I think we will just add a deck and gate and lock it up. Thanks for all of the input.

Texsam,

Sorry but we do partially disagree here.

I agree that paying an expensive yearly lease should give you rights to privacy for that slip and it's area and also believe it should give you the right to an exclusive use of that slip and it's area.

It should also give you the same right that everybody expects for their property, that your equipment will not be damaged or stolen by other people using the slip which only you pay to use.

Try tossing a lure near a boat fishing your slip and see how mad the owner that boat gets, even through he thinks it is o.k. for him to toss lures at your boat sitting in the slip.

However I would personally prefer somebody to fish from the deck of my slip than sling their lures into my slip area.

People fishing from a boat do more damage to slip owner property than those who fish from inside the dock. They do the damage when they try to retrieve their lures from where they have stupidly hung them.

I suspect they are also responsible for most of the stealing as there is nothing to tie them to the theft after they leave with the property.

It is less likely for somebody fishing inside the slip to get hung up on ropes, boat covers and tarps than somebody slinging their lure into the slip from a boat. And if they do hang up it is easier for them to remove their lure without damaging the slip holder's property.

All the damage to my boat cover and my ropes have came from people fishing from their boat into the slip, not from people fishing from the decks of my slip.

We do agree that if people fish other people's slips they should stay off their boat, leave their equipment along and not steal anything from the slip, including any minnows that are in the minnow bucket.

Personally I don't care if people fish my slip if I am not there. I just ask that they respect my property and cut their damn line if they get hung up, leaving the lure there, instead of jerking it lose and damaging my property.

So I don't see any difference in fishing a slip from a boat and fishing a slip from the deck area if you are not leasing the slip or have permission to fish the slip from the slip holder. And am somewhat surprised you see a difference since you have been a slip holder and know the headaches people fishing from boats cause slip holders.

And in my not so humble opinion, boat owners are crazy to keep their boats at any marina that allows people to fish their slips for a fee. If they marina operator is so greedy that the slip rental fee does not satisfy them I would not trust them with anything.

Frankly I would not worry about people fishing the slip. Especially since you can not prevent it.

Gates and locks will not prevent some people from fishing your slip. Some of my neighbors have tried that and still complain about people fishing their slips when they are not there.

Are you going to keep a boat in the slip?

If not you can spread a cheap tarp across the slip water when you are not there. Then remove the tarp when you want to fish. That will stop almost everybody from fishing the slip area.

Also you can stretch a chain across the back of the slip and lock it to keep boaters out of the slip area. They can still toss their lures into the area but they can not move their boat into the area to fish.

And if you want to keep boaters from fishing your slip waters you can do as one slip holder I know has done. Buy sixty foot of small link chain and cut it into three chains. Stretch one chain about five foot from the end of your slip. Stretch a second chain two thirds of the length of your slip and the third chain about one third from the front of your slip.

Then when people fish your slip from their boats their lures will become tangled into one of the chains. When they jerk to remove their lures they will break their line. After a few times they will stop fishing your slip.

And as a bonus you will pick up a few free lures each month if you check the chains once a month. He gets three-four lures a month this way.

Of course you can only do these things if you do not keep a boat in the slip, which it sounds as if you will not.

But the easier thing to do is just not worry about it and enjoy your slip when you are there and allow the "freeloaders" to enjoy it when you are not there.

Smh

EZ you are right, we do have differing opinions . I have fished j.p. since about 4 day,s after it opened.I was not willing to wait in line for a lottery number the first week. I have also fished bardwell since about 1972.every time I have gone to j.p. except for the crappie house I had to enter a chain link cage with a secret code , changed regularly. have you ever been to high view marina? it is worth seeing take a 35 mile road trip.why keep a boat there? money? I had had good luck on it? Iwas keeping my at there while looking at r. c and cc/. I havenever chuncked l lure a anyones boat and they better hope I am not on mine when they do. I have been know to return fire with a 2oz. slab. you ma think you are comparing apples to apples but there is where we differ.

Texsam, there is a code at the marina but it is not as secret as you would think. I did not fish this summer due to health but my neigbhor told me the problem got so out of hand that several of them made an issue about it to the marina.

