Prospecting for Memories on Illinois Farm Ponds

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During the more than 40 years of writing about the outdoors, I’ve fished many places, but some of my fondest memories whisk me back to Illinois farm ponds. In fact, the first bass I ever caught was on an Illinois farm pond, and I’ve been chasing the same thrill ever since.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s cool to get out on the big lakes and run around like everyone else—to throw a rooster tail high behind you, to feel the power pushing you and the wind in your face. A lot of people are attracted to the competitive aspect of what fishing has become.

But sometimes I’m overcome by the urge for solitude and the tranquil twinkle of a new day feeling its way across the surface of a farm pond: There are no roars, waves or wakes, just crickets, frogs and fish.

Of course, the best way to gain access is to know someone. One of the ponds I now fish belongs to a man I met in church. Even though it is somewhat visible from the road, no one even gives it a second glance because it is close to a major impoundment. I often offer up a little prayer of gratitude for that when I fish it.

You can catch huge bass in some ponds, but the truth is most ponds don’t offer good fishing because most are not managed properly. If cattle and pigs can get into it, little more than bullheads can survive, but if the water is fenced off from livestock or secluded back in the woods, it’s worth investigating.

There’s a lot to scrutinize. Illinois has thousands of private waters (not all technically farm ponds), totaling 115,000 acres. Some of the 102 counties have as many as 800 ponds. Only about one in five of them offer decent bass fishing, but about one in 25 is a real gem that should be guarded like the family jewels.

The best ones usually aren’t visible from roads. To find these hidden gems, I once used topographical maps and aerial photos, but now I have Google Earth.

Gaining access is the trick, and that’s a little harder in an age where fewer people trust strangers and everyone knows a lawyer.

If you don’t have a connection to the landowner, gaining access can be a little like working as a door-to-door salesman—don’t take rejections personally. A landowner who says ͆no͇ probably suffered the abuse of an outdoor slob at some point. They may have trashed the place, damaged fences, left gates open or otherwise abused the resources.

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First impressions are important: Don’t show up in your fishing clothes to ask permission. Wear what you might to church or out to dinner. Most properties these days are posted, but that doesn’t mean the landowner won’t allow access to anyone. The same man who will not allow hunting may readily permit access to a respectful angler.

I’ve found it useful to let the landowner know up front that I just love to fish and that I don’t care about keeping fish and that if he’d like a meal of a fresh-caught fish, I’d be happy to keep and clean some for him. This is like a foot in the door, as it tells the landowner you’re willing to abide by any special regulation or conditions he imposes.

The finest ponds I’ve found belonged to men who also enjoy fishing and knew something about pond management, so they often come with special harvest restrictions. If you’re lucky enough to find such a pond and gain permission, the most important thing you can do is be considerate and abide by the owner’s rules.

Most people believe that once they gain access, the deal is sealed. From then on, they act as if they are co-owners. The best way to ensure continuing access is to develop a relationship with the landowner. After all, if he or she was nice enough to let you use their property in the first place, they’re good people; they’ll make good friends. Get to know them and do everything you can to let them know you appreciate their kindness.

If he’s busy, help him if you can. I once had access to a pond in southern Illinois that was so spectacular I helped the owner bail hay a couple of times. I was younger then. These days, I try to figure out what they like and bring small gifts.

Acre for acre, healthy Illinois farm ponds are among the most fertile waters you can fish, but they can’t withstand a lot of fishing pressure. Just a couple of proficient fish hogs can throw a pond out of balance in a single season. If, for example, they know something about catching bass and they keep every bass they catch, in very short order they can remove many of the predator fish that keep bluegills in check. The bluegills become overpopulated and stunted at a size the bass can’t utilize and most fishermen won’t keep. Once the balance is tipped, it can take years of careful management for such a pond to recover.

One of the quickest ways to tell if a pond is ͆in balance͇ is to fish for the bluegills first. If most of the panfish you catch are hand-sized or larger, you can bet it has a healthy bass population too.

Smaller versions of the same lures you might use on big lakes will produce on ponds, and they’re great places to catch bass on topwater baits. Jitterbugs and soft plastic frog imitations are my favorites; I fish the frogs over thick areas and the Jitterbugs everywhere else.

A common concern of a landowner is that if they let someone fish their pond, they will tell another, and that person will tell another until the farmer is swamped with fish hogs and beer guzzlers. The farmer worries about liability and privacy; I worry about fishing pressure. We have a common interest in non-disclosure, so I let him know right away that I value the privacy of his pond as much as he does, and promise with all sincerity that I won’t tell another soul.     MWO