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Just a feeler

9.6K views 82 replies 48 participants last post by  AZ Fatty  
#1 ·
Just kind of wanting some feedback.

Seeing if there would be interest in fishing a private lake for a fee. Looking at maybe a 500.00/day fee to fish it. Might look at a monthly fee too in the area of 1500/month. You would be able to bring your own boat and fish anytime from sunrise to sunset. 2 people per boat

This is more of just trying to see how much interest there would be, haven't settled on a set price just trying to get an idea of how many people would consider it.

This is a private lake about 100 acres. The average bass in the lake is 3-4lbs with quite a few in the 5-7lb range and fish over 10lbs as well. Everything would be catch and release. 30-60 fish days are pretty easy.Its about a 1.5 hour or less drive from anywhere in the valley.

Let me know what your thoughts are.
 
#5 ·
no its a private lake none of you have probably heard of.

yeah the price isn't set in stone but trying to get it to where you don't have tons of people either. fine line between too cheap and too expensive. probably would end up setting a schedule up to so there could only be like 4 boats a day on it.
 
#7 ·
There was a few of these back home in Nebraska. There was a care taker maintain the property. Gated, a yearly pass, and fee required. There is/was a cap on the membership. No schedule, but if you cap the membership I don't see an issue with a 100 acre lake. It was also a non profit, so at the end of the year they took all the remaining money and made upgrafes (repouring the ramp, zebra mussle decontamination station..etc.), the also stocked it with SMB, Trout, Walleye, Crappie, and LMB. Let me know if you want more info.
 
#11 ·
It was also a non profit, so at the end of the year they took all the remaining money and made upgrafes (repouring the ramp, zebra mussle decontamination station..etc.), the also stocked it with SMB, Trout, Walleye, Crappie, and LMB. Let me know if you want more info.
That's a great idea, but knowing Sensai's past, I can only imagine this would be a FOR PROFIT venture.

:biggrin:
 
#16 ·
I think you will find out you will get more interest if the price was around 25 bucks a day maybe 50 tops.

500 even 100 your on crack.

lets put it this way what would you pay? and dont tell me you would pay anything more than 50 bucks aday.

Delw
 
#20 ·
Make this argument and maybe, just MAYBE, you can justify a few hundred a day.....

Why would someone option to fish a small, private lake for a significant fee when they could go to a mature, world renowned lake like Roosevelt or Havasu and pay $10 a day? What benefit does one have over the other?
 
#33 ·
Been there and done that. My partner used to get some guide trips for conventions. I think he charged $150 a day per boat and guide. I spent years planning to build a small lodge and sell memberships to fish Oasis. Bottom line is it was a 37 acre pond with great fishing and a moron could catch fish all day long. It gets old after a while. You sure don't need a guide to fish a small pond. Good luck and start getting your money together for insurance, security, fencing etc.
 
#81 ·
Been there and done that. My partner used to get some guide trips for conventions. I think he charged $150 a day per boat and guide. I spent years planning to build a small lodge and sell memberships to fish Oasis. Bottom line is it was a 37 acre pond with great fishing and a moron could catch fish all day long. It gets old after a while. You sure don't need a guide to fish a small pond. Good luck and start getting your money together for insurance, security, fencing etc.
I guess from the former owner of it.
 
#35 ·
maybe if the lake provided the boats, gear, lunch, drinks, etc. $500 seems pretty steep. maybe you could charge that for a holiday weekend day and have lower charges on other days. does the lake have any aesthetic features, or is it really just a gravel pit? is there going to be camping at the lake? maybe if it included a night of camping that had good facilities. might be willing to pay $500 for a night of camping w/ the fam, great facilities to make the wife/fam happy, limited boats/fisherman, a lake w/ cool cover to fish, and of course if the fishing was off the hook. if it's just $500 for access to a lake from sun-up to sun-down, not gonna happen.
 
