Bass apparently don't like uncourteous fishermen either...

[brandbll]

Why is it that so many Bass fishermen feel the need to go around and throw their lures onto peoples docks and get them snagged?  I have never witnessed a more disrespectful genre of fishermen that completely lack any fishing etiquette.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to make a blanket statement about ALL bass fishermen, but in general, i run into a lot of disrespectful people that fish for Bass.

Two days ago i was about to start fishing for Muskies and these two guys trolled by throwing their lures and of course they got one snagged on the dock, the top of the dock.  They had to link up at the dock and remove their lure.  Now, the Bass are near/under the docks where i fish because there's tons of minnows by them right now.  Of course, these guys don't seem to understand or care that you don't have to cast under a dock to catch that Bass that's there.  So I watch these two yahoos proceed on to the next two docks and catch lures on both of them!  I stopped watching the s***show these two losers were conducting at that point.

So, that's when i went out to the dock, casted a sucker minnow 5 feet away from the dock(obviously i don't want my own line getting tangled with the dock) and right out from underneath the dock i'm standing on, and the two clowns just got hooked on, comes a 21 inch 5 pound Largemouth that i proceeded to catch. 

So if you're a Bass fishermen and you find yourself snagging peoples docks often, stop doing it.  Get control of your cast and show some respect.  I'm sick of finding your plastic baits and crap twisted all over the dock, and i don't like to come out to go fishing and have to find other peoples hooks all over the place.  This goes for all other manners of showing respect as well.  I don't appreciate someone who pulls up in their boat and decides that they can cast parrallel right next to my line.  That giant yellow sucker minnow bobber isn't a marker for where you can cast so you most likely avoid tangling our lines.  Give other people fishing the space they deserve.  Your lack of fishing etiquette doesn't sit well with polite fishermen who show common courtesy to those around them and it sure as hell doesn't catch you fish.

Sincerely,

A Fisherman Who is Concerned Over the Lack of Common Courtesy Shown on the Water

[Tyler Rother]

+1 I agree. Like we have a well marked minnow trap off our dock on a floating fluorescent line... Some guy in a boat fishing docks cut the line and trashed the trap. Some people need to be more courteous. Our place is by a landing, we see all of it, including people passing by our no trespassing signs to use our docks, for boating purposes and fishing.

Like the one guy who couldn't wait, and beached on our property to run and take a dump in our flower garden last summer. Wtf?  

[snow]

I can see how it would be frustrating,but its toldly legal,fishing the docks,trespassing,thats another issue,to bad about the garden,did it help the plants? 

[Bobby Bass]

Just like fishermen there are a few bad dock owners out there to. No win situation blaming fishermen as there are good as well as bad fishermen out there. Fishing docks is a highly productive means of fishing and when it is done right the dock owner never knows we are there. Not everyone who fishes docks are professional in casting and winds and waves can make it difficult. I consider myself a very accurate caster and I do from time to time make a bad cast, when I do I make every effort to retrieve my lure as quickly as I can and rarely do I have to step on a dock to do it. I wish I could say the same for all the times I find dock owners with unattended fishing lines out from their docks and untended mooring lines laying in the water just below the surface. It the same water that we all have to share.

[Jdrummer]

I do agreee, there are some of those people that find it necissary to be real close when someone is fishing from a dock or swimming near it also . Those are the people I can't stand! If i'm fishing a line of docks and i come up to someone on or by theirs i make shure i go well around them ! As for the unattended lines in the water, it is the best way to get new jigs and bobbers 

[HD]

How about the fishermen that see you working a shore line and they zip right up in front of you (in the direction you are going) and either stop and anchor or drop their trolling motor and start fishing?  (One of my pet peaves)

Either way, there are good people out there....and there are bad.

Me? I just say a few  ......and go on my way.

[Bobby Bass]

How about the fishermen that see you working a shore line and they zip right up in front of you (in the direction you are going) and either stop and anchor or drop their trolling motor and start fishing?  (One of my pet peaves)

Either way, there are good people out there....and there are bad.

Me? I just say a few  ......and go on my way.

I like them guys, I make a point of when I catch fish behind water they have gone through of holding ithem up high and getting their attention! hahah

[Tyler Rother]

Didn't help the plants, and was in plain site of everyone of us that was up there. - We have a trail camera up now... I'm shocked at how many people can't read. Oh well. What ya do.

And yeah, there are the good fisherman and bad. If you keep getting hung up on docks, get some plywood, two bys and some buckets of all sizes, and look like a dork in your back yard and start flippin'. Does wonders in the basement in the off season too.

[brandbll]

How about the fishermen that see you working a shore line and they zip right up in front of you (in the direction you are going) and either stop and anchor or drop their trolling motor and start fishing?  (One of my pet peaves)

Either way, there are good people out there....and there are bad.

Me? I just say a few  ......and go on my way.

I had a guy cut between me on the dock and another guy fishing barely past casting distance last week.  The space wasn't even big enough for the two of us and this moron cut between us!

[brandbll]

Didn't help the plants, and was in plain site of everyone of us that was up there. - We have a trail camera up now... I'm shocked at how many people can't read. Oh well. What ya do.

And yeah, there are the good fisherman and bad. If you keep getting hung up on docks, get some plywood, two bys and some buckets of all sizes, and look like a dork in your back yard and start flippin'. Does wonders in the basement in the off season too.

