I am new to the world of Crappie fishing and just recently was invited to fish a friends boat slip on Lavon. I have a question for those slip fisherman, what is the etiquette or rules for fishing other slips? I heard one guy telling us that he catches fish out of my buddies slip a lot. Is this a no no? Is it frowned upon to fish the other boat slips? To me it seems like it might [censored] some people off. I am thinking about going in and getting a slip purely for fishing and would like to know the "RULES" before having an issue.

Thanks,
JZ

That is a good question. I dont know the answer. But I am curious to know

The rule is to respect the other slips but if the other members know one another and they all are ok with it then the rule is expanded to fish other slips but the rule of respect remains the same. It's a fine line....

If fishing from a boat all the water is public, and any brush piles that are sunk are public.

I have only fish boat slips from my boat.

Ask your friend

Well funny you say that, my friend told me to fish only his slip. The question arises because shortly after that we were surprised by another angler from down the dock with the information that he catches fish from my friends slip (my friend did not know this). This is why I asked.

The rule is be respectful to others. If someone is fishing their slip, don't fish it next to them. As long as a slip is not being fished, or enjoyed by others hanging out near by, I'll fish it. I haven't had a problem with someone telling me I can't fish their slip in the 14 years I've been slip fishing.

Good info and what I would consider common sense, I was just thrown off by the fact I was told by my friend to only fish his slip and we couldn't fish others then having the guy tell us he catches fish here. LOL I just want to try and catch and eat some Crappie (I am new to this Crappie thing and I have heard they are good eatin).

Thanks for the input.

JZ

I have the opportunity to fish a friend of mines slip, only when he is there of course per marina rules, but I have always abided by the rules he sets forth and I kindly respect them! so common courtesy is the key!!!

Excellent question my friend. My suggestion is observe your surroundings...and follow suit as long as its legal,moral,and ethical. The same etiquette applies when barge fishing... (eg. where to hang your fish basket,or stringer)... Different places have different expectations, so what's OK at one place might be frowned upon at another. Whatever u do have fun,and if someone is being childish...take the high road, and leave the ignorance behind.

My 2 cents worth...

Tell your buddy to take the time to tarp his slip. That'll kind of fix his problem. Remember those are just the people that actually told you they fished it. They'll still fish the space between the tarp and dock.

Tarps also keep the slip darker. A huge plus.

Have fun and if it feels wrong just don't do it. I'd stay at the slip I was told I could fish.

It partially depends on marina rules. At my marina it is posted at each entrance gate that you can only fish the slip you lease. And the slip holder must be present for any guests to be on the dock. But on our dock most slip holders will allow other slip holders to fish their slips if they are not present. The key is to get permission to fish a slip before you fish it. And of course to make friends with everybody on your dock so you can get their permission.

And never fish another slip if the slip holder is present, even if you have their permission to fish their slip. Let them enjoy their slip in peace if they are using it. After all they spend a lot of money to have that slip and more to make it good for fishing.

Another marina allows the public to fish the slips for a fee. So you have no control over who fishes your slip nor do you know who will be in your slip from day to day. Personally I would never keep a boat at that marina.

And as one member stated, many feel they have the right to fish anywhere they want to fish as long as they are in their boat. Whether the slip holder is at the slip trying to use it or not.

That is why many of the slip holders at my dock have ropes or chains in the water across their slips and other reason to get permission before you fish anybody's slips. These ropes and chains are there to snag the lures and jigs of people casting into the slips, resulting in hang ups and broken lines when they reel the lures back.

My rules for slip fishing have always been pretty simple. I will fish all slips in my section but will not intrude on anyone's spot if they are fishing it. I do not touch anyone's boat or equipment while I am slip fishing. It has been years since I fished slips but can't imagine having to fish only my slip.

Reggie

The rules vary from one marina to another. In our boat house there are several slips in a row that are primarily rented for fishing. We have been there for years and know each other so we share when slip owner is not present. One rule, Slip owner or paying member must be present. No allowing friends access without us. We know each other well enough that we can sit and visit with another slip owner and fish his slip if we want. Take the time to become friends with the folks around you. An occasional box of donuts goes a long way.
Remember RULE #1 when fishing others slip when they are there: Any fish caught belong to the slip owner. Offer the owner the fish, if he declines then you may take it to your basket.

It's mostly a use your head situation, tread lightly until you become friendly. I have given many a bag of fillets to non fishing slip owners and received permission to fish, and bait their slip.

As for telling a slip owner that you catch a lot of fish from their slip: Sometimes keeping your mouth shut is not a bad thing.

I have access to a slip and have permission to fish other peoples slips. I try to be real friendly and courteous to others and offer to brush out their slips for them if they like to fish. I would never fish them if they are there. I also will keep tabs on their stuff and have called them if they have any kind of issue which they appreciate (boat lift listing, covers partially off, etc.). I tell them I will fix it (if I can) if they want me to or make them aware so they can come down if they need to. One guy saw me fix a mooring line on a boat that I saw had come undone and when I was talking to him later (just being friendly), he mentioned it so I told him that I like to help out when I see an issue. I told him I would do the same for him (call or fix minor stuff) if he was okay with it. We have become friends and he invited me to fish and brush out his slip. His slip is one of the better slips now and he is catching more fish for himself as well.

Most of the other slip owners know now that I try to look out for their stuff so I am generally welcomed and talk to most of them when I see them (they call me the 'crappie dude'). One night, there was some teenagers that were partying on Daddy's boat (I'm cool with that) but I saw a couple of them sneaking around other slips so I talked to the security card who went over and found out that they were breaking in to refrigerators to steal more beer. People have thanked me for keeping an eye out.