Monster Bass On Nj Golf Course Spotted (Repost)

[njbassman82]

My previous post was taken down because people were telling me that I'm trespassing on the golf course and breaking the law. Just wanted to say what I'm doing is not in any way against the law. The first day that I fished this golf course one of the managers came up to me and told me he had no problem with me fishing there as long as I stayed out of the golfers way and didn't bring numerous other people on to the course with me. So with this case proven I would like to repost my topic for the fishing community to see once again.

Thanks

I have been fishing a pond on the edge of this golf course near my house for a couple years now and have caught multiple 5+ pound fish out of it. Not until recently did I discover that there was another large pond dead smack in the center of the course, in plain sight of the country club. For the past couple weeks I had been obsessing over this spot knowing that it had probably rarely been touched. Last night I made the trip over to the course when it closed around 8 pm. Using a topwater frog and mouse I was catching decent sized bass (maybe 1.5 - 2 pounds) every couple of casts and every now and then I would get a massive blowup in this one spot but I couldn't seem to hook up with the fish. So me and my two friends that I was fishing with moved closer to this spot to try to get an easier hook set on the fish. After a couple of casts one of my friends hooked up with a solid 2 pounder and was reeling it over a mat of slop when a massive bass exploded on this 2 pounder about 2 feet away from the shore. The fish landed on the ground at our feet and quickly flopped back into the water. This bass was the biggest fish I've ever seen and I believe based on many years of experience with bass fishing that this fish had to be at least 12-13 pounds. Keep in mind that it tried to eat another 2 pound bass! After the fish flopped back into the water it landed in a super shallow area and I could see the whole fish for a good ten seconds as it just sat there. When I moved closer to it it darted off into the deep. I've seen my buddy's dad catch an 8 pound bass in person and this bass had to be at least 4 pounds bigger. Previously I had talked to an older guy at the other pond that said he had caught an 11 pound bass out of the pond in the middle of the course but he didn't bring the fish to a tackle shop to get it registered because he didn't have a license. I always thought that this guy was full of crap but now I totally believe his story. I'm hoping to fish this pond quite a bit until I catch this fish that I believe is big enough to shatter the 30 year old record for New Jersey. One piece of advice to all of you NJ bass fisherman out there is fish your golf courses and you may be very surprised at what you might come across!

[gulfcaptain]

you do relize the minute you catch and register that fish if it is a record, the press from where you caught it will cause you to loose your spot.  Increased pressure from fisherman that do not respect golf courses causes everyone to loose access to them.  I wish you the best on your monster bass hunt, but remember once you catch it odds are that will be the beginning of the end of your nice fishing spot.  Have a course like that around my house.....now it's not the course manager that runs you off, it's the local sheriff's who use their helicopter to round up all trespassers, impound all fishing equipment, and then write all nice tresspassing tickets with the next time they catch you....off to jail.  So my advice, keep your spots quite and enjoy them and don't bring added press and pressure that will cause them to ban all fisherman and result in the above actions of local law enforcement.

[flyfisher]

Nice fish.  Just because you catch a fish your spot isn't burned.  I know in virginia they list plenty of fish as private waters.  I am also pretty sure though that private waters cannot hold the state record though but i could be wrong.

[Bobby Uhrig]

What I think the solution is -NJ bring me there with you -That will resolve it all

[gulfcaptain]

It can be listed as private waters, but word of mouth will still put it out unless you have the ability to not tell a soul where you were fishing and not take any pictures of your spot where someone can figure it out.   Golf courses are touchy subjects when it comes to being able to fish them or not.   I have nothing against him fishing there and wish the best, I just would keep it really quite...the less people around you know the better off it is.

[flyfisher]

That is true.  Personally, if i catch the state record bass i don't care if people know where i caught him.  Is it going to increase pressure, probably but that doesn't mean there is another record there.  In the case of a golf course i would imagine that any additional pressure would probably force the course to limit or eliminate fishing.  

[gulfcaptain]

^completely agree with you on that flyfisher. May only be one that size but it would put the golf course in the cross hairs of many an angler that would normally bypass it.  But I do wish njbassman the best luck in catching it.  Advice, throw a swimbait 8" or larger....savage line thru floater would be a good start and see what other sizable fish happen to live there as well.

[NJBasstard]

I've never seen somebody fishing any of the golf courses around me but have always considered doing it myself. How do you guys go about getting permission to do so? Or do you just go fish it and hope your not asked to leave? Good luck wherever your at & I hope you get her. Our records 34 years old but theirs gotta atleast be a 10lb15oz out there somewhere!

[gulfcaptain]

first off if there's a NO TRESPASSING or NO FISHING sign, well that might be a tough one.  If it's an open course you can probably walk on and fish, just be respectful of the golfers and stay out of the way, make sure you leave no mess, and did I mention be respectful. Stay out of the sand traps and greens, and don't fish right where you're in the middle of someone trying to go down the fairway.  If you're wanting to ask, go into the clubhouse or pro shop and ask if you can speak to the course manager and ask him.  If he gives you permission ask if he has a business card you can have for reference if anyone questions you being there.  

