Ever go up to a stranger's house and ask to fish their pond/lake?

[Eddie Munster]

I'm a pretty handy guy who can work a little air cond., do light construction, fix stuff so I'm thinking about approaching some people who have property on a beautiful small lake that I just bet gets ZERO fishing pressure. I would offer them some repair work in return for the right to fish their lake while maintaining strict catch and release fishing. There are several home owners with access to this lake so I would really only need one to agree.

Anyone ever try something like this?

[tyrius.]

Growing up I fished people's ponds all the time.  The key is to always be polite.  Even if they refuse be sure to be polite about it.  Sometimes they'll change their minds and let you fish.  If you're a jerk about it then you can forget about it forever.

Oh, and if you do get permission NEVER leave trash or anything around the lake (that includes ripped up worms, fishing line, whatever).  In fact, it's best to try and pick up any trash you see.  If it's a good body of water it's always best to be on the owner's good side.

[fourbizz]

Pretty much what tyrius said has worked for me. If you wanna help your chances, try and find something to relate to the homeowner with.  If he has a classic car sitting out front and you are into them, talk about it etc.

[Muddy]

THAT"S THE TICKET!  Just ask ALPSTER, about how he got to fish the hole that got him his PB 8-)

[Alpster]

Here's my story......

I spotted a beautiful 6 acre pond in Amite, LA when I was surveying the right of way for a 500 KV power transmission line from the Pearl river in MS to Baton Rouge. I stopped to ask the owner (turned out to be the care taker the owner lived in NY) if I could fish the pond. His answer was an emphatic NNNOOO!! So I changed the subject and asked what he knew about the big power line that was comming through. He was very interested (as was everyone as this was a very controversial project) so I gave him a few juicy pieces of information and promised I would stop by from time to time and keep him up to date on the power line.

Anyway, I stopped by once a week or so and chewed the fat with the old guy and told him what I knew about the power line, which wasn't much, but he enjoyed the conversation. One day I learned he was partial to Mountain Dew soft drinks and salty peanuts, so I began bringing some along on my visits. After almost a year went by, during one of these visits I asked, "so when are you gonna let me fish that pond?"

He laughed out loud and said "you can fish it anytime, just don't leave a mess and let me know you are here".

After work on May 18, 1982 I stopped to fish with a guy from work. After checking in with the care taker we started casting the banks. My friend hooked up right away with a nice big fish and I watched from across the pond as she jumped and spit the lure. I remember thinking that fish had to be 5lbs. My adrenalin was pumping big time. He landed a couple more about 3 lbs and I'm working hard without a bite. I had a brand new ABU 5600 (I think this was the first ABU reel with a thumb bar spool release) and a "Worm" brand rod. I had over a hundred $ in that setup and that was lot of money 25 years ago. I tied on a 1/2 oz Arkie jig with an "Uncle Josh" black widow eel and made a perfect cast into a pile of myrtle bushes along the bank and #@%*! the freakin reel wouldn't retrieve. I fooled with it for a while and couldn't get it to engage the spool and finally gave up. That was the last time I didn't have back up rig since then. I yelled for my buddy to ask if he had an extra rod. He sent me to his pickup to see. I found a combo, LOL a "Zebco" 202 with a 5 1/2' rod with one of the guides busted off. Undeterred, I tied the jig and eel on the twisted up line and made 6 or 8 casts against the only bluff bank on the pond and finally the jig & eel bounced off the bank and as soon as it hit the water the line took off like a rocket towards the middle of the pond. I reeled down and set the hook hard. Only then did I learn that the drag on the little zebco just didn't work. It was miracle that the hook snagged the tounge of this bass. So now I am hooked up with a 6 1/2 pound bass and can't reel him in. This I can't retrieve line thing is getting to be a big problem. I am screaming at my buddy to get his butt over to help me. I finally wrap the line around my hand and walk backwards up the bank and just as I get her to the edge of the pond she makes one last bolt into a myrtle bush and gets tangled up. I am screaming like an idiot for my bud to get in there and get that fish or come hold the line so I can. This whole thing looked like Abbot and Costello meets the Little Rascals. My man jumped in the pond waist deep and gently untangled my prize from the herbs.

