I was out for dinner with 2 fishing friends this weekend. One guy was talking about flippin plastics in/around docks near his cabin in Wisconsin. A cabin owner came out and screamed at him for fishing around his dock, boats, etc. My other friend said screw him it’s public water. Yet, you could snag up and leave a hook in someone’s swimming area…
Seems like a controversial issue – what is your opinion?
As long as there’s an inch of water under my keel, I’ll fish by anybody’s dock. His dock is stuck into your lake! He doesn’t own the lake, it’s a courtesy to even let him put a dock in. What he’s doing is no different than someone yelling at you for walking down a sidewalk in front of a house.
Years ago I had a guy on Lake Elmo screaming at me for fishing his dock and I just laughed at him. So he jumped off the dock and started swimming towards my boat. I just kept the same distance away from him with the electric to see how long he’d keep swimming. Once we were far enough out into the lake I circled around and started fishing his dock again. That really had him upset.
Rootski
They may own the land .but they don’t own the water. He had every right to fish it, as long he doesn’t damage personal property. You could fish around it while wading, if you entered lake on public property. I have a bigger problem with lake front property owners that act like this guy did, than I do fisherman fishing around docks legally.
Its public water. I try to not fish around docks that have signs of children though (float tubes, kids life jackets hanging, swimming beach). They usually aren’t very productive docks anyways with all the commotion. But otherwise they are all fair game IMO.
I think they knew what they were getting into when they bought the house.
I believe MN, WI, IA, and IL all have laws in place if someone tries to disturb you while you are fishing/hunting legally. Call the DNR/sheriff and let them know of the idiot that thinks he owns the water under his dock. A deputy knocking on the door will teach him to quit yelling at fishermen.
It happens all the time on a lake I visit in MN. People will come down and fire up their boats because we are fishing their dock, or tell their fully clothed kids to run down the dock and jump in the water damn near across our lines.
Quite often though when I am fishing a string of docks I’ll have people come down and throw a line in the water off their dock before I get there, usually with no bait. But that is okay IMO, didn’t hurt my fishing any.
They aren’t all like that on that lake though. One guy I can remember very clearly, for a good reason. We were catching some NICE crappies off docks one year, and would hit them every morning at daybreak. Every morning there would be an older man sitting on his deck drinking coffee and reading a newspaper. When we got to his dock he’d say hi and ask if we were still getting them, what we were getting them on, etc. When we caught a fish he’d yell “nice one!!” and wave. Really a nice guy.
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As long as there’s an inch of water under my keel, I’ll fish by anybody’s dock. His dock is stuck into your lake! He doesn’t own the lake, it’s a courtesy to even let him put a dock in. What he’s doing is no different than someone yelling at you for walking down a sidewalk in front of a house.
Years ago I had a guy on Lake Elmo screaming at me for fishing his dock and I just laughed at him. So he jumped off the dock and started swimming towards my boat. I just kept the same distance away from him with the electric to see how long he’d keep swimming. Once we were far enough out into the lake I circled around and started fishing his dock again. That really had him upset.
Rootski
Now I suppose you’re going to tell us you never hit a boat or snagged a dock, aren’t you?
Next time tell him call a cop. When the CO shows up file
harassment charges against him.
They don’t own the Lake,I try not to damage anything ,I won’t fish next to anyone playing in the water and do my best not to hang up or leave any hooks behind. It is a pet peave that people think as a fisher person you are infringing on there LAKE! yet they can ski right by you and be disterbed that you are even there!
Stan 
I just politely talk to the guy and and ask him stupid questions about the lake laws and that usually pisses him off good than I gladly give him my boat numbers and my name and phone number to tell the Dnr and I’m yet to have a co call me. People are unreal.
How about throwing your worm up on a boat canopy and letting it slide down into the water, or clanging your jig off someone’s pontoon?
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How about throwing your worm up on a boat canopy and letting it slide down into the water, or clanging your jig off someone’s pontoon?
That cannot be a serious question. Come on now…
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Now I suppose you’re going to tell us you never hit a boat or snagged a dock, aren’t you?
Honestly, I sat there between 2 guys I both like and respect and they couldn’t be farther apart on this issue. It was kind of comical to watch, yet both had interesting arguments. That’s why I wanted to throw it out to the IDO community. (yes, I will share all of your comments with them 
Actually touching the dock/pontoon with a lure, your hand, or your boat is not acceptable. That is someone else’s property.
