Pond Boss Forums FISH & FISHING Sunfish-Including Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass Hatchery pond is now stocked with crappies.

In this case the State didn't stock the pond. Cecil went out and hunted for the fish on waters he partially owns (forced taxes). I'm sure Cecil paid for a licensee to do so. If you catch a fish on public waters are you to provide anyone who stops by with a fish fry?

I contacted the state a couple years ago when I was researching the free fish issue, to see just how many private ponds contained public fish. The program ran for a few years in the seventies. Aside from the state voluntarily restocking some private ponds in the Boggs lake watershed, ( they obtained permission to kill off those ponds first), there were NO takers on the offer.

I

In reference to the comment about me putting public fish into my private pond and allowing others to fish it to do the walk and not just the talk:

Here are just a few of the people that have fished my ponds. I'd say I've had at least 30 or 40 people have fished my ponds over years. Esshup has on more than one occasion as has Fatih. And Bob-0 and his granddaughter.

More people that have fishing my pond. Keep in mind there are many that I have not taken pictures of.

More people:

And more:

Sorry I misunderstood your post.

UPS made the mistake of sending me a survey about how they're doing. Oh boy did I let them have it.

That 2nd pic is sure cool !!!

Yep that's Bob-O and his beautiful granddaughter. Look at those smiles!

I've had lots of smiles from folks that have fished my ponds. Many of have never seen fish like we all here on the website manage in our ponds.

Yay Indiana!

I believe Kansas still has that but no one uses it because of the public use issue. I think it was my NRCS guy that mentioned that to me. The upside to no one using it is that private commercial fisheries actually have a market for their stocking fish that way. So private enterprise has no tax subsidized competition. I think the for profit fish farms in Kansas have a tough enough go as it is.

Couldn't agree more Snrub.

Nebraska will provide LMB and BG for private waters so long as no other fish are present and certain conditions are met. The only stipulation is that state size and bag limits apply, fishing permits are also required.

Nebraska G & P private waters program.

Under the FAQ's:

"No. Anglers are required to obtain permission before fishing."

"Yes. Anglers must observe statewide bag and possession regulations, except when a body of water is entirely on private land, has been entirely privately stocked with private hatchery-reared fish and doesn’t connect by inflow or outflow with other waters outside the pond owner’s property. At their discretion, pond owners may set more restrictive regulations."

"It is important for anglers to remember that it is a privilege to fish private ponds, and they must respect the land they are on and the pond in which they are fishing."

New York residents can back me up here, or disagree, but that state goes too far IMHO. They have all kinds of restrictions on private ponds including bag and size limits even if there is no inlet or outlet, and the fish did not come from the state. There's something about draining and reclaiming your own private pond too they have control over.

I guess all the state are different. Something that drove us nuts in the aquaculture associations that wanted them to come up with similar regs across the board for health inspections and transporting fish.

I am just happy Bob_O's granddaughter is standing in front of him so we don't have to see the speedos!

Man, those trout are just ridiculous

snrub, I don't think States can legally demand a private land owner allow trespassing...it is a common myth that if a state stocks a pond, anyone can fish it. In Missouri, if the state stocks the pond, the pond is considered waters of the state, but no one can trespass to fish in it, You'll also need permission to stock any fish except fathead minnows...The only way to end the state control is if you kill the pond, then it is no longer waters of the state. Missouri did encourage landowners to "allow" fishing.

Doesn't look like KS ever required trespass either, nor does it stock fish in private use waters now....read this....

From at least 1914 until 1990 the Department provided free fish for stocking in private ponds. This program was popular with both landowners and anglers. However, in the 1980’s the Kansas Commercial Fish Growers Association lobbied the Kansas Legislature to stop the agency’s pond stocking program because they viewed it as an infringement on the free enterprise system. In response to their efforts, during the1990 the Legislative session a bill was passed that prevents the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism from stocking ponds with fish unless the fish have been purchased from a private fish grower or the pond is open to public access.

Since that time, the Department’s primary focus has been to provide technical assistance on managing fish populations in ponds and information on where pondowners can purchase fish.

Pondowners not wishing to purchase fish may want to consider enrolling their pond in the Department’s F.I.S.H. Program. This program allows the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism to lease private water from landowners for public fishing. Landowners participating in F.I.S.H. receive payments which vary according to the number of water acres enrolled and may receive fish stockings from the Department’s hatcheries.

Cecil, you have taken this way out of context of my original post.

Thanks for that clarification Rainman.

"during the1990 the Legislative session a bill was passed that prevents the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism from stocking ponds with fish unless the fish have been purchased from a private fish grower or the pond is open to public access".

Think I will pass.

Yay Indiana is due to a political lawsuit, which some butt's were kicked and had to drop a bunch of permits and other reg's.

They are working on getting them back, and would like to be as tight as it is up here.

I have a bad habit of calling people in position to find out what the real scoop is.

Should have an answer soon on my original post that was taken out of context.

No worries. Lived here long enough to know what to worry about, and when to simply smile and nod. I already know what the real scoop is.

My apologies then.

The thing where it's legal to move fish from public waters to a pond in Indiana as long as you caught them legally with a fishing license, and adhered to the bag limit and size limit has always been the case.

Or am I taking you out of context again?

Same here Tony.