people asking to fish pond. what to do

[bucktaker]

Remind me to not be kind to you all when you break down on the highway incase you might sue me.......jeesh what are you guys thinking. A little hospitality goes a long way. I am now friendly neighbors abeit 3 miles apart with the gentleman who allowed my family to enjoy his pond and was able to help him when his Horse was serverely wounded and when his barn burned after a lightening strike. Had he treated me the way some of you have indicated his horse would have been dead and he would have received no assistance from his barn fire.

I hunt on a different farm and that LLC has a permission slip I sign that releases them of liability and gives me the limited access for specific purposes and location on the farm.. Might work for fishing too. Think about all the kids who can never learn to fish, then never take their own kids fishing. be a good Steward of your land and a good person you never know when you might need a favor.

I agree some will take advantage but I think its common sense should prevail not this litigous attitude.

 

[Gary Fowler]

We have a pretty nice pond that prior to our ownership, it was obviously fished by all the locals. They would even drive in and fish while the house was being built and take out what they caught. Gated entrances stopped that whole scenario from happening. It doesn't take many fisherman to clean out a small pond when they take all they catch. We take some bream out yearly to keep down the population but for the bass it is catch and release especially any big ones. I will occasionally transplant some from one pond to another since we have 4 ponds that are stocked but fishing is catch and release and just for visiting family.

 

[oosik]

Bucktaker - You are absolutely correct because you are talking about your neighbors and fellow farmers you have made friends with. These are a completely different group of people and certainly can be trusted and have earned your trust. What most are talking about here are the general public. They are an unknown quantity and most often only have feelings and concerns for themselves. To place your trust in this second group can be a very dangerous undertaking. You risk all you own - all you will ever own - and in certain instances your very life to a group who generally could care less.
Again, though, your actions with the second group are totally of your choice.

 

[the old grind]

For years I had dreams (nightmares? ) of looking out my window and seeing a trailered boat coming down my driveway and looking for a place to launch. (not that barely 4 ac of water was boat territory) There had been some wild city-folk renters living here who didn't care, or take care of much here as they partied away. Of course when awake I'd get a visitor asking to fish, stating that they'd fished here before, maybe saying they wanted to bring a kid and always a way to get a foot in a door.

I thought of a way to answer such requests. "You don't have a place to fish, and I don't have a woman. Bring a girl >18 YO who doesn't fish and we'll go from there." By then no strangers were coming down the drive to ask.

New friends always ask about fishing, and I just tell them the truth. "My son or my brother may show up and I'd never hear the end of letting someone else fish here after I told them 'no'."

Last request was from the son of the guy who built the place and dug the sand pit. I wanted to show respect for his dad, a giant in the community who hosted community outings for kids and had his/hers bathrooms fixed up downstairs (w/walk-out) so they could trot in from the beach to change or 'go'. I agreed to let him bring his son (he really wanted to show the little guy what 'Grandpa' had built) but wished he hadn't asked. He never came back.

Decided from then on I would argue that the River was 2 mi from here, and that walleyes, pike, and smallmouth bass there would be more fun (more food!) than my crowded and stunted largemouths, panfish, and duckling-gobbling channel cats. ("Not in my birdbath!")


Helpful neighbors? Folks who promise to return favors (weeding, tilling, trimming, tree removal) and mow their own yards as many times a year as I do mine in a month (2-5) might put down their remotes to watch my barn, tractors, motorbikes burn to the ground. :laughing: They expound on what they'd do if they lived here, but several hundred feet is too far to walk, I'm right next door and they drive here but they hate to miss a rerun, so never stay more than a few minutes.

Btw, I also get hunting requests for rabbits, deer, or turkeys and yes, telling folks that access is leased works really well. I offer to give them the number of the guy who pays to use, and they stop there without asking for it.

 

[EddieWalker]

I have the opposite problem. I don't have anybody to fish my pond and I'm afraid the size of my bass have become stagnant. I need to remove more fish from it to get the bass to grow. I won't allow strangers to fish it, but I do invite friends all the time to come fish it with mixed results. Most done understand that I want the fish out and they like to catch and release.

Eddie

 

[TripleR]

Remind me to not be kind to you all when you break down on the highway incase you might sue me.......jeesh what are you guys thinking. A little hospitality goes a long way. I am now friendly neighbors abeit 3 miles apart with the gentleman who allowed my family to enjoy his pond and was able to help him when his Horse was serverely wounded and when his barn burned after a lightening strike. Had he treated me the way some of you have indicated his horse would have been dead and he would have received no assistance from his barn fire.

