Tablerock. Big Indian Little Indian And Camp Area. Boat Breakins

[Bill Babler]

My wife was a grammar school teacher for 25 yrs. and a durn good one. I have asked her many times, how many times do you need to tell someone something before you just give up. She always says, "as many times as it takes."

This is a topic that will never give up or go away. For some reason after all these years people still think that unattended boat docks are private and a nice neat keep off sign will surfice in warding off those unwanted or suspicious types.

I will say this again. You leave equipment on a boat dock you don't want it. Period.

As Champ and many others have said this didn't start last night. At our resort on Lake of the Ozarks in 1964 it was my job to take the gas tanks out of every rental boat and every guide boat and make sure there were no life jackets, oars or any equipment in any of the boats. It was placed under lock and key and yes we had a steel door on the dock shack. We had two minnow tanks and had to lock them also.. Raccoons you know. 6 footers. All our motors were chained to the transom of the boats and we still lost some.

As you know I have had equipment stolen from my dock at Shell Knob. My fault plain and simple. Just to lazy and slotherly to remove it.

I helped perpetuate the theft by making it available. I don't do that any more.

Yes troller it curdles my stomach to read and hear about this. It also just burns me up to think that people just leave equipment in boats and not expect this to happen. Not if or maybe it will happen, but WHEN.

Picked up at a couple of big docks in the Baxter and Shell Knob area this last week. 10's of thousands of dollars of electronics, fishing equipment, props, ski's wake boards and Mustang Life Jackets lying all over the docks and in the open boats. Saw one Bass Cat with 2 big hummingbird units on the console and the bow, mounted on Ram's 2 SS props in the floor and 2 Mustang Life jackets in the seats. All had cobwebs and dust on them. Would take a thief 2 minutes to pick up 6 grand out of that boat. Another dock had an overhanging rod rack and I counted 31 rods either bait casters or spinning hanging from the roof of the dock. Some were Shimano. Most in fact.

There were bass boats in all the docks with electronics and tons of tackle just lying in them.

And you wonder why we have a problem. And you wonder why I don't feel sorry. I chose my words wrong. I hate the crime and the criminals that are doing this, but I am just shocked that some one would think that they would not.

Lets pick up after ourselves and not give these crooks the opportunity to take what we have all worked so hard for. Just take responsibility for you and yours.

Good Luck

[Jason Essary]

Amen Bill. Not like its the first time. And when it happens, dont act like you have never heard of it happening.

[Billfo]

They have also stolen a few JETSKIS and taken some for "joyrides" only to leave them either floating or run upon the rocks & weeds (like my neighbors).. 5 or 6 nights on a row. Dont know if anything happened last night as we left this am (back to the city) . I took all my good stuff out of my boat. Hopefully they dont decide to take my boat for a midnight run up on some rocky bank....

[troller]

Good words Bill. Its ashame this is even a topic because of the 1% out there that will always exist.

I enjoy reading your fishing posts alot more. Back to fishing!

[Billfo]

Sorry this thread possibly may have taken off on tangents, I just wanted all to be a little more careful with their stuff. I STILL don't lock my boats compartments and the boxes are still inside them. Once someone gets in my boat- they are going to take what they want. IF I lock the compartments they will pry them open anyway & damage my boat. I can always replace whats inside- I did remove 4 my more expensive rods & reels and electronics, & will just cart them back & forth each night & each morning. Since they thieves are slicing up boat covers to get inside, I removed my nice cover for a while & put on the Walmart cover that's just good enough to protect from bird crap.

I agree, not worth killing someone over..and shooting the jetski -which "was" my preference (is probably a stolen getaway vehicle anyway) .

[Bill Babler]

Sorry this thread possibly may have taken off on tangents, I just wanted all to be a little more careful with their stuff. I STILL don't lock my boats compartments and the boxes are still inside them. Once someone gets in my boat- they are going to take what they want. IF I lock the compartments they will pry them open anyway & damage my boat. I can always replace whats inside- I did remove 4 my more expensive rods & reels and electronics, & will just cart them back & forth each night & each morning. Since they thieves are slicing up boat covers to get inside, I removed my nice cover for a while & put on the Walmart cover that's just good enough to protect from bird crap.

I agree, not worth killing someone over..and shooting the jetski -which "was" my preference (is probably a stolen getaway vehicle anyway) .

