Recieved an early Christmas gift. Permission to fish a spot that I have driven past 1000's of times! It was my wife who said to me, "Why can't you fish there? It looks good."

The owner said he 'knew about me'. That kinda scared me until he said that he knew from other land owners that I carried out more trash than I ever carried in. I have helped other owners 'fix' their ponds or lakes. Back in high school we had a land owner that had 6 good lakes on his farm. One was over populated with 3 inch bluegill. We fished it weekly for a whole summer and took a five gallon bucket of small fish out EVERY week. Slipped about twenty big bass in from his other ponds. Within two years we were catching 12 inch gills. He was thanking me for fishing that lake! No one else would fish it because of the overpopulation. We always 'forgot' to mention to others how good that lake was after we fixed it!

When you get permission ask the owner what they prefer. Do they want fish taken out? Catch and release? Slotting fish can help. We put christmas trees in some deeper lakes to give the crappie a house to live in. We used weed eaters to create paths around them. Ponds get overrun with 'greenhead' or snapping turtles. Offer to help get rid of them.

Pick up bottles and cans. Once, I had twenty or so beer bottles in the back of my truck that I had picked up at a new spot. I had forgotten about them until church the next day. I was standing out in front of church and noticed some disapproving looks as some walked by my truck! That trash collection paid off big time after a year or two. The owner posted all his property and I didn't fish there for a year or so. One day he stopped by the house and asked how the fishing was. I told him that I had not been on it since the signs went up. He said those signs were for everybody but me! No one could fish on him, but me!

Funny how you never get permission unless you ask....