…and yet, if you fish enough docks, aren’t you eventually going to come in contact with something? (I know, this is a tough one)…
I’ve had many run ins with lakeshore owners.I once asked a co what to do and she told me to politely tell them it is public water and Minnesota has a law against angler harassment. then she asked me which dock I had problems with so her and her co husband could fish it in plain clothes and pull out their badges when the guy starts harassing them. Another time I called a co after a guy screamed at me and tried to ram me with his pontoon for fishing near his dock. The co told me the best way he can describe the law is it is like parking your car in public parking lot. Anyone can walk around it crawl under it or even touch it just don’t do any damage. He had a talk with that guy and now all he does is wave when I fish his dock. I had a guy yell at me for fishing his dock one day and I told him I wish he didn’t put his dock on top of my favorite fishing spot he didn’t say another word. If people politely ask me not to fish by their dock I respect that but if they act like buttholes I fish it as much as I can and sometimes I’ll tell my friends to fish it too.
I love fishing docks. I am always respectful of other people’s property. That being said I don’t think a jig or any other lure has ever put a hole in a pontoon. On Keller/Gervais I had a guy chew me out for fishing his dock while his wife was sitting in the boat on the lift. She looked so embarassed that her husband was being such a tool. I just kept my cool, kept fishing, and caught a nice lunker just down the bank from him.
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How about throwing your worm up on a boat canopy and letting it slide down into the water, or clanging your jig off someone’s pontoon?
There’s the other side of the coin. I’ve spoken with several of my customers who live on Lake Minnetonka and there are anglers out there who respect property, and have some fishing ethics, but for the most part its amateur hour out on the lake or guys who just could give a crap less. Each one has had thousands of dollars worth of damage done to their canopies, boat interiors and docks, without a single fisherman admitting to anything. I can completely empathize with them, but at the same time its their choice to put it out and have no right to interfere without cause.
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As long as there’s an inch of water under my keel, I’ll fish by anybody’s dock. His dock is stuck into your lake! He doesn’t own the lake, it’s a courtesy to even let him put a dock in. What he’s doing is no different than someone yelling at you for walking down a sidewalk in front of a house.
Years ago I had a guy on Lake Elmo screaming at me for fishing his dock and I just laughed at him. So he jumped off the dock and started swimming towards my boat. I just kept the same distance away from him with the electric to see how long he’d keep swimming. Once we were far enough out into the lake I circled around and started fishing his dock again. That really had him upset.
Rootski
Not so fast – I am a Bass Fisherman so this issue gets brought up a lot.
first, it is a small world and life is short – so if I guy doesn’t want you around the end of his dock – leave.
With that, guys are constantly firing jigs into the sides of fiberglass boats, leaving hooks on wires and ropes and generally not leaving the dock as they found it.
keep it clean, be respectful and avoid the confrontation. If you don’t know how to skip a jig don’t practice on somebody else’s fiberglass boat. Fire a few at your boat – and see how you respond.
Enjoy 
It is just easier.
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first, it is a small world and life is short – so if I guy doesn’t want you around the end of his dock – leave.
I agree with most of what you said, but I can’t help myself if some guy is going to be a **** about it. At the very least he’s going to get a smile, wave and a wink.
I am surprised there isn’t a study out there on the psychology if fishing, boating, personal watercraft and lake shore owners. Stop and think how consciously and subconsciously you think with every interaction or guarding of personal space on the water, including between boats.
Everybody tends to think the “own” a part of every body of water and have a comfort zone and there is a reasonable expectation of privacy or space.
Unfortunately there are people who completely ignore this and in fact and encroach on you on purpose.
Just remember the most common cause of this is some people are just losers and hate their life.
I won’t lie. There have been instances of people fishing my brothers dock while we are out on the hill 50′ away. There are times where you can’t help but feel annoyed at the least. More so if they are parked and fishing panfish then just working the shoreline docks bass fishing. But we never become **** about it. And usually the initial feelings subside and we end up striking up a conversation with them.
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Each one has had thousands of dollars worth of damage done to their canopies, boat interiors and docks
Now you and/or your clients are really stretching it 
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Not so fast – I am a Bass Fisherman so this issue gets brought up a lot.
first, it is a small world and life is short – so if I guy doesn’t want you around the end of his dock – leave.
With that, guys are constantly firing jigs into the sides of fiberglass boats, leaving hooks on wires and ropes and generally not leaving the dock as they found it.
keep it clean, be respectful and avoid the confrontation. If you don’t know how to skip a jig don’t practice on somebody else’s fiberglass boat. Fire a few at your boat – and see how you respond.
Enjoy
It is just easier.
X2
I Love fishing Docks!
I avoid docks with people on the dock, boat next to it or in the water.
That said, however, I have errantly clunked a jig against a dock post or pontoon tube and had somebody jump up from a nap in the pontoon more than once. I apologize for waking them.