And you are right, we are not comparing apples to apples, as those who fish slips from boats do much more damage to slip holder property than those who walk the docks to fish.

Ask slip holders and you will find that most of them have problems with those who fish from boats, not those who walk the decks to fish.

It was not somebody walking the deck, vertical jigging, that tore a six inch long gash in the $1000 custom boat cover of one of my neighbors nor is it people walking the decks vertical jigging the sides of the walkways who are tearing up my mooring ropes from retrieving their hung up lures, causing me to replace them every few months. Nor was it deck fishermen who cut my two new rear mooring ropes a few months back so they could retrieve their lures nor put the hole in the gas line that runs from my gas tank under the deck to the outboard motor this past summer.

I'm sorry but those who fish from the decks, vertical jigging for the most part, are not causing most of the problems for slip owners.

It is those who fish from boats and sling shot their lures into the slip, trying to reach the back of the slips. Most don't take the time to learn how to cast properly and have little control over their lures.

You say you don't chuck your lures at other people's boats and you are probably good enough at fishing that you don't. But most either can not accurately sling shot their lures or don't care what their lures hit.

Last year I would often hear lures bouncing off the sides of boats while fishing my slip. I would look and would see somebody in a boat bouncing their lures off boats as they tried to cast them into the back of the slip waters. I asked a few of them not to bounce their lures off the anchored boats. In most cases they responded by flipping me a finger or cussing me, saying they had the right to fish the slips.

My next door neighbor spent $2600 this spring, having his cabin cruiser's gel-coat repaired to remove all the scratches and dinks from fishing lures. Ask him his opinion of people who fish his slip from their boat.

Am I going to give up my slip because these things happen and will continue to happen? No, I will cuss and vent when it happens, then forget it and continue to enjoy my slip.

Which is what I recommend all slip holders do. Don't spend all your time worrying about somebody fishing your slip, just enjoy it when you are there and hope that not too much is damaged by those who don't care about anybody but themselves.

MuskogeeMac would be better off not worrying about who fishes his slip when he is not there but to concentrate on fixing it so he can enjoy it when he is there. Because I don't care what he does, other people are going to use it when he is not around. And some are so brazen they will use it while he is there using it.

Easy fix to prevent boats from pitchin lures into yer slip and it improves fishin too. Buy some of that sun shade material they sell at Lowes or Home Depot and hang at the end of slip. From roof line to water line the width of the slip. This will help darken water in slip as it cuts sunlight penetration. Just zip tie into place and no one will be flippin anything into that slip.

If a boat is stored in the slip, then tie some wire across slip at the roof line and use shower curtain hangers to connect sunshade material to. Can easily slide back and forth to allow boat in and out of slip.

You will never stop others from fishin a slip when you are not there so best to just not woory bout it. Lawdy this world provides enuf stuff to woory bout than something we do because we enjoy fishin. Best to think of ways to improve fishin and stop the lure pitchers from damaging property. When I had a slip, boats would just troll on by and pitch slips either side of me but not my slip! And, fishin wuz great.

You can also hang tarps down into the water on the sides of the slip. Will really darken up water for fishing. And, when a lure hits that tarp underwater, said lure is donated to the briny deep and who cares if a small rip in tarp underwater occurs. Fish don't care. Plenty of ways to help improve fishin in a slip that has positive preventative poachin results whilst not hindering your friends fishin from the deck!

Hanging tarps was the game plan. That's why I stated at the beginning, I'm not concerned about the boats. Thanks Dave

Dave,

I don't care who fishes my slip when I'm not there. I just wish they would cut their lines when they hang up instead of jerking the lures out of whatever they hung up in with the lure.

What ever fish they catch will be replaced by others that swim in to take that prime real estate.

But if I have to spend another $500 having somebody come to the slip to replace another fuel line I may quickly decide that sun shade on curtain hooks across the back of the slip is worth the work of installing it.

But for now I will do nothing to prevent people from fishing the slip, by boat or walking on the walkways.

I like the idea of hanging tarps down the sides of the walkway to darken the slip area underwater. I have read before that would help improve fishing in the slip.

