Odd Observations Around Docks

[Old plug]

Side scanning units are not so much the answer. You can see the brush but if your in the wrong place at the wrong doing the wrong thing they will bot help you much.

[fishinwrench]

The new age sonar systems are really cool toys and I have installed quite a number of elaborate "systems", but there is a profound pattern that I notice....

A year or two after the "upgrade" the person hasn't caught any more fish than he used to without it....

And engine hours @ under 1500 RPM increases x5....

And the number of voltage regulator overheats has increased.

Everyone is so afraid that they might have to fish through some unproductive water.... I just don't get it. It's as if they assume that they don't need any more casting practice.

Laziness, that's what it is.

[Old plug]

I agree people depend to much on that electronic stuff to much. If I did that I would loose my concentration of what I was doing with my all the rest of my fishing stuff. Just two weeks ago I had as many as 4 boats at a time working the 3 docks here that I have brushed. They would do things like moving in to close to the brush pile and fishing right down into it. They were also out there on the middle of the day. Fish are not usually not very active in the middle of the day. There will be times. That weekend certainly was not one of those times. Some would catch a few fish but nothing that great. Only thing I do not like is when they come up and stick the bow of the boat into the same well my boat is in. Some guy 2 weeks ago done that and got caught in a heavy wake and smashed into my prop and tore it up. I also worry about people getting out on the dock. I do not know if they are nice people or thief. Other than that it does not bother me a bit. Hope they have a nice time. But I certainly do not worry about them catching to many of the crappie and ruining my fishing.

[conorsixtakc]

^{I have a buddy that tied a rope across an open slip with no brush and then put a swim ladder by the one that had his boat lift AND all the brush in it he also another ladder on the outside edge that was covered with brush... he claims it works well and laughs while he watches people fight the ropes to try and throw into the slip with no brush in it. He does admit they catch a few out of that slip but nothing compared to the other one!}

That's hilarious Goggle-Eyed, and pretty clever! Unlike some other people trying to booby-trap their own dock in an effort to hinder another man's day on the water... what a waste of time! hah.

[WHARFRAT]

I personally like the new electronics, it has helped my "lazy a$$" eliminate certain areas. I really love my new down-imaging I have on the trolling motor. Still learning the side-imaging. I haven't got it tuned in like some others that I've seen. I'm still a little old school. I don't have any gps waypoints marked. I still get in the general area by marking a tree and lining up with some other point. One of these days maybe I'll get to it.

I do agree with what everyone says. You do have to respect the dock owners. I know of a couple owners that don't like you fishing anywhere near their docks, so I usually skip them. There are a lot of other docks out there. Sometimes their comments are humorous and off the mark, but they probably

have a good reason, and like I said, there are numerous other spots out there.

I can say I rarely ever jump on someones dock to retreive my jig, unless it looks like someone might get hurt by stepping on it or brushing up against it.

The other thing, I don't agree with someone booby-trapping their dock. I understand it, but don't agree.

[Old plug]

I am a dock owner WARFRAT and I would newer bother you fishing around my dock. If I was you I would just to ahead and fish. THEY ARE I HAVE NO RIGHT TO STOP YOU. I never bother anyone for retrieving a jig or anything else off the dock either. But if they are up there standing around my lockers fishing I worry about it.

[WHARFRAT]

In my younger years, I would have had fun with a couple of these dock owners, but now, it's not worth it. Plus, 99% of the owners that I encounter, want to ask me how I'm doing and what and how am I catching them. Some have pointed me to places around their docks, or given me some places they've had success. Last month, I was talking to some people that were having a good time on their dock, watching the ballgame and bbq-ing, they even asked me to come on up and join them. I had never met them before. It just shows, there's a lot of nice people out there.

So anymore, I just avoid the small minority.

[MOPanfisher]

My experience has been pretty much like yours Wharfrat, vast majority of dock owners have been quite pleasant. I do go outof my way to go around them if they happen to be fishing and not disturb them. Have had several tell where another pile close by is, a few have scared the living bejeebers out of me when I didn't see them sitting the shadows and they spoke up to ask me how I was doing. Once I re-started my heart we had some friendly talk.

[Old plug]

we had a guy here for awhile that put big sprinkler on his dock and would turn it on when you tried to fish. He got a visit from the conservation officers and that was the end of that. Someone told me also that ARMENS sent him a notice about it.

[conorsixtakc]

we had a guy here for awhile that put big sprinkler on his dock and would turn it on when you tried to fish. He got a visit from the conservation officers and that was the end of that. Someone told me also that ARMENS sent him a notice about it.

Too funny! I'm sure it was a hot August afternoon and he was just trying to cool them off

In my younger years a man in what was then Big Thunder cove took it upon himself to personally warn me against doing donuts on my wave runner in front of his place, despite the fact I was well outside of the no-wake buoys. He proceeded to chase me down on his wave runner when I was on my way home, and literally collided with me (I think in his blind rage he forgot wave runners didn't have brakes at the time). Mind you I was probably 14 and he looked to be at least 50. I knew that what I was doing was bothering him, but causing no harm whatsoever.

I thought it was hilarious then, and I think it's hilarious now when people take it upon themselves to interfere with the harmless fun of others with reckless abandon.

Looking forward to another summer