Getting permission to ice fish private waters?

[Bowhunter57]

I've only been ice fishing for two years. I don't think you can count last year since it never froze, but that first year I noticed a difficulty in getting landowners to allow fishing permission...on ice. I've always had good luck getting permission to fish open water farm ponds.

Instead of liability fears or their own fears, etc., it's more like trying to get permission to hunt deer on opening day of the deer gun season. However, there have been a few landowners that have mentioned up front how dangerous they thought it was to be on the ice.

Have you guys noticed it being more difficult to get permission to ice fish?

Thank you, Bowhunter57

[Banker]

Ohio is not know for ice fishing. This website it out to change that, but most avid fisherman on soft water scoff at the idea of fishing on hard water in Ohio. It's just the nature of it all. The only exposure most anglers have to it is news coverage of people going through. So to a land owner, non fisherman I could see how regardless of ice condition, wouldn't want someone walking on their ice due to it being in Ohio versus Minnesota.

It's nice that you ask permission- it's the right thing to do. Some guys on this site have private ponds you could get onto.

I know some land owners that co-operate at Indian Lake as they are used to icers being there.

[jaybird62]

everybody looks at me like im crazy when i tell i ice fish. i tell em if u know what u are doing and take all the precautions then its reasonably safe. they just see ice and dont know the difference between white ice and black ice. i can assure you im not gonna be on it if its not safe. gonna  try to secure some permission this weekend and hopefully i can reassure the owners that i know what im doing.  i just wonder if i went with a permission slip that relieved the landowner of any liability. maybe that would sway them??

[jmsteele187]

When I lived in Michigan, the land I lived on butted up against some property with really good hunting.  Every year me and my brother would sign a contract with the owners that would alleviate any liability.  It really seemed to smooth it over and help convince the owners to let us hunt.

[Minnowhead]

Div. of Wildlife has free perm slips that have the Ohio Revised Code on the back that states in writing the landowner is not liable.  We use them for hunting permission slips.  Same would apply for fishing, hiking and trapping while on their property.

[jmsteele187]

Nice!  Totally takes the work out of having a contract written up.  I'll have to print some off.  Do you have a link?

[Minnowhead]

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Default.aspx?alias=www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife

You can navigate through this one or just go to a Walmart and get a copy of the hunting regs at the license counter. There is a copy on the back of the pamphlet for you to copy and use.