Dock Fishing Encounters?

[HellaBass]

Why can't they all go like this? What is everyone's best / worst story with a home owner on a dock?

[Stratos xl NC]

Love it. Great video!!

[tcesni]

So I had two opposite dock experiences while fishing Smith Mountain Lake on Sunday afternoon. One was with "that guy" who yells at me for being within 50 feet of his dock as I idled by. I wasn't even fishing and he yelled at me, "no boats within 50 feet of a dock". To which I replied, I think that means no wake within 50 feet of a dock (I was correct). He wanted to argue with me but I just kept going. The second experience was as I was going past a dock with the Minn Kota, not fishing it as there was a guy cleaning his boat on the lift while his wife was sunbathing on a towel. If people are on their dock I don't fish it, plenty of docks so no need. What happened next was unexpected. The wife was laying stomach down with her swim suit top untied. For some reason as I went by, and I'm sure she didn't know I was there, she decided it was time to quickly stand up. And she'd forgotten that her top was not tied so she stood up without it. Oops! I just kept going and I don't know if her husband even noticed. My wife was laying across the bench seat in the boat reading her Kindle and did not see a thing. Best part of the day.

[wtrwsel]

Looks like a great day you had.

[Pagregss]

Experiences vary as people vary. Last week I was up in NY fishing one of the finger lakes and I had a guy sitting in a pontoon boat at a dock tell me I couldn't fish his dock and then proceeded to tell me to leave when I caught a fish from under the dock next to his. Then maybe 15 minutes later, as I worked down the shoreline, I had another fellow come out of his house and onto the deck, just to tell me that there was a big bass sitting right in front of his boat. He waited for me to maneuver around to see if I'd catch it. One extreme to another.

[WarEagle24]

In over 45 years of fishing, I've never had a bad experience from a dock owner.

[HellaBass]

In over 45 years of fishing, I've never had a bad experience from a dock owner.

I think it is more of a Northern thing when it goes bad as a general rule LOL

[cubswin]

I just skip most of the docks with people being pita.

I broke off under one last year, guy came down to yell at me and wanted me to swim to get the bait. We talked for a bit and he calmed down. Same day a lady kept saying she was calling sheriff. I offered to call myself.

[mean_dean]

All my encounters have been pleasant with dock owners, one even told me about the 3lb bass hanging out under his dock that his niece caught the weekend before and where it was hanging out (it was a BIG dock). Next cast it went into my livewell.

[Quillback]

Yeah I haven't had a dock encounter with any crazy people either. Most people are usually friendly.

[mwtlsu]

I had a man on Kentucky Lake threaten to shoot me because I fished his neighbors dock. It was like 3 docks down from where I was fishing. Never even fished the guys dock. He told me he had a right to protect his property and that he was going to get his gun. He came back with a friend and tried to get me to step onto his dock. I just left. I was fishing a BFL and my coangler couldn't believe what he was seeing. I am also quite sure the guy was in a rental house on the lake, which made the situation weirder.

[Chainslinger1959]

I had a man on Kentucky Lake threaten to shoot me because I fished his neighbors dock. It was like 3 docks down from where I was fishing. Never even fished the guys dock. He told me he had a right to protect his property and that he was going to get his gun. He came back with a friend and tried to get me to step onto his dock. I just left. I was fishing a BFL and my coangler couldn't believe what he was seeing. I am also quite sure the guy was in a rental house on the lake, which made the situation weirder.

Should have told him you got friends too.

[DaveBrabec]

Ive had several issues but dont get into it with them just move on and tell them its legal to fish any dock i want.

[BP in ME]

Homeowner was watching me fishing down the shoreline the other day. We exchanged pleasantries and I didn't cast directly to his dock but hooked a decent LM (20") under a log close by. After a short tug of war it came to the surface, shook her head, and the hook went sailing over my head. I looked at the guy and told him that was my long-arm release. He then explained that it lived there and he sees it often. No drama.

Last year I had a teenager on board fishing the same lake. For some reason he wanted to spend a lot of time fishing a certain dock which happened to be decorated with a young lass in a bikini. Turns out she's a minor Instagram star and doesn't mind the attention. If she wants us to look, I'll look too.

[Mark Perry]

As a courtesy I do not cast to docks that have people on them. I take my line out of the water, kick TM on high and go around to the next one. I will give the greeting of the day and be friendly. Often they tell me to go ahead and fish their dock if I want.

[LTZ25]

As a courtesy I do not cast to docks that have people on them. I take my line out of the water, kick TM on high and go around to the next one. I will give the greeting of the day and be friendly. Often they tell me to go ahead and fish their dock if I want.

Me too . But as a fisherman and dock owner I like to chat with the guys . Saturday I was cleaning boat and a couple of guys came by and as they were leaving I said that dock they missed usually had some bass on it , so they turn and casts and dang if they didn't get a 2 lber .

[jc2bg]

As a courtesy I do not cast to docks that have people on them. I take my line out of the water, kick TM on high and go around to the next one. I will give the greeting of the day and be friendly. Often they tell me to go ahead and fish their dock if I want.

I do the same. As you say, it’s just a courtesy thing. People who try to kick us out of an entire marina because they rent a slip there, however, is a different story. I go out of my way to avoid confrontations, but not that far. We’re talking navigable federal water.

[Bradley Lane]

As a courtesy I do not cast to docks that have people on them. I take my line out of the water, kick TM on high and go around to the next one. I will give the greeting of the day and be friendly. Often they tell me to go ahead and fish their dock if I want.

this

[bkeenom]

Only once. Keystone in OK. Guy saw me and came down from house to confront me. Guy was going to call sheriff. I just continued fishing and avoided getting into an argument. He finally calmed down and walked away. I stayed another 30 min and no sheriff.

I avoid docks with people fishing. Their spotis the way I look at it.

[LipIt]

Only once. Keystone in OK. Guy saw me and came down from house to confront me. Guy was going to call sheriff. I just continued fishing and avoided getting into an argument. He finally calmed down and walked away. I stayed another 30 min and no sheriff.

I avoid docks with people fishing. Their spotis the way I look at it.

Keystone Lake is the ONLY place I’ve had a bad encounter! Guy came out of his house boat and told us it was against the law to fish those docks. Said he was going to call the game warden. I told him go ahead, he got pissed off and stormed up to his truck and took off only to swing back around and flip us off!