People swimming at the docks

[thestigmach1]

I boat out of door county Wisconsin usually launch in pottowatami state park. There is a constant problem of people and kids fishing, swimming, and otherwise playing on the docks. Its extremely dangerous especially for kids to be swimming where the boats launch. They walk right down the ramp to get to the water and just stay there. They also do it at night. I've talked with the park officers and they say they are allowed to do it. I'm afraid one of these days I'm not going to see the little kid in the water especially at night and hit one. I really like the facility otherwise and dont want to switch ramps. Any one else experience this? How have you dealt with it? I'd like to avoid an altercation if I can.

 

[Tassie 1]

Strange that it is legal to swim around a boat ramp there,
it isn't here ( oz )

dosen't stop kids doing it though,
Scary watching them jump off a jetty around a local 100 ft tourist ferry

 

[thestigmach1]

Strange that it is legal to swim around a boat ramp there,
it isn't here ( oz )

dosen't stop kids doing it though,
Scary watching them jump off a jetty around a local 100 ft tourist ferry

Sad thing I'm afraid it's going to take someone getting seriously hurt before people actually think about it. They walk right behind your boat when trying to back it in. I'm afraid it's going to be me that hits some kid. I'm careful but you cant see what you cant see.

 

[JimS123]

Years ago we were entering a single boat launch trying to avoid hitting a kid swimming. His parents were there. The kid stood up to run away and slashed his foot real bad on some broken glass in the water. We patched him up with our first aid kit (which we have in every boat) and the parents were so overjoyed with our concern.

Two years ago we came to the same ramp when a guy was throwing a stick for his dog to retrieve. We just came in and tied up. We got yelled at for bothering the dog. I apologized and explained that I pay $50/year to use the ramp. I asked how much he paid. He then walked away.

Last year I parked my car after launching the boat. I noted a girlie parking a car next to me. I pointed out that the sign over there said "boats and trailers only". Another $50/year launch place. I politely suggested it would in her best interest to move. She said the car lot was too far away. At the end of the day by coincidence we all came back at the same time. Her car had a $50 ticket on the windshield. Boy was she mad....

Just today we passed a double ramp with a half dozen (errr...non-American people) fishing on it, with lines on both sides and tackle boxes all over. The boater trying to dock asked them to move please, but they would not comply. It was another $50/year ramp and the FREE fishing dock was a mere 100 feet away. I left before an altercation could ensue. You never know these days what weapons might be in the trunk of the other guy's car.

Bottom line - be respectful, say please and thank you and hope for the best.

 

[thestigmach1]

Years ago we were entering a single boat launch trying to avoid hitting a kid swimming. His parents were there. The kid stood up to run away and slashed his foot real bad on some broken glass in the water. We patched him up with our first aid kit (which we have in every boat) and the parents were so overjoyed with our concern.

Two years ago we came to the same ramp when a guy was throwing a stick for his dog to retrieve. We just came in and tied up. We got yelled at for bothering the dog. I apologized and explained that I pay $50/year to use the ramp. I asked how much he paid. He then walked away.

Last year I parked my car after launching the boat. I noted a girlie parking a car next to me. I pointed out that the sign over there said "boats and trailers only". Another $50/year launch place. I politely suggested it would in her best interest to move. She said the car lot was too far away. At the end of the day by coincidence we all came back at the same time. Her car had a $50 ticket on the windshield. Boy was she mad....

Just today we passed a double ramp with a half dozen (errr...non-American people) fishing on it, with lines on both sides and tackle boxes all over. The boater trying to dock asked them to move please, but they would not comply. It was another $50/year ramp and the FREE fishing dock was a mere 100 feet away. I left before an altercation could ensue. You never know these days what weapons might be in the trunk of the other guy's car.

Bottom line - be respectful, say please and thank you and hope for the best.

Problem is I have a feeling it's going to result in someone getting pissed. I'm nice until your an ass, then I'm a bigger ass. I always carry so I dont worry a whole lot about what someone has in their trunk. Just wish people would be respectful of the money we pay and the space we need to enjoy the facility. But I wont hold my breath on that. I wonder if I could take it up with whoever governs the state parks and see about getting a sign put up before someone gets hurt.

