A Different "private Pond" Question 2024

Josh Smith reply :

Hi Folks,

There's a private pond I can fish; it has large bass in it and it would be pretty easy to get a new PB bass out of it.

Here's my problem: It's stocked. I'm not sure when the last time was it was stocked, but it's been stocked and it's well managed. Almost no fishing pressure either.

I can't get out of my mind that fishing a private, non-pressured, stocked pond with excellent cover etc would be cheating.

Thoughts?

Josh

Alonerankin2 reply :

Fish it bro, fish it..

HoosierHawgs reply :

Fish it. That's my paridise. I can't wait to have my own!

the reel ess reply :

It would be a sin to not go get your personal best knowing it's there for the taking. You don't have to take them. Heck, I'll go if you feel guilty.

Senko lover reply :

Absolutely nothing wrong with it, man. Go for it and make sure you post up some pics.

greentrout reply :

On 5/16/2015 at 7:57 AM, Josh Smith said:

Hi Folks,

There's a private pond I can fish; it has large bass in it and it would be pretty easy to get a new PB bass out of it.

Here's my problem: It's stocked. I'm not sure when the last time was it was stocked, but it's been stocked and it's well managed. Almost no fishing pressure either.

I can't get out of my mind that fishing a private, non-pressured, stocked pond with excellent cover etc would be cheating.

Thoughts?

Josh

Maybe you jest here. I'd fish it and enjoy every minute. I've fished hard hit public areas and loved every minute of it, but I have also been on private stocked ponds and the thought and work by the owners with intelligent management is a Basser's paradise. Promise. No guilt on my part.

Josh Smith reply :

Hello,

No, I'm not joking.

See, thing is, it's sort of like hunting to me. I'd never hunt a private park where the critters are fenced in and baited, for example.

Sitting against a tree on a deer trail with a muzzleloader is more my style -- preferably with nobody else within a few miles, but hey, I can dream, right?

If I were going solely for food, it would be different.

Josh

Alonerankin2 reply :

Josh, your over analizing this.. Fish it, enjoy it, learn from it.. Catch & release.. I get your philosophy, but.. It's just a great opportunity.

Seize the day...

HoosierHawgs reply :

All I knownis when you look back on your year fishing wise you are gonna kick yourself over not fishing itm

greentrout reply :

Fishing on a private stocked pond, lake or whatever does not mean it's like fishing in a barrel.

Old school basser...

Fin Stalker reply :

Fish it. Use it as a testing ground for new techniques that you want to gain confidence in. If you happen to catch a PB there put an asterick next to it knowing you used peds to catch that fish. By all means fish it though.

Dogmatic reply :

It's completely unethical, you shouldn't fish it, totally cheating...but exactly where's it at?

the reel ess reply :

On 5/16/2015 at 9:00 AM, Josh Smith said:

Hello,

No, I'm not joking.

See, thing is, it's sort of like hunting to me. I'd never hunt a private park where the critters are fenced in and baited, for example.

That is much different. You can't put back a buck (or even a squirrell for that matter) once you've taken it. You can catch that trophy bass, photograph, release, repeat. Repeatedly. And it can still die of old age and achieve legendary status. That's a beautiful thing.

Mccallister25 reply :

On 5/16/2015 at 7:57 AM, Josh Smith said:

Hi Folks,

There's a private pond I can fish; it has large bass in it and it would be pretty easy to get a new PB bass out of it.

Here's my problem: It's stocked. I'm not sure when the last time was it was stocked, but it's been stocked and it's well managed. Almost no fishing pressure either.

I can't get out of my mind that fishing a private, non-pressured, stocked pond with excellent cover etc would be cheating.

Thoughts?

Josh

Not cheating whatsoever. Just go fish. You can toss baits all day long, but that doesn't mean the bass are gonna take it. You ultimately fool them into wanting it. Its your skill.

Don't worry about the potential PB though, just go fish a private water that's at your disposal. Enjoy. Have a great time regardless of size of fish.

Lund Explorer reply :

On 5/16/2015 at 7:57 AM, Josh Smith said:

Hi Folks,

There's a private pond I can fish; it has large bass in it and it would be pretty easy to get a new PB bass out of it.

Here's my problem: It's stocked. I'm not sure when the last time was it was stocked, but it's been stocked and it's well managed. Almost no fishing pressure either.

I can't get out of my mind that fishing a private, non-pressured, stocked pond with excellent cover etc would be cheating.

Thoughts?

Josh

You will find the answer to your problem when you drop the word cheating in favor of the phrase "Fair Chase". Like Fin Stalker said, catch whatever you can and if it ends up being the biggest fish you've ever got, put that " * " next to it.

The real problem won't exist unless you convince yourself that your skill was the determining factor.

Josh Smith reply :

On 5/16/2015 at 5:32 PM, Lund Explorer said:
The real problem won't exist unless you convince yourself that your skill was the determining factor.

That's it, exactly.

I know what to throw to catch bass, and these pond bass do not see artificials. The few people who do fish it, fish only live bait.

