Welcome!
I sold my 15 horse Johnson a couple of years ago and the boat is sitting in garage ready to install an electroshocker boom for use on my ponds.
I haven't fished public lakes in at least 3 years and don't miss it. Between waiting at the ramp for the bass tournament guys to launch all their boats, to dodging jet skis and feeling like I'm sitting in a hurricane when I'm anchored, it just isn't worth it anymore. The regular fisherman is being pushed out of our local lakes. I see it in my taxidermy business. Weekends on the public lakes are impossible. People tell me to just go on the weekdays. Why should I? I have a business to run on the weekdays anyway.
Yes, the downside to a pond is the fish get hook shy, but that can be countered by harvesting some fish, changing the species, thinking out of the box i.e. stocking hybrid striped bass periodically etc. Everything you need to know is in the Pond Boss issues or on this website.
With my ponds I can fish whenever I want (usually wait until harvest though since I sell my trophy fish) and don't have to deal with selfish people.
BTW with what local anglers pay for a bass boat you could have more than one pond here! I have four ponds and they cost less to build than a typical bass boat!
