People and their boat docks.

[aarogb]

I  have had this happen before when some man comes out drinking his cappicunio and thinking he owns the water under his boat dock where I am throwing my senko and tells me to get away from his boat dock.  Anybody had this happen before?  If so how did you react? 8-)

[Long Mike]

My usual response is "Sorry, you confused me with someone who gives a shilt."  Then I continue to move away, casting along the other boat docks.

[Eddie Munster]

I wouldn't be right up on his dock but if someone said that to me I'd reply 'you own the dock, not the water. Go check with the county'.

[TommyBass]

Yea people are crazy sometimes... I wouldn't worry about it too much unless hes carrying a shotgun. As long as your not decorating his pontoon cover with brightly covered crankbaits he dosnt have much to stand on. Actually, many lakes "own" a few feet within the water line. Around here its usually like 20 ft or so of the current water level. So he may not even be on his property while telling you that.

[fishfordollars]

I've had them come out and start hammering, throwing stuff in the water, yelling, screaming at me. I just pick up my phone and dial the authorities. They usually calm down and go away when they realize you know what you are talking about.

Some though prefer to push the issue, that's when you just quitely move on down to the next dock. I put one lady's pet fish in my livewell one day. She was a joke.  

[Matt Fly]

I try to let them enjoy there coffee without me.    Theres 1000's of docks on most lakes, and not fishing one isn't gonna hurt me.      

I'll say good morning, what a beautiful day to be having coffee on the water.    Most the time, you can tell if its gonna be okay or not.

    If its a not a warm exchange, I move on.

We all hear the loud clanks off dock owners fiberglass and aluminum boats, its not like they don't have some concerns for their property.

     

[WRB]

Put yourself in their shoes. You own the property, boat dock and everything on it. Courtesy goes a long way, not all fishermen treat the docks or property with care and snag their lures leaving hooks or getting on the dock or property to remove lures.

If the owner is upset he/she more than likely has a good reason to be upset. Try to be friendly, if that doesn't work, move on and enjoy your day on the water.

WRB

[Sam]

Never had that happen as I always strike up a conversation with the people.

Have had some dock owners give me some hints on where to fish around their docks or in their vicinity.

Only guy who acts like a fool is the guy on the hot side of Lake Anna who will walk out, stand there with arms folded across his chest and stare at me.

If the water is warm, he will throw sticks to his two labs to mess up the water around his place.

I have found that if you are nice to others they will return the favor.  

[Tin]

I had a guy take the flag pole off his house and used it like a spear to throw at me after telling him he didn't own the water and catching a fish from under his dock.

If they don't have a gun, I will keep fishing and usually I just ignore them.

[CWB]

There are 2 sides to every story. While I don't condone this kind of behavior, I am a property owner on a lake. I can't count the number of times I have removed hooks from my boat cover or stepped on or found baits that were broken off under or around my dock. I've had to undo line from the cables under my pontoon boat and even have found baits snagged in the carpet inside. This tends to make you leery whenever you see someone fishing your dock. When I approach a dock and someone comes out of their house I just keep going. Out of courtesy, I never fish a dock when there are people present.

Not worth getting into an argument over.

[Tin]

If you live on a lake it should be assumed you will have to deal with this. Just like jet-skis at sunrise when you want to sleep late or people blasting music at all hours of the night.

[etommy28]

very few times have i had the actual person come out.... posibly because its not rare to have a gun in the boat in my neck of the woods but commonly peoplelet there dogs out and yell from the house at us. by the way we have a dock and i love it when people fish it, it tells me where the fish are.

[farmpond1]

While boat dock owners need to obey the law and respect boater/fisherman rights, I can understand their concern.  There's no shortage of errant lures ricocheting hard off boats and snagging seat fabric and boat covers, among other things.  I don't know what the perfect answer is (there probably isn't one) but showing courtesy and respecting property rights goes a long way toward keeping the peace.  If someone gets angry, is it worth a fight just to fish one boat dock?  Now if you are just fishing the water in the vicinity of the dock but not in and under it, than...well, they'll just have to get used to that.

