All tournaments that I have ever fished have a rule (usually the first rule listed) that says obey all state and local laws. Does MLF not have this rule? Guys are leaving their boats to get on peoples docks and private bridges to land fish and then get a 3 minute penalty. In doing so they are committing Criminal Trespass. Any tournament I have ever been a part of that would lead to a DQ.

Interesting read, focused on navigable streams, but...

https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/nonpwdpubs/water_issues/rivers/navigation/riddell/trespass.phtml

In Texas the structure of the boat dock is private property. The water under the boat dock is public. Someone getting on your boat dock is basically the same as someone getting on your porch of your house.

In Texas the structure of the boat dock is private property. The water under the boat dock is public. Someone getting on your boat dock is basically the same as someone getting on your porch of your house.

In Texas the structure of the boat dock is private property. The water under the boat dock is public. Someone getting on your boat dock is basically the same as someone getting on your porch of your house.

Who regulates the size of the boat house/dock? What�s to prevent them from building a 10k square foot dock? Seems as the grey area here is where I�m lost.

Who regulates the size of the boat house/dock? What�s to prevent them from building a 10k square foot dock? Seems as the grey area here is where I�m lost.

Yes but people enter your front porch area all the time and are not guilty of the criminal trespass you speak of, the mail man, ups, amazon, some little girl selling girl scout cookies, jehovah witness and mormons..... I bet none of these have ever been charged with criminal trespass.

When they were on Roberts, one of them was fishing next to and all around the discharge structure which clearly states stay 300 feet away.

In Texas the structure of the boat dock is private property. The water under the boat dock is public. Someone getting on your boat dock is basically the same as someone getting on your porch of your house.

But it's not Criminal Trespass unless they have notice that it is forbidden, or have been asked to leave and do not.

Who regulates the size of the boat house/dock? What�s to prevent them from building a 10k square foot dock? Seems as the grey area here is where I�m lost.

how often have you pulled into a covered boat dock or house to avoid getting struck by lightning? Not stepping onto the dock, but floating inside.

Not sure that a boat dock, on a public lake is really considered private property. I think homeowners are simply lucky that no one squawts on the thing.

So my lure is on your dock, and if I take two steps onto your dock it is trespassing? Hmmm, hate for my sons soccer ball to roll two steps into your yard. Sometimes I got to just shake my head on this forum.

kinda my thoughts, the thought process that even leads the op to come up with such nonsense as this whole criminal trespass business is just a mystery to me.

kinda my thoughts, the thought process that even leads the op to come up with such nonsense as this whole criminal trespass business is just a mystery to me.

So my lure is on your dock, and if I take two steps onto your dock it is trespassing? Hmmm, hate for my sons soccer ball to roll two steps into your yard. Sometimes I got to just shake my head on this forum.

On another "follow the law" thing since they release the fish it seems they set the size limit and don't care what the law is. In other words if a fish is too short to be legal or is a slot fish on a given water body, but weighs a pound does it count?

Yup

On another "follow the law" thing since they release the fish it seems they set the size limit and don't care what the law is. In other words if a fish is too short to be legal or is a slot fish on a given water body, but weighs a pound does it count?

On another "follow the law" thing since they release the fish it seems they set the size limit and don't care what the law is. In other words if a fish is too short to be legal or is a slot fish on a given water body, but weighs a pound does it count?

So my lure is on your dock, and if I take two steps onto your dock it is trespassing? Hmmm, hate for my sons soccer ball to roll two steps into your yard. Sometimes I got to just shake my head on this forum.

On another "follow the law" thing since they release the fish it seems they set the size limit and don't care what the law is. In other words if a fish is too short to be legal or is a slot fish on a given water body, but weighs a pound does it count?

So my lure is on your dock, and if I take two steps onto your dock it is trespassing? Hmmm, hate for my sons soccer ball to roll two steps into your yard. Sometimes I got to just shake my head on this forum.

Of course. Why wouldn't it count?

Just playing Devil's advocate here, but is it Criminal Trespass in Texas if it is not posted? I honestly do not know.

Do you think TPWD would have allowed the TTBC format of weigh-catch-and release for all these years if there was a problem with legality?

Who regulates the size of the boat house/dock? What�s to prevent them from building a 10k square foot dock? Seems as the grey area here is where I�m lost.