My heart was beating the buttons off my shirt. I remember carrying that bass back to the truck and looking at her mouth and thinking "this is why they call them Large Mouth bass". The taxidermist said she weighed about 6 1/2 lbs. I have caught a few that have come close, but she is still # 1. After 25 more years of fishing she was certainly worth the time & Mountain Dews.

Thats my crazy story. Oh Yea!

THE FISH................

Ronnie

[Muddy]

Thanks Ronnie, I love that story 8-)

[Certified Public Angler]

great story

I caught my PB in a private pond also. My girlfriend was house sitting for her boss. I came to visit her and brought along my rod & reel and my shore fishing tackle. I caught two bass that were clearly larger then my previous PB. And one of those big boys was on a topwater Pop-R, it was incredible.  I guess I should take notes on this thread bc I would really like to get back to that pond with my new berkley scale. I don't want to wait til it's house sitting time again.

[bmuskin]

Thats a great story...thanks for sharing.

I live in the edge of kansas City. There are ponds everywhere. I have talked my way into 2 of them. The one that I have been to one time is full of great spotted bass. The lady was absolute that no one would fish there. Itjoined the back edge of a park and people would just invade this place according to her. As we talked she said "do you have your gear?" I said yes and she told me to go fish in her yard. I sent a thank you card and have not been back, but I will.

Also have 2 more that I have permission for. 1 is full of great bass I have pulled a 6 1/2 and a 5 pounder out of this pond on wacky rigged senkos.

Be polite, tell them who you are. Also sympathy for their previous messes helps. I always tell them that I will not be drinking and just like to fish. Ask them if they like fish and catch some crappie or 2 pound bass and filet them and take them some is always appropriate. Play your cards right and you not only have a new fishing hole but also a friend.

[avid]

Now that's a fish story.  Love it.

kind of a testament to the virtue of patience.

How many of us would work that hard?

Nice going Alpster.

[Grey Wolf]

Great story , thanks for sharing.

[rondef]

Great story Ronnie and nice looking bass.

[fishinfiend]

That is a great story, Ronnie. That mount stills looks great after all these years. Do you have to do anything to keep it up?

As for ponds, I have been told no on two occasions. However, one person with a pond is about to move. When the new owners arrive, I am going to welcome them to the area and ask them if they need help moving anything heavy. Then I will ask about fishing the pond  8-)

Another tip is to ask in decent looking clothing. I am not saying a shirt and tie, but it would help to wear something nice not a t-shirt and ratty looking shorts. I always wear a collared shirt. If you have a young child with you, that will help out too.

[skillet]

Not as persistent as Alpster ;D! Have had my share of OK's and NO's. You develope a thick skin ...

                             As Ever,

                              skillet

[JShrock07]

Great story and great point Ronnie.

I have had many situations as this. I worked for an agricultural company and everytime I had to do work for people that had lakes or ponds I would ask them. Most of them would tell me no but I thought that if I did an outstanding job for them they would ask for me to do their work again. Well it worked with almost everyone and before I knew it I had more places to fish then I could have ever thought of. This is how I have the awesome lake I fish now!!!!

I always pick up any trash that I see and when I run into the owners I make it a point to tell them that other people are leaving trash and not to worry about it that I am picking up every peice that I see, I do this so they will continue to let me fish!!!

-Nitroman

[S I G M A]

When i'm fishing streams i try to ask the people who own the surrounding land, just in case there are deep spots where i have to get out of the stream and go on their land. Its just common courtesy

[shorefisher]

Great story Alpster. After all these years that fish is still your personal best?

[Eddie Munster]

Great story Alpster. I hope I have the patience if I need to wait a year for this pond.

Thanks for the replies guys. I intend to be VERY polite and adamant about letting them know I can help them out some if they need a hand. I don't mind breaking a sweat to help out folks and if I get to fish that gorgeous pond as a result, it's doubly worth it.

