Fishing Slip Lights Cumberland

[Duayne]

It seems that the off topic will not go away in the night fishing thread. I helped get that one off topic (guilty; my bad) but I also think I deserve counter credit for helping get it back on topic. So, I made this thread for people to bash my opinions as much as they want to. I am sure my brand of logic will not sway them and I am sure their brand of logic will not sway me but at least it will be on topic here.

So..

You put lights out to attract the bait fish from other parts of the area. Now, when we are looking for bait balls to find fish they are concentrated around your lights. And you say we can't fish around them? That's absurd! How can you honestly defend what you're saying?

I just want to here more about slip owners owning the water under them and the light in the sky. Guys you own whats floating on the water, not the water. I can't believe a true fisherman would make that claim. I guess the structure you sank is yours too. Because you work as a guide or whatever doesn't give you the right to tell someone not to fish your water or artificial light. If I am wrong please show me the document you live by and I will say I am sorry and move on. I read all this stuff and sometimes can't help but ask for clarification.

People can read and people know that much of what is said above is not what I said.
A) I never claimed that I "owned" anything under the water. I did say you can't reach the water without entering an area I pay for so I hope we are clear on that.
B) I am not a guide.
C) I said in the other thread that the lights in the sky are for all to enjoy! Have at it! Just leave my lights that are down next to the water alone. Last time down someone busted out one of my lights by what looks like casting into the slip from the dock. That is destruction of property.
D) Does anyone honestly believe that my little lights are drawing all the bait in the lake to them? I must have those magic loogy lights!

Lets look at this another way. Let's say you take your family to a public park for a picnic. Lets say you find a nice picnic table that is available. Lets say you spread out a nice table cloth and put down some nice cushy cushions for your family to sit no. Lets say you take your family for a walk. Lets say you come back and find that I've taken over that table. It is a public park and it is a public table. What's wrong with me using it?

[GITN-JIGY]

[QUOTE=Duayne;53258




Lets look at this another way. Let's say you take your family to a public park for a picnic. Lets say you find a nice picnic table that is available. Lets say you spread out a nice table cloth and put down some nice cushy cushions for your family to sit no. Lets say you take your family for a walk. Lets say you come back and find that I've taken over that table. It is a public park and it is a public table. What's wrong with me using it?[/QUOTE]


It is not the same...

You do not own the bait, water, or the slip, only the light is your property. Are you not going to allow the other slip owners to fish from the slip they lease if it is next to yours? Also you dont make my boat payments so you do not tell me where to fish!

[Duayne]

It is not the same...

You do not own the bait, water, or the slip, only the light is your property. Are you not going to allow the other slip owners to fish from the slip they lease if it is next to yours? Also you dont make my boat payments so you do not tell me where to fish!

Actually, you are misinformed. I pay rent on the slip, therefore I am a tenant of the slip. All possession, usage, access, trespassing laws state that a renter is granted the same rights as if they own the property. So, I do, in the eyes of the law, "own" the slip. And simply saying it isn't the same doesn't hold water unless you can provide a valid argument as to how it isn't the same. I never claimed to own the bait or water just as I never claimed you owned the picnic table or the land underneath it. So how is it really not the same? I can answer that. It isn't the same because I actually do have more rights to my slip than you do to the picnic table.

[SLP]

Lets look at this another way. Let's say you take your family to a public park for a picnic. Lets say you find a nice picnic table that is available. Lets say you spread out a nice table cloth and put down some nice cushy cushions for your family to sit no. Lets say you take your family for a walk. Lets say you come back and find that I've taken over that table. It is a public park and it is a public table. What's wrong with me using it?

The problem with this analogy is that you were still in the process of your picnic (your stuff is all there and you just walked away for a short bit), and that they were using your items.

A better analogy using your picnic scenario would be that you were having the picnic and you also went to the trouble of stringing up and hanging one of those lights that help keep bugs away from a close by tree. When you finished the picnic you packed everything up and left, however since you planned on picnicking there again within the next couple of days you chose to leave the bug light hanging in the tree. Then after you were gone another family came there to picnic and seeing the bug light hanging there chose to use that public spot because they could see the benefit of sitting there because of your light that you left there. They didn't touch or take your light just chose to picnic there since you were not there.

[Duayne]

But what if I just walked away from my light? All my other stuff is still there and set up for my picnic of catching bait. So I say my scenario is still much more valid than yours. Plus, again, this is my light in my slip, so that means I get even more latitude than the picnic.
Again, someone thought they were this expert caster, didn't mean to cause any harm, but busted my light in my slip. I have never understood why it is so important to catch a fish that it's worth taking a chance on harming someone else's property.

You know, this whole topic has given me a grand idea. I think I will make Grider Hill aware of the issue and suggest they post the same restrictions as Alligator 2. No fishing unless you own a slip. That would certainly make it black and white. With the complaints of damage to boats and covers, I imagine they have already considered it. I have a huge hole in my motor cover due to an expert cast gone bad. I am sure I am not the only one! But why does it come to that? Why can't people simply value other peoples property and space?