They are following the law. The size limit refers to fish that you can harvest not what you can hook. Catch fish, weigh and release is not harvesting. The state doesn't care if you weigh the fish and record it's weight then release it right back into the water.

All I am hearing is "well I heard" or "so and so told me" or "this one time". I also don't understand why we have to bash someone who simply stated a question. Here is fact, if you get on someone's property who doesn't want you there, it is trespassing.

So my lure is on your dock, and if I take two steps onto your dock it is trespassing? Hmmm, hate for my sons soccer ball to roll two steps into your yard. Sometimes I got to just shake my head on this forum.

Yes it is trespassing either way but you only if someone was an arsehole enough to press charges on your kid.
As far as the lure it depends on how good a lure it is!

The original question was is it trespassing. And yes it is so they are breaking the law.
It wasn't whether or not the property owner pressed charges that is the owners choice.

I believe you're wrong. Let's say there are two docks side by side. Identically built neither of them have a no trespassing sign or anything. One is owned by a resident one owned by a bait shop designed for boaters to come get bait. If someone stepped out onto the wrong dock is that Criminal trespass? If there is not a sign that says no trespassing I don't think it is criminal trespass. Big difference between trespassing and criminal trespassing. If what you are saying is correct it is illegal for me to walk into a business. Now if that business had told me stay off of our property and noted that with the police and I come back that's criminal trespassing. Void of signs a fence etc I do not believe that it is a criminal offense.

Well there is always one to argue. But Even if it is owned by a bait shop it is still private and you have to have have permission to be on it.
Believe me when I say I know it is trespassing. I own a dock and have had a problem when I first bought the place and learned this directly from the sheriff's office and game warden.
You don't paint your house purple or put signs on your porch but it is trespassing. The only exception is delivery of product, mail, door to door solicitation is legal but front door only. And of course LE.
A business is not a private boat dock, or a back porch or a yard in a neighborhood. Just because someone isn't there to ask you to stay off their property doesn't make it legal.
If you want to check this therory out come on out and hang out on my dock awhile.
Also I'm not an arse about it to people. I don't care if there is a storm for them to take shelter, or retrieve their lures. BUT it is still trepass to be on someones private property. Is there a difference between criminal trespass and just trespassing? I don't know but I do know that it isn't legal to trespass and if caught the landowner or dock owner can press charges. It is a misdomeaner in almost all cases so a fine would be written.

Send the GPS to your dock and I'll sun bath in the European bathing suit this summer.

When I was 17 I had a sheriff deputy tell me that the land underneath a corps of engineer soil conservation lake was private thusly I was trespassing on the lake though I never touched the property getting my flat bottom on the lake (it butted up to the Rd) sometimes locals don't know the law real well. Fyi

Ps I would never get out on someone's dock to retrieve a fish, bait etc etc just asking for trouble and it isn't right. But I don't think it's criminal.

Send me a PM when you come to Hubbard Creek and I�ll send you the dock cords. Then you can check out your theory. You will find out then.
And the sheriffs deputy was an idiot. Regardless of the lake the lake authority whether the corps or a river water authority buys or eminate domains that land before the lake is built so they own the land.

There is a difference in having to post up land as no trespassing and having an obviously private structure. By your comments and others on this post it would be ok to have lunch on someone�s back patio by their pool if the owners weren�t around and the property wasn�t posted.

Difference between not ok and a criminal offense.

According to what you're saying, I could have the girl scouts arrested for Knocking at my door.

Difference between not ok and a criminal offense.

According to what you're saying, I could have the girl scouts arrested for Knocking at my door.

No solicitation is legal as is package delivery. It is not against the law to knock on a door.
That�s the problem with these threads to prove a point people go wayyyy overboard.
Do you or anyone else believe comparing a knock on your door which is basically asking permission to be on your property is the nearly the same as having a picnic by a strangers pool without permission?

For you guys claiming it is criminal trespass, you should read this.

https://codes.findlaw.com/tx/penal-code/penal-sect-30-05.html

I would think number 11 on here covers a structure or dwelling in private property.
But that�s just me.

Call me old fashion but I live by the rule if it isn�t yours, don�t touch it.

I�m the same way keeps it simple and nothing to argue about. If I get a bait hung on a dock and I can�t get it off without getting on the dock or using the rod as a extension of my arm to get it then I break it off.