Angry people while pitching docks?

[gim]

42 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

We should have @gimruis hunt them all down 

I have my hands full regulating the hair and fashion out there already lol

[WVU-SCPA]

The waters I primarily visit have very few private docks.  However, I've seen an increase on entitled "ownership" of swimmers/fisherman on the ramp docks.   My jaw dropped this weekend as a swimmer commented to a friend of how inconsiderate I was cutting off their area to jump in as I was loading up.  No swimming signs are posted everywhere, but hasn't been enforced since covid really.  Growing up, if I would have even went past ankle deep in that particular lake there would of been a officer on me with a ticket in 5 minutes. 

 

Rereading this I sound like a grumpy old man...

[gim]

10 minutes ago, WVU-SCPA said:

My jaw dropped this weekend as a swimmer commented to a friend of how inconsiderate I was cutting off their area to jump in as I was loading up.  No swimming signs are posted everywhere

I've seen something similar to this at a couple of accesses I frequent too.  The docks there are for loading/unloading assistance only, not to fish off of.  There is literally a much larger pier designated for fishing within walking distance.  Yet, people take it upon themselves to fish off these docks with signs indicating that there is no fishing permitted.  Someone will be there when I'm trying to load/unload and they act like I'm getting in the way.

[Functional]

Personally I'd take it as part of the risk of owning a lake front property. However, the mess left behind by fisherman is getting out of hand. When I was a kid I'd rarely have to pull up someone elses line, now I'm pulling up line out of the water/trees/etc. just about every trip.

 

I never had a dock owner give me a problem but usually when I get snagged on a dock I'll get close and get myself out of it instead of breaking the line if I can help it. When I'm up there I'll pull off any broken line or lures I find. Had an owner sitting at the edge of his property I hadnt realized was there and when I was done cleaning up other peoples mess he thanked me quite a bit for doing that and said I was welcome back anytime. I was ready for him to start yelling when he called over to me but it was a nice surprise. 

[Swamp Girl]

39 minutes ago, Functional said:

Personally I'd take it as part of the risk of owning a lake front property. However, the mess left behind by fisherman is getting out of hand. When I was a kid I'd rarely have to pull up someone elses line, now I'm pulling up line out of the water/trees/etc. just about every trip.

 

I never had a dock owner give me a problem but usually when I get snagged on a dock I'll get close and get myself out of it instead of breaking the line if I can help it. When I'm up there I'll pull off any broken line or lures I find. Had an owner sitting at the edge of his property I hadnt realized was there and when I was done cleaning up other peoples mess he thanked me quite a bit for doing that and said I was welcome back anytime. I was ready for him to start yelling when he called over to me but it was a nice surprise. 

 

I love this story.

[Choporoz]

I was the angry dock owner about three weeks ago.  

   The sob trolled up within 15 yards and casted near my dock....while I was standing on it...fishing!  I bet I could have pitched into his boat.  It was rather unbelievable.

[FryDog62]

On 7/2/2023 at 2:17 PM, gimruis said:

I've resorted to using only weightless plastics around docks these days.  No lead, no hard baits.  That way if my lure does bump into a post, piling, etc, the sound is minimal.

I still skip some weightless too - although I have switched up pretty much to a weighted Neko these days. The weight helps you stay back farther from the dock and get more casting distance.  Just bury the weight all the way into the plastic and super glue the end/opening if you need to.  All buttoned up and nothing more than a little "thud" if you klang off a pontoon.

[gim]

1 minute ago, FryDog62 said:

Just bury the weight all the way into the plastic and super glue the end/opening if you need to.

Yes, if you bury it properly the nail weight shouldn't be an issue.  The biggest issue right now when I target docks is a lack of water underneath.  Its not more than 2 feet, and some are less.  The weightless version is adequate when its that shallow underneath.  If I were targeting docks that were deeper, say 4+ feet plus, then I'd want a faster sink rate.

 

I haven't done much dock skipping yet this season to be honest.  Just one time really, and it was cloudy out, so the fish weren't concentrated in the shade there yet.  The fish I did catch there were with a white tube.  I'll be doing more soon though.

[Siebert Outdoors]

On 7/2/2023 at 9:49 PM, 12poundbass said:

Maybe I don’t fish enough docks, maybe everyone is nice, or maybe I’m just lucky but I’ve yet to come across a dock owner that was upset with me fishing their dock.

 

Same here. 

 

Earlier this year i had a guy say "oh there is a 4-5lber under my walk way."  Me thinking he is messing with me I tossed under his walkway.  He wasn't joking.  Lost the fish on the cables.  DOH!  We talked for a second and I went on my way.  Real nice guy.

[12poundbass]

@Siebert Outdoors

 

My son and I went out Monday morning and a lady came out and told us there were two big bass under her dock. I could already see the two sinks under there and didn’t bother. Those are the dock owners I encounter all the time. They are nice, helpful, or just watch. 

[FryDog62]

17 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Yes, if you bury it properly the nail weight shouldn't be an issue.  The biggest issue right now when I target docks is a lack of water underneath.  Its not more than 2 feet, and some are less.  The weightless version is adequate when its that shallow underneath.  If I were targeting docks that were deeper, say 4+ feet plus, then I'd want a faster sink rate.

 

I haven't done much dock skipping yet this season to be honest.  Just one time really, and it was cloudy out, so the fish weren't concentrated in the shade there yet.  The fish I did catch there were with a white tube.  I'll be doing more soon though.

Yes tough to skip docks during droughts.  They’ll fill in again eventually. I like the floating Neko worms, just skip and either get a reaction bite, or just let the weight sink the worm slowly to the bottom and undulate vertically and soak… until it starts to move?

[Jar11591]

Never encountered an angry dock owner. Did have one guy get really excited when my buddy nailed a 2.5lber on a spook right off the corner of the dock. Didn’t even know he was there until he yelled “no way! Did you just catch that off my dock?! I didn’t know there were fish under there!”. 

[JimDallas]

Good discussion.  I dont fish docks if there is someone on it, working around it on in their yard on shore relaxing.  I skip it and sometimes just say Hello.  I ended up having a beer with an old timer once just by saying hello.

 

The fishermen cutting me off or going between me and the shoreline 30 feet from me... that brings out the worst in me.  When it happens and the other fisherman don't apologize... well, let's just say my wife sits and waits for new swear words she might never have heard before.  

[Swamp Girl]

2 hours ago, JimDallas said:

Good discussion.  I dont fish docks if there is someone on it, working around it on in their yard on shore relaxing.  I skip it and sometimes just say Hello.  I ended up having a beer with an old timer once just by saying hello.

 

The fishermen cutting me off or going between me and the shoreline 30 feet from me... that brings out the worst in me.  When it happens and the other fisherman don't apologize... well, let's just say my wife sits and waits for new swear words she might never have heard before.  

 

Original cuss words??? Say, are you Ralphie's dad?*

 

 

 

*A  Christmas Story

[galyonj]

6 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

 

Original cuss words??? Say, are you Ralphie's dad?*

 

 

 

*A  Christmas Story

 

"In the heat of battle, my father wove a tapestry of obscenity that, as far as we know, is still hanging in space over Lake Michigan."

[dmiles]

My parents house had a large lake connected to our back yard. We used to fish off the back yard as kids and at best would catch Sunnys. We would see people in the boats going by fishing and I would always think to myself, there is nothing here but Sunnys. Never once did I think to myself how dare these people fish im front of our yard. 

 

These days I would love to have a lake on my back yard