[SLP]

But what if I just walked away from my light? All my other stuff is still there and set up for my picnic of catching bait. So I say my scenario is still much more valid than yours. Plus, again, this is my light in my slip, so that means I get even more latitude than the picnic.
Again, someone thought they were this expert caster, didn't mean to cause any harm, but busted my light in my slip. I have never understood why it is so important to catch a fish that it's worth taking a chance on harming someone else's property.

You know, this whole topic has given me a grand idea. I think I will make Grider Hill aware of the issue and suggest they post the same restrictions as Alligator 2. No fishing unless you own a slip. That would certainly make it black and white. With the complaints of damage to boats and covers, I imagine they have already considered it. I have a huge hole in my motor cover due to an expert cast gone bad. I am sure I am not the only one! But why does it come to that? Why can't people simply value other peoples property and space?

If there was obvious signs that you were presently there fishing and using your slip at that moment in time and maybe had just walked away to go to the restroom or something, I think it would be in very poor taste for someone to pull up and fish there or pull up on anyone fishing for that matter be it they were in a boat, on a slip or on shore.

And by all means if someone damages your property they should leave a note or contact you in some way and pay for the repair just as a person should leave a note on a windshield if they dented you car in a parking lot. I don't think anyone would condone damaging property or skipping out if doing so accidently.

I don't fish that lake or I fish at night so I really don't have a dog in this hunt. Plus having had things damaged or property trespassed on I can certainly appreciate anyone's frustration for those things happening. It's just my opinion that getting worked up over someone scaring off bait fish near your slip when you aren't even at the property is wasted energy. Life is simply too short and unless you are there at the time fishing I doubt it will have a too dramatic affect on the bait fish by the time you would return. If it were me I would hang a sign that said "Please be carful when casting not to damage our property, Thank You". Maybe that would help people to empathize better with your situation and they would be more carful. I just don't see where begrudging anyone their enjoinment or success when fishing around you slip does anything but eat away at you and making you unhappy. IMHO you will benefit the most by just letting it go. Hey maybe your light helped a child catch his first nice fish of his life, or made the last fishing trip a son had with his dad a success. Try and take some solace or pleasure in those kinds of thoughts and you will likely greater enjoy your time there. Just my thoughts take them for what they are worth, which is probably very little

[Duayne]

Ah, then you you need to understand that a slip set up to actively catch bait looks MUCH different than your average slip with a light out. You know, I would have no problem if there was a light in my slip but no other signs that I was there. But when we are catching bait it is as obvious as a picnic that we are "there". And thanks for chiming in. It's great to get varied opinions on these type things.

[SLP]

Ah, then you you need to understand that a slip set up to actively catch bait looks MUCH different than your average slip with a light out. You know, I would have no problem if there was a light in my slip but no other signs that I was there. But when we are catching bait it is as obvious as a picnic that we are "there". And thanks for chiming in. It's great to get varied opinions on these type things.

You are right and I readily admit that I don't know what the setup looks like and I would certainly agree that if someone fishes a spot where it is obvious that others are there and setup themselves it horrible behavior. Not only very unsportsman like but just terrible manners or common curtsey in general. With the size of available water in most of these lakes I can never understand why anyone ever chooses to crowd anyone else. That is simply selfish behavior with no excuse.

[MJ]

Why not just put out one of those floating lights some place and sit and relax for an hour?

[GITN-JIGY]

Actually, you are misinformed. I pay rent on the slip, therefore I am a tenant of the slip. All possession, usage, access, trespassing laws state that a renter is granted the same rights as if they own the property. So, I do, in the eyes of the law, "own" the slip. And simply saying it isn't the same doesn't hold water unless you can provide a valid argument as to how it isn't the same. I never claimed to own the bait or water just as I never claimed you owned the picnic table or the land underneath it. So how is it really not the same? I can answer that. It isn't the same because I actually do have more rights to my slip than you do to the picnic table.

???? Duayne I believe I said it is not the same... you dont have a leg to stand on in the eye of the law it is all about courtesy. Are people actually touching or entering your slip? I have never fished in someones slip or under their lights from a boat or the dock.

[Duayne]

Why not just put out one of those floating lights some place and sit and relax for an hour?

Great question!!
I'll do that when the bait moves out to the main. But it's very handy to be able to catch bait in your slip if the weather is bad and the bait is there. Plus, I'll usually catch enough to set up two tanks. That means I only need to catch bait one night and I can set it all up in my slip as I go. no over crowding one tank to haul them back to the secondary tank so being at the slip to set up the second tank is another plus. Also, the floating lights do not typically do as well as the lights we use in slips. But there are newer lights that can out perform the crappie lights and they can be used over the side of a boat. Look up http://hydroglow.com/ for those type options if you are ever interested.

[Duayne]

???? Duayne I believe I said it is not the same... you dont have a leg to stand on in the eye of the law it is all about courtesy. Are people actually touching or entering your slip? I have never fished in someones slip or under their lights from a boat or the dock.

When they bust out my lights they are obviously touching and entering my slip. Worst, I walk up and find the dock wet where someone has dropped a net on my light. That's a topic for another day... Ahh, you haven't fished out of someone's slip that has lights out. I feel certain you would understand if you came on a slip set up for bait.