Dock etiquette when fishing

gimruis wrote:

I have never once been checked by a conservation officer while fishing or hunting in this state in almost 25 years too.

You are indeed Lucky. We have been check by a conservation officer twice already this year.

mahtofire14 wrote:

While I haven’t experienced it often, there are definitely known lake houses around the area that are basically flagged by the bass community. I know one on South Center that is such a Richard that some guys purposely fish his dock to get him going to the point where he is ticketed. Didn’t hear much about him last season so maybe he learned his lesson. I’ve seen multiple videos of that guy coming out of his house, getting in his boat and trying to spray anglers with his prop wash or running circles around the angler’s boat and getting very close to hitting them.

I did have a guy on Turtle Lake last season that had a buoy that said swimming area out about 20 ft from his dock and he came out and started yelling at me saying it was a swimming area and there was no fishing allowed. There was no one in the water or even in the yard so I asked him what county service came out and posted it. After stuttering a bit and complaining he said he was going to call the authorities and I informed him he can certainly do that. I thought that was a pretty funny one.

I’ve had many run ins with the south center dock ambassador. My good buddy is his neighbor. They fight constantly about the lawn.

Bearcat89 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
While I haven’t experienced it often, there are definitely known lake houses around the area that are basically flagged by the bass community. I know one on South Center that is such a Richard that some guys purposely fish his dock to get him going to the point where he is ticketed. Didn’t hear much about him last season so maybe he learned his lesson. I’ve seen multiple videos of that guy coming out of his house, getting in his boat and trying to spray anglers with his prop wash or running circles around the angler’s boat and getting very close to hitting them.

I did have a guy on Turtle Lake last season that had a buoy that said swimming area out about 20 ft from his dock and he came out and started yelling at me saying it was a swimming area and there was no fishing allowed. There was no one in the water or even in the yard so I asked him what county service came out and posted it. After stuttering a bit and complaining he said he was going to call the authorities and I informed him he can certainly do that. I thought that was a pretty funny one.

I’ve had many run ins with the south center dock ambassador. My good buddy is his neighbor. They fight constantly about the lawn.

Sounds like an IDO GTG at his dock. Ill bring enough 1/2 ounce jigs for everyone.

A new example of owners harassing anglers. This woman posted in the Addicted to Bass Facebook group. Now the comments on this post are my entertainment for the day. 500 responses and counting!

Attachments:

1. 

   IMG_4155.png
   

2. 

   IMG_4155.jpg
   

Wow, just wow. That’s a liberal gun owner there lol jk jk.

mahtofire14 wrote:

A new example of owners harassing anglers.

I don’t know how much of this is true but slapping the side of a boat and snagging the steering wheel is vandalism. I’d be livid about that too. Obviously she can’t threaten anglers fishing around her dock with deadly force though.

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
A new example of owners harassing anglers.

I don’t know how much of this is true but slapping the side of a boat and snagging the steering wheel is vandalism. I’d be livid about that too. Obviously she can’t threaten anglers fishing around her dock with deadly force though.

I agree. If your snagging a steering wheel I would be irate and I’d have some words. Those guys shouldn’t fish docks.
Threatening with a gun is wild.
What lake is she on and what dock. I’ll happily fish it all day

Wonder if any LEO’s have seen that post and stopped in.

Although I hate these words, that’s a “terroristic threat”.

Looks like a Russian bot… Putin is coming after the Bass community

Bearcat89 wrote:

Those guys shouldn’t fish docks.

Always a few out there that are ruining the reputation for the rest of us. You’d have to be pretty terribly inaccurate to snag the steering wheel of a boat.

When that happened on the Croix we sent a flotilla to the bi*** dock!!
Remember BK?

Yes I do. Right behind Catfish Bar. Haven’t heard much from her. I’m thinking they moved out. Of just sat in their house and cussed.

Only difference here is that no one was touching her dock with lures or anything else.

I would love to know what lake this is. The deadly force threat is an issue. With the new red flag laws this may be a good individual to start with.

Sounds like Carter and Bearcat need to team up and approach this head on lol. Bring some bullet proof PFDs.

Its for sure a fake profile but the guy behind it isnt.

I have had numerous (more than I can count) fisherman hook every part of our dock and lift to include the lift canopy. Smacking the side of the boat and pontoon is a weekly occurance. Not all bass fisherman are created equal.

Last weekend I snagged a dock and a pontoon with a little crappie jig. Both times I carefully approached and removed. It happens. There’s a right way and a wrong way to handle it. When I see someone handle it like I do on my dock I have no problem at all. Now if mine was a mega hot dock and a great fishing lake and happened constantly I would probably feel differently.

If people didn’t want people fishing there docks then they shouldn’t put them in a public lake.
There is a equal amount of respect that has to play in to this from both parties. Once the respect is lost is when it becomes a issue. Many lake home owners think they run the area because they have a dock in the public lake. And many fisherman are idiots and give others bad names.

It would bother me if people were hitting my boat and stuff but at the same time like you said its in a public lake. I wonder if I put my fishhouse in the frisbee golf course in the public park by my house could I threaten to shoot people for hitting it with frisbees?

a little respect goes a long way on both sides. if you’re not good enough with your casts to avoid hitting someone’s personal property, you should probably not be casting at someone’s personal property. put yourself in the other persons shoes. the property owner has just as many rights to have their boat and dock in the water as you do to fish near their dock. as a fisherman, you do not have the right to hit their property with your lures.

treat others as you wish to be treated

I agree Gitchi

Going off her profile pic I’m throwing a 4# musky bait in her boat hoping she spanks me like the naughty boy I am

We’ve been cabin owners for 15 years now and I have no issues people coming by fishing our dock. Usually it’s just a few casts and they’re on to the next. Not once, that I know of, has someone hit the dock or boat in any way to cause damage, nor has anyone acted disrespectfully. There’s definitely been a few times where I hear the tell-tale GONG of a lure hitting the pontoon, but usually they wave and say sorry and I wave back. Lots of other things to be mad about in this world. Maybe if something was damaged and they took off I’d feel different, but luckily that’s not happened yet.

Deuces wrote:

Going off her profile pic I’m throwing a 4# musky bait in her boat hoping she spanks me like the naughty boy I am

Abby Lockwood in real life

Attachments:

1. 

   Screenshot-2023-07-28-121526.jpg
   

The owner of the dock put their property onto public property-I have a park down the street what if I put something of mine in that park and later saw that it was damaged? Do I have a complaint? You have to be careful and respectful but the property owner does also-lakes belong to everyone.

100% illegal, and considered trespassing. The dock is their property.
[/quote]
Not so in Wisconsin, you would be liable for damage to private property, but in this state the dock is a manmade obstruction on navigable water, even if you are wading the shore line, as long as you keep your feet wet while wading you can cross, and even use a dock as long as you don’t do any damage to the property, any such damage that person would be liable for.
you only own what the property lines on your deed says you own as far as land.

tim hurley wrote:

The owner of the dock put their property onto public property-I have a park down the street what if I put something of mine in that park and later saw that it was damaged? Do I have a complaint?

Yes you have a complaint. Yes you have an expectation that your property will be unmolested. Not much different than erecting a deer hunting stand or blind on public property where legal.

tim hurley wrote:

The owner of the dock put their property onto public property-I have a park down the street what if I put something of mine in that park and later saw that it was damaged? Do I have a complaint? You have to be careful and respectful but the property owner does also-lakes belong to everyone.

You park your car on a public street. Just because it’s a public street doesn’t mean it’s ok for Joe Blow walking down the sidewalk to go huck a spinnerbait off your fender