Golf Course Bass Fishing

What are some golf courses around the Fort Worth area that have some good size bass stocked on their course? I understand most courses won't let you fish there but I don't mind trespassing to get the biggins! 😈

First ...
I don't live anywhere near fort worth so I'm not able to help you there. I'm sure that if you made a few phone calls you could find out which ones will let you in to fish legally. Most of the time all you have to do is ask the manager.

I wanted to point out that the comment above is not going to score points with people on here. I mean no offense, but there are people that own and manage private lakes and ponds and this is really something that they don't like to see. These are the same people that will help you when you have questions... but these fine people might not because of the comment.

I would make some phone calls before trespassing. Your really asking for a ticket.

Crud, what you are asking is where to steal someone elses property. Did you get your fishing gear by shoplifting?

Poaching is a crime bro. Most of the time, all you have to do is ask.

I apologize for that. No I'm not a theif and yes I agree with calling around and asking for permission first. Did not mean to rub anyone the wrong way.

I can accept that. I'm one of those guys mentioned above.

"If its watermellons or fish it ain't stealin'." Believing that'll get you shot some places in the Eastern part of the state....

So one day when I'm the manager of a huge (4000 acre) catfish farm I drive by one of the ponds (actually more like a 20 acre lake) and see some folks with lawn chairs, a beach umbrella, cane poles, a cooler and a stringer sitting on one of the levees like they are in for a spell of catfishing all day long.

I stop and ask them, "What do you think you're doing?" To which one of them says, "we're fishin'." wel, I tell 'em I can see that and add "what makes you think you can fish here?"

One of 'em says, "we're from Alabama, an' in Alabama when you see a pond by the roadside you can just stop and fish anytime you feel like."

I tell 'em this ain't Alabama, its Texas, an' in Texas you don't just stop by the road and start stealing other folks' fish. Besides, I call BS. I ain't never been to Alabama, but I bet if them folks was fishing in a fish farm there they'd get worse than they got from me, which all I did was make them put the fish back and ran them off saying next time I call the law.

I use a lot of golf course ponds to raise breeding stock for my bass project and would take a dim view of anybody stealing my fish from those ponds.

Way easier to just call and get permission. Having a little experience in the area, it may help to know when they're really slow. Also find someone on the payroll who fishes and see if they've ever wet a line there.

We used to fish one in college station all the time. We just had to be off when the first golfers came through. Some big bass in those ponds

In my many decades of experience, I have found that most course officials tend to allow fishing to those who ask - but only during those times when the course is not in play, like at night and when the course is too wet for golfing. Some will always say "No" due to fear of liability should you have an accident.

I would be curious to see what the ponds hold at the old Great Southwest Golf Course in Arlington/Grand Prairie. Its been fenced off for 9 months now and is supposed to be turned into a industrial development.

Contact the developer....

Check out Pecan Valley.

Hey FishBreeder, Please enlighten me as to how these private ponds have your private bass stocked in them ? Then they go to where for what purpose? Where did these fingerlings come from in the beginning? I suppose you have all the state required documents to raise transport livestock. As the Fish and Game folks might be interested in you. Any tourney work being supported by you? Dan

Well...I went down to the local public reservoir right after the bass spawned and seined up a bunch of fry then stocked them into the ponds. I got paid pretty good for that and it didn't cost much either. I didn't know I needed any papers to get a few fish and put them in some ponds, nobody said nothing to me about it. I've seen the Fish and Game trucks about from time to time but none ever stopped to talk to me. And yes, I've worked some tournaments so I could take some of the catch back home alive to stock a pond with.

I mean WTH, dude? I have been working in Texas as a fisheries biologist for over 35 years. I own and operate my hatchery and provide consultation to all manner of aquatic resource interests, including several state agencies. I've more permits, licenses, and papers than a forest of trees could produce. The people that have used my fish know and understand that I provide a superior specimen at a reasonable cost. Bred by design, not by default. Yes the Fish and Game folks are interested in my work as I have upon many occasions provided them with DNA in the form of live fish for their programs. Not just Texas either, if you've caught a bass anywhere near Phoenix, AZ it either came from my farm or is a descendant of a fish that did.

Lake Woodlands, all my fish. Warmwater blue catfish raised in Idaho, all descendants of my stock. The well documented superior strain of Blue Catfish known as the "D&B Blue" I helped develop. If you've ever eaten a US farm raised catfish, very likely it had DNA from my work.

ANY fish raised and consumed in the US has my fingerprints as I was one of the original USMSSP (US Model Seafood Surveillance Project) that helped develop congressionally mandated seafood inspections now in place. I helped write the rules.

If you ever fished Texas Utilities lake near Conroe, all my fish. For many years I worked the tournament that helped restock Lake Conroe and provided fish from my hatchery for that effort. If you've fished for blue catfish in Wisconsin, all mine. My fish have been distributed as far as The Philippines, Japan, The UK, Mexico, Canada, Honduras, Columbia and many other countries. Coast to coast and Northern border to Southern across the US. If you go to the Chahinkapa, ND zoo....my fish.

Down here by the Texas coast I also own and operate a fishing and hunting facility. It is next door to the Brazoria NWR and I work closely on conservation issues with the feds as well. As a consultant I work for diverse interests such as Idaho potato farmers, Pacific Northwest utility companies, local and nationwide fish shops, local bait distributors and dealers, cemeteries, funeral homes, golf courses, Howard Hughes, USFWS, USFS, USBS, TPWD, TCEQ, and a host of governmental alphabet soups. I am one of very few official fish appraisers working for USDA. When there is an outbreak of a reportable fish disease, I get a call.

So yah, I sorta got a bit of a handle on things when it comes to fish and water.

Brett Rowley
Fisheries Biologist
Brett's Fish Farm/The Good Luck Fishing and Hunting Club

Get Permission!

Private means Private. IF you leave it clean most folks don't mind

Fished the great southwest abandoned course a few days ago. 1 dink was all me and my buddy got. Looks like they are draining one of the ponds.

Nicely done, Brett. Attaboy

Las Colinas country club....