I usually fish docks with just plastic on a hook to avoid loud clunks and/or risking any damage.
My best & most embarrassing dock shot was a few years ago prefishing by myself for a tourney. Coming up to a few closely spaced docks with their boats tied on the outside ends when I fired a wacky rigged Seinko thru a space between a couple boats at the end of a dock. A Nice 19″ Bass nailed that Seinko as it hit the water with a BIG SPLASH. That’s when a Shrieking Scream nearly gave me a Heart Attack as a wet faced lovely 30 something bare chested/breasted brunette jumped up from her sun bathing. When she saw me, she quickly covered up with a towel and headed for her home up the hill. I apologized and moved along after a nice shot of some Eye Candy and releasing the Bass. (Note: I never saw her or any sign of anyone on the dock prior to her shrieking awakening).
What made this more interesting is the cheers & whistles that came from 3-docks down from a couple older guys sitting there enjoying the view.
When I got down by there dock they thanked me for the show as they told me to fish their dock. I pulled a nice 17″ Bass from there and reported to them the size as they requested. The owner told me that fish had busted his grandson’s line and had me hold it up as he got his camera out for a photo.
Yes, some dock owners are really nice. But, as other’s have said, I’ve ran into a number of really ugly (Attitudes) people too!
I fish docks as long as they are not occupied by people. Once in a while I’ll ask if its ok to check things out around the dock if someone is out there and for the most part I don’t have, or haven’t had, any issues. If you’re decent around docks people will generally be decent to you.
I have had an occasional [censored] start dictating and that’s when its hard to swallow it down and just move off. But that’s what I do. I figure screw-em. If they are out there making it an issue you can pretty well assume that nothing you say will cool their heels so it’s not worth the air to even try to reason with them. I can come past the same dock later and give it a go.
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Each one has had thousands of dollars worth of damage done to their canopies, boat interiors and docks
Now you and/or your clients are really stretching it
Custom Bimini tops for boats, custom canopies for their custom boat lifts holding underneath their vintage wooden boats and 40′ yachts, stretching the truth egh? Try again. I’m not on a side here really, but I don’t put a veil of ignorance over my eyes either.
I’d never fish a dock that had people on it (that I could see). To me that is obnoxious and I’d be embarrassed. Can I legally fish it? Yeah, but that doesn’t make it right.
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My best & most embarrassing dock shot was a few years ago prefishing by myself for a tourney. Coming up to a few closely spaced docks with their boats tied on the outside ends when I fired a wacky rigged Seinko thru a space between a couple boats at the end of a dock. A Nice 19″ Bass nailed that Seinko as it hit the water with a BIG SPLASH. That’s when a Shrieking Scream nearly gave me a Heart Attack as a wet faced lovely 30 something bare chested/breasted brunette jumped up from her sun bathing. When she saw me, she quickly covered up with a towel and headed for her home up the hill. I apologized and moved along after a nice shot of some Eye Candy and releasing the Bass. (Note: I never saw her or any sign of anyone on the dock prior to her shrieking awakening).
Pictures,,,,,,,,, we gotta have pictures or it didn’t happen.
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My best & most embarrassing dock shot was a few years ago prefishing by myself for a tourney. Coming up to a few closely spaced docks with their boats tied on the outside ends when I fired a wacky rigged Seinko thru a space between a couple boats at the end of a dock. A Nice 19″ Bass nailed that Seinko as it hit the water with a BIG SPLASH. That’s when a Shrieking Scream nearly gave me a Heart Attack as a wet faced lovely 30 something bare chested/breasted brunette jumped up from her sun bathing. When she saw me, she quickly covered up with a towel and headed for her home up the hill. I apologized and moved along after a nice shot of some Eye Candy and releasing the Bass. (Note: I never saw her or any sign of anyone on the dock prior to her shrieking awakening).
Pictures,,,,,,,,, we gotta have pictures or it didn’t happen.
Don’t we both wish!
Maybe I should start using a Cap/Helmet Camera?
Came upon a Young woman standing knee deep in Cedar Lake, Calhoun chain in Minneapolis posing for her boyfriend/friend taking photo’s of her in her birthday suit.
Also, prefishing for a Bass Tourney, but with my partner “Karleen”, I think she was more embarassed than I was.
Simple Common sense should prevail…
Don’t pitch to docks that are occupied…be careful about hitting their docks or possessions. I just move on to the next vacant dock.
Too cold here for barechested brunettes…
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Too cold here for barechested brunettes…
Try removing the plastic or pork from your jig and take off the weed protectors. It makes it easier to hook up with a bikini leading to less misses. I find if you miss them on the first try you generally spook them.
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