By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor

Elite Series angler Mark Menendez has filed a formal complaint with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, alleging that a man harassed him Friday during day 2 of the St. Lawrence River Elite Series.

Menendez said he filed the complaint Saturday and he expected authorities to gather witness accounts from his day-2 marshal and another boater who saw the incident transpire. Menendez said the altercation was verbal in nature and no physical threats were made against him.

Menendez did not know the man’s identity, only that he’s “68 years old and from Rochester, N.Y.”

Joseph Munn, the officer handling the case for the NYS DEC, declined to comment on the matter Saturday night since the investigation is still ongoing.

New York, like several other states, has laws protecting anglers from harassment on public waterways (click here, then scroll to Section III.A) and Menendez says he plans to defend his rights to the fullest extent.

“A long time ago, I was given some advice by a longtime fishing friend,” Menendez said. “He told me, ‘You’ll always go far in this business if you’re just nice to people.’ I’m just flabbergasted that someone could be that ugly. I feel very strongly that I’m doing the right thing.

“I’ve met hundreds of different fishing fans on the water and this week I met one person that took it to an over-the-edge level. Thank God, New York has a harassment law. I’m going to protect our rights and I’m going to take a stand.

“I make my living on public water and there are 42 million people that love to hunt and fish and this has to end somewhere.”

If the matter ultimately requires his appearance at a trial, Menendez will return to northern New York.

“I’ll fly or hitch-hike up there or run like Forrest Gump to see this through,” he added.

How It Started

Menendez said he was fishing down a stretch of water with a group of docks, skipping a jig, on Friday morning. He already had a limit of bass in his livewell, including the 6-03 largemouth that’s so far the biggest fish caught in the event.

“I was in a groove,” he said.

He noticed a man come out of a small cottage and as Menendez made a pitch toward the dock next to his, the man started down the hill toward the water.

“He says, ‘There’s a big fish right there,’ and I explained to him that I can’t accept any information per our rules,” Menendez said.

Menendez said the man’s response was, “I don’t care about rules. I don’t want you fishing around my dock.”

Menendez said he explained to the man that he had a legal right to fish the area, to which the man replied, “You don’t understand. These are my grandchildren’s fish and I don’t want you here, period.”

Menendez said the man became belligerent and after Menendez pitched his bait close to the man’s dock, the man returned to his cottage to retrieve the keys to a boat that was tied to his dock.

“He uncovers the boat and cranks the motor up,” Menendez said. “I’m like, ‘Holy moly. This is going to get interesting.’”

Menendez continued to fish along, moving past the man’s dock. Moments later, the man untied his boat and motored over to where Menendez was and began driving in circles about “10 to 15 feet to my starboard side,” Menendez said.

“I just keep fishing and he’s screaming and hollering at me,” he said. “Meanwhile, I catch a 3 1/2-pounder while he’s doing donuts. I tried again to explain to him that I had the legal right to fish there.”

Menendez said while the man was driving erratically, his marshal was able to snap photos of the boat’s ID number. Menendez said the man then drove straight at him before putting his boat in reverse. He threatened to call the companies displayed on Menendez’s boat and made a racial remark about Menendez’s name when he got close enough to see his name on the boat.

“I could immediately tell this was a person you couldn’t rationally talk to,” Menendez added.

Called It In

Menendez said the man eventually drove his boat back to his dock. Meanwhile, Menendez phoned Chuck Harbin, the on-site tournament director this week, to explain the situation. He provided Harbin with the boat ID number and his approximate location and asked that the authorities be contacted.

The man was located hours later and the DEC officer responding to the call issued him a warning, Menendez added.

Not long after calling Harbin, Menendez encountered another man in a bass boat who said he’d witnessed the whole situation. The local mentioned that the same man has a history of pestering anglers who come through the area.

“With the witnesses I have, this will stick,” Menendez said.

He cited a previous encounter at the James River in 1995 and the well-known cases of Gary Klein being shot at during the 2003 Bassmaster Classic and Stacey King being fired on during the 2004 Alabama River Bassmaster Elite 50 as precedent for reporting the man’s behavior.

“I feel a responsibility to see this through,” he said.

Reporting on this story will continue if and when new details emerge.