Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations How to say no.

I had a 5 acre lake built almost two years ago then it was stocked with fish. Now everyone who sees it wants to come fishing. People I dont even know (workers building my home) ask if they can fish. I dont want to be a jerk but this is what I call my back yard and I dont want to wake up in the morning and look out and see people in my back yard if I dont even know them. I understand that the lake will need to be fished but there has to be a way to manage the amount of people that fish it. Any tips from anyone out there who has had the same problem. Thanks: Vince

I tell me that I do not know that I cannot allow them to fish due to the liability involved.

Been there for years. They usually argue the liability thing or say they will sign a waiver. I don't like to be a jerk either. The best way that I have ever found to say no is to just tell them that it is for family only.
A few years ago I started telling them that I had lots of expenses like fertilizer, forage, new genetics, shock survey and that I would be glad for them to fish but that it was $250 for a half day (2 people). This year I've gotta go up on that price because too many are handing me cash. It has been nice though, it has help pay for lots of my expenses. It's just business....

Vincent,
As a biologist, I am suggesting the lake be left alone during its formative stages, as young fish grow and mature and the food chain continues to develop.
Improper harvest can be devastating to a newly forming fishery.
So, blame it on me. Tell them your biologist/consultant said not to fish because the fishery is in a growth state, not ready for harvest, similar to picking green tomatoes.
Tell them your biologist is real picky about who fishes, what is removed, what types of bait are used.
Then tell these people you have gone to great expense and you intend to protect your investment.
With a smile, invite them to leave.

I should have read that post before I sent it, what I meant to say is; I tell people that I do not know that I cannot allow them to fish for liability reasons.

I have another problem, my pond is off the road so not to many people(locals) know about it. Mostly me my family and my deer hunting buddies fish it. I am having a hard time convincing people bass need to be harvested. My deer hunting buddies will not ever ask to fish so I have to remind them they can(good guys all).

I have experienced Vincent's problem and am concerned about preventing trespassers myself.

I can not even imagine Bill's problem except to say I bet it could be easily soved with an invitation to a 4-H/Boy-Girl Scout/after school group. Get some kids involved on a permission basis or person coordinating the 4-H / Scout / after school programs could use it as an incentive for community service activities and etc. Would serve the purpose of controlling your fish population, result in positive community relations, and possibly instill work ethic/community pride/love of fishing-outdoors in some youth...

Ranger, did not mean to imply I did not have enough people to fish. I just need more small bass harvested.

One problem with people is that they hear different messages in their own mind when told the same thing. I think Lusk has a good idea to tell people that the biologist does not want people fishing the pond, but many of those would-be anglers may interpret that as "Well, they must be concerned about other species getting into the pond, so it must be OK to fish with artificial lures, just not live bait, and because I catch and release everything, I can fish there." WRONG ANSWER!

I've found that the best, most clearly interpreted message is to simply say "NO" or "no, it's private."

Leave no room for interpretation.

At our lake, we had people come by and say "you just bought the property and now we can't fish or hunt here, and we've been fishing and hunting here all our lives."

I just tell them that they should have bought the property when it was for sale.

We tried the nice approach with unsatisfactory results. Now we just stearnly say NO.

Hey Vince just put up several signs with a skull and crossbones, a head with a gas mask that say "BIO-HAZARD"! Good Luck.

Bob in North Alabama

Vince, I have had the same problem with people who want to hunt on my land. I usually tell them that I see no problem but that they would need to look at the lay of the land. Then I tell them that I will be up clearing brush and rocks next weekend. Come on up and we'll make a day of it. Never had any takers.

