Fisherman RIGHTS!!!!

[kycreek]

Sounds like the game warden needs to explain reality to the homeowner.

[M R Dux]

I will not purposely start a conflict with a dock owner but if he tried to run me off when I'm just fishing with family or friends (not clients), he will get my opinion on the situation and his heredity. People like that think they can bully their way thru life and if allowed to, will bully in most situations. I have had a gun pulled on me on KY Lake by a drunk OOSer who thought I was getting too close to their boat (probably 75 feet or more away). I still remember how furiously mad I was but I let common sense rule and I left.

I have a taxidermy client who owns land on Lake Barkley and he confronts anybody fishing even close to his dock. I have told him more than once that he was 100% wrong but as long as he can bluff folks into moving on, he gets away with it. I know the day will come when he shoots his mouth off to the wrong boater and ends up getting a mudhole stomped in his backside.

[jusanothajoe]

If you fish docks you will encounter this sooner or later. Had one dock owner that put motion activated sprinklers on his pier.
I told the game warden and they made him take them off. I try not to have a confrontation, but I still fish the docks when I want.
But I never fish if anyone is ever fishing off the dock.

[silverside]

You did handle it well. In the"old days" his family would have found him swinging from a tree. Of course we can't do that anymore... so concealed carry was invented. :

[midcarolina]

Next time you fish the area have your smart phone near you, If the dock owner comes out and starts with you video the entire ordeal... that way when he is approached by officers there is no two sides to what happened...

[lowe175]

Lee you did the right thing but some days that old redneck blood just comes out of me and I will tell them what's on my mind and then I leave. There's no sense in getting into a fight over it.

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[crappiewisdom]

Another perspective...this goes both ways. I live on a lake. I keep my bass boat and pontoon boat tied to my dock. I have had the boat covers and vinyl on the seats of both boats hooked and torn by guys throwing baits onto my boats and hooking the covers or seats while trying to cast right next to the dock and/or boats. If I see a guy fishing around my dock and boats, I am friendly and usually ask how the fish are biting etc and will even point out areas along my lakefront where they are most likely to catch fish. But if I see somebody bouncing their baits off my dock or boats, I will say something, in a friendly manner, as I know casts can go off target. But I've had guys get smart mouthed about it and have gotten into it with them. I don't mind people fishing around my dock, but please be respectful of other people's property, as I am sure all of you are.

[wannabe fisherman]

Another perspective...this goes both ways. I live on a lake. I keep my bass boat and pontoon boat tied to my dock. I have had the boat covers and vinyl on the seats of both boats hooked and torn by guys throwing baits onto my boats and hooking the covers or seats while trying to cast right next to the dock and/or boats. If I see a guy fishing around my dock and boats, I am friendly and usually ask how the fish are biting etc and will even point out areas along my lakefront where they are most likely to catch fish. But if I see somebody bouncing their baits off my dock or boats, I will say something, in a friendly manner, as I know casts can go off target. But I've had guys get smart mouthed about it and have gotten into it with them. I don't mind people fishing around my dock, but please be respectful of other people's property, as I am sure all of you are.

this is a good point from the other side of the issue. If a dock owner is getting damage from things like he stated then I would think he has some right to complain about the fishermen. Maybe even set up cameras around the dock so he can identify those causing the damage.

[BAMA S]

Another perspective...this goes both ways. I live on a lake. I keep my bass boat and pontoon boat tied to my dock. I have had the boat covers and vinyl on the seats of both boats hooked and torn by guys throwing baits onto my boats and hooking the covers or seats while trying to cast right next to the dock and/or boats. If I see a guy fishing around my dock and boats, I am friendly and usually ask how the fish are biting etc and will even point out areas along my lakefront where they are most likely to catch fish. But if I see somebody bouncing their baits off my dock or boats, I will say something, in a friendly manner, as I know casts can go off target. But I've had guys get smart mouthed about it and have gotten into it with them. I don't mind people fishing around my dock, but please be respectful of other people's property, as I am sure all of you are.

I've been on both sides of the fence. I've owned four lake houses on Martin and always respected the fishermens rights. I even offered them coffee and showed them where to fish around my docks in the past. This guy I'm dealing with has a power issue. He truly believes he owns the water in front of his dock. He told me last year not to use minnows he is trying to dictate to the fishermen.

[tenncrappie]

Even better someone needs to take a Go-pro and tape the whole encounter and take it to the DNR.