 

[Lowlysubaruguy]

Same story here at one of the marinas I launch and whats really bad is its very steep from the parking lot you start to back down the ramp and you loose total visual of anything on the ramp or in the water where the ramp is. And you can walk down there and tell them your about to put a boat and trailer in that spot and they could care less. When you return you have to literally drive your boat over them on the dock to get them to move enough to get a person off the boat to go get the trailer. Luckily there usually only swimming when its really hot so its a month out of the year and I only use that launch four or five times a year.

 

[roffey]

I must be lucky, I've never run into that problem. Swimmers in the water when my boat is running make me very nervous let alone blindly backing down a ramp.

 

[cptbill]

Sounds like a problem that needs to be taken to the county or state officials whose salaries are paid for by your $50 fee and tax dollars

 

[Silvertip]

This is a problem on a lot of Wisconsin and Minnesota inland waters where fishing is popular. When there is a large group of people all with lines in the water I make one pass around announcing that the next round I will approach the dock on the right or left side. If I make the second pass and they have not moved I announce more sternly, this is your last chance -- move only until my boat is out of the water (which is less than 5 minutes). Generally they will move but periodically they play "stupid" and I motor through their lines. Yup, I may wind one in the prop but it's easy to clear on dry land. There is also a good chance these folks are fishing without a license as well so they tend not to make a fuss. They know what the laws are but they just don't care -- just like bag limits!

 

[Scott Danforth]

talk to the warden in Door County. he should be in a brown bass boat, vs the park folk.

Door County's whole economy is based on tourism, and they make the most money over 3 months out of the year.

have you thought of launching out of one of the many other boat ramps? I prefer the quarry (George K Pinny park - across the channel from Pottowatami). no-nonsense, just fishing folk constantly in/out the ramp.

 

[jkust]

Yep, one of many reasons we bought a lake home several years back. I began to dislike almost everything about trailer boating.

 

[roscoe]

The few times I launched at Peninsula, there were signs all over, no swimming, no fishing.

Sounds like the parkees at Potawatomi are just lazy.

Kinney looks nice.
Doesn't even look like you would want to fish there.

 

[Blind Date]

This is a problem on a lot of Wisconsin and Minnesota inland waters where fishing is popular.

I live in MN, own property in WI and have never once encountered that problem at a boat landing in either state. Maybe it's a regional thing.

Seems to me most boat landings in MN/WI prohibit swimming or fishing off any dock adjacent to a boat ramp.

Yep, one of many reasons we bought a lake home several years back. I began to dislike almost everything about trailer boating.

Problem is(as a waterfront property owner myself) being stuck on the same lake every weekend gets old so it's nice once in awhile to have a boat you can easily throw on a trailer and head to a new destination with. Same reason I decided not to slip my 250 Sundancer on Minnetonka this year, bored with it. Time to head to the Apostle Islands in Bayfield or Isle Royale!

 

[PITBoat]

That is a problem where I launch also, even though there are signs prohibiting it. Last time out 3 guys plopped down their fishing stuff right where I was heading to dock (opposite side from the ramp). One of them helped pull the boat in so just I thanked them and went to get the trailer. Back to the boat, I started it up and started backing when I hear "Oh!, Oh!" I guess one of them had a line in the water and the back of the boat caught it.

He lost whatever was on it, and thankfully I didn't see anything tangled in the prop after I got it back to the trailer. I started to go back and apologize for the loss of his bait/lure, and mention that they weren't supposed to be there however, but I got busy with the rest of the boat tying down and that, and sorta forgot.

The little kids can be bad at times too, but it hasn't bothered me as much as last year when I was brand new.

Magnet fishers too...

 

[roffey]

I would think the fishing would not be very good at a launch as boats are coming in and out and would clear out weeds, fish and food. If I were to run into that issue I would just slowly pull the boat up to the dock, as I normally do anyway. You have no choice but to dock at the ramp when retreating or launching so IMHO your not being bossy or pushy your just launching the boat, it up to the fisher-people to get out of the way (threes a song that comes to mind here, lol)

 

[briangcc]

There are a number of lakes where I launch this is a problem. Generally those without beaches for swimming and not monitored by any staff are the worst. And its posted. And the swimmers simply don't care. Same goes for fisherman.