End Of Public Ownership Below City Park

[parachiteadams39]

Some weeks ago there was a question on where public ownership below city park ends.

I did some looking on Google Maps and it is approx:

36 deg. 54' 28.57"

-93 deg. 34' 39.95"

Keep in mind I haven't actually stood there, so maybe someone can go with a GPS and nail this down better.

[troutbum479]

surprised this has no replies till now. So since no signs or fences to indicate that im trespassing i need to carry my gps just to make sure i don't get shot? just my 2 cents.

[ozark trout fisher]

Stream access topics are probably best for me not to get involved in.

I do not ever intentionally break the law by wading non-navigable streams through private land (because I am honestly not sure what a navigable stream is, and I don't think anyone is) but I often rely on "gray area" on streams that may or may not be navigable and have good sections of trout of smallmouth bass water that flow through private land-and maybe Crane would fit into that category-not having fished it I don't really know.

Just throwing that out there.Although regardless of the legalities, you always have to be careful of half-crazed trigger-happy landowners-most aren't like that, but a few are.

[parachiteadams39]

As you say we probably don't need to get this whole discussion started again. The point was to provide useful information to the majority of us who don't wish to trespass.

Those who don't care (or who willfully choose to remain in the dark) may obviously ignore this information.

BTW given the abilities of smart phones, many of us have a GPS with us at all times anyway.

[eric1978]

When we were on Crane in December we were greeted by a nice gentleman with a revolver and told we were trespassing. I don't remember seeing any signs. I don't have a smart phone with gps, but I do have a canoe that would easily float down Crane with a little bit of dragging. It's navigable in my book, but I'm sure the local "authorities" have a different opinion.

Just sayin'.

[troutbum479]

I fished Crane this morning with my dad. We walked down the river till we could see the dairy farm. We were fishing and heard a noise coming from the other side of the creek, it was a gentleman with what looked to be tools to repair a fence. He was kind and ask if we had caught any fish and we said a few. At no point did he say that we were trespassing or on his land. He did say if we fish during April to be careful and watch out for turkey hunters. The gentleman could have been just some random guy out in the woods, but who knows. By the way the creek fished good till the sun came out then it slowed down. Did manage to catch a nice 21 inch fish.

[parachiteadams39]

I fished Crane this morning with my dad. We walked down the river till we could see the dairy farm. We were fishing and heard a noise coming from the other side of the creek, it was a gentleman with what looked to be tools to repair a fence. He was kind and ask if we had caught any fish and we said a few. At no point did he say that we were trespassing or on his land. He did say if we fish during April to be careful and watch out for turkey hunters. The gentleman could have been just some random guy out in the woods, but who knows. By the way the creek fished good till the sun came out then it slowed down. Did manage to catch a nice 21 inch fish.

I can assure you you were trespassing. I happen to know the owner and he would not be happy to hear his renter gave you this greeting. I hope you at least put that fish back!!!

[troutbum479]

i always put the fish back. Three guys with zebco 33's walked in behind us. They might have keeped some fish. I have my own views on trespassing and stream access as do you. I've heard all kinds of stories about land owners with guns running people off. Could it be that people don't want others fishing their honey holes? The only place that i have been confronted about trespassing was at a golf course in Bella Vista. And i stayed in the river till the sheriff showed up and asked me what i was doing. I told him that i was fishing and i was about to leave due to it getting dark. After a smile and have a good evening he told the snob in the golf cart that i was ok to fish and he had no right by law of run me off.

[parachiteadams39]

When we were on Crane in December we were greeted by a nice gentleman with a revolver and told we were trespassing. I don't remember seeing any signs. I don't have a smart phone with gps, but I do have a canoe that would easily float down Crane with a little bit of dragging. It's navigable in my book, but I'm sure the local "authorities" have a different opinion.

Just sayin'.

My understanding (oh god why have we gotten started on this again!) is that the legal definition of "navigable" is that it be able to be "navigated" for the bulk of the year. "Navigated" I guess is the difficult word here. I know that in December you must have had to do A LOT of dragging since there were places the creek was three feet wide and others it was four inches deep! Unfortunately there very places where it was very shallow with a gravel bottom -- a place where you'd have needed to "drag" -- are also where fish lay their eggs.

Just sayin'.

[parachiteadams39]

i always put the fish back. Three guys with zebco 33's walked in behind us. They might have keeped some fish. I have my own views on trespassing and stream access as do you. I've heard all kinds of stories about land owners with guns running people off. Could it be that people don't want others fishing their honey holes? The only place that i have been confronted about trespassing was at a golf course in Bella Vista. And i stayed in the river till the sheriff showed up and asked me what i was doing. I told him that i was fishing and i was about to leave due to it getting dark. After a smile and have a good evening he told the snob in the golf cart that i was ok to fish and he had no right by law of run me off.

"Could it be that people don't want others fishing their honey holes?"

You mean like the people who struggle to pay mortgages on the land, who work to preserve and improve the habitat (efforts and improvements which benefit all users of the stream), who pick up the trash others (not saying you but in general) leave behind, who collect their cows from the highway & neighbors when uninvited "guests" leave gates open? Yeah, I think those people have a right to know that when they go down to their their honey holes on their land it hasn't been fished an hour before...

Thanks for putting the fish back! Seriously. It was legal to keep and the fact you put it back tells me there's more we agree about than disagree about.