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Fishing Question

mole

Active Member
Do I have to have a state fishing licensee in order to fish a privately owned and stocked pond? I've been told that I do, but I do not see how the DNR can regulate a private individuals own pond that they built and stocked without any state assistance.

mole
 
This weekend you don't! It is the yearly DNR free fishing weekend. You can fish anywhere you have access with out a valid fishing license!

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Limb is correct on that.

I think that as long as you don't take fish out you shouldn't need a licence, anyone else agree with me?
 
Okay first question I have is when did that change for a license being required for fishing on private land?
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2nd I think that is bogus that you have to pay the state to fish on private land. I can justify paying for any state owed or requlated locations, but who are they to requlate someone's private land, and dictate a quota for number of fish that can be caught. They don't know if the pond is over populated.
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They regulate your private hunting land, whats the difference? I also don't think daily limits apply to private ponds, but I may be wrong.
 
Daily bag limits apply to private ponds as well. I was given permission from a farmer to fish his pond as long as I kept every bass that was 2lbs and under. The pond is extremely overstocked and he wanted to take some out. I was directly told by the a warren county DNR officer that daily bag limits apply to private ponds also. I think that is a bogus regulation, ecspecially if someone pays taxes on that land.
 
Thanks for the info. I agree that the law is bogus, but I wanted to make sure that I was following the law.

mole
 
If your not taking fish out, I would like to see the fishing license requirement dropped/not enforced.

My guess is that the fishing license also acts as a "transportation tag". How is the DNR officer to know whether you were fishing state water or private ponds when he checks you along the roadway? Everybody with over-the-limit/illegal size fish would say "I was fishing so and so's private pond" if the state fishing laws did not apply.

That being said, I do sympathize with the private pond owner who is trying to manage the population and has to follow state set limits.
 
O.K. I did not read the last couple of posts carefully. You mean to tell me that the DNR can fine a landowner, who built the pond and stocked it with his own money, because he was over his daily limit?

I understand deer and other game that roam freely, but a fish is not going to get up and walk to the neighbors, besides I paid to have the pond stocked.

mole
 
I can understand the "transportation issue" , but to requlate the landowner is pushing the issue a bit much. I have seen too many violations occuring on area that are directly under thier control that are not resolved. Not only that, but I question the legality in them being able to go on private groud to check for license from people fishing at a private location.
 
Hey guys I don't understand why this is such an issue. Most of you probably don't know that most of the older ponds were stocked from state hatcheries at little or no cost to the owners. Also most ponds are built with government funds or at least matching funds. I don't know if it is still so, but at one time a land owner could not denie permission to fish to anyone if the State had stocked the pond. If the license laws didn't apply how could DNR officers possibly do their jobs. You need a license to fish any water wheather you keep fish or not because other wise all anyone would have to say is they were fishing private waters. I can't imagind a case where a DNR officer would cite a land owner for a bass or two over the limit in his own pond and I cant see the landowner doing this on an on going basis or soon there aren't any bass. Common sense should prevail.
 
A couple years ago Pheasants Forever held a habitat workshop in Ames and one of the classes was pond managment. It was taught by one of the DNR's pond guru's but I dont remember the fellows name. Anyway, I specifically asked him about the requirement to allow the public to fish if you stock your pond with DNR fish. He said that was one of the biggest misconseptions people have and that it is kind of a gray area. His explaination was that you CAN deny permission to anyone you want. If your buddy from work fished there once 5 years ago thats good enough. I have always heard the same as you but according to him it is not true.

As for the DNR regulating a pond owner on his own property I agree that is a little bogus as long as the fish are not taken off the property. Like Mole said, its not like those fish are going to run over to the neighbors pond tommorow, and therefor are not really public wildlife. A pond really seems no different than a fenced hunting preserve in that respect. Those operations do not have to abide by season dates, weapon types, harvest quotas, heck you dont even need a license to hunt them as far as I know. Not saying you dont need a license to fish someone else's pond, but it doesnt seem right to require a state license if the fish are not kept and transported off the property.

Still, as Bowmaker said, I think common sense would prevail if you encountered a CO while fishing your own property.
 
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