Someone in "MY" spot ?????

[Clint]

I would like to start a discussion (not a flame war) to clarify what makes a certain spot on a public water “MY” spot.

Here on CdC and locally among not just the crappie crowd, but also the bass bunch, I have read or heard references to someone being in “MY” spot. How does a fisherman justify claiming a spot to the point of being upset when someone has gotten to that spot before he does?

Does simply finding a spot entitle one to claim it, or does someone have to actually produce the spot say by building and sinking a piece of structure? I will assume the former because recently I was part of a conversation in a group when a gentleman was grumbling about finding another fisherman on “HIS” spot when another in the group reminded the first it was someone else who showed him that particular spot in the first place.

I will make it clear that I don’t have any spots having been relegated to the smaller bays on the lake that I fish because of the small size of my former boat. I am fast approaching having my bigger boat ready and will be able to venture out to where some of the spots may be "claimed".

[ET Fish]

If I am on a public lake and find a good spot, it's mine....until I leave. At that point it's free game. At least that's my interpretation, for what it's worth.

[wmac62]

"Someone on My spot" should be replaced with "Someone in the spot I like to fish", no ownership on public water, sorry. Just like structure, you drop it, it becomes public access on public waters.

[warmouth]

I have a different spin on the "my spot" claim.

You load up the boat, know exactly where you are going to fish, have been hitting the same (dock/tree line/creek bend, etc.) spot 3-4 times a week for a couple of weeks, and when you pull up there is another boat fishing the spot....what do you do then? The only reason you came to this lake was to fish THE SPOT!

I've been in that situation several times, and I've done both things, left/waited until the spot became open, and moved on in to fish the spot anyway.

Nobody has an exclusive use guarantee of public water, but once you've found your spots that produce, fisherman get confident in that spot even though there is no rights of ownership.

[Clint]

The above replies are the way I think, but there are some who will disagree (perhaps not here in a public forum). I appreciate the responses.

[Locator79]

If someone is where I want to fish....Then I was too slow and that's my fault. I move on and find them somewhere else. I don't like fishing in armadas, I like the peaceful places all to myself.

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[bandchaser]

We may all owned the materials for building or constructing habitat at the time it was still above the waterline, but as soon as it goes overboard you officially lost your single ownership of that structure. I have many brush piles, pvc and wooden stake buckets, and stakebeds that we built and deployed my local lake. It might be aggravating to find folks on them from time to time, but understand that it's public waters. Just look up your next way point and go catch some fish!

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[eagle42101]

I would think "my" fishing spot is like "my" professional baseball team, "my" college basketball team, "my" high school, "my" college, "my" wife....................I guess the list goes on and on.

[ibmack]

I would think "my" fishing spot is like "my" professional baseball team, "my" college basketball team, "my" high school, "my" college, "my" wife....................I guess the list goes on and on.

Hopefully "my wife" (actually your wife) is not community property as any spot or area on public water actually is

[Cane Pole]

Leave my "spots" be.