I fished this pond occasionally with a friend as a teenager. Now that I'm part of the friend's family, I have access whenever I want. I've caught large bass from there in the past but haven't bothered recording them.

The picture that keeps coming into my mind is those bass in the trailers at seminars, where the speaker throws a hookless bait to demonstrate how fish react.

Yesterday I went to the small (public) lake I usually fish for a couple hours. I caught my first bass (about 12") on a whacky rig ever. The bass critters that generally bite there are not large at all, but fun to catch all the same.

Know what I saw, though? Just cruising around out in the same cove I was fishing was a BIG bass. I saw it next to a couple smaller ( 12" - 14" ) bass, and I estimated the size at 16" to 20".

Now, that would be a bass to be proud of. I spent the rest of the day targeting that specific, large bass. I didn't get it, so I'll be going back out and trying again first chance I get.

I would so count that critter as a PB... if I can catch it!!!

The asterisk idea Fin Stalker has might be the way to go, though. I know I'll be taking my boy to the private pond sometime this summer (it's his great aunt's) and I also know I'll fish.

Regards,

Josh

Hurricane reply :

Go fish it and have a chance to catch the biggest bass of your life. Who cares where it comes from.. Good Luck!

Brett Strohl reply :

I feel like there are too many anglers and rivers etc are getting too polluted along with people being extra uptight about access etc. I would agree that ponds aren't the most sporting situations, but at the same time I don't know that there are many ideal setups left.

RSM789 reply :

Josh, I think I understand your point if you are talking about the stocked portion.

In Southern California, many public waters stock trout in the winter into waters that they would not be able to live in year round. These trout are dumped into the lake or stream and then caught for table fair or die later in the year when water temps get too high or the stream dries up. Also of course, some of these trout are nothing more than feeder fish for huge largemouth that inhabit the same waters. The point is these are not close to being wild fish, they have never really had to evade a predator their entire life. Like you, I have less interest in fishing for creatures than this, no matter their size, than ones that are somewhat of a challenge to figure out (emphasis on "somewhat"). For me, the perfect fishing day is when I struggle initially until I am able to figure out the keys for that day, & from there I load the boat. It means more to catch fish after fish if I had to put the pieces of the puzzle together to make them bite.

So, the stocked part is the negative, but the private part isn't necessarily make them easier to catch, especially depending on what species were stocked. If bass were initially stocked a few years back & now have had a few years in the wild evading predators, they are more like a wild fish than a dumb hatchery fish. The private part may be the blessing because it eliminates knuckleheads, present company excluded . Fish the lake & you will know within a trip or two whether or not the bass in that lake need to be fooled into biting or whether they will commit suicide by just jumping into the boat.

greentrout reply :

Stocked ponds with 100 percent Florida Strain Bass become as wild and difficult to catch just like their state brethren when the state stocks and manages its usually small lakes less than 300 acres, and in Mississippi they are sometimes less than 100 acres, in an effort to produce trophy size bass.

Bass Resource: http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/smart_bass.html

Old school basser...

IndyGlockMan reply :

There's still going to be some skill involved to catch the bigger bass.

They are not going to jump out of the water in to your lap.

Might be a good time to try out some different baits you wouldn't normally use and see how it goes.

wytstang reply :

I fish a private stocked pond with many 5+ pound bass, the bass were stocked roughly 15 years ago and every so often bream, crappy, perch , ect get restocked by the hunting club. These bass act just as stuburn as public access bass do, I went 3 weeks straight with no bites no matter what I threw at them. Stocked or not you have no guarantee you will catch anything on any given day. Also I have zero guilt from closing the gate behind me and leaving the rest of the world out, in fact I absolutly love it.

KayakBasser reply :

Are you freaking stupid? Just kidding man i would fish it I caught a twelve and a half pounderout of a private lake.

C0lt reply :

Ill go fish it with you. If any of the bass pro's catch us, and judge us for fishing a stocked pond, you can tell them it was my idea. I'll take one for the team.

Catch 22 reply :

Maybe have two categories

PB from private water

PB from public water

KDW96 reply :

On 5/16/2015 at 7:57 AM, Josh Smith said:
Hi Folks,

There's a private pond I can fish; it has large bass in it and it would be pretty easy to get a new PB bass out of it.

Here's my problem: It's stocked. I'm not sure when the last time was it was stocked, but it's been stocked and it's well managed. Almost no fishing pressure either.

I can't get out of my mind that fishing a private, non-pressured, stocked pond with excellent cover etc would be cheating.

Thoughts?

Josh

Be thankful you've gotten another spot to fish. A lot of people are limited to one spot only. As far as a pb? If you caught a 5pd, how do you know there not a 6,7,8th in there? Fish it when and while you can,good luck friend.

Flippin4Biggins reply :

Bud I will say this.... While it does take some know how to catch a fish and little in your situation.... of you know your going to catch fish... Use this time to use some lures you haven't tried and gain some confidence in them.....I did this when learning jigs..... I drove the interstate and saw farm ponds and asked permission. I gained confidence in not only Jigs but swim jigs, chatterbaits and topwater other then my buzzbait.

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