I hunt on a different farm and that LLC has a permission slip I sign that releases them of liability and gives me the limited access for specific purposes and location on the farm.. Might work for fishing too. Think about all the kids who can never learn to fish, then never take their own kids fishing. be a good Steward of your land and a good person you never know when you might need a favor.

I agree some will take advantage but I think its common sense should prevail not this litigous attitude.

Please don't paint us all with the same brush, many if not most help our neighbors. Helping and being a nice guy doesn't mean you will or should allow access to your land. Not allowing access to your land, ponds etc. doesn't make you a jerk.

Many of us have tried what you advocate and it just did not work out. I happened to notice "No Fishing" signs posted where my son lives. He tried for years to be accommodating, put up catch limit signs, required permission etc.; tried every way to be a "nice guy". The pond is fished out, his own kids and grandsons can no longer catch anything there, ruts are common as is trash.

As to law suits, I spent 30+ years in courts and routinely saw families lose everything they owned due to a law suit, no one ever thought it could happen to them.

 

[bucktaker]

Well said Triple R I think exactly the same way. Just because someone asks permission to access a pond to fish doesnt make me a jerk, or disrespectful noe does it mean they will not follow the rules set by the landowner. If liability is a concern a release with the written rules and instructions could be provided to any one requesting access. I know it s a pain for for the landowners and no has to allow access but to completly shut down access is dishearting to hear.

Please don't paint us all with the same brush, many if not most help our neighbors. Helping and being a nice guy doesn't mean you will or should allow access to your land. Not allowing access to your land, ponds etc. doesn't make you a jerk.

Many of us have tried what you advocate and it just did not work out. I happened to notice "No Fishing" signs posted where my son lives. He tried for years to be accommodating, put up catch limit signs, required permission etc.; tried every way to be a "nice guy". The pond is fished out, his own kids and grandsons can no longer catch anything there, ruts are common as is trash.

As to law suits, I spent 30+ years in courts and routinely saw families lose everything they owned due to a law suit, no one ever thought it could happen to them.

 

[fordmantpw]

Well life has a way of being funny wife is going into labor with our first today and guess who rolls down the road? I confronted them and said no fishing we have just moved in and are trying to figure things out. A good friend of mine may come over and install cattle fence and gate which i have already when we go to hospital. If not ill do it myself when I'm off work for leave. They are to not be on the property though. I do have one posted sing on the entrence No hunting or fishing the stander yellow kind. I like the colorful ideas about you are now in range ect.

Congrats and good luck with the new little one!

 

[brin]

Well said Triple R I think exactly the same way. Just because someone asks permission to access a pond to fish doesnt make me a jerk, or disrespectful noe does it mean they will not follow the rules set by the landowner. If liability is a concern a release with the written rules and instructions could be provided to any one requesting access. I know it s a pain for for the landowners and no has to allow access but to completly shut down access is dishearting to hear.

bucktaker...Do you have your own pond where you fish ? Do you have your own land for hunting ? Just curious. Thanks

 

[fordmantpw]

Remind me to not be kind to you all when you break down on the highway incase you might sue me.......jeesh what are you guys thinking. A little hospitality goes a long way. I am now friendly neighbors abeit 3 miles apart with the gentleman who allowed my family to enjoy his pond and was able to help him when his Horse was serverely wounded and when his barn burned after a lightening strike. Had he treated me the way some of you have indicated his horse would have been dead and he would have received no assistance from his barn fire.

I hunt on a different farm and that LLC has a permission slip I sign that releases them of liability and gives me the limited access for specific purposes and location on the farm.. Might work for fishing too. Think about all the kids who can never learn to fish, then never take their own kids fishing. be a good Steward of your land and a good person you never know when you might need a favor.

I agree some will take advantage but I think its common sense should prevail not this litigous attitude.

A truly good person will help the neighbor when his barn burns down or his horse is hurt regardless of whether that neighbor helped you or not!

I have a neighbor with a pond and I asked to take my kids fishing there, catch and release only. His first answer was yes, but a day later told me that he had to take that back after talking with his insurance agent. I'd still do anything to help him out if he needed a hand!