An Experiece You Do Not Want to Miss!
General Questions
Q. Are you strictly a bass fishing club?
A. No. however, most of our lakes are designated bass fishing. We can recommend the better blue gill, crappie and catfish lakes.
Q. What is your policy on fishing pressure?
A. We believe lakes need days of “rest”. We determine fishing pressure. We only allow so many fishing trips per week depending, primarily, on lake size.
Q. How many people are allowed on each lake during my trip?
A. When you reserve a lake it is yours and yours only for the day or ½ day. This benefit is something unique to PWF and the reason our brand promise is “reel solitude”.
Q. How far in advance do I need to reserve a property?
A. Most of the year 1 day to 3 days is sufficient. However, some of our premier lakes (3 to 5 lakes) in March and April weekends can be booked 30 to 60 days in advance.
Q. May I bring a guest? If so, is there an additional charge?
A. Yes. You may bring two guests with you during your trip. However, the same guest may only fish with you 3 times in a calendar year. Guests will pay the same day rate as the member and also a $15.00 fee guest.
Q. Why can I only bring the same guest 3 times in the same year?
A. Memberships are the life blood of our club. If your guest fishes with you more than 3 times they should get their own membership. The 3 guest rules stops members from “sharing” a single membership.
Q. Do you charge for guests who do not want to fish?
A. No. Non fishing guest are free of charge. Non-fishing guests will still need to complete the guest agreement form before entering a property.
Q. How do I make a reservation?
A. An on-line reservation system is available for our members to book and confirm trips in real time and anytime! Members are also welcome to call or email the club office for reservations.
Q. This all sounds too good to be true. I research everything thoroughly before I buy anything. Can I try it before I buy it?
A. Absolutely, you may trial fish any of our lakes before joining. 94% of people who trial fish; join. Day or ½ day rates apply for trial fishing.
Q. What is the difference between a full day and a ½ day of fishing?
A. A full day of fishing gives you access to the lake from sun up to sun down. A ½ day of fishing can either be a ½ day a.m. or ½ day p.m. A ½ day a.m. starts at sun up and ends at noon. A ½ day p.m. starts at noon and ends at sun down.
Q. When fishing on club waters, am I allowed to keep any fish?
A. The short answer is no. We are a sport fishing club and generally practice catch and release methods. We do have sites that need harvesting. On those lakes, we would ask that you remove any bass under a certain slot limit (usually 14” and under). Any sites that require harvesting will have the requirements listed in the site requirements section of that lake’s webpage on our website. Keeping trophy bass is not allowed and could be grounds for termination of membership.
Boats
Q. Do you provide boats? If so, is there an additional cost?
A. Most lakes have a 2 man Jon boat or “Buster” type boat. Some lakes have larger boats with trolling motors. Boats are not an additional cost and are included in the day rate on most lakes.
Q. How do I know if there is a boat at the property?
A. Visit www.privatewaterfishing.com. Every property has a complete description of the boat type and availability.
Q. Can I bring my own boat, float tube, canoe or kayak?
A. Yes, you may bring your own boat. Most lakes do not have a boat ramp so you must be able to launch your boat from the bank. Small boats are best. Please note that we do not allow gas motors on our lakes.
Q. How do I know which lake can accommodate my big boat?
A. Visit www.privatewaterfishing.com. Every property has a description of the boat ramp or boat launch situation. Please remember no gas powered engines on our lakes.
Lodging
Q. Do you offer lodging on these lakes? If so, what are the costs?
A. About ¼ of our properties have a cabin or home available for rent. Costs range from $75.00 to $150.00 for two people. Complete descriptions and photographs of these accommodations can be found at www.privatewaterfishing.com
Costs
Q. How much does it cost to be a member?
A. There are two “costs”. There is an annual membership fee; which grants you access to all our sites and there is a separate daily fee for fishing on a given property. View our home page under the pricing tab for current pricing.
Day rates are separate and range from $55.00 to $150.00 per person for a full day. ½ day rates are available on most lakes. Children under the age of 12 fish free and children 13-17 fish for ½ price.
Q. Why do you charge an annual fee and a daily fee?
A. We have found this is the most equitable way to charge for our services. You pay as you go as opposed to a large upfront fee.
Q. What is the difference between an individual and family membership?
A. Individual membership is for one person. Family membership includes your spouse and all dependent children under the age of 21 in your home.
Q. I’m still confused about rather I need a family or individual membership.
A. If your spouse is going to fish with you more than 3 times in a calendar year, you want a family membership. If your spouse does not fish or will not fish 3 times in a calendar year than an individual membership is what you want.
Q. Do children pay to fish?
A. Children 0-12 pay nothing to fish. We want to make it affordable for families; exposing kids to the joy of the outdoors and for fishing. Children 13-17 pay about ½ price depending on the lake. 18 and older pay adult pricing.
Q. Do you offer discounts for military, teachers or seniors.
A. Annual membership fees are discounted, daily access fees are not discounted.
FAQ’s for Duck Hunting
How membership works? You pay an annual fee each year. This fee gives you access to duck hunt on all PWF duck hunting properties.
How much does it cost? Two types of memberships are available. $1000 membership allows you to bring guests for $55.00 per guest. A $1400 membership allows you to bring up to 2 guests per trip at no charge. There are NO additional daily hunting fees for members.
What is your Guest Policy? You may bring the same guest up to 3 times during the same season. After the third trip we ask that your guest become a member if spots are available.
Will blinds or decoys be provided? On most lakes no blinds or decoys will be provided. You may bring your own pop-up blind and decoys.
Are dogs allowed? Yes
Do you charge for family members? You may bring one dependent child under the age of 18 at no charge. Other children and spouses pay the normal $55 guest fee.
Can I view a property or two before joining? Absolutely, in fact we encourage you to do so. You will need a reservation.
How many members will you be accepting? An average of approx 4 members per property.
Do I need to make a reservation before I go? YES.YES.YES. A reservation is required before you access any club property. Simply call the club office M-F from 9 to 5 to reserve your spot.
What is your policy about hunting pressure? Fishing pressure can destroy a good fishing lake. After 14 years of leasing fishing lakes we understand what pressure can do. We will use this same knowledge and apply similar techniques to our duck lakes.
What do you do for waterfowl management? Admittedly, we are new to waterfowl management and we are growing in our knowledge. In some cases Japanese millet and or smart weed will be used. Currently, we will not be flooding or controlling water depths of our properties.
What type of member are you looking for? Members who make a good fit are sportsman, respectful, and leave the property better than they found it. If you had a single lake leased, you would not hunt it every other day. Consequently, we are not looking for members who want to hunt every other day. We are looking for members who plan to hunt 5 to 15 times in a given season and understand that this model must work for all; our members, our lease holders, and PWF.