I spend a good bit of time in the winters placing structure for crappie on the lake I fish. I have close to 100 spots fixed, so if I head to a spot and someone is on it, I just go to the next. If they are lucky enough to find it, then I don't blame them for fishing it. I do try to minimize it by placing structure in the winter when noone else is out there. I also put it out in spots where people wouldn't normally fish (usually in the middle of the lake somewhere with no other structure). The way I look at it, I have so many spots fixed that I or anyone else who happens to find them can't possibly fish them enough to put any kind of pressure on them.
The fish dont care who you are.
God willing there will always be tomorrow.
These hot spots should be shared with children
So they can show their fathers!
No, you don't own it. Common sense should prevail. Yes, you own your boat thats on the water, but there is something called abandonment of property. If you leave your boat just like the structure, on the water, over a period of time ( time is determined by state law) the boat is considered abandoned.
If you place structure in public water it is considered abandoned. The time period is related to cost of the item. Anything less that $250.00 in Alabama and after 24 hours is abandoned. Every state has a law or statute to determine this. Thats just like if you drop your watch at the boat landing and someone finds it later. It is not stealing if someone finds it.
With that being said. It is bad form to sit and watch someone place structure, not offer to help, and mark it to come back later to fish. But still you can't stop someone from fishing it.
My opinion is once dropped anyone can fish it but people should show a little respect. If you follow people around that are dropping structure and mark their spots then ur a jerk. If you just happen on to it fish it all u want. If im on a spot and somebody comes up and is friendly i have no problem letting them fish close by i will even tell them depth jig color whatever if there friendly and ask. If someone just comes barging and is rude then thats a differet story. Luckily i dont think this happens alot in the crappie fishin world compared to some of the other species.
when I drop a brush pile, I expect others to fish it. I just don't tell EVERYBODY where it is. That just gives me more insentive to ge tup early and be the 1st on the water, so I get to fish it 1st.
__________________
In wine there is wisdom.
In beer there is strength.
In water there is BACTERIA.
Once a brushpile is sunk, it's free game. I don't like much to see someone sitting on my piles, but it's just the way it is. Chances are, the person who finds it doesn't know if it was placed by someone or fell in from the bank. If I'm scanning the bottom for cover and find some that looks promising, the last thing I think is "who put it there?". I fish tournaments in a local lake circuit. A lot of guys sink brushpiles and drive stakebeds. Most of us know where a lot of these piles are. If everyone had the "that's mine, leave it alone" attitude, there would be fights at the dock every time out. But it doesn't happen. If you plant some and they become community holes, be proud you were able to sink a productive spot, and sink some others where people don't know about yet. They can't fish all your spots at once.
__________________ Eat what you keep, and only keep what you can eat....
Thats just like if you drop your watch at the boat landing and someone finds it later. It is not stealing if someone finds it.
I dissagree with you on the fact that I have arrested many people for "theif of lost property" in Alabama. Abandonment is different than lost property and because it is lost does not mean that it is fair game. Found property must be turned in and if no ones claims it within the time period, you may reclaim the property. Theif of lost property of Less than $500.00 is third degree, between $500.00 and $2500.00 is Second Degree, and more than $2500.00 is First Degree. You are correct in stating that it is not stealing by just finding it but the not turning it in or trying to locate the owners is where the problem is.
A person commits the crime of theft of lost property if he actively obtains or exerts control over the property of another which he knows to have been lost or mislaid, or to have been delivered under a mistake as to the identity of the recipient or as to the nature or the amount of the property, and with intent to deprive the owner permanently of it, he fails to take reasonable measures to discover and notify the owner. (Acts 1977, No. 607, p. 812, §3205.)
I put in alot of structure at truman, if i'm dumb enough to put it in around a whole bunch of people i agree community property. I just don't want people following me around. so basically fish it I share don't burn it out.
i had 2 guys follow me wile droping brush piles on the 3rd one i yelled hey come over here to get better gps on it you will neaver find it way over there to my surprized they did just that lol then i told them i had 6 more in the truck if they wanted the spots that bad they could follow me back to the ramp and help me bring them back out becouse i could only have 3 in my boat at a time once again it floored me but dang if they didnt help me ended up being 2 of the nices guys i have meet on the lake talk to them all the time lol funny part i dont think i have ever fished the 9 spots we put in that day
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