Exactly!  Or you can do what i do and just abort on the cast by grabbing the line and pulling back lightly if you even think you're going to hit the dock.  All i use to fish was Bass and i never had the problem of catching peoples docks.  A matter of fact my fishing buddy didn't either.   If i thought i was going to catch someones dock i simply aborted the cast and recast.

And yeah, i have to keep my minnow traps shallow so someone doesn't hook them.  My Uncle has problems with people catching the pump for his sprinkler system and yanking it off the wall.

[kenhuntin]

One cure for the problem is an old bed spring tied to the bottom of the dock posts. Guys give up on yor dock because of losing too many lures. and you can really fill up a tackle box in a summer. I would have to believe this practice is unlawful just like alot of fun things to do.

[GRIZ]

It wouldn't be illeagal if you made the bed spring part of your dock.

[sandmannd]

You need to try to stay off these peoples docks with lures. I have hit them on occassion trying to flip it under, but never intentionally. Sure, it's legal as they are part of the public water, doesn't make it ethical though.

[mahmoodmahi]

Respecting other fishermen is the key, particularly shore fishermen. When your on the shore and boat fishermen come by and start messing with your spot (casting nearby, or causing too much  wake because they don't have the common curtosy to slow down) it is ridiculous. They have boats, meaning  a lot more space to fish, though it seems some people think becuase they have the money for a nice boat, shorefishermen don't count. Where you are fishing bradbll,you have the bad luck of having a great shore spot on a busy lake, good thing those boat fishermen don't realize how much you are outcatching them.

[7outof10]

there is an easy way to fix this ......go walleye fishing lol
i lived on a lake growing up ......i dont own the water under my dock and dont mind people fishing it  ....its part of haveing a dock in the water

[Bobby Bass]

Just the other night while fishing I had a young man perhaps twenty or so come running down the grass hill from a rather fancy house run across his dock and cannon ball within in a few feet of my boat as I was fishing with my partner. As he was flying through the air he shouted " Hi Guys"
When he came up I asked him if he was born a dick or if it is something he has been working on?

Talk about disrespect for boat fishermen. Up the hill, sitting at a table were I am assuming his parents, they said nothing but just watched from a distance. The young man then swimming back to the dock was yelling at me that I have to be a 100' away from his dock and can't be fishing. My fishing partner was cracking up at my conversation with the young lad and turn to cast out towards deeper water, damm if he didn't hook and land a bass at that time. He made a show of showing it off before releasing it. We continued on our way down the shoreline.

A few hours later we were heading back the way we came and this time a little farther out from shore, the lad and now a buddy did the same thing, running down the hill and jumping off the dock to try and get us wet and disturb our fishing. I had no comment other then their dive was weak and the first time was better.

Been awhile since I have been harass on the water by a cabin or home owner but then again these were not home owners but appears that they had the approval of their parents for doing what they did. Pretty lame if ya ask me.

[UncleDave]

Lame indeed.  I had a guy on Lake Independence several years back come down to his dock and tell us we were in his "private" area and we had to leave immediately or he would take a photo of my boat and license number and report me to the DNR.  I just laughed and we kept fishing.  We didn't stay too long as to stir the pot too much.  My parents owned a cabin for many years.  We used to have guys fish in the dock area.  SO WHAT!  I just don't get it.

[sandmannd]

I don't bass fish much but when I do I have had a couple of runins. Now if you come down and say "my kids would like to swim" or what not, I will move on. I will never get in the way of a family enjoying their home. On the other hand, if you come down and act like a jerk and just want me to move away from your dock because you own the water, my butt is sitting there and if you keep it up I will call a sherrif or the TIP line. It is against the law to harrass fisherman.

[mahmoodmahi]

It seems that people have legitmate complaints both from the shore and from their boats. The most important thing is to respect other fishermen, and comunicate if there is a problem. People fishing towards a dock where there are fishermen with lines out is rude, and some one acting like they own the water around their dock is just as bad. If everyone communicates when there is a problem over space on public water, and knows everyone's rights these problems usually go away, unfortunately there are a lot of a&&holes out there who have no respect, or think they can be deuche bags, just what they are doing is within the law, all you can do with them is hope they get a nasty case of herpes ,.

[boogityn]

 docks are great structure! I fishum from time to time, But I believe there is no reason for anyone fishing docks within 50 feet. If its not for big money then show some respect for others. A lot of time it's not the boat that does it, be aware of what is said in your boat. (fowel lang) happens all the time. Very offensive.

[brandbll]

Respecting other fishermen is the key, particularly shore fishermen. When your on the shore and boat fishermen come by and start messing with your spot (casting nearby, or causing too much  wake because they don't have the common curtosy to slow down) it is ridiculous. They have boats, meaning  a lot more space to fish, though it seems some people think becuase they have the money for a nice boat, shorefishermen don't count. Where you are fishing bradbll,you have the bad luck of having a great shore spot on a busy lake, good thing those boat fishermen don't realize how much you are outcatching them.

Actually, it isn't a busy lake whatsoever.  It's a rare weekend when its busy out there.  There is never a time where all the "good" spots on the lake are all being fished.  This is how it goes with pretty much every lake so there's no reason to encroach on someone elses fishing.