Ponds and lakes in "private" neighborhoods

[joegrizzy]

i always go by the "would someone be willing to walk as far as me to come catch me and kick me off?"



if you're wetting a hook twenty paces from your car or a parking lot, you're probably asking for it.
if you're making a bit of a trek that isn't easily accessible by golf cart or atv, you're probably okay.

once i get far enough in somewhere, i figure most things are fair game because who's gonna bother walking as far as i did?

 

[joegrizzy]

Yeah i dont want to piss anyone off just to catch and release a bass but it sucks because the biggest bass in this area are in "private" neighborhood ponds! I will respect the signs of course but I still get tempted.

ah heck you can catch plenty big enough on the rivers. i don't fish many ponds or lakes, since they'll throw a hissy fit even if even try to retrieve a stuck lure at hefner. i guess the people riding boats, jet skis, the guys waterboarding, etc, they all must be more clean than me just getting my feet wet a few steps into the bank.

the canadian river is surprisingly good fishing in spots, lots of places for easy access, never once been hassled out there (ehhh, not totally true, but still), and it's a nice place for inner tubing or drop off kayaking. water is probably no more than 4 or 5 feet deep at any given point, but there are fish in there moving around.

 

[Snattlerake]

So, there you have it. Humanity in a nutshell just by asking one question about where to fish.

Answer 1
Obey the law.

Answer 2
Disobey the law because a lot of people already do so and the cops are too busy or don't care, or nobody cares, or you might get away with it even though it is illegal.

 

[GC7]

Yeah i dont want to piss anyone off just to catch and release a bass but it sucks because the biggest bass in this area are in "private" neighborhood ponds! I will respect the signs of course but I still get tempted.

Chicken or the egg, right? In other words, of course there are huge bass in those private ponds because the public isn't allowed to fish them! And because the pond is private, the owners can afford to stock it with big fish!

 

[Shadowrider]

Lakes, and ponds, in housing developments are owned by the devoloper, or a home owners assoation, and are PRIVATE PROPERTY! There are plenty of PUBLIC LAKES, rivers, etc. to fish in, without imposing yourself on private property, Buy the land, pay to have a pond built, then tell me if that is open to public or not?

^^^ This.

These lakes in developed housing additions are built (at considerable cost) for the enjoyment of the homeowners of the addition. The general public has no right to use them.

 

[OHJEEZE]

i always go by the "would someone be willing to walk as far as me to come catch me and kick me off?"



if you're wetting a hook twenty paces from your car or a parking lot, you're probably asking for it.
if you're making a bit of a trek that isn't easily accessible by golf cart or atv, you're probably okay.

once i get far enough in somewhere, i figure most things are fair game because who's gonna bother walking as far as i did?

The lazy land owner will just sling some lead and say, "I decided to do some shootin, and I did not know anyone was on my land at the time!"

Not sayin that is what I would do, just sayin though!

 

[Foxfire5]

heck, worse than just fishing anywhere and everywhere, they use nets like ol' Hey soos.

and they ain't just pulling out shad either. i've seen 'em take big ass grass carp, bass, tons of crappie and bluegill, all from a cast net.

can't say i blame 'em, but in just a few summers of kayaking, walking, fishing i've seen all sorts of laws broken and it blows my mind people are like "but would i get in trouble?!"icense

i mean don't get me wrong, YOU PROBABLY WOULD AND WILL. but dang, i see lots of people doing lots of crazy things....and i'm pretty sure it's illegal for them to *even be here*. kinda makes me certainly not give a rat's ass and REALLY resent anyone who tries to tell me i can't do something when they turn a blind eye to others. but that's life i guess. shoulda fought that war in mexico instead middle east, whaddya gonna do.

Reminds me when I used to surf fish down near Atlantic City, NJ. Some people thought they owned the Ocean and the sand leading to it. I had a fifteen foot Diawa rod and reel good for over 100 yards out. Went to my favorite fishing spot one morning at five am and a woman called from the balcony of her house about 100 feet away that I was trespassing on her Oceanfront property and told me to scat. I ignored her until the police showed up at which time I had a 30lb Stripped Bass on the line. While me and the two Officers talked the woman was hollering that I was illegally fishing without a license and when they told her one wasn't needed she complained that I was too noisy. She was finally told to get back in her house as she was being loud and obnoxious and subject to arrest. At that point I removed the hook from the bass picked it up, thanked the two officers and headed to my Jeep and went on my way. In the ensuing months I found a much better spot without houses around just off Barnegat Bay.

 

[Foxfire5]

The lazy land owner will just sling some lead and say, "I decided to do some shootin, and I did not know anyone was on my land at the time!"

Not sayin that is what I would do, just sayin though!

"Just sayin though"! LOL! Good one!

 

[Firpo]

You nailed it @Snattlerake all about ethics and integrity. Seems we have several members here that believe in situational ethics. The “it’s only illegal if I get caught” mentality. And we wonder why this country is in the situation in which we find ourselves.

 

[mr ed]

I know! Go get a second and third job,
Buy an acreage, pay taxes and insurance
Build a a small lake and stock it,
Then put up a BIG sign free fishing
Then spend the rest of your life pickin up the trash and never having time to go fish.
Sounds reasonable, Don't it?