Disgruntled Lakefront property owners...

[blakstr1]

Last summer our club fished the Elk/Torch chain the last week of June.  I was getting gas after the first day when I was apporached by a person who at first I thought was interested in wht we were doing and to admire my boat.  He started out by saying so your here bass fishing hey, wow thats a nice boat..then BOOM he hit me with you guys are ruining our lake, we can't even fish because of you, Skegemog is dying because people like you catch the bass and leave leave them for dead..yada..yada..  I stayed pretty civil, because I noticed he wrote my name down and my club name (tournament shirt )  Being a representative of the club, I was confused as what to do, whether I should blow up or blow it off...later I was told I could have called the authorities with the Angler Harrassment Law...

Who has run into a situation like this and how did you react?

[spinninbug]

I have one even better than that.  My husband and I were flippin docks on hamlin on a thursday night shoot out.  doing no one no harm.  My husband got hooked up on something on the bottom of the the lake weather it was the dock or what I don't know for sure,  but this lady come down there and starts screaming at us did you hook my dog?  did you hook my dog?  we both just kind of looked at each other and said what?  the dog was wandering around on shore and then she just came out on the dock and continued to go off on us,  we didn't say anything to her or we just back off and left we didn't argue with her or anything,  we didn't give her she was say alot of rotten things and we just didn't say anything to her,  we just left.  We didn't feel there was any sense making matters worse by saying anything back to her so we just left.   But my her dog was on shore just wandering around,  I don't know where she got the idea that we hooked her dog.  Some people.  They just don't get it.  I mean we have dogs too, in fact the same kind that she had but we didn't say anything to her,  they just think we must be some kind of heathens or something of that nature.  I don't get it.

[blakstr1]

you know those kind of people just floor me, if they are miserable every day because people are using the lake they happen to live on for recreation....why live on the lake??? 

The guy I dealt with was a fly-fisherman and his son fished bass too, its just crazy to me any kind of sportsman would've had that attitude, I wonder if he explodes on canoers while hes fly fishing in the river...

[smbassman]

I was flipping docks one day and flipped over a dock line between a dock and boat.  I got a bite and set the hook and this guy comes out of his house screaming about me snagging his canvas boat cover and ripping it apart.  I was fighting this fish and trying to tell him that I was not hooked on his boat while he was yelling to stop tearing the canvas cover.  He was half way to the dock and getting very loud and cussing when I finally got positioned to lift the 3# LM over the dock line.  I thought that seeing the fish would calm him down but no, he continued to scream at me because he had a tear in his canvas boat cover that was obviously my fault. 

It was obvious to me that the tear in his canvas was right where a support rod was positioned and the water/dirt circles made it clear that water had pooled on the cover and popped the support rod through.  But it definitely wasn't worth argueing over - I just moved on.

[dhuff]

My neighbor and myself were fishing a tuesday night tournament out on Lake Orion two years ago.  This man and his wife were painting a boat house type thing they had by the water they were on one side of it twoards us as we were coming that way about 20 yds off shore.  We were hitting the breaks right behind the docks.  They smiled at us and we passed we got to the other side they came around the boat house out onto the dock and started going off on us.  Him and his wife calling us every name in the book.  They threatend to call the cops and took down my MC number and I said that was fine, and that I would wait right there until the cops go there.(which I wouldn't I was in a tournament like I was going to sit there and waste my time for non-sense).  The guy then got so worked up that he said he would come on board my boat and we would have problems.  So on and so forth.  We just told the guy that he wasn't worth the paint he was putting on the boat house.  That set him off and we kept on fishing the break down the shore.  He was all mad sayin this is a public swimming are and no fishing was allowed.  Ok, if so there was no bouys no beach.  And other boats have fished the area pretty regularly.  I wasn't even fishing his dock or around his boat house or anything.  So I don't know what was his problem.  If that was a public swimming area then guess what the whole lake could be considered a public swimming area.  So does that mean we can't fish anywhere on the whole lake?  I don't think so.  Everytime I go back to the lake I make it a point to hit that stretch and wave kindly.

[DOWD]

These stories are the main reason why I try not to fish inland lakes.
A friend of mine had the same situation happen to him on Cass. The lady on shore call the police, they showed up via water craft and questioned him. The police informed Ken, to move on and stay away from the ladies dock. Ken tried to inform the officer about angler harassment laws, but he felt that his words fell on deaf ears with the officer.
When I do fish inland lakes, I do try my hardest not to fish docks, the hassle with the home owners is not worth it.

[McCarter]

Wonder if it was the same officer who was going to cite me for having too many rods on my boat ( i had six ) on cass lake.? That guy was a real piece of sh..........................work.?

Yet another reason i spend so much time on Kent Lake, no homeowners.  Lord knows there arent any fish in there, but its a good place to practice casting.


