Confrontation Between Crappie Angler and Boat Dock Owner by Brad Wiegmann

[catchNgrease]

I am glad that wasn't me that he got after with that metal pipe.

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[duckhunter3635]

I've been done like this too many times. I find that Barkley is the worst. Old Hickory near Gallatin is bad too. Now if someone is hitting their boat. I understand that. But, I only dip around them with a long rod. I also legally carry a firearm. I know the law. I find that most of the time they have a little bit of money and think they are more important than everyone else. Jokes on them. Im 48 and comfortably retired. J just want to fish and enjoy life. But, I'm not going to be bullied either.

[hdhntr]

I'm one of those ornery guys who loves to pimp the idiots like this and it's easy. Simply do what the guide did pull out the phone and record the angry words of these over privileged buttholes. then you smile at them, out of range of their pipe or anything else they might have and usually I act like i'm calling the police and you watch how angry idiots suddenly lose their attitude and high tail it to their houses. then I do back to fishing without having to go thru all the drama and time wasting of talking to cops. or if the guy is still acting out and screaming at you , take the time to call and actually file a complaint. THAT usually does the trick whether anything happens to dock owner or not and they stop being so beligerant.

BTW it works on idiot truckers who try to run you off the road when your simply passing them. you go past them and pull your cell out and show them your recording whether you do or not and then like your calling the 800 number most have on their trucks on how they are driving. changes game quickly and then you drive on with a smile.

Actually had one occasion that after the initial outrage had a respectful conversation with guy and educated him anglers do Have the right to fish there and it ended up I was able to put some brush on his dock so his grandkids could fish it and I could get out on dock. I love those kind of days. also showed him how to make it harder for guys to fish around his boat so gave me the advantage. win win.

[Slab]

Yep, life’s too short, make friends not enemies.


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[GreenLine]

I see both sides. If someone doesn’t want me fishing their dock because they like to have plenty of fish for family, especially kids. I will move on.
Most have signs out saying please don’t fish here etc.
Even though it’s legal to fish there. I respect the sign and move on.
I’ll fish somewhere else. Plenty of fish in the lake.


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[Takeum]

One of my most memorable times was when I was about 17,,,I was confronted by a angry local landowner , beachfront property people,,,I was at a small town beach, sipping tea and telling scarey stories one night right after dark with a few buddies, and friends rround,,(2 am). It got alittle loud and the landowner decided to come down to the beach and confront us,,, after several choice words with eachother, and a gun being pulled ,,,I decided to leave the confrontation and go home ,,,well my walk turned into a jog up the beach top hill and then it happened,,,pop,,,,something hit me in the back, I fell to the ground with the man shortly behind,,, he held the gun fo my head and threatened to shoot me agin….and then suddenly,, I WOKE UP…
Moral of the story, Don’t ever argue with a man with a gun”,,, just bite the bullet, and walk away! I Or in my case,,,(don’t be the last guy up the hill),,,,, People can be really stupid,,,and I mean stupid!

[Opie1]

I had a similar issue a couple of years after 9/11 attacks. A friend and I were fishing the hot water discharge at the AEP (American Electric Power) Cardinal coal plant that is between Steubenville and Rayland near Brilliant on the Ohio River.
Two employees come down to the waters edge and told us we had to leave. We politely told him this is a federal navigable waterway and I don't care what the AEP corporate board says as I am not an employee and we are not leaving as we are allowed to fish there..
They walked back to the plant and come down with a rent-a-cop security guard and again told us we had to leave.
We again politely declined.
They go back up to the plant and come back down with the plant manager, a Chuck Hunt, told us in no uncertain terms we are not allowed to be there and we have to leave. Again we politely declined. He threatened to call the Sheriff. I told him hold on, I'll call him myself. I called information and requested to be put in touch with the Brooke County, WV Sheriff.

They connected me and I got the actual Sheriff on the line. He said he told them a million times we are allowed to be there and if we could put up with Mr. Hunt, go right ahead and fish it. As long as we do not interfere with the coal barges and the operation of the plant we were good to go. Well it was mid-December and the wipers and cats were in there big time since the water in the discharge was 20 or more degrees warmer than the main river so we were fishing where we wanted.

We told Mr. Hunt he told us we are allowed to be there and we aren't leaving. So he walks back to the plant and about 30 min later he comes back with an Ohio township police officer. The cop calls us over to the bank and asks for us to come up on the bank. We said no way as the river is West Virginia jurisdiction and we aren't setting foot on Ohio soil. He asked for our fishing license and drivers license and we both gave them to him. He took our info, handed them back and again told us to leave. Again we said no.

At this point Mr. Hunt got very irate and was cussing up a storm. We told him to take it up with the Feds. Mr. Hunt was screaming the Coast Guard has been called and were on their way. Great!! They know the federal law and we said we will wait for them while we fished.
He stormed back up to the plant with the real cop and we fished there for a few more hours till we decided to go the the next hot water discharge at the steel plant at Mingo Junction.

When I got home I wrote an email to the Coast Guard. They responded promptly and stated the only off limit area in that portion of the Ohio River is the Beavercreek nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. I printed that letter and kept it in my boat for our next encounter with Chuck Hunt. They never bothered us again after that.

Moral of the story, know your rights!!!


Oh, I almost forgot. The Coast Guard was never on its way. Mr. Hunt was a liar.

[Spoonminnow]

I was told by a property owner in a confrontational manner that I wasn't allowed to fish the shore area within 20' of it. There wasn't even a dock along his 1000' of shore - just a mix of lily pads and a rocky shore/ bottom around a long point. I told him to call the police and that there was no law against fishing public water. If they had arrived (I'm sure he didn't call), I would have pressed charges for harrassment. Too bad I didn't have a cell phone with video (it wasn't invented yet).

Didn't affect me doing well that day and from that day on I always fished that area because it has dropoffs and pad flats. Never saw him again.

[Panfish Nation]

Unfortunately incidents like this are more and more common, as development expands onto popular waterways around the country. Its a very tricky situation- private property owners are protective, which is natural and a good thing. However, many are simply uneducated or ignorant to the letter of the law and tempers flare. In most cases its not worth ruining a good fishing trip...live to fight another day.

[Fishnwiz]

I ran into one one of those. Pretty good haul down the stairs for him, an older, not in the best shape guy. Came down yelling at me. I just said sure buddy, moved down little. Watching him go back up slower and slower to his house gave me the idea to made it a point to see how many trips a day I could get him to do down and up the steps.


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