Vince We see this problem constantly my advise is you earned it you and your family and close freinds enjoy it. Once you give a couple people acess you end up on shore trying to figure out who made that fire , left garbage, or peeled out old fishing line.
We post approx. 300 ponds a year when we want to get the message we post with sign's that say protective wildlife management area Entry Strictly Forbidden. 99% of the time it keeps people out . They do not know who they have to deal with such as the state or the sheriff etc.
Good luck

Just say "NO!" It's your land and you have a right to enjoy it. You're doing the management and paying taxes on it. You don't need to make excuses.
I have a unique situation where even though my fish are primarily harvested by hook and line, the ones that are kept are frozen up for the taxidermy market. I ask for volunteers to help me, but when I reach my quota for the year they will have to wait until I am ready to harvest again. No problems there. My ponds can not be seen from the road and that is a plus!

Shoot one, leave the body lay as a warning to the others.

One other thing I forgot to mention:

Anyone worth knowing would not get pissed if told that they can't fish your pond. They would respect that it's your property. They would understand.

The ones who would get pissed when told they can't fish or do as they please are going to be a problem no matter what. They'll be the ones who will try to fish your pond even if you told them not to in the sweetest, nicest way possible. So be clear from the start.

Tell the parasites that you are not the sole owner and that you and the co-owner have the agreement that he can't allow his friends to fish and you neither can you. Only immediate family members are allowed.

Incidentally, TyW, I really think your suggestion is better than mine. Of course, you'd get somebody to do the job for you. Then you'd have to allow THAT sob to fish whenever he wanted to.

I have three standard replies, depending upon who I is asking.

1) For total strangers who just stop to ask, "NO".

2) For friends, "Im sorry, but the pond is for me and my son. Bass have a memory and after suffering the stress of being hooked, tend to not bite again for quite a while (and often, they never bite that type bait again). So allowing you to fish would mean my son's fishing experience would suffer."

3)Most often used, "No, sorry. The pond is currently being managed for big bass and that includes a lot of record keeping, and restricted fishing. So it does not need fishing pressure right now."

Our lake is beside a busy state highway and right next to a large auto dealership. Since we had to dig dirt anyway, I made large berms (10-15' high and 50' wide between the highway and the auto dealership. The idea is that of out of sight, out of mind. Of course there have been lots of wild stories about what we are doing back there. I do everything possible to promote the really crazy ideas.

I tell folks that I want to keep my fish dumb and not become "line smart" and my family is the only people that is permited to educate them. My pond remained drained for 20 years because I had lost total control of the fishing. Operating a retail business and owning a fish pond is incompatible and once you give an individual permission to fish they always seem to bring a friend and your permission is bestowed upon them in perpetuity. I have yet to arrive at a satisfactory solution to manage the harvesting of the fish in my pond. Just prior to retiring, I renovated, filled and stocked my three and a half acre pond along with fencing and gate.

Nick, i like your approach, but if you told me that you were managing it for "trophy bass", i would salivate and wait for a chance to catch a lunker (i mean, I wouldn't but some others would!!) i might say, well, "that pond, oh, that is just my forage pond...i manage it for raising a large amount of small fish to sell to the hatcheries and to stock my trophy bass pond over near [town far away]. All the big fish are culled out. basically a big minnow pond."

also, i would consider buying an old used BIG surveilance cameras that they used to make, easily seen with a red dot flashing on it maybe, battery powered, stick a few around the property, really high up in trees...and post a sign "protected by cameras" etc. of course, they wouldn't be recording because they are fake, but if you don't tell anyone, it may work. or if you live down south start a rumor at the barbar shop that a gator was found in your pond or something like that.

or tell them when they ask, "i'm serious about protecting this pond, and i'll do anything to protect it...even if it means going BACK to prison!!!" ha mark

We always just use the it is for family only excuse. I've never had anyone proceed beyond that.
Say it in as few words as you can and then don't say anymore. After having to do this a few times we have learned if you start explaining then they keep talking and trying but if you make it polite and very short we have had a 100% success ratio so far. It's for family only. That is it.

I have a few,"NO TRESSPASSING VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSUECTED, signs around my pond. If that message isn't clear enough, the the sherrif will be called.