Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Corrective stocking DNR issues

We are a dying breed that do not want a government to take care of us...

You got that right!

I can see you guys have never lived in Illinois. The government here has absolutely no interest in taking care of you. They focus on how much can they squeeze out of you. Seems like every other month another Illinois politician is in the news that is caught living the good life on the taxpayers. So if you figure 1 out of every 10 gets caught.....

Nor will I, Bill come on down to Texas- we got room- will send Ted Cruz to fill your spot

The "Over Regulation Nation."

I was afraid my comment might stir the pot, but sometimes it is just hard not to say something.

Wait a minute. You said 9879 lakes. You telling me the 'land of a thousand lakes' has been false advertising all these years?

The other day I was reading a bunch of MDNR CO reports, and all I can say is, well, the characters in these reports are not all that bright.

One that got me voting for the Darwin award was a group of guy's that have been busted 5 times for fishing without a license. They were approached by the CO, who busted them before He checked them out. Yep, they said, we learned our lesson and all have valid licenses. They thought they were in the clear.

What they didn't realize is the CO was watching them for quite some time. Yep, you all have valid licenses. Now, let's go check out your vehicles They used the term's "housed", and "referred to prosecutor" in the report

They had a bunch of illegal size and out of season WE in the truck, while throwing suckers in their catch bucket.

Another thing I learned is the CO's watch the social media venues very closely for stupid people violators in their area.

There was a guy in the paper here last summer. He had been arrested 7 previous times in 2 years for SMB out of the river. Last time he got 30 days in county jail to think about it. The way I read the regs for this river is no size limit but 6 kreel limit so he must have a real honey hole to fish!

West end of the MKG river is a real honey hole for SMB.

A guy down the road, maybe 4+ years ago got a Felony Conviction for some massive poaching. He shot a "wired" Turkey, which turned the CO's on to him, and his gig was up, the hard way!

No one from that family lives up there anymore.

Now see, in my mind that's what DNR and CO's are for - actual violators. And honestly most CO's that I've met have been focused on exactly that.

But there are the anomalies - and in IL unfortunately there are more than in other states I've lived in, or at least that's my experience.

To circle back to the original topic at hand, I went camping with a Fisheries Biologist this past weekend and asked him what all he knew about that particular law (statewide creel limits on LMB) - he confirmed what I'd been told previously, that it was enacted to allow CO's to be able to police people that had private property adjoining public reservoirs.

I guess my issue there is, I understand the premise but the law now affects me and mine and we don't fall into that category. That smells strongly of an expansion of power couched as a vaguely written bill.

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?!?'

This is the EXACT argument I made!

Dale- I guess I can understand that reasoning but (dont have the rules on hand at the moment) why then do they allow no limit on BG? wouldnt that fall in the same category?

On a side note...the perch are in the pond but havent seen any...where might they be hiding? Ive only caught perch while jigging for walleye so not sure the best method to locate/catch them.

Yellow Perch can be undetected for a long time.

I had my pond for several years before I ever even knew there were Yellow Perch in there.

Here in PA, I you have a private pond, only the direct family members who own the pond can fish without a license. For my pond, that would be me, my wife, my brother, and his wife. Nobody else can fish without a license. Not sure how my kids would play into that once of licensing age.

Generally, the Game Officers here stay off of private property; they have enough to deal with in public lands.

Funny I was thinking of officers staying off your private property and then watching your avatar picture flash at me with you holding the semi-automatic weapon, I wonder if that has anything to do with it

For those of you in states that have laws on the books regulating what you can harvest from your own privately owned ponds, you might want to consider getting an aquaculture permit. The permits are usually fairly inexpensive, and must be renewed annually, but they remove all those "pesky" harvest regulations, as they essentially change your fish from "wildlife" to "livestock", which also changes the regulation of them from your conservation department, fish and game, etc. to your department of agriculture instead. As long as you provide a receipt/bill of sale to guests who fish at your property and take fish home, they should be well within the law, with or without a fishing license... and regardless of creel limits or slot restrictions.

Something to keep in mind, however, is that this MAY result in new restrictions that you must abide by. For instance, some states require you to pay a self-reported tax (usually per pound) on any fish food purchased. Water quality regulations can become more of a concern regarding any discharge waters. Certain fertilizers, liming, alum, pond dyes, copper treatments, etc. could potentially fall under an entirely new set of rules when applied on your property, subject to EPA and FDA rules and state specific rules.

It's just a matter that has to be thoroughly researched state-by-state to fully understand.

That just may be due to Peroni management strategies.

In Missouri, owners and family of 5 acres or more can hunt during seasons (turkey, deer and federal tags/stamps required) and any pond owner/tenant can fish their own property without a license. In Arkansas, you needed a license to hunt or fish your land......also, by signing the hunting or fishing license as required, you authorize authorized LEO to enter and search your home or property at will to investigate any allegations or violations....no search warrant hassles

Excellent point, JKB, but usually, excessive Peroni causes extra YP to be seen...

Good points Rex. We're lucky to live in MO, as we enjoy less regulation in this regard than a lot of the members of PB do in other states.