PoorBoy himself

[djkimmel]

I like to just smile at them and say, "have a nice day."

If they do throw something at you, try to get in your boat, or try to impede your fishing somehow, then you can call in an angler harrassment claim. No sense in escalating the situation if you can avoid it or minimize it by moving along. And you know there's no value in arguing with moonpies and stump savages. Most non-conservation officers type law officers are going to just tell you to move along anyway.

Like many outdoor-related laws and regs, some non-conservation officers will be more knowledgeable than others, and some will be more sympathetic than others (unfortunately).

[fishon1219]

I am guessing than, the time I was fishing wixom lake and my line broke on a cast and sent my last black/blue jig-n-pig sailing on someones roof. I went on shore and grabbed the ladder they had so conveniently left laying by their shed and leaned against the house and went up to retrieve it wasn't such a good idea. I at least made sure to wave at them while they were sitting at the table having breakfast. 

[ronhuntfish]

This did not happen to me, but did happen to one of our club members. Since he doe not even own a computer I will briefly tell his story.  Will fishing a cut of the South Channel of St. Clair durring a State Championship a few years back, he didn't notice a home owner coming out. The guy shot a gun about 20 yards in front of his boat and yelled "did you see that muskrat?" and went back inside.  Scared the you know what out of him.

[Savage]

I have an ongoing struggle with a guy on my favorite version of Long Lake.  He has the biggest house on the whole lake, and I think that he think he bought the lake with his house.  It's up north and most people are really laid back and don't have much coin, but this guy is obviously an implant from points south.  Anyway, I'm coming down the shoreline as always, and his dock is just the best target for 200 yards.  It's a floating-style dock, so I always skip a senko right into the side of it and let it fall.  Most time a biggun is sitting there waiting.  So the day in question he is up on his deck with a couple cronies, and I latch into a HOG off his dock.  He runs down and yells that his son (who is probably 30, I am guessing) fishes off that dock and I have no right to, and blah, blah, blah.  As I put the toad back in the water, I inform him that I'm catching and releasing, and flip another cast within a couple inches of his feet.  He runs up and gets a leaf blower, and comes back down to the dock and blows it on the water.  I calmly move out away from him to his floating swim platform an promptly stick another keeper bass.  This just puts this guy into orbit and he start using every word he has ever heard and says he's calling the cops.  I assure him that I would like nothing better, and offer to lend him my cell phone, because there are laws against harrassing anglers.  After much verbal back & forth on both parts, I slowly work down the shore away from him.

Not a trip to that lake goes by that I don't work that dock for every fish I can squeeze out of it.  About every fourth or fifth time, we spar.  It's actually getting fun now.  His newest thing is that I leave dead fish floating at his dock, and his grandkids can't catch any bass there anymore.  What a trip.

Oddly enough, this guy is the only dock weenie I've ever encountered.  It might be because I am 6'-4" and 300 pounds, but that can't be the only reason.   I always try to talk to landowners whenever I see them, and talk fishing or ask advice from them.  Sometimes I do find out some good stuff, and it always helps promote their positive view of "us"  I think the dock weenies are a pretty small percentage, but like I said, I fish mostly up north.

[djkimmel]

I am guessing than, the time I was fishing wixom lake and my line broke on a cast and sent my last black/blue jig-n-pig sailing on someones roof. I went on shore and grabbed the ladder they had so conveniently left laying by their shed and leaned against the house and went up to retrieve it wasn't such a good idea. I at least made sure to wave at them while they were sitting at the table having breakfast.

Yikes! I think they call that trespassing... at least they didn't shoot at you (the muskrat...) My one friend had someone shoot two bottle rockets at him from their enclosed porch while he fished past their house. Yeah baby! God Bless America!

[Bulletproof]

I have had a few bad encounters but also many refreshing ones as well.  A lot of folks have actually taken the time to point out that there is a fish under their dock or boat and to go get him.  ive even been invited to come up to their house for a 'cold one'.

I'm usually on the lookout for homeowners when i'm crusing shore and flippin docks and if i get a stare or something to the effect of you better not cast at my dock I will move on.  not worth the peeing match for me i guess.

[blakstr1]

on the flip side of that, i was on one of my favorite versions of Long Lake, fishing a club tournament, my co-angler and myself were working down the shoreline, when we came to a nice older couple out on their dock.  The woman started to talk first and said how they fish everyday..yada..yada..  We told them we were having a small club tournament and how much we loved the lake.  On that alone they said well there is a big one sitting near a rock right over here.  We were back a little bit but could see the rock in about 3 foot of water only 10 feet off shore, I cast up to the left of the rock and hit a 2lber, the woman said the big ones still there..my co cast up to the right of the rock and BOOM, caught a 4-3/4lber that went on to take big fish and got him the win for the tournament!  The people were absolutely thrilled, we assured them it would be released...they said they played defense the week before against a 50 boat tournament on that lake and they were happy the fish never got caught.  The woman said she spent most fo that day on the dock and boats skipped their house...but almost handed it to us.  It sometimes pays to smile and be friendly.

