Ice Fishing Farm Ponds

[duck2]

Hello In my younger days in Illinois I enjoyed some great fishing in farm ponds. In my 15 years here in Minnesota, I have always assumed that most farm ponds are subjected to winterkill and would not be worth ice fishing. Can anyone comment on the worthiness of trying to seek permission form landowners to ice fish on their farmponds?

Thanks

[bobbymalone]

i would think that most people would not want someone cashing in on their private slab crappie hole but the worst thing that could happen is being told no.

[fishinfey8]

The people that take the effort to stock them, and put a needed aerator system of some sort in them usually do it for their own fishing pleasure. Usually this is the case, and really the only way to get permission is to become a close friend to the family. In most cases there's some work involved in getting a sustainable fish population in a a farm pond, so a stranger asking may look a little out of plae. Now if you offered to pay or give them some incentive, then you may have a better chance. This has been my expirience anyways...

[pushbutton]

usually have to know someone that knows someone, but certainly can not hurt to ask. might help if you brought a kid or the mrs. along. have two in my area i have been lucky enough to fish. on one of them the farmer did not care if you kept the fish...always made sure it was not many and to clean some for him. another was just catch and release....have heard that this one is now closed off because too many num nuts would trash behind as well as down the holes. people never cease to amaze me!

[duck2]

Thanks for the replies. So. if we put aside the issues of getting access, it sounds like many farm ponds in Minnesota do in fact hold fish from year. I typically release most fish I catch unless I am specifically out to catch one meal's worth of fish.

[Chode2235]

The best ones are old quarry pits, and there are actually a lot of them close to rivers or other bodies of water that are naturally stocked at high water time. Some of these are accessible, others are in backyards, or on property still owned and operated by the construction company.

Other places to look are housing developments. But the key is that they aren't run off ponds, but deeper quarry ponds.

The deeper the better.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Hello In my younger days in Illinois I enjoyed some great fishing in farm ponds. In my 15 years here in Minnesota, I have always assumed that most farm ponds are subjected to winterkill and would not be worth ice fishing. Can anyone comment on the worthiness of trying to seek permission form landowners to ice fish on their farmponds?

Thanks

I live in NW Iowa and a lot of the fishing you speak of happens on farm ponds. Depending on the pond winterkill can occur, but usually isn't 100%. If you like to fish for blue gill I can find them about anytime and fill a bucket. Perch and crappie are a little harder yo find on the ponds, but depending on the pond it can be some really awsome fishing.

[deadeye]

I say if you found a place you want to try its for sure worth it to ask. A lot of people will let you just on the basis that you got the cojones to ask. You never know until you knocked on their door. The worst that happens is they chase you off with a shotgun.