A bunch of us could be in big trouble -- or maybe it could just be our legal-beagle friend, who would be in the most trouble. Or, on general principles, we could just blame it all on our good friend Rainman!

As I look back at good times at Sunil's pond, there have been several occasions where he knowingly hosted and harbored us criminals taking fish without an in-state license. I can even think of one case involving a big old snapping turtle -- which the legal-beagle set loose because it was interrupting sessions in the outhouse. In any case, my legal counsel accompanied me on those trips, and he never said anything was amiss except when we finally ran out of minnows and worms.

I have a number of friends in our state's DNR. I have found that the game wardens, or whatever they are called these days, are mostly out to stop really heinous wildlife-related crimes. And, I applaud them for their efforts. I can't think of an instance where they have projected themselves into parties at private ponds -- unless they were invited as participants, or if there was serious unrest. But, serious unrest usually gets taken care of by the Sheriff's office.

In recent years we've had some really crazy things in this area of Virginia and West Virginia. Like a group of guys killing bears just for their paws. Apparently the paws have some aphrodisiac power in certain Asian countries, where they bring big money. We've had people using black walnut husks to poison fish in our local rivers and streams. The black walnut husks will kill massive numbers of fish, but the dead fish are safe for human consumption. It sure wipe out sections of a river or stream.

I've got a neighbor who I wish would get caught, even though he is on private property. Our area broods a pretty reasonable number of wild turkey every season, but this guy takes out every one he sees. After a hatch, we'll see large flocks of them at our ponds and even in the front yard. Come fall, there have been many days when he has been right at the corner of my property and property where he has permission to hunt. He'll be there calling turkey. I can easily hear him from my ponds and sheds. It is mostly done pre-season, and he takes a lot of birds. One of these days when I hear him, I'll call my DNR friends.

Another neighbor that has three acres adjacent to the opposite corner of our property property takes a lot of deer each year, in and out of season. I wouldn't really have a problem with that because we have such an over abundance of deer, and he has a big family. But, he only takes out the backstrap. Then he drags the remainder of carcasses onto my property. By the time the vultures find them (which is how I find them), they are useless as human food.

I guess I'm saying, lets not be so hard on the DNR enforcement people. Nearly every one that I know in that business, just like policeman and fireman, are in the job for the benefit they can bring to society.

As I posted much earlier, if you aren't satisfied with the rules in your state, get involved. I did. It made life much simpler for everyone with ponds and raising fish. It made life simpler for landowners and the enforcement community.

Like you, Ken, I really have no problem with someone feeding themselves and family. The "problem" comes when it is for profit or there is wanton waste, such as your backstrap guy and paw choppers....those, I'd hold at gunpoint for authorities to pick up and deal with, if I could.

Oh, and please don't blame me for anything new...at least not until I've paid my low 5 figure fine and completed unsupervised, Federal probation for the recently filed misdemeanor charges! Legal-Beagle has a better grasp of how to navigate such things...lol

Geeze Rex,

Before Pond Boss, I never dreamed I'd be surrounded by so many wonderful and upstanding law abiding miscreants, scofflaws, and other really fun people who just want to have a good time playing with fish ... and fireworks, and ...

I was looking at the mug shots of the nearly 200 bikers arrested in Texas last week after the Waco incident. As I looked at them, I thought to myself that many of them looked just like us! How many group Pond Boss photos resemble those photos. We were just never handcuffed -- well, except maybe for that one time with the red handcuffs, feather boa, high heels and the really big LMB!

As I looked at the mugshots, I saw guys that looked just like The Guv, FireIsHot, Dwight, me, you, and a bunch of our other grizzled old fishing buddies. We all carry knives. Most of us own guns. I've got government papers to prove I'm legally crazy.

Yeesh, now my paranoia lets me think I understand why we might be under suspicion for something.

With all that hanging over the heads of long time Pond Boss members, I guess I can see why we might be targeted by somebody -- maybe B.A.S.S.

Maybe we need to start wearing 1%-er Pond Boss denim vests, with rockers on the back for our states, and the things we've done, like caught BG bigger than 14 inches, fished in Sunil's pond, etc.

Ken

I live in WI and a biologist told me to get a fish farm license through the USDA. Cost $50 per year. Glad I had it, shortly after stocking the pond a warden stopped and asked me for my fishing license and asked me if I had gotten a permit for stocking. When I told him no, I was a licensed fish farmer and would show him the certificate he said "oh you're one of those guys. your not on my list, have a nice day" and left.

Wisconsin must be hard up, but Michigan is no gem either.

I have not heard of people with private ponds being bugged unless there was a light shining on them for some reason.

People up here believe that bucket stocking is a natural phenomenon as well as the ducks seem to frequent the waters. Best to keep your papers tho.

I would think the DNR would have better things to do. I live in the middle of no where, hoping he was just passing through and not just coming to see me.

I complety agree Ken....

nor·mal
ˈnôrməl/Submit
adjective
1.
conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected.

I bet not one person here is Normal by definition. I would also bet that everyone here is very PROUD of that fact.