Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Where do you fish?

I had an acquaintance stop by my shop this afternoon, and ask me to take off one day next week and go BG fishing with him on a lake about 50 miles south of here. Business is brisk this time of year, so I thanked him and politely declined, however, if the truth were known, I can't imagine myself going anywhere other than my own BOW, even if I had an opportunity. One of the reasons I've always wanted my own water, was the chance to make IT my "go to" destination. And I'm working on it, slowly but surely.

Now I realize that there are folks who fish different waters as a function of their work, or livelihoods, and that's another story altogether. I completely understand that. And I know that if I went over to a buddy's place to help him with something, and he told me to bring my gear and we'd hit his pond afterwards, I probably would. I'm talking about traveling to a BOW where your sole reason to be there involved catching fish, and that was the only purpose for the trip.

Let's narrow it down even further, and take trophy hunting off the table. Even I would love a trip to Richmond Mill! I'm talking average fish, not the big fish of a lifetime.

I honestly feel that I can fish my ponds for the rest of my life, and still not discover everything they have to offer. I'm excited that the future holds so much promise, with so many new techniques, bigger fish (hopefully), formerly unknown structure, or bottom contours, different lures or baits, an entire lifetime's worth of fishing where the newness never wears off. All just awaiting my exploration.

Ask yourself, if you took a day off to go fishing, would it be in your own pond/lake, or somewhere else? If you chose not to fish your own water, what would the reason be? Different species, bigger fish, social interaction with other anglers?
Remember, it's just one day, not a week long excursion. Is there anyone here who just fishes their own waters?

For the most part, I now only fish private waters. It is a subject that has cost me a few friends over the years.

I know that a lot of people think I'm crazier than I actually am. I absolutely love to vacation at home. I can fish, hunt, go 'shrooming, relax, and really enjoy the company of friends and family -- especially if the friends and family suspect that there might be a fish fry, some smoked trout spread, and maybe even some venison pastrami and pepperoni as snacks.

As a serious curmudgeon, I don't appreciate wasting my time going to catch fish where fishing is generally poor. My pond, and my friend's ponds are by far the best places.

A serious curmudgeon? Finally, my life has direction! Now I know what I aspire to be when/if I ever grow up. That's a perfect fit.

Ken, I agree with your post completely. I was just wondering if I was the only one here who thought that way.

A lot of very high up people acknowledge that the day of building large public waters is next to 0. As a result ,with a growing population and increased types of users, public waters are going to be more and more crowded. That means private waters will be a better option for a lot of reasons. Now if we can just get all the gov regulators to quit hampering the effort and allow more private pond building.

Great post, sprkplug! I have a big corps of engineers lake about 40 minutes away that I'll fish from time to time with a buddy who has a really high end bass boat, but honestly, that's the primary reason I fish there with him - the chance to hang out in a really high end bass boat! The fishing is good at times, but mostly it's so-so.

My ponds? Some days we slay them, some days we get skunked. But when it's slow, we can all take a hike through the woods, play a family game in the fields, build a fire, pretty much do whatever we want. Like you, I feel like our ponds have a lot to offer and I, too, see little reason to fish anything else. Besides, fishing our own water I don't need a license nor does anyone else in my family. Toss in a little fish diversity so you always have the chance of catching something fun (like the 3 HSB I added last year which are getting 25 of their close buddies added this weekend!) and it makes the whole thing that much more enjoyable.

I'll fish other places, but when I actually have time to fish these days, I'd much rather just go out and wet a line at my place. Although I'll probably include a rod for my trip to Sunil's this Saturday - talk about a mixed bag of not knowing what you'll catch and everything you catch is in great condition!

I used to plan vacations....where will I go? In the last few years, I have gone to Port Aransas, Texas.Had booked a private charter 2 years in a row, only to be "cancelled" to unusually rough water. Then I'd end up bay fishing, only to catch hardhead and Gaftop. The hardhead, greatly resembles a CC, and the Gaftop, also is a catfish, but with unusual fins. Might as well stayed home.

2010, I got my son all excited, and went to Northern Minnesota, to catch those HUGE WE and NP.The country was absolutely beautiful, but the fishing sucked.I was actually disapointed when I saw the catches that made the locals and well seasoned vacationers, excited.

I suppose that's what has inspired me to renovate, and spend the money to restock, and feed. I was sitting on the pond bank, drinking cervesas with my son this summer. I was reflecting and it finally hit me. Many of the people I interact with on a daily basis, who are urbanites, are always saying...."man, I'd love to have a place in the country with a pond."..... I have that, and I take it for granted. Urbanites, head to the "country" for their vacations. Why do I leave home?

I am actually planning my next 2 or 3 vacation times.....to be spent right here on my own pond.

Ironic story, I invited some friends to come catch some catfish in a pond of mine. It's absolutely lousy with CC. They mostly caught fingerling size CC. I felt bad for them. They asked why? They had a ball, and had planned on taking a nap while fishing, but were constantly busy with the bobber going under.......

It's so easy to take for granted, what others consider a great family outing. Complacency? It has given me a whole new outlook on life,actually.

