Fishing Slip Lights Cumberland

[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?

[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.

[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]

???? 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.

[stuck1]

I have typed and re-typed my response, and came to the realization that I agree with you in general. The parts that I don't agree with are for the most part trivial, which would make me arguing just to argue. Although popular opinion tends to say that internet forums are solely a place to argue arbitrary points, I am more interested in finding a solution to the problem.

For me, the issue is that someone negligently cast a lure and broke your light, and dinged up your boat. Instead of stopping and leaving contact info like a decent person, they just left. The similar situation I can think of is a hit and run scenario. If I change lanes without looking causing a collision, I have not necessarily committed a criminal act. However, if I blow it off, and drive away, I have. I am not exactly saying we should start charging these people criminally, but my example is more of an idea for a solution. In the event of a hit and run, the only hope the victim has in finding the one responsible, is to get a vehicle description and plate number.

My solution is for you (or the dock) to set up a camera of some sort, and go after the actual person who damages your property. In the grand scheme of things, most people on the water aren't tossing a 3/4 oz spinnerbait next to your boat. Personally I have a little honey hole close to a dock (not Grider Hill), but don't ever really fish the slips of the dock. I also don't pull up and fish a dock with someone fishing off of it. I don't want to have to pay for gel-coat repair, as well as I would much rather see someone limited to there fishing area catch the monster under the dock than me. I can go find my own monster. However, why should someone like me, not be able to fish one of my favorite summer night spots? I know one bad apple ruins the bunch, but there is a fairly easy solution to actually weed out the bad apples instead of just punishing everybody.

We all know that common decency is going by the wayside. I'm not excusing the matter in any way. I would just like to not be punished with the bad apples.

[Duayne]

I think we all go through the stage of arguing on the internet just to argue. I've been past that for a long time now and I, too, am much more interested in solutions and providing\gaining information these days.
The camera idea is a good one, but why not just get people in the mindset that if they accidentally cause damage, they take responsibility for it.
You know, the light is less than $30 so it isn't about the money. It's about working your tail off to finally be able to get to the water, you've put in a lot of time and effort to be successful at what you are about to do on the water, you come down to put the plan in play and someone has messed with your stuff. Luckily, in my case, Larry, the guide that is a few slips down from me, saw the light was out. I had told him to watch it. He saw the light was out and put another one in it's place. I didn't even know the glass was busted out until I went to leave. I always put two out but the second one isn't as powerful as the first. I plan to fix that soon. That way one can go out and there is still light.

Anyway, I hope this can best explain my point of view on all this..