Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Corrective stocking DNR issues

This is absolutely correct per DNR headquarters in Springfield - I called them on this 2 years ago and almost lost my cool.

It's a little known rule here...the '6 bass creel limit' applies to ALL BOW's in the state. I stumbled across it because I'm a bit OCD and read the entire regs book fairly regularly...and the creel limit rule seemed to apply to all waters in the state. When I called they confirmed it.

Me - 'So let me get this straight...I paid to build the pond on my property, and I paid to stock it. The fish in it are mine. If I want to drain the pond and kill every single fish in it all at once that is my right. But you're telling me that if I use a rod and reel I can only take 6 bass out a day?!?'

DNR - 'That is correct.'

Apparently this was enacted to give the CPO's some power in the case where a person has a private BOW very close to a public one...there were cases where they'd catch a ton of bass and then 'jump the fence'. This law lets the CPO get them anyway.

I know that you don't have to have a fishing license if you're fishing a BOW you own and live at. Not sure about the 'floatation device' but I bet that's the law as well...I'd get a ticket for this one every time I get out on the pond.