Lost One Of My Favorite Fishing Holes Today

[Preytorien]

Just a friendly reminder to be a considerate and conservative fisherman

 

I frequently fish a small pond near my house. It's in a neighborhood, and the HOA stocks the pond with nice bluegill, bass, and catfish. I've developed and maintained a courteous relationship with the HOA president who's also a fisherman, we frequently talk shop about fishing, stocking, and bass biology. He caught me fishing once, but offered me a "you're the exception to the rules" fishing permission. I always made sure to thank him. It's a nice place to stop by on the way home from work, give a new lure a try, or take my little daughter with me to fish someplace that's nice and clean.

 

Apparently some other fishermen who weren't afforded the same permissions came and fished the pond over the weekend, and were caught with fish in a bucket. Now the HOA has a no non-resident application in process, which means I lost my most convenient fishin' hole. I tried to see if he'd still allow me to fish, but he begrudginly told me he can't allow it anymore, he had too much pressure from the residents.

 

Just remember to be courteous, clean, and considerate, your choices may someday affect the very fishing spots we hold dear

[einscodek]

That's a shame.. Feel Yer pain.. I know I'd feel awful if someone took away my favorite fishing hole

[Cgrinder]

I feel your pain. The city recently decided to start enforcing an under-14/over-62 years of age only policy on the lake downtown.

[riverbasser13]

Dang sorry to hear that, it's hard to find a good convenient bass fishin pond

[BassinLou]

That's unfortunate. It only takes a handful of people to really mess up a good thing. Best of luck finding another spot. 

[geo g]

Sorry to hear that.  I always try to clean up others mess to prevent that from happening.  It only takes one jerk to spoil it for everyone.

[bassh8er]

He caught me fishing once, but offered me a "you're the exception to the rules" fishing permission.

 

I get the point of your post and agree with your summarizing statement, but were you not doing the same thing as these guys were before you were considered the "exception"?

I've found that in most cases I can get access to privately owned ponds by simply asking first. It's the "getting caught" that will give you issues every time.

[Preytorien]

I get the point of your post and agree with your summarizing statement, but were you not doing the same thing as these guys were before you were considered the "exception"?

I've found that in most cases I can get access to privately owned ponds by simply asking first. It's the "getting caught" that will give you issues every time.

 

Yea, initially I was kind of breaking the rules, sort of....I had permission from a resident, a guy that I work with, to "fish at our ponds anytime you like, just park at my house." But I found a guy who understood, allowed the resident to exercise his allowance, was accomodating, and had the clout to enforce the rules as he saw fit, and me being given the exception was in his graces. But since those guys took it much too far, and not having permission, the HOA was forced to require Gary (the guy I know) to enforce the rules to everyone, not just at his discretion, or permission from residents. He stated that the only way I'd be able to fish it is physically WITH the co-worker of mine being with me at the time of fishing. They're even changing the signage around the pond to state that rule.

 

I was just given a good opportunity, but now it's gone. Makes me just that more considerate of the other properties I am allowed to fish.

[gardnerjigman]

I feel your pain. The city recently decided to start enforcing an under-14/over-62 years of age only policy on the lake downtown.

That has got to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard...

[bcarter261]

That has got to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard...

That's what I was thinking. Doesn't really make any sense

[tatertester]

Makes sence if yur under 14 or over 62.

[Bluebasser86]

Happened to the pond behind my work. Awesome pond that's probably 5-7 acres and loaded with quality fish. We used to be able to fish it but people who don't work here started fishing it so access got yanked for everyone    Caught lots of fish like this one out of there.

[Sam]

There was a serious problem on the upper end of the Historic James River a number years ago b the Pony Pasture when illegals were catching the beautiful 20 to 25-inch flathead catfish and skinning and fileting them on the bank, leaving their remains for everyone to see.

 

Many calls were made to the Richmond City Police and the Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries and the patrols were beefed up and the illegals were run off as they did not have proper fishing licenses nor did they want to be involved with law enforcement.

 

I have seen one man put bass in a bucket at a local pond and I told him that the pond was catch and release. He sat there and smiled at me. All I can remember were his bright white teeth. The pond was closed and the overflow intake was repaired which caused the guy to move on.  I have not fished the pond in a year since the work began but I did hear that some bass did survive.

 

I am the only one, other than a nephew that just got married so he has other things on his mind, to fish my friend's double secret pond where catching 5, 6 and 7 pounders is not unusual.  Seems the neighbors across the street who were given permission to fish the pond left trash all over the bank so my friends took their fishing privilege away.

 

Some people are self-center slobs with no consideration to the property of others or for the beauty of nature. They do outgrow it sooner or later but in the meantime we have to put up with them and the wake they leave behind.

[Senko lover]

Man, I feel you. My favorite pond is a once-stocked neighbourhood pond about 5 min from where I live. It has a nice population of chucky bass, including a 7-8 pounder that eludes my hook........