[TyTy]

My experience in GA/FL has been the opposite of all this anger...I cant count the number of people that come out and tell me 'a guy caught a ten pounder right over there a couple weeks ago'.  Its always a 10 pounder and its always right over there.  I humor them and act excited and cast several times into that spot.  Ive had them stand out there and stare at me like Im definatly about to catch it again.

Could some of this issue be the south vs other parts of the country?  

[1inStripes]

Only guy who acts like a fool is the guy on the hot side of Lake Anna who will walk out, stand there with arms folded across his chest and stare at me.

If the water is warm, he will throw sticks to his two labs to mess up the water around his place.

You need that new lab combo and throw a big floating stickbait in the same area he throws his sticks.  Talk about a good fight one of them critters would give you.   ;D

[ww2farmer]

I fish docks alot. Never have I had an incident. I got hung up on a dock some people were sitting on once and they helped me out. It goes both ways, if I see people fishing, swimming, or active on/around there docks I just go by slowly, wave and be nice....plenty of docks to fish. I fished with a real jerk once out of the back of his boat as a co-angler, and these same people who have always been nice to me were not so warm to him, his "I own the lake attitude" and disrespect for people who are using there docks projected it self rather clearly and he was just not welcomed.

[J Francho]

Every once in a while, I run into someone that doesn't like me fishing their dock. I usually ask if they don't mind, if they are within speaking distance. Some come running out and say to get out, or just stare. I'll ask if they prefer I not fish their dock. I had one guy actually change his whole attitude. One of those, "Since you were so polite...go ahead" deals. Most often, we just chat about where and what fish are biting, the weather, baseball, etc.

[kms399]

i fish docks quite a bit and haven't had an issue. I always feel like a complete butt when I accidently snag on their dock. I will do everything possible to get my hook off. I know I would be ticked if my kids went running out onto the dock and got a hook stuck in their foot.

[whitwolf]

I have never had a problem while fishing a dock.......I do as a rule bypass the dock If folks are sitting there....Most alll that I have ever talked to have been nice and always seem to want to shoot the bull.

[Bassn Blvd]

I have never had a problem with the freshwater docks. It seems the homeowner understands people are going to fish it regardless.  

I do however get into it with the saltwater dock owners and they can be real peckerwoods.  Snook fisherman, such as myself, rely on lighted docks at night to fish for Snook.  Trying to find a lit dock around here is darn near impossible because the owner turns them off during Snook season.. Arswipes!!

It's like living on a golf course.  If you don't like the ball hitting your roof then move off the fairway/green.

[Btech]

Id Just smile and wave ....

[Crappiebasser]

As a property owner I don't mind telling people about the brush piles around my dock. I do have a problem when these KVD wanna bes try to flip between my boat and the dock. I have a collection of lures I have pulled out of my boat carpet, dock floor, and even the dock roof. Only time I have ever run anyone off is once an idiot threw a crank bait within a foot of my nephews head while he was swimming so I arranged for the marine police to check his cooler. He was charged with boating under the influence and I haven't seen him since.

[Bass XL]

Have had some dock owners give me some hints on where to fish around their docks or in their vicinity.

Same thing happens to me all the time. Just be nice to them, and they'll be nice to you. I always say "How you doin today sir?" (or ma'am), and it never fails.

[Tuckman]

I love dock fishing and when the fish are on the docks during a tourny I fish them very hard I might even spend 5-10 minutes on one dock. That being said I am very careful to not hit any part of the boat. If I bump a wooden piling with a senko Im not goin to feel bad at all and I retrieve any hung up lures if at all possible.

If I am confronted by a irate dock owner, I try to be nice but If that doesnt work I simply tell them that the bass lived along the bank a long time before your dock was here, and if you think I'm doing anything wrong my numbers are right on the side of my boat.

Last year I was fishing some of that good old slop that gets up against the bank inside a huge marina not even near any of the moored boats, and this the guy who works there got on a lawnmower and started "mowing" the gravel alongside the shore trying to send gravel flying out at me like birdshot. I still fish his marina whenever I want.

[Okieracer]

I bank fish at a local marina/hotel area here in Okla and surprisingly I've never gotten run off and most of the time people come down and see what I'm catching and how I'm doing.  My top 3 bass ever have come fishing on or by that marina.  I mean we fish the slips and underneath seadoo floats and everything.  But we never leave trash and always respect the land as it is semi-private land.