Fishing Rules

[Champ188]

Gracia, SKMO. I shall print that out and stash it in my boat for when owners/users of noncommercial docks start spouting off about no fishing being allowed around their docks.

[CaptainJoe]

Here is a list of the docks that you are prohibited from Fishing;

Cricket Creek Marina

State Park Marina

Indian Point Marina

13 Marina or Port of Kimberling Marina

Cape Fair Marina

Baxter Marina

Campbell Point Marina

Viola Marina

Big M Marina

Eagle Rock Marina

Holiday Island Marina

All others are open game. The only other one that might be in qestion is Hideaway up the James as they I believe have gas on the dock. All others are OK.

Add the Branson Belle to that list. They have posted signs, as well.

[CaptainJoe]

To quote the letter:

All signs will be consistent with the US Army

Corps of Engineers Sign Standards.

- An agreement was reached in a meeting with representatives of state agencies and the US

Army Corps of Engineers that would permit marina concessionaires to restrict activities to their

patrons only by posting restriction signs. The restrictions would apply within 50 feet of storelgas

docks, restaurants docks, and boat storage docks. The restricted areas would be identified by the

posting of standard Corps signs. The first sign message is for placement on docks with an

alternate message for placement of breakwaters and at buoy lines where appropriate.

"Restricted - Marina Customers only within 50 feet from this dock".

"Restricted - Marina Customers only beyond this sign".

As anyone seen these signs? The wording must be exact and be approved by the Corps. As far as I am concerned, this letter will go in my boat and if the signs I see do not comply with this letter, then the Corps has not approved the commercial area and I intend to fish that area. I will not give copies of this letter to commercial area owners. Let them do their own homework.

[rangerman]

My dock is the one with all of the rebar snags under it. Makes it east to collect baits from the poor bass fishing souls. Also love to see jigs broke off on the rails and dangling, texas rigged worms on the floor broke off.

[dtrs5kprs]

To quote the letter:

All signs will be consistent with the US Army

Corps of Engineers Sign Standards.

- An agreement was reached in a meeting with representatives of state agencies and the US

Army Corps of Engineers that would permit marina concessionaires to restrict activities to their

patrons only by posting restriction signs. The restrictions would apply within 50 feet of storelgas

docks, restaurants docks, and boat storage docks. The restricted areas would be identified by the

posting of standard Corps signs. The first sign message is for placement on docks with an

alternate message for placement of breakwaters and at buoy lines where appropriate.

"Restricted - Marina Customers only within 50 feet from this dock".

"Restricted - Marina Customers only beyond this sign".

As anyone seen these signs? The wording must be exact and be approved by the Corps. As far as I am concerned, this letter will go in my boat and if the signs I see do not comply with this letter, then the Corps has not approved the commercial area and I intend to fish that area. I will not give copies of this letter to commercial area owners. Let them do their own homework.

If they are around the Schooner side of 13HWY I have missed them. Maybe they are up on the walkway ends of the docks? Guess I can see the possible safety issue with big boats coming out of slips, but might have been nice if it applied to warm weather months when there are more boats in and out of those places. Some of the docks I used to fish late in the year, and saw lots of others running, are in the fringes of those areas described, and are light on traffic in Nov/Dec. Seems like it is a possible setup for making a move to close fishing around places like condo docks. Not hard to imagine a condo assoc atty arguing for that.

In Schooner you have to be at least familiar with the marina layout to know which docks are which, esp where they run in towards Lighthouse and Kimberling Oaks. See quite a few "one big trip per year" types of folks fishing around some of those, esp in out of state boats (like IL, WI, etc).

Would purely love to see some folks get tickets for throwing wakes inside the buoys in Schooner though. It was terrible during the Neb Federation, and the days following.

[dtrs5kprs]

Being slightly bored this evening, I read back through this deal and was struck by a couple of bits of language used:

"6. Policy.

(a) Recreational opportunity on public waters is guaranteed, but it is subject to both state and federal rules and regulations governing access to some places to prevent conflict and provide for the most appropriate activity. Conditions contained in current commercial concession leases state that "No attempt shall be made by the lessee to forbid the full and free use by the public of the water areas of the project". Concessionaires cannot, on their own initiative, post signs to establish a commercial zone. Permission for the establishment of a commercial zone and sign placement must be requested by the concessionaire after documented evidence that the need exists and that the safety and protection of the public is at risk. No authorization for sign placement and the establishment of a commercial zone in a leased area may be granted without written authority from Chief, Real Estate Branch. All signs will be consistent with the US Army Corps of Engineers Sign Standards.

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c. If a marina owner has the authority to post signs as a condition in their lease

agreement, but no signs are present, a courtesy notification is requested to be provided to the Operations Project Manager when "Commercial Zone" signs are placed. All other marina

owners must request authority to place signage designating a commercial zone. The request must be written and forwarded to Chief, Real Estate Branch through the Operations Project Manager for consideration. Requests for additional restrictions such as opening ingress and egress lanes, while considered nominal, must be similarly requested using the same process. Authority to place signs conveys no authority to the concessionaire to enforce any provision of this policy. Enforcement will be the responsibility of Corps Park Rangers and local and state law enforcement agencies as stated in their administrative order. However, this is to be a low priority enforcement action.

d. Approved signage in accordance with the Corps Sign Standards Manual will be placed

on each dock where restrictions apply. Limits of the commercial zone will be determined from

the dock. Casting of fishing tackle by marina patrons or other lake users is prohibited iq the commercial zone."

First...Just b/c it is a marina with a sign might not mean it is approved. Can only assume the areas listed by Bill & Joe are approved, but not much to stop someone else from trying to take advantage of the regulation, or simply overlooking that step.

Second....Note the specific limitations placed on marina customers in the same posted areas. I don't ever intend to push the issue, but if anyone ever brought it up, I would certainly be snapping digital pics of anyone fishing from the boats or docks in the slips, including untended lines, bank fishermen, etc. Also similar language in one section covering swimming and other water activities by marina patrons.

Looks to me like COE was at least trying to be even-handed in that regard, and gave the dock owners a bit of the old "be careful what you ask for".