# Ignorant Dock Owner - Dock Light Reds on the Fly



## etrade92 (Jul 30, 2015)

So be warned, this is lengthy and contains vulgar language.



This weekends’ snapper fishing was not conducive for my bay boat but a buddy and myself still wanted to fish. He entertained the idea of catching a red on the fly which he has never accomplished. Say no more, lets do it! We set out of Josephine about 6pm on Saturday June 13; Pirate’s Cove was still partying hard when we eased out towards Arnica Bay.

The plan was to run some dock lights and try to sneak up on some red fish to present a fly. With that we needed some protected water. Soldiers Creek, off of Perdido Bay was the ticket as it was protected and semi clean water considering the drenching we received the last weekend. We ease into the creek and fish around a while waiting on darkness, enjoying the weather and speaking to pleasant dock owners.

Right after sundown we began looking for lights, even though it was early. The first two lights we approached were lifeless. I spot a green light across the water on the east side and ease over to it. We can see that there are fish on it, and they are active! Half the battle is over of finding the fish, now the challenging part (and where it takes a turn for the worst). We ease up to within casting distance, playing the light breeze to position the boat correctly. My buddy set up with a 6wt and nice shrimp colored fly begins the arduous task of casting. On the second forward cast we hear from up at the house on the hill:

“Get off the Fu---ng light”

No worries, just keep casting we aren’t up on his dock or bothering him. My buddy continues his cast working the fly farther and farther out. Lands it just beyond the light in the shadows.

Again from the house, “Hey Fu----s, I told yall to leave”

My buddy begins stripping line, working the fly into the green glow. He pauses, and it gets engulfed by a nice red. He sets the hook good and its fight on. The fish is pulling drag. Were excited, talking, and just happy to hook up with a fish. As my buddy is working the fish, we hear who we will call Jon Doe come running down the dock screaming and cussing at us. Buddy is continuing to work the fish trying to tire him out.

Jon Doe now at the end of the dock: “I told you “Fu----s to get off my light!” By this point we have no choice but to fully engage the guy. He asked for it. We tell him that he doesn’t own the water or the land under it. At this point Jon Doe is getting belligerent telling us to come over there so he can beat our ass. That would not have ended well for him… My buddy proceeds to fight this nice red and I get the net ready as Jon Doe continues to scream and shout expletives at us from his dock 40 feet away, absolutely making a fool of himself. I scoop the Red in the net. A round of high fives and some hooting occurs. We then tell Jon Doe to take his light out or turn it off if he doesn’t want people fishing on it, as well as a myriad of vulgar phrases that we left him with. We slipped the red back in the water and Jon Doe yanks the plug for the light out. We give him the single finger wave as we idle away still excited about our catch.



We continued to discuss our encounter with Jon Doe and talked about how it is people like him that bring a bad name to fishing and conservation. We did nothing to harm him, never touched his dock, and made virtually no noise upon arrival. Some people are just jerks. So if you happen to know a Joe Endry, or his son please let them know that they are a total piece of work and should learn some manners. They should also read up on the law, as the penalty is steep for harassment against a hunter or fisher.



The coordinates to their dock light is 30.350439 -87.491927, its on the east side of Soldiers Creek, second dock north the first finger creek. I think this needs to become the new PFF community hole.



Thanks for letting me vent


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

Lol ! What an ass ! 

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## CurDog (Nov 14, 2010)

It's a shame people are that way. But going back just for harassment isn't a good idea. It's just not worth someone getting hurt or shot over a fishing spot. Besides, the reds don't live at that dock light, they'll cruise up and down that area in search of food.


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## Walton County (Aug 23, 2016)

I would have done everything I could to get a picture of your buddy with his fly caught red and ol'boy pissed in the background.


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## etrade92 (Jul 30, 2015)

CurDog said:


> But going back just for harassment isn't a good idea. It's just not worth someone getting hurt or shot over a fishing spot.



I agree. Karma comes full circle.


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## chaps (Aug 31, 2009)

Damn what a shame! I’m happy it didn’t ruin your experience. So guy lives on the water and thinks he owns the water and control his surroundings. Smh. No different than living Next to and airport and complain about plane noise. miserable people


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## seminole73 (Oct 3, 2007)

He was just pissed he couldn't catch that red...and y'all had to do it on the fly! Nicely done.


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

You're a better man than me.... I would have backed up close, trimmed the motor up and soaked his ass. 

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## Wood Guy (Jul 6, 2019)

I get that the guy was acting like a total jerk, that he doesn't own the water or the land under it, and that if he didn't want someone fishing at his light he should have turned it off, but why behave just like he did with the names and one finger salute? "We really appreciate you putting this light here so we could catch this fish", delivered with a smile while you released it, would have been more effective, not to mention making him feel like a perfect ass.
I live on the water in Orange Beach, and have both surface lights and underwater lights, which I use at different times. Lots of people fish my lights, and most of them are very courteous, and just move to the next dock if they come by and see that I'm fishing. That said, I've had lures whiz by my face, and guys move right inside where I'm fishing (from my dock), with the comment "Always room for one more, right?" I've had 'em run over my floats, and come by within 20 feet of the dock on plane while I'm fishing, running over everything in the water. I've had my dock lights broken by boaters retrieving a lure from the dock. Point is, while some dock owners are assholes, some fisherman are too. I leave my lights on whether I'm fishing or not, because most guys, just like you and your buddy, just want to have a good time and catch a few fish. Unfortunately, it seems like every group, just like everyone, has to have an asshole. Life's too short. Just move on and let the guy have his stroke.


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## Stoker1 (Feb 17, 2014)

He was just jealous of the fancy Gheenoe you rolled up in 😅


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

The way I read it, this guy was in his house and came out to show his ass.... I would have the same reaction or worse. F that guy. 

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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

Dang couldn't sleep this morning and trout were busting all over our lights. Come catch them sobs. That's probably why I couldn't sleep.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Yeah, I've run into owners that will see me fishing their lights and they turn them off. Never had one aggressively come at me... Wish I was closer, I'd go see what all the hype is about!!! hahaha Ifin it was a keeper red, you should have chunked it in the cooler and told the dude thanks fer the dinner!!!!


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## H2OMARK (Oct 2, 2007)

I'm thinking you handled it perfectly. Guy was used to getting his way by bullying and didn't like it when someone told him to take a leap. Had something happen very similar Saturday anchored off of the tip of Ono when the polite security guard came and told us we had to leave. Now picture this, my stern spike was two feet out in the water, my butt was in the water and there was nothing I owned touching even the wet sand/dry sand area. I politely asked her why I had to leave and she responded the island was bought and is private. I then told her okay, glad somebody bought it but I'm not on it and I promptly turned around and continued on with my beverage. I think she stared at me for about a half an hour before deciding she lost. She did this with others as well, about half left the rest stayed. I really felt bad for her because she was put in an unwinnable situation and she knew it. People are tired of being pushed around by politicians and the wealthy.


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## Last Chance 2 (Oct 28, 2019)

Sorry you had to run into that kind of situation.I had one a few years back myself.A fellow PFF buddy and i decided to flounder his neck of the water ( Okaloosa ) area and we weren't having much luck so we eased into the skinny water and weaved in and around some docks and the next thing we know someone is running down their dock cussing us.I just looked at him like i was deaf and continued on til he threatened to call the authorities on us,so i stopped the boat turned the lights on my vessel id# and told him to be my guest and i would be willing to wait for them to get there.That took all the hot air out of him so we continued on fishing.I still couldn't to this day explain why he was so angry.


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## etrade92 (Jul 30, 2015)

H2OMARK said:


> Had something happen very similar Saturday anchored off of the tip of Ono when the polite security guard came and told us we had to leave.... I politely asked her why I had to leave and she responded the island was bought and is private.



That has to be a tough job working for that HOA....


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## Boardfeet (Sep 27, 2007)

Need to have a big group of PFF boaters on that light one night.


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## First Cast (Oct 8, 2007)

I doubt that was Joe Endry, he's a pretty good guy that lives in Pensacola. Probably a renter or an inlaw.


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## etrade92 (Jul 30, 2015)

First Cast said:


> I doubt that was Joe Endry, he's a pretty good guy that lives in Pensacola. Probably a renter or an inlaw.


That’s what I was afraid of but I digress. Guy on the dock was still a jerk.


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## huntnflorida (May 24, 2008)

I live in a neighborhood on the water. I got idiots that live around me that scream and harass the mullet fishermen, yell and scream at dock light fishermen. I try to educate them as I see it. People are entitled assholes. You should see the way the jerks act when you duck hunt in the bay. I’ve had the law called on me at least a dozen times. I have no time for assholes. If airplane noise bothers you, don’t live near the airport. If fishing and hunting bother you don’t live near public land that allows it, ignorant f-ing assholes!


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

etrade92 said:


> That’s what I was afraid of but I digress. Guy on the dock was still a jerk.



Next time show up with scuba gear and and some spear guns and see what he does BUT you must have a camera going with a good Mic.


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

I have lived on the water for over 20 years and have two Deep Glow lights. I have never had a problem with people fishing my dock. In fact I have told people where I live so they can fish it. The Redfish are under my dock all day long. I have to throw under my neighbors dock to be able to catch them. Right now the Black Snapper are showing up and the charter boats are coming by.

google earth 1311 Soundview Trail in Gulf Breeze.

Keith


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## MaxP (Jan 31, 2008)

When I was kid my family had a condo at Wind Drift next to the bridge to Ono. I remember seeing three boys a little older than me riding down Ole River in a small whaler bombarding the Ono guard shack with a three man water balloon slingshot. The guard would come out and they'd take off East then come back later on and do it again.


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## Alumacrafty (Feb 4, 2018)

huntnflorida said:


> I live in a neighborhood on the water. I got idiots that live around me that scream and harass the mullet fishermen, yell and scream at dock light fishermen. I try to educate them as I see it. People are entitled assholes. You should see the way the jerks act when you duck hunt in the bay. I’ve had the law called on me at least a dozen times. I have no time for assholes. If airplane noise bothers you, don’t live near the airport. If fishing and hunting bother you don’t live near public land that allows it, ignorant f-ing assholes!


If you are serious about stopping this behavior call the sheriff or warden. Harassing fishermen is getting common. Word spreads fast when law enforcement shows up. The homeowner/tenant will learn the laws.


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## huntnflorida (May 24, 2008)

I am serious about it, that’s why I confront them and educate them. I’m not going to waste LEO time, if the fishermen think they need the law that’s up to them. Overall we have a great neighborhood, you start calling the law on your neighbors, living becomes a chore.


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## Realtor (Oct 1, 2007)

know of a situation of a fella with a dock. the fishermen would toss bait on the dock, then pull it off into the water. they would also hit the side of his boat with lures. some of the lures and bait with hooks in it got stuck and broken off, his dog got a hook stuck in its throat, (ate a piece of cut bait) the fella just removed his lights. I see both sides at work here. Not everyone is respectful of others...


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## Snagged Line (Sep 30, 2007)

I have some asshole keeps leaving unopened cans of Natural light on my dock as a calling card....... someone Please tell them Miller Lite if you see them......


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## H2OMARK (Oct 2, 2007)

Natural light.....


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