>I can totally understand boat and
>dock owners being unhappy when
>someone hits their boat with
>a lure (there's nothing louder
>than a jighead hitting a
>pontoon boat first thing in
>the morning)or leaving hooks or
>fishing line hanging on their
>docks. As far as
>I'm concerned, that's a totally
>different issue, though. Damaging
>other peoples' property or blocking
>a person's access to their
>dock or a gas pump
>dock while you're fishing should
>not be tolerated by anyone.
> But when I'm fishing
>on a public body of
>water, not damaging anyone else's
>property or preventing anyone else
>from enjoying their time on
>the water I feel like
>I shouldn't be harassed by
>anyone. The boats, the
>docks, and even the land
>surrounding the water may be
>private property, but it is
>my belief that the water
>itself is for the use
>of all the public, not
>just the ones with the
>big boats and dock leases.
> With that said, I
>will be fishing a tournament
>on the McAlpine pool this
>coming weekend, so I may
>need to call someone to
>bail me out of jail.
>

I had heard that BASS took a marina to court on the Mississippi River pool around Keokuk pool and won(this was about 15 years ago). It was my belief that if you can get to it by boat you can fish it. I fished Lake Eufaula and had the plant manager of Mann bait marking maps for me. The Navy or Coast Guard had an instillation on the Lake with huge no trespassing signs going into the bay, he told me be sure to fish this bay that they legally can not keep you out of their. I went in fished it and talked to someone in uniform on the bank. Nothing was said and the rest of the story I didn't catch any fish in there.

We could email Bass and get there view on this.

Steve