I may head out for species not available here, or a change of scenery. But there's no place like my pond....I know there's good fish there, and seldom wait more than 1 minute for a bite. And the way they are growing....next year should be a whole new adventure.

Besides that, no license is required,no size or slot limits, I can drink all the beers I want in my oar powered jonboat. The revenuers are not waiting to catch me doing something contrary to the wildlife code,on length or possession limits.

Thanks Pond Boss!!!!!

We fish our own ponds because they are close and cheap. We may go to Lake Texoma once or twice a year but the last several trips we have had one successful day. Its just not the worth $1000 it takes to go down there. Stay near the lake and for meals.

I like my odds in a pond more so than a lake. Ponds almost every trip you catch something.

I am a whore, I will fish any where, when its legal.

I will make day trips.

One reason is Like moving water!! Drift boats and rubber rafts and the country they are used in are very addicting.

There is a little gutter Creek infront of this popular street in Bozeman MT. I have seen 16 inch browns spwaning in it this time of year and was tempted!!

But personal BOW are very special too.

Life is very short and there is way too much fishing to be done!!
and hunting.....
and......

I'd take a day off and fish different waters. It's a little bit of different fish, mixed in with different techniques, and a little bit of different scenery. Would I take a day off and fish a BOW if I knew it would be elbow to elbow with other fisherpersons, or on a busy boating lake? Heck no.

St. Joe River for Steelhead, Wolf River in Fremont, Wi. for White Bass, Lake Webster, IN for Muskies, etc.

I think my all time favorite BOW is the big puddle on the left Coast. Tuna, Wahoo, Yellowtail, etc. Most times you know what you're going to catch, but there's those times that you don't know what's on the line until it surfaces, and then there are those times that you get spooled and you are left wondering.

Esshup I tried to copy my pond after the backwaters of Lake Webster, IN. As a young boy we vacationed Lake Webster in the 1940's and it was the best all around fishing lake we fished in Indiana or Michigan. My Dad caught a 7 1/2 lb, 25 1/4" LMB that held the record for the Northern half on Indiana for a while. I was kayaking the lake 10 years ago to see if it was like I remembered it. I paddled up to an old man that was setting in his yard by the lake and ask him if the bass fishing was great like it was in the old days. He said after they stocked the lake with Muskie’s the bass fishing wasn't good anymore.

I like having my own pond because the water is pristine and I can shape it for the wildlife I enjoy watching. I do a lot of kayaking in streams and lakes in Indiana and pollution is wide spread. All farm fields are drained and so septics, fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides etc. all run off into the streams and rivers. One small river that flows into a reservoir near me is lifeless. I didn’t see bugs, birds, minnows or crawdad’s at all, and no water plants or weeds. It was spooky. The conditions of our waters are sad but a fact of life. And so we have our ponds.

Last year a friend and I hired a white bass guide and had a ball. I'm now fixing up my boat that hasn't been used in years. I'm just hoping that I will be able to find a place to launch a 20 ft Ranger.

Actually, I hadn't fished a lake in 10 years.

Dave, if you've got good brakes on your truck, and reverse, you can launch it about anywhere.

Excluding vacations, you would not see Dwight fishing any where other than Bremer Pond. Before he had his pond, you could find him on area lakes, but not anymore.

Okay, I see I'm not alone in my thinking. I guess it's hard for me to imagine myself making the trip somewhere to fish for the same, yet smaller, species that I have in my own ponds. I will be the first to admit that I am extremely narrow-minded when it comes to fishing. I don't own any gear other than ultralight, and the heaviest line you will find on my reels is 4lb. test. BG are my thing, that's where my interests lie.

If I were to travel somewhere in search of these fish, it would have to be someplace special, complete with trophy class fish not likely to be found in my own ponds. So I do understand the hunt for that once-in-a-lifetime-fish.

I have fished my ponds, in one capacity or another, for almost 35 years. I still feel like I learn something new everytime I wet a line there, and I know my water still has surprises in store for me. It's the discovery, the trial and error, the one-on-one interaction between myself, my fish, and my ponds, that fuels my desire to stay close to home.

Thanks for the input, I appreciate everyone's comments.

The next time I'm down your way I'll have to remember to toss in the full roller guide rod along with the Penn 50SW reel that's spooled with 100# test for your Hybrids.

Hopefully, the next time you're here you'll NEED gear that big for my hybrids!

I might have mentioned this before, but anyhoo....
A friend and I used to go to West Point lake in W GA. I would catch a bunch
of 3-5" BG for stripper bait. Well, when I fished of my dock with, bread or whatever small bait I was using I invariably caught some 2# strippers or an occasional RBT. Now, here I am fishing of my dock in my little 1A pond
trying to caught bait to take to another lake 70 miles away and hope that I catch the same thing that I am accidently catching off my dock. What's up
with that????
In other words I love my pond, but rarely fish it because it's so easy to
catch the fish, and they are almost like pets.

Such a complex question. My pond is still in the works but I'd imagine, after a few years to get it where I want it, that I wouldn't want to be on any other body of water.