#36 ·
What Sensai doesn't realize is that the lake fishes great now because it has no pressure. As soon as you let a bunch of boats or people in catching fish, the lake will suck to fish. Fish learn/adapt and often times when you have that much pressure you will have a significant mortality rate of the bass in the lake. Not to mention and sort of contamination from bringing boats from outside into this small 100 acre lake.

The entire idea is a pipe dream. Sounds good on paper but in reality you would be lucky to break even at the end of the day when you think about liability insurance, salary for people to run the place plus any sort of improvements and property management.
 
#38 ·
What Sensai doesn't realize is that the lake fishes great now because it has no pressure. As soon as you let a bunch of boats or people in catching fish, the lake will suck to fish. Fish learn/adapt and often times when you have that much pressure you will have a significant mortality rate of the bass in the lake. Not to mention and sort of contamination from bringing boats from outside into this small 100 acre lake.

The entire idea is a pipe dream. Sounds good on paper but in reality you would be lucky to break even at the end of the day when you think about liability insurance, salary for people to run the place plus any sort of improvements and property management.

Which is why the price point wouldn't be 100 or less. The price would be at a point where 75% of the people wouldn't pay. It would be that other 25%(or less) that can afford it and would like to fish a lake with no wakboarders and its peaceful and fun.

your thinking too big with all your property management and shit. insurance and everything else has been looked at. like I said this is more of a feeler to see if it is something a select few would be interested in.

The lake is a fun lake to fish with lots of cover to flip.
 
#37 ·
gotta be kidding. half the fun of fishing is the "hunt" for fish. just throwing a lure and catching a non pressured fish is boring after awhile. its like poeple who hunt on ranches with animals sitting in front of you, or going to a city pond after they just stocked it and pulling out a bunch of fish. seems lame to me. no way in hell i would pay any money for that. i prefer the challenge in fishing. oh and i know a few of these pitts hidden packed with huge fish and have been to one in north west phoenix/peoria many times so why would i pay to go to yours? heck it might even be one and the same.
 
#39 ·
I'm sure there would be a few takers. I doubt you're gonna get good feedback on this site as most people here fish regularly and do not see the value in spending $500 to fish a farm pond. This would be a deal for a guy or gal that travels all the time, has a son he/she never gets to spend time with, and knows nothing about fishing and the boy wants his dad/mom to take him fishing and his dad/mom has more money then he/she know what to do with.
 
#41 ·
I'm sure there would be a few takers. I doubt you're gonna get good feedback on this site as most people here fish regularly and do not see the value in spending $500 to fish a farm pond. This would be a deal for a guy or gal that travels all the time, has a son he/she never gets to spend time with, and knows nothing about fishing and the boy wants his dad/mom to take him fishing and his dad/mom has more money then he/she know what to do with.
+ 1

This is the only market I can think of in that price range... And wont be nearly enough to sustain the idea.
 
#42 ·
Nah, would not be my idea of a 'good day of fishing'....and yes, I can afford it.

BUT, I much prefered back in the day (and soon again, as I am returning to the valley), to hit Plez on a warm/hot day, spend the morning in nice quiet coves, then run over to the marina at noon for a burger or hot dog and cokes, and watch the endless parade of bikini's and thongs.....

$6 to access Lake Plez and about $10 for lunch....eye candy was free!

Have fun on your secluded lake, with other rich folks, I will be on plez (or other lake), fishing, and enjoying the 'scenery'...

That said....if it is a plausable venture, good luck with it! I am sincere on that.
 
#43 ·
I can guarantee you there are people who would be willing to pay in the ball park of your price. It seems like the goal here is exclusivity, almost like being a member of a fancy pants golf club. I think you should re-evaluate the price just a bit. An upfront cost of 500 seems fair, the monthly seems a bit much though. Obviously the majority of people on this site don't see the point or value. I wouldn't pay it either, but I know people out there are looking just for this sort of thing.