Fishing at Golf Courses

I have had some of my best fresh water fishing at Golf Courses. Most while a tournament was going on so I have to be aware of who is teeing off and where they are hitting. I have almost been hit several times so you must be careful and wear a hard hat.

Many golf courses are closed on Monday for maintenance work so it is the best time to fish. First you need approval from the management. Some courses will not let anyone fish, some only stock carp in their ponds to keep the vegetation down. If you know someone with a membership to the course they can sometimes get you in to fish. A running lease (run when caught) works great when you are 12 but a ticket and fine if caught as an adult can ruin your trip.  

The ponds in golf courses can be 3 types, Cement lined, retention and natural ponds as well as streams. Cement lined has been discussed in the retention pond article.  The retention ponds at golf courses are not so much for flooding but to hold water for irrigation. A golf course has to water everyday to keep the greens nice and the rest of the grounds green. The retention pond water level can drop as much as 6 feet in 1 day. Most of the time the pond will be very dirty as it is continuously being drained and filled. When it is low the fish are easier to find. It is also the best time to look for structure in the pond. When the water is up many baitfish will go to the grass around the edges to find food, insects and cover from predators. Fishing down the bank can be very productive about 1 to 2 feet from shore. You also may have to fan cast till you find where the fish are holding. The pump area will also hold fish. Most will have 1 or 2 areas where pumps and equipment will be along the bank. There will also be pipes to bring floodwater into the pond; these are great places to concentrate your fishing.

There are many natural water traps around the course. Most will look like a natural pond or stock pond. These can range from small stagnant ponds to large ponds with waterfalls, fountains and streams feeding into and out of. You can try the smaller ponds as they may have a few smaller fish but don't waste your time if there are larger ponds. On a larger pond look for any changes in the banks for clues for where fish might hold or travel. Rocks, ledges, points and coves are all good places to start. If a stream has an inlet or outlet those are perfect places for predatory fish to hide and wait for a baitfish to swim by. I usually fish all the way around the lake to find areas that may hold fish. If the fishing is good I will go around again.

Some courses have a stream going around different parts of the course. In Houston they have a recalculating pump to move the water around the creek. The water will not be as clean as a cement pond but will sometimes hold the biggest fish. The creek may have damns and waterfalls to add Oxygen to the water. This increase in O2 will make strong healthy fish and keep fish in one area. I sometimes release a healthy fish in a different location so it helps with in-breeding. Don't do it during the spawn, as the eggs will be left unguarded. Streams and creeks are similar to fishing the Bayous around Houston. Look for submerged branches, logs, rocks or other fish holding structure. If it has steep banks, fish along the drop offs to find waiting fish. At the base of waterfalls is a great place to find the biggest bass if there is a deep hole. They wait for an injured baitfish to go over the falls. In its confusion it makes an excellent meal that is easy to catch.

Golf courses can be fun to fish and interesting. One pond we were fishing was about 12 feet deep. I saw bubbles coming up out in the pond and cast to them. I saw a bowling ball sized object come up by my fly followed by the rest of the scuba diver. He had been retrieving balls off the bottom and I almost caught him. At about 200 pounds he would have been my biggest catch so far.

Remember with all the pesticides and fertilizer used to keep the grass green, catch and release is the thing to do. Also the course won't want you taking the fish from the others who fish there. Keep the grounds clean, pick up trash and make friends with the greens keeper and you may have a nice productive place to fish for a long time.