LMB have a lure memory. I fish one of the ponds I manage in a gated community heavily. First year I caught 5 fish limit over 30 lbs. Lots of fish over 5 lbs. Soon it was a rarity, after a few years it was luck getting one per day. The water is crystal clear so I can see the fish investigate the lure, and turn away. I'll rotate through different lures to whatever they happen to hit on then. Sometimes it's seasonal. But through management I boosted the numbers of fish. Where I was really working to catch 30 lmb and release them, last year I set a record for that pond for myself with 60 c and r lmb to 3 lbs. The bg and res are even worse. Before I'd catch 15-20 per day. Now sometimes none. But I don't fish for them either has they tend to take the bait too deep and I just don't want to injure them.
I have a strict code of ethics, my kids only. I have seen too many people just ruin ponds because they just don't care. I saw a guy catch a nice 3 lber, and yell to his kids while he threw it about 50 feet in the air back in the pond. They leave trash everywhere. They put bad fish in, take good fish out. To be honest, they make the ponds unmanagable. I'll catch fish with giant 3/0 hooks broke off inside thier throats. I get out the hemostats and gently remove them. I've found bass dead on floating plastic bottles rigged with hooks. It just sickens me.
No matter what you do, charge as a pay per play or an annual membership those people will feel entitled to act like fools. And if you charge by pound you have to live there and watch them. I'd kick them all out. Close the fishing totally. Let the fishery recover and then and only then let people back in with very strict rules. Or not at all. People just take advantage of good natured guys.
Last edited by The Pond Frog; 02/16/10 10:24 AM.
