Thread: Private land and fishing

it is best to avoid any spot that does not see boat traffic if it crosses private property , trying to estimate the average width of a water body here depends on way to many factors to make it easy to establish . we have major river systems that get so low in the summer time you can drive a truck across them . some of the river systems here only get enough water to float a boat when it rains but are still considered navigable by definition of the law .
one thing for certain ,if you encounter a not happy land owner it might or could go south quickly , my bud who has since passed away had a really beautiful lake he built on a year round wet creek . one day, he noticed a canoe in it and went to see who it was ,thinking it was likely a friend of the family .
the guy in the canoe started to get all mouthy about the law and navigation rights and the ect etc etc you read in the above mentioned text . the answer from a man who rarely got upset by trespassers was just this as he pulled out a colt python nickel plated 357 .....
ALL I KNOW IS I OWN ALL THE PROPERTY AND THE LAKE AND YOU LEAVE NOW ! there were a few other not so kind words thrown at the mister canoe guy . not sure if he would have actually shot at him .but to be sure once you upset a "kind" person it is best to let it go ....
we encountered 2 guys in a boat one time launching at a low water bridge onto his property when we were leaving church on the way home . I said look at that SA , they are going fishing and we are not .....he said as he stopped the truck , thats funny I dont know them folks .....
it got pretty hilarious shortly there after , he said hello fellas ,going fishing ? they said yes sir .
he said do you know who the property belongs to ?
they said yes sir and we got his permission to fish it !
SA gave us permission to fish here .....
He simply said well hmmmm ,thats funny ....I AM SA and i have no clue who you are ! .....
you never seen 2 fellas turn as white as ghosts when he said that i tell ya .....
said they knew a fella who knew a fella and etc like that one commercial on tv
and in the end it astonished me what he said next .....
tell you what fellas , lets not ruin your day of fishing this time
you can go ahead and fish in between this bridge and the next one downstream ,but don't go any farther than that.
as we drove off I said man SA you are way to kind , I would have sent them packing it back up
he and I just laughed a bit and down the road we went ....

Pretty sticky subject on both sides of it.

This guy seems to have figured it out. He kayaks and wades all over TN.

Creek Fishing Adventures - YouTube

Have a rolling video camera on the kayak doesn't hurt much either

Saw a sign on a dock Saturday morning that said no hunting or fishing within 500 yards of this dock. Ironically that extended into his neighbors property on both side.

I own land on the Duck River. My land plat shows I own out to the middle of the river but as long as you are in a boat you are not required to ask permission to use the river. Permission to beach the boat is.

Originally Posted by bwilso

I own land on the Duck River. My land plat shows I own out to the middle of the river but as long as you are in a boat you are not required to ask permission to use the river. Permission to beach the boat is.

Fair enough. Normally would only beach in an emergency

Originally Posted by bwilso

I own land on the Duck River. My land plat shows I own out to the middle of the river but as long as you are in a boat you are not required to ask permission to use the river. Permission to beach the boat is.

That sounds riparian…not sure but I think so. I read that in some areas an owner will put fencing across a stream in question so it can’t be floated. Best to leave it alone….
Bob