[flyfisher]

I would probably say on any golf course it is a good idea to ask before just going out there.  No golf courses i know of are free and if i was a golfer i would be kind of irritated if i just paid my greens fees of $50 and some dude was on a pond fishing in front of me.  Definitely agree with ^^ in that basically you don't want anyone to even know you were there when you leave.

[njbassman82]

^completely agree with you on that flyfisher. May only be one that size but it would put the golf course in the cross hairs of many an angler that would normally bypass it.  But I do wish njbassman the best luck in catching it.  Advice, throw a swimbait 8" or larger....savage line thru floater would be a good start and see what other sizable fish happen to live there as well.

Thanks for the advice i will probably pick up a Huddleston deluxe soon and trust me this spot will not be leaked to others under any circumstances

[njbassman82]

I've never seen somebody fishing any of the golf courses around me but have always considered doing it myself. How do you guys go about getting permission to do so? Or do you just go fish it and hope your not asked to leave? Good luck wherever your at & I hope you get her. Our records 34 years old but theirs gotta atleast be a 10lb15oz out there somewhere!

What part of SJ are you from theirs plenty of good golf courses that I've fished at around me with no problems at all

[njbassman82]

What I think the solution is -NJ bring me there with you -That will resolve it all

Come on over

[gulfcaptain]

Thanks for the advice i will probably pick up a Huddleston deluxe soon and trust me this spot will not be leaked to others under any circumstances

if it's shallow, go with the line thru, you can work it slower and kill it as well as adding nail weights to make it suspend just under the surface or sink really slow.

[njbassman82]

if it's shallow, go with the line thru, you can work it slower and kill it as well as adding nail weights to make it suspend just under the surface or sink really slow.

I'll have to give it a try, usually go topwater and the bass kill it never tried any big swim baits yet though

[PondHopper96]

i wish the golf course ponds I fish had some fish like that! the biggest fish ive caught there was under 2 pounds lol, I usually catch 20-30fish though so I cant complain!

[NJBasstard]

What part of SJ are you from theirs plenty of good golf courses that I've fished at around me with no problems at all

 

I'm about a mile from the Commodore Barry. I know there are plenty of courses I've thought of fishing but have decided against it because I know people pay to play there which I thought would make it an issue. Now I'm may just go ahead and try a few..

[rippin-lips]

In my area you would be ran off any golf course you tried to fish. They're all privately owned and you would be trespassing on private property. It's cool you were given permission to fish it. Hope you land that big one. As for the other courses near you. I wouldn't just go walking up and start fishing without first letting someone know and/or getting permission first.

[blongfishing]

Best of luck to you!!! I hope you catch it! Huddleston is a goid idea since it chased that small bass!! Keep at it and achieve your goal!

[roadwarrior]

Get permission from the Head Groundskeeper

[njbassman82]

Get permission from the Head Groundskeeper

I thinks that the guy I talked to because none of the employees say anything to me anymore

[rabidsquirrel]

There has been a trend over the last few years of resort courses promoting fishing on their courses to their guests. There are a few courses down here that promote it. For example: http://www.saddlebrook.com/package_spring_special.html

 

I hope we see this trend continue. 

[Ginosocalbass]

biggest question i have is, do you have any idea what a 13lb bass might accually look like? or even a 10lb bass?

 

As far as jumping golf courses.. And growing up in socal, i have fished a few golf courses and city park lakes...

 

 I'd be careful with fishing any private property in New Jersey, The law doesn't mess around here, and neither do the people,  I don't fish anywhere unless I am a guest or have direct permission or proof i have rights to fish there. 

 

And lastly... If i even had a clue that a state record would be near by, i wouldn't even have made this post twice, let alone once.

[F14A-B]

It really can be difficult to guess a large fish, at night, and I have caught a few that I thought surely would go over 10... Only to weigh 7,8 and 9.... I have noticed at times the fish (LMB) seem to have huge heads/ other times, not so much.. It's seems certain you had a large fish there, how large? Who can guess outright?

[Violinguy]

I've never seen somebody fishing any of the golf courses around me but have always considered doing it myself. How do you guys go about getting permission to do so? Or do you just go fish it and hope your not asked to leave? Good luck wherever your at & I hope you get her. Our records 34 years old but theirs gotta atleast be a 10lb15oz out there somewhere!

 

DO NOT just walk onto the course and fish with the hopes that nobody says anything.  This is trespassing.  Golf courses are private property.  Just because there is no sign that says "no fishing" does not mean you are allowed to access the water.  If you (the general 'you') had a lake in your back yard and didn't post signs, that would still not give anyone the right to walk back there and drop in a line.

 

If you get the owner's/general manager's permission, then knock yourself out.  But don't just walk on out there.  Another poster talked about how upset golfers might be if they had paid their $50+ only to have to hit around anglers.  I am as avid a golfer as a fisherman and I would be a little cheesed off if I saw anglers on the course.  I would be mad that it wasn't me first    but it is also a safety issue and a distraction to golfers, who paid a lot of money to stink at golf and don't need to worry they might hit you.