I was fishing there one day (strictly catch-release) and a family was fishing the dock with a cooler full of water, catching turtles and sunnies to stock in their little pond. They were trying to catch a big bass, too, but fortunately, they didn't. (If they had, I probably would have dumped the cooler over the side). I really appreciate being allowed to fish where I do, and it's people like that who may get me kicked out.
I also fish a cemetery pond two minutes (by bike) from my house. I got special permission from the manager to fish (out of sight and out of sound) from the woods, and I really appreciate that. I'm very quiet back there and hope no idiots come back there making a ruckus and getting me kicked out from a good hole. Litterers bug me too.

[cbass12]

Happened to the pond behind my work. Awesome pond that's probably 5-7 acres and loaded with quality fish. We used to be able to fish it but people who don't work here started fishing it so access got yanked for everyone    Caught lots of fish like this one out of there.

Not to mention some of the "customers" that I saw fishing it that one day. Or the van load of people parked at the end of the dam with their kids running all over the place like it was a city park.

[mikekurinka]

Sorry man, my two biggest fish come from ponds I'm not allowed to fish because of sane stuff

[SirSnookalot]

The population of Delray Beach is growing daily, I'm losing all kinds of places I used to fish.  Public canals are being fenced if they are next to a new development.  My local ponds are void of vegetation, the HOA gets them sprayed too much.  The ponds here are now being filled by reclaimed water that the county makes us buy, fishing was better before this program started.  Same story in saltwater, more and more areas are being fenced off in the ICW.

[buzzed bait]

OP, that sucks.  But like someone already said, you were there in the wrong initially so it was likely on thin ice to begin with....

 

I feel your pain. The city recently decided to start enforcing an under-14/over-62 years of age only policy on the lake downtown.

 

now this ^^^ is the dumbest thing i've ever heard.....  for many reasons. 

 

A. you want 13 year old kids by themselves at a lake?  bad idea...

B.  Arguably not one single person under 14 pays taxes, but are allowed to use the city's area and you the taxpayer are not?

C. how does this not get attention as "age discrimination"?

 

just dumb all around.....  but brought on by idiots like the ones in the OPs fishing hole....

[Daniel Lin]

OP, that sucks.  But like someone already said, you were there in the wrong initially so it was likely on thin ice to begin with....

 

 

now this ^^^ is the dumbest thing i've ever heard.....  for many reasons. 

 

A. you want 13 year old kids by themselves at a lake?  bad idea...

B.  Arguably not one single person under 14 pays taxes, but are allowed to use the city's area and you the taxpayer are not?

C. how does this not get attention as "age discrimination"?

 

just dumb all around.....  but brought on by idiots like the ones in the OPs fishing hole....

I've seen this before, and honestly, while it kinda sucks for us (particularly the BR crowd), without it, everybody and their uncle would descend on it like vultures to fresh roadkill every single day, with the expected fallout. Many people around here literally fish to put dinner on the table, and that sort of motivation will deplete a public body of water in no time flat as C&R, creel limits and min/max sizes are almost never followed, it seems. I've just come to accept it as an area for parents to teach kids how to fish (note: not fish in any seriousness themselves) and for old farts to enjoy retirement without having to travel too far. Most of the ones I've seen also allow for handicapped fishing there too.

 

As my dad said to me once after he asked if I had been keeping any bass to eat lately and I told him i'm 100% C&R (for a variety of reasons), "You are very lucky to be able to enjoy fishing as a sportsman and not have to fish to survive." 

[Bassun]

I feel your pain. The city recently decided to start enforcing an under-14/over-62 years of age only policy on the lake downtown.

 

I am first going to assume, we're talking a small residential sized lake, nothing big.  Something where bank fishing is the norm.  If that's the case, then I actualy have no problem with this.  Introducing kids to fishing is a huge thing to me, and if there is a place that I can take neices/nephews/cousins/friends kids/etc fishing where they have an opportunity to fish a largely unpressured pond, then that's a nice advantage for them.  Having an easily accessable, local pond is perfect. 

 

I'm less stoked about the 62 and over side of it, but if you follow the logic that they 'may' be less amblitory then again I can understand the reasoning and again an easilly accessable fishing area would be nice.  I personally think it would make more sense to designate it a catch and release only fishery, and manage it as a handicap accessible, town maintained pond.  But, that's just my opinion.

 

**EDIT** As for the OP, that just sucks... We had the same thing happen to a pond near my house where as a teen I fished a lot.  Was going to take some family photos down by the old "lake" and my sister who still lives in the old neighbor hood quickly let me know they have stopped anyone from even going to the pond.  Now, if you step on the land, they just call the cops.

Edited October 22, 2014 by Bassun

[moguy1973]

I feel your pain. The city recently decided to start enforcing an under-14/over-62 years of age only policy on the lake downtown.

 

I'd have to be voting those city leaders out since it's your tax dollars that are paying for that lake...and their salaries.