[Cheetam]

I've been fortunate enough not to have had any bad run ins...at least not any that stick out in my mind.  I always make it a point to say "hello" and ask how homeowners are doing if they are within talking distance, or give them the ol' "Prom Queen Wave" if they are sitting on their deck or porch.  Show some respect and you'll get some respect.  If someone has a bug up their behind, I'll just leave them alone to work it out on their own...no need for me to push it up there deeper...

[blakstr1]

My wife and I took our daughter fishing to Smallwood for her birthday last year, we actually met a couple that was out on their "Tiki Bar" that invited us back for a drink.  They were great people and really rooted Morgan on.  We wokred down the lake and the proceeded to get on their pontoon and kind of floated along with us just to see how many fish she caught..when it was all over they even sang her Happy Birthday!

[dartag]

as a lakefront property owner and tournement angler i understand both.. i end up with a bunch of line. hooks and sinkers under my pontoon boat, boat hoist and dock.. i try not to fish docks if i don't have to.  although sometimes that is the only option.  i also try to be friendly and wave.. if anything is said i just move along...  if you are fishing on union lake i could use a few more tungsten sinkers i did get 2 last year... also the dog is not barking at you,  she just wants to go fishing..

think spring
ss

[McCarter]

I cant recall any bad experiences either.  I have had some real cool things happen tho.  I have been invited to join partys, like this one time, on tipsico lake, we were fishing a dock that had a fatty under it and this guy came down to ask how we were doing.  Then he asked if we were hungry.  We said yes, and beached the boat and joined him and the 50 others who were there attending his hot daughters graduation party.  I helped myself to a couple cold ones to, then we shook his hand, congratulated his daughter and went back out fishing.

And i have been flashed, too.  Like this one time, on Pettibone lake, there was this girl tanning on a raft.  and i snuck up on her with the trolling motor, but announced my presence before i got too close.  so we started talking, then her friend swam out to the raft and we all started talking.  then they said that they were leaving, so i started making my way towards a row of dock.  After i got about 20 yards away, they screamed "hey, fisherman"  and i turned to look.  Up went the bikini tops, down went my jaw, and into the water they jumped.

I have had homeowners bring me out something to drink.  Like this one time, on cass lake, a woman started talking to us and i told her the fishing was lousy and to top it off i was so thirsty the lake water was starting to look good.  she told me to hang on a second.  then she came out with 2 big glasses of lemonade for me and my friend.  And this one time, on white lake, i got to talking to another guy who was cleaning up his yard from a party he had the night before.  I told him i was bummed that he didnt invite me over ( even tho i had never seen this guy before in my life ) and it was going to take quite a few beers for me to forgive him.  To my surprise he said he might be able to help me out with that.  He went into his garage and came out witha big rolling cooler and waived us over to the dock.  He opened the cooler and said 'take as much as you want'.  We did.  and all the ice too.  that was a rough one, but by the time we were done fishing i was all sobered up.

And then this one time, at band camp........................................... just kidding, McCarter didnt go to band camp.  I had summer school to worry about.  Twice.

PoorBoy himself

[Bulletproof]

Oh I almost forgot this one.


One day, a very hot,sunny, humid day I was fishing docks and getting my fix on Lake Fenton.  Cruising docks, catching a few fish and keeping a lookout for bikini clad chicks.  It was a marvelous day as I was consistently greeted by many women getting thier tan on. 

We strolled up to this secluded cove and noticed another women out on her dock soaking up the rays.  We were still fairly far away when I saw her and didn't notice till i almost flipped my senko on her that she was topless.  I was shocked.

She was wearing Raybans and lowered them and looked at me.  She was probably in her late 30's had large red voluptous lips and was smoking hot.  She was listening to Kenny Loggins.   What could I do?  I was the proverbial deer in headlights and had lost all consciousness.  I didn't say anything at first and pretended like I didn't see her, but she knew, it was pretty obvious I guess.  She asked me If I had been catching any.  Stuttering, I said that I managed on catching a couple.  No reply.  She put her glasses back on and laid back down.  I moved on and had to anchor my boat a little farther down the shoreline to regain composure and restore my lost moxcy..  My friend whom I was fishing with said we should work that shoreline again.  I was in agreement.  20 minutes later we worked up that same productive stretch with no luck this time.  Our trophy was gone.

[dartag]

you guys been reading penthouse forum or bassmaster magazine all winter