Harassment by St. Lawrence river land owner case- Guilty

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492VS
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Harassment by St. Lawrence river land owner case- Guilty

Post by 492VS » Wed Sep 09, 2015 12:05 pm

Never been subjected to this on Black Lake, but other lakes in NYS I have but not to this extent. Fine was not enough though.

http://www.bassfan.com/docktalk_article ... fBXhXhNvFI

William Bishop, of Rochester, N.Y., pleaded guilty in Hammond (N.Y.) Town Court last week to harassment charges and paid a $175 fine in the wake of the incident involving Elite Series angler Mark Menendez at the St. Lawrence River Elite Series tournament.
Bishop was cited for "fisherman harassment," stemming from an incident that occurred on July 31, the second day of the tournament, as Menendez fished along a stretch of docks that included one owned by Bishop.
When Menendez encountered Bishop, Bishop demanded Menendez leave the area and eventually started up his boat and drove in circles in an effort to disrupt Menendez's fishing. Menendez informed Bishop that he had the legal right to fish the area and that he wouldn’t leave (to read BassFan’s initial reporting on the incident, click here). Menendez said his marshal that day took photos of Bishop during the encounter.
New York is one of several states that has laws protecting anglers from harassment on public waterways, an issue that has arisen at multiple tournaments this season.
Menendez said he was pleased with the outcome of the case.
“I would like to thank all that were involved in the case, especially the investigating officer of the New York DEC, as well as all the supporting comments regarding my actions on and off the water I have received,” he said. “It is my hope that this case will provide awareness to outdoorsman and landowners alike. Public waters and land are just that – for public use. It is the responsibility of everyone to respect each other. It is also the good to be informed on laws pertaining to hunting and fishing.”

Sparky
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Re: Harassment by St. Lawrence river land owner case- Guilty

Post by Sparky » Thu Sep 10, 2015 3:50 pm

492VS-you post an interesting article for discussion and it is not the first time this issue has come up. I certainly do not condone the conduct of Mr. Bishop and have no opinion about the size of the fine, but I think I can offer some perspective for all that may be reading this and for discussion. For reference I have been an avid fisherman for over 55 years, a boat owner for 30+ years and waterfront owner for 16+ years. I also appear to own waterfront on Black Lake that is highlighted as a good fishing spot on the Black Lake fishing map.

I think the key point to the article is: "It is the responsibility of everyone to respect each other". Three years ago we started keeping track of the lures that we tactically, not visually, found at our waterfront. This means the area around our dock. This means where children swim. Our neighbor to the south has been keeping track of lures they find as well. We are up to six. Fortunately none were embedded far enough in the hand or foot to make extraction difficult and, as I have had to remove two embedded hooks in my life, it is not fun. Several weeks ago I had to firmly advise a bass fisherman from NJ to remove the lure that was seriously hooked to my boat cover because he was going to leave it. I now have a couple of small holes in the cover.

I would guess that Mr. Bishop did not wake up one morning upset with fisherman around his dock, just as I did not wake up one morning monitoring the fisherman around my dock more closely. I have no problem with people around my dock or anyone enjoying their time at our lake-I did it as a boater for 15 years. It is about consideration and respect for ALL which I think 95% of the boaters on the lake understand. It's the ones that leave lures or trash that make it tough for others. Take back everything you brought with you (and what you caught), drive your boat with consideration to others and most of this goes away. BTW-I can't remember the last time I caught a fish around a dock or boat lift, unless it was weedy, and I have never caught one around mine. Sparky

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