docks and dock owners

[adamr]

just wondering if anyone else has had problems with dock owners when fishing around their dock. i had a guy get on me for fishing his beds out from his dock this weekend. i can understand maybe getting mad if someone is trolling up a slip or leaning against the dock but lakes are public and if you sink beds you should expect for this to happen. thoughts, experiences, opinions?

[Jerry Blake]

I fish very few docks because I know the owners don't like it. If I lived on the lake I would clear every stick of brush from around my property. Putting brush around a dock is just inviting people to fish there. Would be tourture to come home from work everyday to find someone fishing "YOUR" brush pile.

[ncnat]

I go fishing to relax. If I have to argue with a dock owner as to who owns the water and brush I will not be relaxing, then I'll probably stay there really make'em mad.

[Shellback]

I'm with Jerry on this, about the only time I'll fish docks is when maybe cottages are closed up for the season. Just a little common courtesy around a man's home.

[Don G]

I'm with Jerry on this, about the only time I'll fish docks is when maybe cottages are closed up for the season. Just a little common courtesy around a man's home.

I didn't hear from you about coming to the Fall Brawl. Maybe you can come down for the Spring Fling. Blackie and I are going back to Watts Bar a week from Tuesday. The fishing there is really picking up. I don't know what I would do if we couldn't fish docks on Watts Bar. I really don't get much enjoyment out of sitting in a main river channel (TN River) with 30' & up boats making waves. Some home owners on the lake act like the property the docks are own belongs to them. TVA makes it very clear that fishermen can fish the docks as long as you don't tie up to them. I am a courteous fisherman and if a person is fishing a dock we pass and go to another.

You & your wife are welcome to stay with us if you decide to come down this spring. It would break your trip up because we are only 4 hours from WB.

[ncnat]

I've noticed that the home owners on High Rock are alot more tolerable to the fisherman than on Lake Norman. Personally I have never had a problem with any dock owner. I had one dock on Lake Norman where the owner wanted me to fish his dock to keep the bass fisherman from around it. They knocked the glass out of his huge mercury light that he used for crappie fishing.

[Shellback]

Hello Don, As you know I haven't been working and looking for a job that suits me, you know, 40 hours a week rather than 60! I was lucky to pick up some temporary work a couple weeks ago with a local fellow trying to clean some work up before winter sets in. I was real tempted to take a couple days off but the weather forecast and fishing forecasts I was reading about Watts Bar didn't seem like making a 30 hour round trip practical. I'd like to spend a week there if possible. I'll be keeping the spring fling in mind though. As far as fishing docks, Up my way, most lakes with docks are private lakes with public access though Fish Commission launches. It pays for a fisherman to be extra courteous if they want to retain access for the public. Any of the Army Corps lake have no private property on the lake, hence no docks. I now understand what you mean about some people claiming the lake as their own. I guess what you are saying, is that the property owners actually have a dock on the lake through the courtesy of the TVA.

[Don@Eden]

Most of the dock owners here on Watts Bar do not mind if you fish their dock, but we do have a few that think they own the water as well as the dock. If those folks are on their dock I will just pass it and go on to the next one. I also have had a few dock owners get mad because we fish their dock, we have one guy that hangs ropes and cables everywhere inside the dock just to keep you from fishing in the dock, this guy is just a bit on the mental side, but whatever, it's his dock. But we do have a person on this board that has been caught moving boats, untieing them to move the boat so that he can fish and so on. It only takes one bad apple to give us crappie fishers a bad name, be courteous to them, respect their rights and you will not have a problem, but if have a don't give a _____ attitude you are making it hard on all of us.

[Don G]

Most of the dock owners here on Watts Bar do not mind if you fish their dock, but we do have a few that think they own the water as well as the dock. If those folks are on their dock I will just pass it and go on to the next one. I also have had a few dock owners get mad because we fish their dock, we have one guy that hangs ropes and cables everywhere inside the dock just to keep you from fishing in the dock, this guy is just a bit on the mental side, but whatever, it's his dock. But we do have a person on this board that has been caught moving boats, untieing them to move the boat so that he can fish and so on. It only takes one bad apple to give us crappie fishers a bad name, be courteous to them, respect their rights and you will not have a problem, but if have a don't give a _____ attitude you are making it hard on all of us.

I agree with you & I think I know who you are talking about....Nuff said.....
Blackie & I are planning on coming down after this week and would like a fishing report.We haven't seen one lately but other sources said the fishing is really picking up.

Tell Jackie hello

[papasage]

the lake belongs to the publick and if you dont want me fishing your dock you had better not build it on publick lake . go buy you a lake and i will stay out .
the lake i fish has a state park on it they can build a dock to fish off of but they cant dfig out to make it deeper for a boat to pull up with out lifting the motor . the water belongs to all . yes i dont bother the folks that are fishing off the docks i will go to another it is like a boat . iw ouldnt want someone pulling up to my boat while i was fishing and fish next to it . papasage