Permission

[FlatsNBay]

What are some of the ways that you've asked for permission to bank fish some private property?

When I was a kid, we used to sneak into a pond without permission. We would try and catch as many bass as we could before the elderly couple who lived on the property would kick us out. It was really good. I had the idea to ask for permission. My buddy and I picked a variety of fruits from our yards and collected bags of mangos, oranges, tangerines, and grapefruits. We knocked on the door and was met by the elderly couple. We handed over all our bags of fruit and then asked if it would be ok if we fished in their pond. They said that nobody had asked them before. They said yes!! It was one of the best places to fish.

Anybody else have good stories about getting permission to bank fish?

Sent from my moto e5 play using Tapatalk

[Princeton_Man]

We just went up to the home and asked. Sometimes it led up to visiting much longer than expected, but everyone knew who everyone was, within at least a 50 mile radius.

Most folks would say "fish anytime you like", if they didn't,  we'd ask permission each time.

That's a pretty clever idea using the fruit to soften them up!

A lot has changed here in the past 50 years. Farms that have been in families as many as 200 years have been abandoned by today's generations, sold, subdivided, and bought up by folks who don't even want to know their next door neighbors. If there's a pond on the property, they forbid anyone from fishing for fear of liabilities.

[D.W. Verts]

I'll be doing a YT video very soon on that very subject.

Dale

[Eric-Maine]

My son has an app on his phone that shows property lines over Google earth mapping with names of owners of the each lot. He uses it for hunting. It was dated though. We have lived almost 6 years here and it showed previous owners still. For $100 a year it should be more accurate imo. Property lines great to have. I learned a bit about my own land.

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk

[D.W. Verts]

I use a Plat book, which was correct about two months before it went to print... Every 4-6 years. The GIS sites associated with the County Seat are the most reliable, and many times are updated within days of a sale of a parcel. I'm a huge believer in property lines, the sanctity of a property owner, and getting permission. All of this is going to be in my video, sometime in the next week or so.

Dale

[FlatsNBay]

That reminds me, a friend does research on the property appraiser website in search for hunting lands and then he sends the property owner a nice letter and it works for him! I tried it for fishing at a spot near my house and sent the owner a nice letter and crickets! I never heard back.

Sent from my moto e5 play using Tapatalk

[bigjim5589]

I never fished many places that were private as there was plenty of public access where I fished.

When I was a kid, I fished often at a boat yard property, almost every day, and never asked for permission, just started going there. The gentleman who owned the boat yard built wooden boats, and had a pier where he rented boat slips, and saw me often and never said anything, so I figured it was OK.

I had been fishing there a few years and got accused of breaking into some boats and stealing. The accusation had no basis other than I was there a lot.  One fellow who had his boat there accused me because some electronics had been stolen from his boat.  I was 14, and had no use for electronics, I was only there to fish. I never got on any of the boats unless I hooked a mooring line, which I didn't do a lot.

To make a long story short, one morning I went there to fish and two men were down there sitting in a old pickup truck. This was right at daylight so no one else was around and I had never seen them there before. I later had a conversation with a husband & wife who had a boat moored there, and that I had talked with often, which is how I found out that accusation had been made and told them about the two men. They told the boat yard owner. I later talked with County Police and gave them the same information and they ended up catching the two guys in another area breaking into boats. So, I was a hero. 

Another morning after that,  I was leaving from fishing and Mr. Beall, the boat yard owner came out of his shop and stopped me. He first asked what I had in the bucket, and I showed him some Bullhead catfish. He then said he knew a lot of folks who fished the river and I had to be the best catfisherman that he knew of there. That was a relief and that's when I did say something about not ever asking for permission. His reply was, you're welcome to fish here anytime that you like.  He knew those thieves were caught because of my information and he mentioned that. The couple that I had talked with, prior to all that, I had hooked a nice fishing rod & reel that they had accidentally lost overboard, and I returned it to them, so that was also known to Mr. Beall because they had told him.  I guess he figured if I was honest enough to do that, I was honest enough to continue fishing on his property.   

[Oldfart9999]

I fish public water but have been told I was trespassing, it seems some folks that own property on the water think they own the water also, one "gentleman" thought he owned the whole cove, they don't like it when I tell them I'll wait until they call the sheriff.
Rodney

[Wizard]

If you're polite, offer to police the banks and not hurt the property, folks will give you a chance. They may come while you're fishing to chat or watch you thru binoculars but they're paying attention to you. Before I left, I'd go to the house to thank them and if I had fish, I would offer to clean them if they wanted the catch. If allowed to fish occasionally, I would send a small box of candy at Christmas.

Wizard

[SHC286]

I run into the same problem Rodney. People thinking they own the public property. I have sat and waited for sheriff's deputies to show up, and I haven't been in the wrong yet to my knowledge or theirs.

[CountBassula]

I fish banks in S FL and walk along easement. People think their property ends at the water but it does not. I never ask permission but if people are in their backyard I'll apologize for disturbing them and will walk along further.

One time a dog was barking and when that happens I just walk further, but that time a rude old guy yelled at me "you're disturbing my dog!" to which I replied "then get a f'ing cat". He never talked to me again.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk