As I am primarily a bank fisherman, (my father has a boat that we go out on a couple times a month) I am always looking for new ways to find bodies of water that hold fish. I primarily look for ponds most of the time as I know if I can find one that hasn't been touched, or barely touched, there is usually a big girl roaming around somewhere down in the depths. The other app that I've been messing with is On X Hunt. It shows what ponds etc. are public property and what bodies of water are not. This is extremely useful for those bank fisherman. I found a pond that holds some giants and people keep saying it's private land. Low and behold, it's actually all public land that belongs to the county. I'm keeping my mouth shut on the location of that one.  It's also nice to have this app in case someone does try kicking you off the property, you can literally show them that you're on public land and be on your way! Anyone else use these apps or have different apps/techniques that you use to find new bodies of water?

If I see it either driving or on Google Maps, I consult the county tax assessor's map. Land tax records are public. But I don't usually go through with that. I have several friends who either own a pond or some land on a small lake. They let me use theirs whenever I want. I was given a key to the only one with a gate on it.

 

I have fished some that I saw from the highway and asked permission to go to. But usually, there aren't any big mamas in them. Or I should say I don't catch them. Most private ponds are terribly overpopulated and completely unmanaged fisheries-that has the advantage of hungry, dumb bass, but not in producing trophies. So I stick mostly to the 4 or 5 best ones I have carte blache at. I also get better at fishing them because I do it a lot.

I've lived in the same area my whole life and I'm a fishing junkie so there are no new bodies of water haha. But there are lots of small Creeks way up in the national park I haven't tried. It's usually 4 inch Brook trout up there though 

For sub division lakes I google the information from the home owners association. That usually says if fishing is allowed and who can fish there. Other than that it’s google maps. 

1.  Google Earth - study the Google Earth map in small sections for hidden ponds.

2.  Google Maps - look for the blue ponds and lakes sprinkled all over the place.

3.  Does the Wisconsin Game and Fisheries publish a booklet listing places to fish for bass? Invest in a long distance call and ask them if they have any information or can give you a web site for you to study looking for new places to fish.

4.  Subdivisions and office complexes have ponds. Check them out.

5.  There are hidden ponds on commercial property that the owners could care less if you fish. But you have to either hear about them or find them on Google Earth/Google Maps.

6. Go to a local tackle shop and ask the guys for some tips on local ponds and lakes that are not known to the public.

 

Do your homework and you will be surprised at what you can find.

 

Good luck.

I have used Google Earth quite a bit too. You can change the year the photo was taken so you can go back many years to see how long the pond has been around giving a good indication if it will hold fish.

 

@Sam - You are right though about those hidden ponds. I have one that I have never seen anyone fish besides myself and it holds some giants for WI. Only 8 more days until I can get out on the water!!

I just Google earth areas. In the Jax area there are hundreds of ponds. Having lived In the area all my life, I am pretty sure where I can fish and not have a problem.

Have been asked to leave a few times in my life.

Have never had the police come.Which is a feat in itself, considering all the ponds I tried as a teen and young man.

 

12 hours ago, Sam said:

1.  Google Earth - study the Google Earth map in small sections for hidden ponds.

2.  Google Maps - look for the blue ponds and lakes sprinkled all over the place.

 

I used to use my car GPS while driving around town. It worked spectacularly, then like a dolt I "upgraded" the maps and most of the small inland canals, lakes, ponds and other waterways went away.

www.takemefishing.org maintains a list of federally maintained lakes with their known species there. You can use fishidy to find what type and size of fish people are catching, and where they caught them at.

 

Then google maps is useful. They don't let you zoom in too far, but you can see what the overhanding branch situation looks like and find potential spots on a lake that way.

 

In Massachusetts, I can search for a lake name, followed by map, which will give you a map with some info on known species and often they mention locations with shore fishing access as well. There's also one guys blog of south county lakes (I normally go the other way to Vermont, I've had better luck and while it's a further distance, it takes the same amount of time due to less traffic as well).

 

Google Maps always works for me

14 hours ago, Harold Scoggins said:

 

So much for zooming on this body of water!!  

2 hours ago, Largies4Life said:

So much for zooming on this body of water!!  

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