Quote:
Originally Posted by gravy boat
Dick,
When fisherman stop trolling where my children swim, I'll be a bit more tolerant. I don't care if anybody fishes...just stay away from swimming areas -- out of common courtesy. In the last four years we had two cases of discarded fishhooks stuck in the feet (in 3 to 5 feet of water within 20 feet of shore between where the boats are moored and the shoreline).
You're right -- the water is public. But common courtesy should be shown by all, whether you pay taxes to live there or you pay a launch fee to have access.
But don't complain to me if you and your buddies encounter a water balloon at 6:30 am after waking me up or if you're too close to where we are swimming. ;-)
GB
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Let me start out by saying you are correct. Common courtesy is needed, when people are actually swimming. Home owners property ends at the waterline. If no one is on their dock, rafts, beach then fisherman have EVERY right to fish anywhere they want except for inside marked swim areas that are PERMITTED. Just because you put a line across the front of your property 50 yards from shore does not make it a legal swim area. Your swim area is a privlede, just like my ability to fish. Yours doesn't superceed mine and vise versa.
Bass, for the most part are a shallow water fish. They live on or near the shoreline. That is where fisherman have to target them. If I see a family using thier dock/beach I skip on by. If its 8am and you are in your house and I feel a fish may be in and around your beach, I'm fishing.
Think about this. What if every homeowner on a lake said "not in front of my house" ? There would be no place for anyone to fish.