Hey Big Joe8565 are you talking about the two ponds on 80 between towneast blvd and gross road?
I believe it is next to some kind of trucking company.
I've fished these ponds a couple of time only because there where no signs saying no trespassing and the gate was already part open.
If these are the two ponds you are talking about, it is to bad you got ran off, i've caught some decent bass out of there using weightless stick baits and zoom trick worms.
If it is the place next time just head on down the highway and go to samuels farm, no police and plenty of bass in the first pond.

ray

RB: That's the exact place I'm talking about. I've fished there for years and have never been hassled. Your right, there are plenty of nice bass in those two ponds. I fish Samuell Farm quite often as well. Went there this past Saturday and caught 4 with the biggest weighing in around 5#. You need to try the smaller pond that's directly behind the bigger pond at Samuell Farm. I've caught two in the last two week that go around 5-6 #'s each. I'm using hand poured stick baits in Green Pumpkin with Black Fleck and something that's similar to Watermellon Candy. Two guys fishing this past Saturday each caught fish that would go an easy 5 #'s out of the front tank.

I can remember the times as a kid in East Texas, climbing over fence after fence to get to those highly productive stock ponds. The only thing we had to really worry about, since all the land owners pretty well knew us, was to watch for the bull some of them would leave out in the pasture we had to cross.. (That got interesting at times!)

But for what its worth, a Game Warden told me some time ago that in the state of Texas, the fence can be one strand of wire, and if you cross that wire, you are technically trespassing. And if you fish a private pond after trespassing on the land, you are also poaching.. and the fines are not cheap.

I'm not sure where the ponds you are talkin about are. I do know that there are two, or three, ponds behind Daniel Steel Co., on Beltline Rd, just off Barnes Bridge Rd. Just behind a small cemetery. I have fished there a few times, and caught fish, mostly small. But that was years ago. I wouldn't try it today. Ain't no tellin who might show up, with a badge and pair of 'cuffs. I don't need the hassle.

I also learned the hard way not to jump a fence to a fish tank.Was told of a tank that has really nice fish, but I was not told about the three 1000+ pound bulls in the field. Let me be the one to tell you that bulls are fast animals. What a site a 300lb guy sprinting across a field to fish, trying to out run three bulls. Have not been back sense. Just not fast enough to fish there. So make sure that there are no animals on the other side of the fense before you jump it.

Migosh: I know the exact ponds you speaking of and your right, you don't want to go back there. The family that owns the place will call the police and press charges against anyone they catch fishing. By the way, there are some nice fish in those tanks, but it's not worth the risk of jail time or a big fine. Friend of mine used to do some plumbing work for the family and got to fish those ponds with their permission. He caught a 6 on his fly rod from one of thos ponds.

I remember a time when I was fishing Ray Roberts from the bank. I drove up to Buck Creek area and parked and walked through tall grass to a nice creek. Crappies where in there good at the time. Well, I stayed too late and it started getting dark on me. I have this thing about walking through tall grass in the dark, so I had this brilliant idea to walk along the rail road tracks and follow them back till I got closer to the ramp area and then I would cut back across more open fields with shorter grass and back to HWY 377 and then to my Truck.

Well I decided not to go that far on the train tracks so I cut through a field. It was dark so I couldn't see real good at this point and then I walked right into an electric fence. It scared the **** out of me. Well after settling myself down from that I stepped over that low fence and kept walking. I could see a house and a barn or something and another fence.

As I got closer to that fence I hear a stampede that scared the bejesus out of me. I was right in the middle of a bunch of scared cattle (That I couldn't see in the dark)that were running all around me. I just stood there right by the fence praying that I wouldn't get run over by one of these cows.

As soon as they stopped I high tailed it out of there back to 377 and have never been back that way again.

One thing to be aware of also especially in the rural areas, there does not have to be a fence marking property line. A fence post painted purple on the property line is a legal no trespassing notice. That became law just a few years ago.

Talked to a Game Warden buddy and he gave me some info.......

Jumping a fence and entering private property in tresspassing. Class B Misdemeanor - upto 180 days in jail and upto $2000 fine. Ususally the landowner has to sign off on pressing the charge.

In the TPWD Code there is a charge called Taking Wildlife Resources without Landowner Consent. This could be hunting or fishing. Class A Misdemenor - upto 1 year in jail and $4000 fine.

There is also a Fish without Landowner Consent. He could write a ticket for this one and could be upto $500.

Baiscally, he said if you don't know the owner of the property and you aren't supposed to be there, you run the risk of getting in trouble. You could also loose all of your gear and possilbly loose your regular fishing and hunting license priviledge. Hopefully this info is helpful.

Goatboy, you've got it right on. Part of any good law enforcement experience is impressing upon someone the seriousness of the consequences of what they are doing. Climbing the fence and fishing w/o permission aren't felonies and won't land you in jail for 5 years. But the A and B misdemeanors are nothing to sneeze at. The officer maybe exaggerated a little to get his point across.

I think that policeman was giving you a bunch of hooey -- just playing a power game. If the land isn't posted, it's not an offense, and I seriously doubt that it's a FELONY even then. Give me a break, folks. Also, I would think that poaching would involve taking out fish. If you do catch and release, how can it be poaching? Poaching is a concept that goes back to early English law where poor folks killed deer on the King's estates to eat. Maybe someone could just ask a lawyer friend -- Surely there's a lawyer or two on this forum.

I think that policeman was giving you a bunch of hooey -- just playing a power game. If the land isn't posted, it's not an offense, and I seriously doubt that it's a FELONY even then. Give me a break, folks. Also, I would think that poaching would involve taking out fish. If you do catch and release, how can it be poaching? Poaching is a concept that goes back to early English law where poor folks killed deer on the King's estates to eat. Maybe someone could just ask a lawyer friend -- Surely there's a lawyer or two on this forum.

I appreciate the update Goatboy. I was just going by what the Police Officer told me the night he caught me fishing on the property. It might not be a felony, but even as a misdemeanor the price tag is still too rich for my blood.