I am kind of active in my church and we have ALOT of people that live in subdivisions that have ponds. I've already gotten the green light to fish one (caught a couple decent ones on Cavitron BB) and am working on a couple more.

[hoosierfisherman]

Nice!

[Bassaholic84]

I always ask you would be surprised how many say yes and the worse they can do is say no

[BassinAssassin171]

I'm 16 years old and play 3 varsity sports and have a lot of homework, so I don't have the time or funds to venture out of suburbia with a boat or anything.  My fishing buddies and I are restricted to fishing suburb lakes, private ponds, and the occassional golf course lake.  We have to maintain connections to keep our network of lakes open to us and need to keep all parties happy all the time.... which with my friends isn't always the easiest thing to do.

We will get permission from someone who lives on the lake or near it (usually someone we know personally) and will fish around the lake by walking or in any type of water craft we can obtain.  Crossing through private yards is quite tricky and you have to learn who cares and who doesn't.  There are even cases where certain members of a household will be encouraging or extremely nice to us while another or others of the same household with kick us off the property (one time threatening to call the police  ).

One instance occurred at a lake that was relatively new to us but where I had landed a 6 and a 9 on the same day not long before.  My friend would sometimes get out of the canoe and fish in yards to get better casting angles and whatnot.  One time he and a friend got out on a man's dock.  The man came out and talked to them, not angry in the slightest, and asked them how the fishing was and seemed very interested.  My friend told me of this and we went back another time and began to fish from the yard.  I was a bit skeptical, so I tried to stay somewhat out of sight (I am always paranoid!!!!).  We maintained a low profile until I saw a man walking towards my friend who was casting from the yard.  He introduced himself and then said, "I am just curious as to what you are thinking!?"  

Is this not the friendly guy who asked about the fishing before?

He went on to state that this was clearly private property and we had no business even being in the neighborhood.  There was talk of legal reprecussions and we appologized and hastily left the yard.  What a jerk!  >

Another instance occurred at a small honey hole of ours that only has about 4 houses on it (one of them is empty).  Two of my friends got to the lake before me and were desperate to use a boat.  They entered the yard of a nice woman who always asked us how many fish we had caught and wished us good luck and rang the doorbell to ask permission to use the paddleboat in the backyard.  Nobody answered the door so they decided to fish for a bit in it and then ask again later.  My friend DID land an 8 lber. that gave a great fight   but later when they returned to the yard and man stood there rather annoyed  :.  He demanded to know what they were doing with his boat, where they lived, and then made them clean out the old paddleboat for him  .  I arrived as they were finishing up and had a good laugh when they told me what happened.

a lot more stories have come from out little fishing adventures but those are the most recent and promenant in my mind.  we have had many good experiences as well and have landed many trophy fish from other people's yards though  ;D

[Eddie Munster]

Wow; I probably would react much like the guy who asked what he was thinking? Without asking, you must take that as a no; try back later. Especially using someone's boat.  

That being said, as long as people released what they caught and cleaned up after themselves, I'd let em fish.

[Daniel My Brother]

Just go to the door with a copy of the Book of Morman in your hand and ask if you can come inside and discuss religion.

While they try to think up an excuse to get you to leave, let it slip that you'd rather be fishing.

At this moment they will happily point you to their pond.

[Eddie Munster]

Just go to the door with a copy of the Book of Morman in your hand and ask if you can come inside and discuss religion.

While they try to think up an excuse to get you to leave, let it slip that you'd rather be fishing.

At this moment they will happily point you to their pond.

;D

I like it.

[chad14]

My new favorite thing is GOOGLE EARTH!!!  Yes you can find ponds you never knew exsisted!  

One is about 1/2 mile off the main road.  Probably 10 acres or so and has been dammed up by beavers.  HUGE trees line the shores.  A friend and I have been 3 times now, I have caught nothing but some bluegill he has landed 4 3-4lbr's.

Gonna try 2 ponds that are just out of eye sight by the house.  I plan on going to the homes in front of the ponds and getting permission though

chad

[bmuskin]

I have used Google earth for the same purpose.

I also like this one it has more detail. I can see my car in the driveway with this one.

http://maps.live.com