  

[Yazman]

13 minutes ago, J Francho said:

No one here can help you here.  Take it up with your local leaders.  

People here can help by signing the petition, but they don't have to. If anybody doesn't want to sign then don't sign. And also, I have been working with local leaders and the city and all the entities involved for over a year, gathering signatures for a petition is part of this process. 

[TheBasslayer]

On 4/21/2021 at 8:42 AM, Yazman said:

It's ok if people aren't local; I doubt city council will even take the time to read the addresses. Thanks for your support! 

No problem. I visit Cleveland every once in a while, so maybe I'll see that lake! And if this works, then fish it.

[throttleplate]

be carefull you might end up with protesters against you and end up gettin your yard and trees TPed ya know toilet papered or worse.

[Yazman]

30 minutes ago, throttleplate said:

be carefull you might end up with protesters against you and end up gettin your yard and trees TPed ya know toilet papered or worse.

This is true. I've really ticked off a lot of the "well-to-do" and bureaucrats around here. Some in government who mildly supported me before have now distanced themselves or turned on me. It's been in the newspaper like 3 times, and now all the government people are circling the wagons.

[J Francho]

Must be a slow news day?  These municipal ponds are usually filled with runoff from parking lots and housing developments.  Not what I'd call ideal.

[Yazman]

7 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Must be a slow news day?  These municipal ponds are usually filled with runoff from parking lots and housing developments.  Not what I'd call ideal.

It's a natural brook that was dammed 200 years ago to run mills. There have been several water quality studies and it is acceptable, not great but not bad. Definitely not primo habitat, but would be really fun to have so close to home.

[J Francho]

It's good that you're learning the ropes and the bureaucracy surrounding public waters, but I think you should find a better lake.

[cheezyridr]

18 hours ago, Bird said:

You'd think the other side was accessible by the legal side.......but $800,000 homes??? Lol

Them folks gotta have clout !

 

similar to hoopes, some of the folks around there are dupont family relatives, and other "movers and shakers"

[CrankFate]

22 hours ago, Bird said:

You'd think the other side was accessible by the legal side.......but $800,000 homes??? Lol

Them folks gotta have clout !

They can’t possibly have clout. If they had clout, there would be at least a dozen guys on this site that don’t fish for largemouth bass, following all of his posts to disagree with him, so he looks like a jerk. Unfortunately, that’s how it works now.