131 replies to this topic

[Avalonjohn44]

I fish a private lake several times a month, and most days it is just as hard as anywhere else. You still have to find the fish. Just because it is a private pond doesn't mean there's a golden platter where you just grab your limit of lunkers and go on home...

I just don't understand why folks would say don't brag about what you catch at a private pond. What a load of crapola. If I catch a twelve pound bass in a lake, river, farm pond, private pond or out of the tank at BPS itself, I'm happy as heck I caught it, somebody's gonna hear about it. My avatar will show a pic of it and it beats any bass that weighs less than it no matter where it's caught...

Anyone saying otherwise is just one of those 'sour grapes' type of person.

[North Ga Hillbilly]

IGFA doesn't recognize fish from such places.

I never have been able to find this is the IGFA rules, tho I have seen people say the same thing many times. Anyone have any links?

NGaHB

[bassmaster3541]

In my opinion it is totally fine to fish these, have fun with it. if the fish are being maintained directly by human control, not naturally feeding on bluegills, craw all that stuff I wouldn't be going around saying I am better fisherman than someone else who hasn't caught one as big, but it's still a great fish. If they are living in a natural environment, I see no problem at all with it, what, just because it has bigger fish? That's like saying I am cheating saying I went to Falcon instead of the 500 acre lake up the street, as long as it is not like shooting fish in a barrell, i see no problem at all

[fowlskies]

I'm surprised flukmaster hasn't weighed in yet.

I would brag but it would come with a cavet of being caught in a private pond. I mean it's kind of like putting a pot of grain in a farmer's field and shooting the cow when it comes to feed for your steak dinner that night.

The real question comes down to where you draw the line between considering it fishing/hunting or farming.

[NCLifetimer]

Some of the most enjoyable days fishing i've ever had have been fishing at a farm pond. I've recently began to get more enjoyment out of catching a few fish out of a big lake then a 20 lb bag out of a farm pond.

Is it harder to catch bass in a big lake? sure it is. Its also harder to win the bass masters classic then it is to catch fish in a club tournament. But that doesn't mean that the club tournament is somehow inferior, just a different level of the sport called fishing, that's all.

[hatrix]

I wish I had a professionally managed pond to fish. Who doesn't want to catch only big fish and lots of them? doubt there is 1 person here who wouldn't fish it even if they say they wouldn't.

[1234567]

I never have been able to find this is the IGFA rules, tho I have seen people say the same thing many times. Anyone have any links?

NGaHB

I too thought private areas were off limits for being certified by the IGFA, but like you, I havn't seen anything in the IGFA rules that would disqualify it.

[Lund Explorer]

I never have been able to find this is the IGFA rules, tho I have seen people say the same thing many times. Anyone have any links?

NGaHB

If you go to the following link, click on the "English" version of the pdf.file. Scroll down to page 8, left side column under General Information, second paragraph reads as follows:

"No applications will be accepted for fish caught in hatchery waters or sanctuaries."

http://www.igfa.org/...LING-RULES.aspx

[Lund Explorer]

I wish I had a professionally managed pond to fish. Who doesn't want to catch only big fish and lots of them? doubt there is 1 person here who wouldn't fish it even if they say they wouldn't.

I don't think the question here is whether people want to fish at such places, but if fishing there is a true measure of an angler's skill. There is much more to fishing than casting into the water and reeling in the fish. Quality fish in open public waters are harder to locate and catch. If that wasn't the case, there wouldn't be a need for professionally managed lakes/ponds.

In my personal experience, it quickly becomes boring when the act of fishing becomes easier.

[North Ga Hillbilly]

If you go to the following link, click on the "English" version of the pdf.file. Scroll down to page 8, left side column under General Information, second paragraph reads as follows:

"No applications will be accepted for fish caught in hatchery waters or sanctuaries."

http://www.igfa.org/...LING-RULES.aspx

Seems like somewhat of a grey area to me. I would assume sanctuaries means government designated preserve areas or something. I sent them an email, well see what they say about it.

NGaHB

[Lund Explorer]

Seems like somewhat of a grey area to me. I would assume sanctuaries means government designated preserve areas or something. I sent them an email, well see what they say about it.

NGaHB

I might have thought the same thing if I didn't live just three miles north of this place.

http://www.sanctuary...om/welcome.html

I've never hunted there, but I was involved with a company that used the property to film videos for the marketing of several deer hunting related products. Not too many places outside of the fences where you'd have to edit out footage because there were too many 10 point or better bucks in the frame at the same time. I wish there was a way to show you that video, but it was so over the top that we never used it.

In all fairness to this company, all photos of kill or catch are shot, developed, and printed by the staff. All photos you take away from this place has the company's logo on it.

BTW, they have several managed lakes (20 acres or less) on this property that fish just like the property hunts.

[Missouribassman95]

Pretty much all I fish are farm ponds, but it seems like the owners stocked them like twenty years ago and haven't done a thing with them since. The bass are maybe alittle more aggresive then in a big lake but it sure isn't like shooting fish out of a barrel.

[Red Earth]

fishing farm ponds isnt always easy as people seem to think. i would agree a larger public lake or river is probably more challenging. but that doesnt automatically make ponds easy. ive been skunked on lakes, ive been skunked at ponds. ponds dont equal a guaranteed catch...

[stkbassn]

This is a good point to talk about. Maybe they do seem dumber in a farm pond or lake but it's simply a bass being a bass in an environment that allows them to be that, a fish that isn't conditioned to factors that aren't natural...boats, jet skis, constant pounding and pressure...etc.

So while it may be a bigger "deal" to catch a big, trophy bass on a big reservoir with tons of anglers and pressure, that doesn't necessarily make you a big, bad angler....just lucky to be in the right place at the right time if we're talking about a 7 plus pound bass......it's just easier to be there at the right time and place on farm ponds and lakes. I've seen many a day when the farm pond wouldn't produce fish either so it's not always a cake walk...

Long story short, if you have pics of a 10 pound bass that you caught on a farm pond and your buddy who fishes tournaments and owns a $60,000 rig doesn't.....well, you still have the biggest fish

I love fishing big lakes and farm ponds and I'm proud of all of my big fish so be proud of yours no matter where it comes from.....fishing is fun!

[birdy]

I fish in my neighborhood retention ponds. All stocked about 10+ years ago. The ponds have crappie, bluegill, bass, carp catfish and shad. There are plenty of crawfish and snakes as well. These ponds are low pressure when it comes to fishing. Fish few years I could barely catch a bass. Now I'm pulling in all sizes. Is it the practice, patients, skill or a combination of these, who knows? One thing is for certain, the knowledge gained from fishing in such an environment has added in my ability to catch fish in public waters. I enjoy both, I consider myself fortunate to be able to walk out my back door and fish, mind you it is on the bank, no boats, so I river fish in a kayak as well. To each his own I like to say, Fish on!