How do you protect your boat from Bass fisherman?

[LORDY611]

Re: How do you protect your boat from Bass fisherman?

It really comes down to the bassrs being inconsiderate. They probably follow the same behavior model elsewhere in life too. Very frustrating.
I like the idea of scaring the fish while the bassrs are right there. Some noisemaker should do the trick, as well as send a message that they will get loud and clear.
I own a camp on a small lake that has some fishing but never tourneys, thankfully. There is one guy who used to be on the town council who built a huge house right on the water and cut down every tree except for what was on the bank. He has basically an unobstructed view of the water. The code enforcement officer looked the other way when the chainsaws came out, but if I were to prune a branch off a tree on my property you can bet someone would have that guy on my ***** the next day. Small town politics sucks, especially for the little guy, and if you are "from away", forget about it.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: How do you protect your boat from Bass fisherman?

I fish shorelines a lot, and most of the lakes in the Twin Cities metro area are surrounded by expensive homes. As much as I'd like to, I don't fish the actual docks. Even so, I get scowled at by the residents of those houses quite frequently. I just ignore them, but I never fish their actual docks. It's just that they take a proprietary interest in all the water in front of their property.

Just one time did I have a real confrontation. I was fishing in some weeds about 50 yards from shore, when this guy came out of his house with a bullhorn and started screaming at me from his dock to get away from his property. It was pretty funny, until he threatened to call the cops on me.

I never even spoke to him, but pulled out my cell phone and dialed 911, telling the dispatcher that this crazy guy was screaming at me and that I was afraid he'd get violent.

Five minutes later, the local cops showed up. They looked at where I was, then read the homeowner the riot act, explaining that his property ended at the waterline and that he needed to shut up and go inside with his bullhorn. They waved at me. I waved back.

Now, whenever I visit that lake, I make a point of fishing that weedbed.

 

[obezag]

Re: How do you protect your boat from Bass fisherman?

That's somethin'. I can see the complaints about casting onto the docked boats, but there's something calming and peaceful about watching someone just casting and fishing minding their own business. Doubt very much if that guy would be happy anywhere. How obnoxious was that bullhorn to everybody else?

 

[Nandy]

Re: How do you protect your boat from Bass fisherman?

Re-read the original post: "tie together a couple hundred feet of shore"

The main channel has shore too! LOL!

Obviously anyone would know not to raft up in the middle of a channel

You would be surprised!! Sound like you are not the type that would do that though....

I think the net or chicken wire is the best resolution...

 

[tmh]

Re: How do you protect your boat from Bass fisherman?

It pisses me off when some anchor 50 ft from my dock and spend a couple of hours fishing there. I

There's two groups of people that I sometimes feel think they own the lake itself - fisherman AND lake property owners! Both need to "get it" that lakes are public property and you have no more right to use any part of it than someone who launches at the public launch!

50' off your dock is not your property nor an area you have a right to have privacy in! If you want privacy, build a home/cottage in the woods on YOUR LAND not on a public lake. I'm amazed what people think their money buys on a lake. They don't want "their lake" used by PWCs, or anyone with an engine before 10 am, or anyone near their dock,....the list goes on.

Property damage is a totally different thing, of course. No one has the right to cast into your boat. But fishing near shore......absolutely they have the right and you should understand it's not YOUR water, just the land.

 

[jaxnjil]

Re: How do you protect your boat from Bass fisherman?

a lot of action for a thread that died not quite 3 years ago

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: How do you protect your boat from Bass fisherman?

I think I'd show up on my dock with a buddy, a skeet thrower, clay pigeons, shotgun and shells, and start tossing off a few rounds of aqua-clays using primer-only shells with no bird shot. They'll probably get the idea and leave thinking you're a poor shot and it's not a good idea to fish nearby. If John-law shows up, hey, you didn't know anything about a firearms ordinance and what's the harm in scaring a few snakes away from the dock?

 

[Crackshot7]

Re: How do you protect your boat from Bass fisherman?

Yes, and you'd probably be going to pick up your shotgun in court - if it's returned.

A number of years ago, I was fishing down a shoreline perhaps 15 yards offshore down a weedline on the dropoff. A "gentleman homeowner" came running out of his house with a shotgun in his hand yelling and screaming and threatening to use it. At first I thought I was missing something, or he was mistaking me for someone else that did something to him personally. Once I realized what was going on, I just got on the cell phone, called 911, was transferred over to the police, told them what was happening and they showed up while I sat there in one spot determined to wait until the police arrived. Upon arrival they called me into shore, I filled out the police report. The took his shotgun. They told him to keep his mouth shut, and I've never heard from or about him again.

So, those ready to clean their gun, shoot clays, or brandish a weapon in a threatening way might, just might, want to reconsider.

And for the record I never attempt to hit someone's boat although I have flipped docks and other obstructions.

 

[mthieme]

Re: How do you protect your boat from Bass fisherman?

I haven't experienced this thankfully. It's been my experience that boaters in general are a little more respectful of other peoples property no matter how raggedy it might be.
But one of the performance boats would certainly distract them.
The jet boat is capable of bathing if not swamping someone in a split second!
The hydroplane is capable of trashing their lines before they have a chance to retract them!
Happy thoughts!

 

[Labman]

Re: How do you protect your boat from Bass fisherman?

Most inland water here, is public domain. That means anywhere up to the HIGH WATER LEVEL MARK, is considered public property. What gives the lake front owners the right to think they can arbitrarily construct any dock on public land, and then post it as Private Property?
I don't agree with damaging a persons boat, by bouncing lures off of it, but them must be some God awful heavy lures to do any damage. What do most lures weigh, 3/8 of an ounce, we don't have Bass here, so the closest I have every gotten is the shows on t.v.. I will however anchor off a dock on any publicly owned lake and slip float for Perch or Walleye, and if I feel a need to stretch my legs, I may even get out on that dock, seeing as how no one asked me if they could even put it there.
If the owners don't like me being there, they can always remove their dock.

Now this should really get it stirred up.

 

[Mark42]

Re: How do you protect your boat from Bass fisherman?

Last time out on the bay, after pulling out I noticed a 1/2" wide black band on my prop. Turns out it was about 150 ft of some fancy carbon fiber fishing line (or so I was told by someone who watched me unspool it from the prop). Sure was tough stuff. I remember there being quite a few fishermen on the bay, and I made a point of clearing them by at least 50 yds or so. Made me wonder if I picked up someones line, or if it was just loose line floating in the water.

I have no problem with fishermen on the bay, and I always try to give them wide clearance. But I also worry more about picking up some line that may cause me some outboard damage or spun prop, etc