Trespassing a reel problem

After residents complained that strangers were trespassing by fishing in their waters, the Waterlefe Community Development District is cracking down.

The board of supervisors has considered entering a program which would allow the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office to enforce no trespassing signs. The CDD plans to install no trespassing signs along the shores of ponds and lakes and also along the golf course.

With the Sheriff’s Office program in place, residents who see strangers trespassing or fishing in the ponds can report them.

John Brocki, CDD supervisor, is leading the effort. He said it is unsafe for people to be out on the golf course while people are playing and also noted residents don’t like to see strangers in their back yards.

The CDD pays for the ponds to be stocked and approved a $5,500 payment for more fish at its May 16 meeting. He and the board believe that fishing in its ponds should be a privilege only for residents.

“Residents can fish as long as they don’t interfere with the golf course,” he said.

Brocki said it’s not a new concern, but a growing one.

“We’ve always had some, but it seems to be building,” he said. “Some people are taking advantage.”

The ponds that front Upper Manatee River Road, separated only by a hedge, seem to be the main targets. They are easily accessed through the bushes or gaps in landscaping.

Brocki fishes and goes out almost every day to catch and release. The ponds have large-mouth bass and tilapia.

Waterlefe used to have quality bass fishing in the canals, Brocki said, but the population has decreased. The community has seen an increase of white pelicans feasting on its stock.