Oh my gosh! I don't even know what to say!

Randy,

20+ years ago I was dating my wife and found out her family rented some land that had 2 20-30 acre sandpits. They said I could fish it but no one else could except a 70 yr old nephew of the owner.

Great place. I actually skipped my Graduation from the U of Nebraska and spent a day there fishing! No one could use a boat and it was thick with trespassers but oh my the bass, crappie, bluegill and catfish.

I'd fish there occasionally and then about 15 years ago the in-laws bought it. I thought, YES, this will be awesome. I'm the only member of the family that hunts and fishes. How soon it changed. My father in law rented the property to 5 people, 2 or 3 of them good friends. I even wrote the lease. At first it was ok but I never felt comfortable because of the renters. A couple of them were really awful people. We did put in some boat ramps and anchored a few cedars. My FIL was really worried about the cedars, he wanted to let people ski and was afraid they'd impale themselves.

My friends couldn't stand the other renters and left. My brother in law moved back and the inlaws built him a huge house and he promptly fenced in one lake to be his own. My duck blinds got taken away and the renters put in a 8 man concrete pit.

For a few years my wife and I were very distant to the family. She was extremely upset about the house being built and her not being told (more to it but short version).

To make peace the family built a cabin, it's a monstrousity. Huge, 2 story, very nice. Too nice for a cabin. The renters have now started putting in campers, mowing lawns, and continue to rape and pillage the fishery and deer. They purposefully park in the ramp, take over the beaches - I've had more than one run in. Things like you go out to fish at 6 AM and a renter piles out of the camprt and goes around the lake 5 times at 40 mph then goes back in the cabin (I'm on electric - I'm not making noise). Long story short, 2 years ago was the last time I've been there. I've been there 20 times tops in the last 10 years. 2 years ago one of the aholes shot a potato 75' in front of my boat with my wife and 2 girls in in. His comment was "I wasn't trying to hit you" when I went over. For my wife I let it go but unfortunately ran into him later where I threatened to end him as a breathing meat sack. My mother in law said everyone just has to get along.

I get along fine, but not there. My mother in law has no idea I haven't been there in 2 years. She argued with me over Easter that she wants some things done at the Cabin and I told her I hadn't been there in years. She basically called me a liar and said I was there all the time. Oh well.

Hey, at least the renters are hunting where I used to hunt turkeys there now too. Blind and decoys in same exact spot.

Inlaws have 3-4k acres, probably 4-500 of river frontage. I haven't hunted any in 10 years either.

MIL is always hinting for fresh fish, fresh pheasant and so on. Bummer she doesn't get any. At my wife's 40 birthday party some guys and I had just been ice fishing and they asked my MIL if she had good fishing at her lakes. She told them she really didn't know and it didn't matter because no one in her family fished anyway. You should have seen everyone's faces, especially my wives (Grandma has pictures of my daughter holding 4 lb bass from her sandpit on her fridge too).

Did I mention I no longer help with hay, silage, harvest or anything else now either. I was putting more hours in when I helped than my brother in law, a total waste of space.

Family is something. And as you cant tell, it doesn't bother me at all. (My fav moment was when one of the renters who's a huge poacher turned in a poacher that shot a buck out from under his stand, that was funny)

Long way of telling you Randy - stay strong and on your own unless you can live with the terms. I was going to chime in early and tell you free is never free, but it's already happening. I'm very sorry.

There is humor, I was told the other day my brother in law told the renters to be careful during deer season as his house is in the middle of the shooting. Yet his wife and son were out walking the atv trails during season. I guess the guys in the stands were FROTHING pizzed when she walked by them.

Yeah. A lot better to find out this is happening now, then 2 years of pulling your hair out wondering why you can't get this pond going. Think how pizzed you'd be then!

So it's all for the better now, they've done screwed themselves.

Hey Randy my older brother used to live out there in the camper so i fished out there alot it is a great fishery! I have never be on the water but from the bank it was awsome. Ive probably caught 100 bass outa there in the last year. Most were 1 1/2 to 3 lbs but always made for a fun trip. Last time I was out there the new owners came out and were gonna charge me for fishing until they found out my brother lives in the trailer. I wasnt to happy with their greeting so i aint been back and im sure they have distroyed the fishery from the way they were talking and the knowledge they seemed to lack of fish! Just thought id put my 2 cents in.

Had some spare time at work today so I finnally got to browse this site a bit more. I know this is an old thread, but what's the progress? Did the in-laws buy said lake and campground? If so, when's the fishn4fun lake warming party? Looks like it would be more of a party than a fishing trip, but it would allow all of us to meet up and get to know each other.

Just curious...Ken

sounds like a good deal for your family Randy!