http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/stories/2007/05/23/0524fisherman.html

The Associated Press

Published on: 05/23/07

GREENSBORO An 86-year-old man didn't want anyone getting too close to his fishing lines, so he took a few shots at a pair of fishermen who did, authorities said.

John Burke Yearwood of Madison was jailed on a charge of aggravated assault and later released on bond.

Greene County Sheriff Chris Houston said Yearwood has been putting his fishing lines out in the area for decades.

Two men competing in a fishing tournament Saturday on the Oconee River told authorities that when they got close to Yearwood's lines, Yearwood raised a rifle and fired two shots which hit the water in front of their boat. A sheriff's department report says Yearwood who was at a fishing camp but was not in the tournament himself fired a third shot which hit Craig Barnett of Sycamore as he sat in the boat.

The men said they sped away in the boat and used a cell phone to call 911.

The sheriff's report says Barnett sustained a wound under his left arm and gave authorities a small-caliber bullet that he says went into his arm.

Investigators found Yearwood at his home.

"He was just trying to warn (them) away from the fishing lines," Houston said Tuesday.

Found this in the news today. Hope it wasn't anyone on the forums.

Bass_Newbie

all that over some dumb fish. SAD

It's sad that some people get all stupid over some fishing area. It sounds like the lcoal Sheriff was trying to make excuses for the activity by saying that he was just trying to warn them away from his lines.

Big T

Man people never cease to amaze me.  Over a fishing spot.  I hope there is mandatory sentencing there for those who use firearms in the commission of a felony.  I am the last person on earth who will ever be anti firearm, but I am the first to insist that people be responsible for their actions with a firearm.  Responsibility and accountability are key!

ALready posted it in the tournament section.....You'd be suprised at some of the attitudes taken over this.....

I fish the area it happens in alot, used to duck hunt up there....There are some crazy folks in that neck of the woods....

This is the kind of story that gets the anti gunners all motivated to make the rest of us law abiding citizens

give up our guns. I would say Yearwood is lucky the other guys didn't have guns, attitudes, and were better shots.

Man if i saw somebody pull a gun,i'd been out of there in a hurry.That's just plain sad...

I know the old guy didn't have any rights to what he did...but did the boaters push him over the limit?Regardless he should have never pulled the gun in the first place.

Man people never cease to amaze me. Over a fishing spot. I hope there is mandatory sentencing there for those who use firearms in the commission of a felony. I am the last person on earth who will ever be anti firearm, but I am the first to insist that people be responsible for their actions with a firearm. Responsibility and accountability are key!

I couldnt have said it better.  Especially the last sentence.  

Responsibility and accountability  Is that even used anymore??

greensboro wat

I'll remember this when I come up on a bank fisherman...LOL.I'll give 'em a WIDE berth!!!

Gotta watch out for some of them Georgia boys.

Once again "Road Rages" ugly little sister "Bank Rage" rears her ugly little head

Simply stupid to act like that over public fishing water.

Harshman

Man you gotta love the how Town Sherrif defends the guy saying "He was just trying to warn (them) away from the fishing lines" That is some modern day Dukes of Hazzard type stuff there. If everyone used that logic, there would be a whole bunch of dead fisherman. Hopefully it was just some crazy old feller who had a flashback of when he used to scare people away from his bootleg moonshine** during prohibition. Crazy Stuff....glad no-one got seriously hurt, which could have easily happened. I don't really see how this guy shouldn't get charged with attempted murder....

**Nothing against moonshine  

MarVaBC, I think the sherrif was just reporting not justifing what the man did. If you think that this is just happening in the south you better read up. 2 years ago in a deer camp up in Wisconsin man shot for sitting in another club members tree stand. Somewhere in the NE..... if I remember right a man was shot and killed by a man that owned a dock and a fisherman was fishing to close to it. We in the south "aint as dumb as you think we is". ;D

MarVaBC, I think the sherrif was just reporting not justifing what the man did. If you think that this is just happening in the south you better read up. 2 years ago in a deer camp up in Wisconsin man shot for sitting in another club members tree stand. Somewhere in the NE..... if I remember right a man was shot and killed by a man that owned a dock and a fisherman was fishing to close to it. We in the south "aint as dumb as you think we is". ;D

Spot - I don't think I ever mentioned anything about the south, or any other region of the country.  I took the sherrifs quote as defending the guys actions....the word "just" in his quote is what does it.  It sounds like the sherrif thinks its no big deal.  Thats the point I was making....I do know the story of the Wisconsin hunters that were shot...thats a very tragic and sad story.  What happened was a man (the murderer) was trespassing on THEIR property and sitting in their stand.  When the legit hunters confronted the man, they got into a verbal arguement that led to the guy killing several people, including people coming to help their family members (shooting people in the back, multiple times).  I guess it all comes down to crazy people doing stupid, irrational things....look at the VA tech thing.

I hope there is mandatory sentencing there for those who use firearms in the commission of a felony.  

That's mandatory LIFE in Florida with the "10-20-Life" Law

I never knew fishing was a dangerous sport. :'(