But doesn't that prevent catching fish that hang out under the walkways? I know I catch more crappie along the edge of the deck and the sides of the walk ways than I do in the open surface of the slip.

I initially thought I would catch a lot of fish from under the pontoon but it hasn't happen yet. Most are caught along the edges of the walkways and along the edge of the rear deck.

Just to let you know I have A REAL problem with thieves!!! my home was broke into while I was serving in Iraq and I got a Red cross message from a crying wife who was scared to live in our home afterwards, The helplessness and the level of PISSEDDOM that I had to endure makes me have ZERO tolerance for anyone who takes from people who work hard to obtain the things they have. Just like I work and sacrifice for my wants and needs they also should get off their A$$ and do the same! Bottom line rented slip with boat ASK permission! Never board someone vessel without permission! And never ever put you hands on anything that doesn't belong to you!!! Its not rocket science folks and don't give me that BS about public water it just plain respect, courtesy, and good personal conduct. If a guy pays money for a slip that his area not the water but slip and if you think its ok your wrong because if that was the case then how the hell does the dock owner charge people for slips?! Hell lets all just go break the gate lock since its public water. I have seen cages around slips in other states where guys had to open them just to launch, a few years back there were a string of battery thieves on Lake Belton a few hunting cameras put up and Slam when the cell door!

Didn't mean to rant but this is something that really bothers me fellas lol!

I guess I'm Confused, but the "Land" is Yours, the "Boat Dock" or "Slip" is Yours or Leased . But the Water in and around it is "Public Water", even Under your Dock or Slip. As long as no one touches your Dock or Slip. No Problem. I agree a Lure may be able to dink a Boats gelcoat or Paint , and that's a price you pay for leaving you Boat in an Exposed Slip or Dock. Hanging Tarps, chains, chicken wire is your only Option. as long as you dont put those items Under Water or hide then in such a manner as to aquire Lures so to speak.. Ask your Local Game Warden, that's Illegal.As the Water is "PUBLIC". Don't misunderstand I'm all for Protecting your "stuff" I would do the Same. Your Lease Holder should protect your Property from Walk-on's , and to touch your property from the Water is Trespassing. Even tying to your dock without permission, is Trespassing. The bottom line is Build an enclosed Slip or Dock, "Big Bucks" or Suffer the loss of a ding or scratch every now and then from Boater, like you who Probably Has and / or Will Fish someone else's Dock or Slip at some given time. Respect Others Property, and Above All, "Love Thy Fishing" Good Day!

EZ, just hang the tarps down to a depth of 6 to 8 feet or so. That way your bait will extend below the tarp and those fish under the walkway can get to bait. Most light penetration is above 6 to 8 feet. If you have a deep slip, you could even extend the tarp down to 10 feet or so. Anything past that is just overkill.

Sir, you are the type of person I hate to see fishing my slip. What ever you do is o.k., if you damage my property that is the price I pay for leasing the slip and keeping my boat it it. It is all right for you to fish there and if you damage my equipment, that is just a risk I assume when I lease the slip and dare keep a boat in it that gets in your way when you want to fish my slip.

Then I guess you don't have any problems with me tossing a lure at the "public" water under your boat while you are fishing the "public" water in the slip under my boat.

And if I am not good at tossing my lure and accidentally damage your gel-coat or tangle my lure into items on your boat and rip or damage them while I jerk my lure out of what ever it is hung up in, why that just the risk you run and the price you pay for having your boat on "public" water when you fish.

For your information I have the right to place anything in the water contained by my slip that I want to place in it. If I want to hang tarps that is my right. If I want to hang chains, that is also my right.

And yes, I have the right to hang them under the water where they are concealed.

It's not the walk-on people who do the damage to my property, it people like you who fish the slips from your boat and figure you have the right to rip your lure out of my property when you hang your lure into my property and if your lure hits my gel-coat and "dinks" it when you cast to the back of my slip, why it would not have had happened if I had not had my boat in your way while you were casting into my slip.

Up to your post I had not considered doing any of these things. But after reading your selfish attitude toward slip holder boats and property, then maybe my neighbor is right and I am foolish for not making it hard to fish my slip.