Fishing around private docks, etc?

[Oldbritguy]

How close is too close?

I was sitting in my boat, moored to my private dock in front of my house, and this glitzy tourrnament bass boat glides to within about twenty feet and starts throwing lures right at the boat, and around the dock.  Some casts landed within inches of the boat.

Then they came right up to the dock - less than a rods length away, and started casting right along my dock, inches away from the framework.  I got the distinct feeling this was pure intimidation and would like to have been able to ask them to back off.   But, being a bass fisherman myself, I let it go.  Although I was quite p*ss*d off at them coming so close.

I just wondered if there are any rules of conduct (written or unwritten) etc. for this kind of situation.

What would you have done, legal or illegal?

[Grey Wolf]

If you were fishing , they were very rude.

[Shane J]

I can't vouch for any other state or province, but in New Hampshire, there is no such thing as a private dock. Once a land owner puts a dock in a public waterway, it is fair game to all, including tying off to that dock, or even getting out of your boat and onto the dock. Now common courtesy, that's another thing, and quite a few people lack it.

[WanderLust]

LOL - People are rude.

Being that you were right there, they should respect your personal space.

I would have told them to get lost in a nice but serious tone. More than once I've told people to GTFO especially when throwing towards my kids or throwing to my spot when they see me catch a something...

[Nice_Bass]

Too close would be stepping foot on your dock, to do what they did while you were there.  I fish real close to docs all the time, never been an issue.  Think of it as the air around your house, cant get mad for a plane flying overhead.  (sure, there are limits to that) I think of it the same way for water, the dock is your property and i respect it, the water and fish are public.

[Stasher1]

I don't see the big deal. They didn't hit you, your boat, or your dock. The water and/or fish under and around your dock are fair game, imho. 

[J Francho]

I'm starting to see a pattern.... sounds like you don't like guys with big glitzy boats.

[Hellbenderman]

It is amazing how rude people are. If you were fishing there, they shouldn't have come anywhere near you. If I pull up to a situation, I always give the other boater at least a hundred yards of shore line or space to let them have plenty of space to fish. However, docks are fair game every place I've ever fished. I would never get out and get on someone's dock, but I will cast to it til I'm blue in the face. Once I was fishing a submerged rock jetty and these two guys come up and start fishing a couple hundred feet away. They were not catching anything and I was. Within five minutes, they pulled up to about fifty feet away and literally started casting on top of my casts. I moved away a hundred feet, and caught fish. They followed me, and did it again. This time I pulled away and waited, and when they left, I followed them and for the next hour, everywhere they went, I was fifty feet away....and noisy. Can you imagine, they didn't like me casting within a foot of their boat!!! I said, "Then you won't do it to me anymore, will you?" I got no answer and left. The same general level of rudeness that has permeated our society will show up on our waters just as it has on our highways. What are you going to do? Shoot them....hehehehe.

[Hellbenderman]

....the key question here is...on the dock above...where would you cast first...say pre-spawn...hahaha

[kms399]

I fish as close to docks as I can get, skipping under them bouncing crankbaits off the uprights what ever. if someone is sitting on the dock I leave it be if there is another boater working a stretch of docks I will find another stretch I try to stay at least 3 casts away from other fisherman and if I can help it i try not to cut them off either (I hate that!)

[fishfordollars]

If it was public lake the docks are fair game. I just don't agree with the way they did you.

I've had a lady raise hell with me in the middle of the night about boat noise. I just told her she picked a hell of a place to build a house if that bothered her. She walked back up the hill cussing every step.

[aarogb]

I don't see the big deal. They didn't hit you, your boat, or your dock. The water and/or fish under and around your dock are fair game, imho.

X2.  Now if he started hitting your docks, boat and stuff its a different story.  He has got every right to fish the water under your dock and around it. You don't own the water.

[The Guy]

A dock on state owned water is fair game not much you can do.  If you were fishing then it would be common courtesy for the other guys to go around, but if you weren't then I don't see the problem.  It doesn't sound like they damaged anything.

[SkeeterZX225]

Exactly what these gusy said. If I see someone fishing from a dock or shore,I go by them far enough away to keep from interfering with their "space". If someone is just sitting on their dock or boat, not fishing, and I want to fish it, I will. I'll throw at the boat, dock, under the dock or wherever. Just because someone lives on the lake and owns a dock/boat doesn't mean they own everything around that dock/boat. I've had a few runins with dock owners who thought they did, and a phone call the local gamewarden took care of the problem.

Public water is public water. Period!!

[InLikeFinz]

I always try to ask if the owner minds if I fish around their dock if I see them in the yard. Most are very friendly when asked politely. If they are actually on the dock, I pass and go on to the next.

The fisherman you speak of were rude in my opinion. It's like bumping into someone and not saying "excuse me".

On a related note, being friendly and respectful of the owners property/dock pays off. I've had owners point out exactly where some other tournament anglers have sunk trees and have been thanked for catching a bedding bass that they wanted a better look at. I had no idea there was a bed there when I caught her. They told me all about what she had been doing the last few days. Very cool.

[Scorcher214]

Well, if you were not fishing, I don't think it is a big deal. He was good enough not to hit your boat or dock so I don't see a problem. If it bothers you put a sign up saying no fishing.

[Stasher1]

Well, if you were not fishing, I don't think it is a big deal. He was good enough not to hit your boat or dock so I don't see a problem. If it bothers you put a sign up saying no fishing. don't live on a lake.

If I saw a sign saying "No Fishing" on a dock that was located in public waters, I'd fish it just out of spite.

[Raul]

In my neck of the woods there 's no such thing as a private dock, actually, there 's no such thing as private property along and within a 5 meter stretch ( measured at full pool ) around any public land, you put something then you are breaking the law until you obtain a permit to make use of federal grounds and then it becomes public property.

And then it 's like Shane said, you don 't do it out of courtesy, which nowdays seems to be very scarce.

[Tuckman]

The bass were on the banks long before the docks.

I'm a dock fishing junkie. I work in close and careful including pitching directly into the boat lift. My style of dock fishing does bring confrontation at times from dock and marina owners I let them blow off their steam and usually don't even bother to acknowledge them. I know my rights to the water and that I am not doing anything wrong.

In NY public water is public, and having a dock in the lake gives you no rights to the water under it at all. no matter how many hundred thousands that you paid for your lakefront property. I pay the taxes and buy the fishing licenses that allow me access to all public water.

The thing that gets me is the marinas that literally take up acres of public water (many times in prime fishing spots like points and deep coves), and then try to run a tyranny over that part of the lake.

The exception to the open public water law in NY would be a marina that has been created inland and linked to the lake by a channel like Hibiscus on Cayuga (which I still think is B.S. lol)

  My personal rules - When fishing docks Throw a weedless lure to avoid snagging up. If you do get hooked on the dock make every attempt possible to get the lure off the dock. Do not fish docks that have people on them unless it is a bikini clad coed and in that case give that dock extra attention. If someone is fishing off the dock go well around the dock to avoid disturbing their fishing.

Skipping a 3/4 jig up under pontoon boats can test the nerves of even the most seasoned dock fisherman

[gobig]

The bass were on the banks long before the docks.

I'm a dock fishing junkie. I work in close and careful including pitching directly into the boat lift. My style of dock fishing does bring confrontation at times from dock and marina owners I let them blow off their steam and usually don't even bother to acknowledge them. I know my rights to the water and that I am not doing anything wrong.

In NY public water is public, and having a dock in the lake gives you no rights to the water under it at all. no matter how many hundred thousands that you paid for your lakefront property. I pay the taxes and buy the fishing licenses that allow me access to all public water.

The thing that gets me is the marinas that literally take up acres of public water (many times in prime fishing spots like points and deep coves), and then try to run a tyranny over that part of the lake.

The exception to the open public water law in NY would be a marina that has been created inland and linked to the lake by a channel like Hibiscus on Cayuga (which I still think is B.S. lol)

  My personal rules - When fishing docks Throw a weedless lure to avoid snagging up. If you do get hooked on the dock make every attempt possible to get the lure off the dock. Do not fish docks that have people on them unless it is a bikini clad coed and in that case give that dock extra attention. If someone is fishing off the dock go well around the dock to avoid disturbing their fishing.

Skipping a 3/4 jig up under pontoon boats can test the nerves of even the most seasoned dock fisherman

Well said.

[Redtail]

That's just Rude - Period.  It doesn't matter who owns the water - the fact is you were sitting there.  Hello, a little coutesy please!  I fish docks every time I go out - if someone is on their dock, I never go right up to it and start fishing.  I just keep moving to the next dock.   

[Gatorbassman]

Over the years I've had some great conversations with dock owners while fishing their docks. It's no big deal so long is I respect their property and I'm careful not to damage anything.

Here in GA it is against the law to prevent someone from fishing anywhere on public water even around any dock. Now if they step foot on your dock that's trespassing.

Now if you were fishing then you had all the right in the world to get mad at him and ask him to respect your space.

[salmicropterus]

Have to agree with J Francho on this one. You do seem to have issues with "glitzy tournament bass boats" and maybe that colors your overall impression of a situation. There was a similar thread a month or so ago. I agree with nearly everybody here in that docks are fair game and I do get my dander up and fish them extra hard if an owner comes out and starts claiming the water and fish are theirs. All that said, nothing excuses bad fishing manners and if the situation was as presented, the guys in the glitzy boats were seriously guilty of piggish behavior.

Not all people in glitzy tournament bass boats are that way and in my experience your tournament people tend to be the most knowledgeable about manners and fishing etiquette.

[Cheese68]

"Do not fish docks that have people on them unless it is a bikini clad coed and in that case give that dock extra attention." ;D

[ww2farmer]

I always go around docks that have people sitting on or fishing off of. Even though, like people have said, I have every right to fish the water by NYS law, under/around the dock. I just choose NOT to be a discourtious jerk, there are usually 100's of docks not beeing used at any given time. Going around a handfull that are beeing used by there owners is not going to ruin my day. On the flip side, If I have a guy come running out of the house ranting and raving telling me to get away from his dock when I have done nothing wrong, I make him aware of the NYS laws, and tell him my cell phones ready for him to use (or I) to call the authoritys to settle the situation. But in 20 years of fishing I have had 2..............maybe 3 dock owners do that, most of the time they come out and start small talk.