Truly wise words and deeds. Thanks for not only the thread but the wisdom you have departed. BB

[Bill Babler]

Just a quick minute to speak about docks. And, yes we have one. For one thing, we need to get this and keep this in mind. They are not personal property, they are not your safe place they are indeed nothing more than a hole in the water to throw money and time into. As has already been mentioned. They are not your private or personal residence or your lake home. Nothing of the kind. and the crooks know this. They would not enter your home, but they will pick up your junk on a boat dock.

Dock's are nothing more than a wooden structure setting on public property most times out of any type of view that is covered with huge amounts of expensive toys and traps. Our dock is the most expensive yearly investment we have a our lake cabin at Shell Knob. The only reason we keep it is for the kids to swim off of. We very seldom put a boat there and never leave it unattended even over a lunch break.

You leave your boat in a dock even on a lift and it starts degrading immediately. Not to mention you really must not leave anything in it for fear of destruction and theft. Birds, animals, constant movement dirt, insects and the elements immediately start aging your expensive investment. Tarps collect moisture. I have very seldom seen a boat at a dock that was not molded or wet or damp.

Some people were dumb enough to pay 20 to 30 grand for their slip. ie "hole in the water." You could have built a wonderful drive thru garage for that and not restricted yourself to a very small area of the lake to fish. You could have learned the entire lake and fished where ever they are biting, instead of hammering on the same old spots day after day. Even if they are not biting there.

I'm 58 and it takes me no more that 3 minutes to launch or load a boat. It takes longer to raise or lower the lift in our slip.

As has been stated I can fish Taneycomo, Bull Shoals, or any part of Table Rock with easy access with in minutes. If I read that Quill or RPS are hammering them up the river, I can be there in minutes. If Denny is catching them at the Dam. I'm there in 30 minutes. If Champ is catching them out of Kimberling City it is only minutes for me to be helping him.

If my boat is on a lift at the Knob and my gear is in the Cabin I'm just sunk. Yes I catch fish at the Knob, but I'm not opposed to run from Baxter to Eagle Rock either. Most folks with docks will not make those type of runs. They fish a little milk run around the dock where they have caught a fish from time to time.

Took some folks this last week from Baxter. They had a cabin and a dock and they have had the cabin for 25 yrs. They said they wanted to see some new technique and water and learn how to catch Summer time fish. I picked them up and buzzed out of the Big Indian. Kanakut was in full swing at 6;30 in the morning and just beating the water to a froth. We blew 10 miles above Shell Knob and caught and released 52 bass and 2 walleye. In 25 yrs. they had never been above the Shell Knob Bridge. They said why are we going this far? After 30 minutes of fishing there were no more questions, only smiles. I told them If I could catch numbers and it does not have to be 50 right now at Baxter I would have stayed there. That type of fishing is not available at Baxter right now. But by being mobile it is available.

They said they had no idea they could catch fish like this on Table Rock at any time of the year, let along the Last of July. They are always biting somewhere on Table Rock. I drove the boat that far, I'm getting paid. I would usually have just trailered up there to start if that is where I wanted to fish.

Another point is that I never fish the same water two days in a row. NEVER. Nothing will hurt you more than fishing used water. This is one reason that the Big time derby boys struggle here at times. Table Rock will very rarely let you go back. You can fish similar and different, but going back is a receipt for disaster.

Just a few thoughts from a dock owner about docks.

Good Luck all and back to fishing.

[Champ188]

True words one and all. If you don't pay attention to the dock part, take the last part to heart. You CANNOT beat on these Table Rock fish in the least bit. They will clam up and not bite again until you go home. Been there, done that.

[Smalliebigs]

Good for you Bo.....I would have paid good money to see those scumbags faces when you popped up....oh, that would have been sweet

sounds like it might be time to do a little sleeping in your boat with a shotgun loaded with rock salt. several years ago, i was having gas drained out of my boat. i spent a few nights sleeping in the floor of the boat with a shotgun. sure enough they showed up again. they got quite a surprise when i popped up out of the floor, and invited them to not come back or else. i feel for those that are losing their property.

bo

[skeeter]

"Lead "em like a duck" ! Yeah buddy ! ROTFLMAO ! Since when has it become unlawful or un-American to protect your property with force ?