# Resthaven



## Opa (Feb 28, 2009)

Fished about 3 hours today and only one bass and it was caught at #10 No hits at #7 or #8. Tried top water, divers, rattle traps and artificial worms. Saw a couple of people fishing with bobbers and minnows and they were not doing very good either. Must the the weather change comming.


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## xtrema (May 31, 2007)

I went and walked around pond 8 on sunday with my mom and took the rod along to make a couple casts if I saw something that looked good. Ended up with 4 LM's. The biggest was about 18". The other ones were all around 14-15". Alot of people out there fishing, not many catching.


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## idontknow316 (Mar 21, 2008)

I went Saturday and Sunday and didn't do to good either. Saturday 3 all pretty small, Sunday one. Makes me feel better to know I'm not the only one. ha ha


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## Richard Move (May 11, 2009)

Anyone having any luck recently?* Is that stupid cotton wood flying around yet?


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## idontknow316 (Mar 21, 2008)

I went Friday and it was ok early in the morning, then shut off quick. Cottonwood around pond 7. But not so bad that it gets on your line though. I'd say another week and it will be flying everywhere.


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## metzbgsu (Jun 28, 2008)

We had a tournament in the pond with the ramp (I believe 10) Sunday...awful conditions for trying to catch some bass. That water is crystal clear and the fish were post spawn. I've never got to see fry in clear water like that before. It was actually a really cool sight!

That was my first time there though, and man, everywhere I looked I wanted to cast to. Is Resthaven pressured pretty much every day? I might have to go back and bank fish some of the other ponds though. I really liked the place!


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## Scum_Frog (Apr 3, 2009)

Not all of the ponds are pressured hard.....and in every pond you want to cast EVERYWHERE!! theres lay downs all over!! It is a great place to fish though and if you have a boat even better....you can still catch a lot of fish from the bank dont get me wrong....with a boat you can get into the heart of some ponds where the monsters like to sit....there are some ponds though that arent pressured at all!! back in ponds 1,2 and 3 especially....8 is the only one hit really hard...most of the ponds are so big its hard to put A LOT of pressure on them you know? ever have any more questions PM me!


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## buzzard345 (Jul 24, 2009)

where is rest haven?


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## flippin fool (Apr 3, 2006)

its in castalia on rt. 269


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## KingFisher89 (Feb 22, 2007)

Hey Scum where is pond 1,2, and 3 at?


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## buzzard345 (Jul 24, 2009)

thanks flippin fool new to this site resthaven sounds good


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## flippin fool (Apr 3, 2006)

don't get your hopes up too high. its not as good as it used to be. but you can still catch 30-40 bass a day there. just 99% of them are under 15 inches. its still a fun place to go. you might wanna check out some of the other ponds as well


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## buzzard345 (Jul 24, 2009)

buzzard345 said:


> thanks flippin fool new to this site resthaven sounds good[/QUOTE
> 
> is this a private pay site ? cant find info online or in fish and game mag.


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

No, not a pay to fish. It'is a public fishing and hunting area. I grew up watching them build #8. I think I still have the pictures of them dredging and before there was water in it. Them tournaments will ruin that pond if they keep having them like I heard they are. As for #1,2 and 3 it is not worth the hassle as 7,8 an10 are much better fishing. but if got a a yak or short canoe you can hop over all them logs if you are able to get into some great fishing. Recommend a GPs if you do if not really familar especially way in the back of #10. Caught and released a 21 inch crappie back in 81.


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## bassman64 (Jul 10, 2007)

I really don't think the tournaments are hurting the fish as much as the overall fishing pressure and I have seen way too many bass on stringers the last few years.I too remember when pond #8 wasn't there and I fished the other ponds.Ponds 1&2 used to be real good for bass and crappie,but I haven't fished 'em for probably 10 yrs.Caught and released a 18" crappie from #2 way back then!I try to discourage our club from having tournaments at resthaven and we most likely will not fish there next season because I think it is our responsibility to set the example for others.I love those ponds and want to do what I can to help preserve them(even if it means staying away for awhile).


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## jbrown (Jun 4, 2008)

Flyfish Dog said:


> No, not a pay to fish. It'is a public fishing and hunting area. I grew up watching them build #8. I think I still have the pictures of them dredging and before there was water in it. Them tournaments will ruin that pond if they keep having them like I heard they are. As for #1,2 and 3 it is not worth the hassle as 7,8 an10 are much better fishing. but if got a a yak or short canoe you can hop over all them logs if you are able to get into some great fishing. Recommend a GPs if you do if not really familar especially way in the back of #8. Caught and released a 21 inch crappie back in 81.


Please explain your logic on why tournament fishing is going to ruin pond 8. None of the fish are taken home... all are released, and healthy at the time of release. What's hurting pond 8 are all the wing-wangs fishing from the banks, throwing 2-4 lbers in 5 gallon buckets and taking them home to the deep fryer. 

Oh and you'd have to be a complete moron to get lost in pond 8. Where exactly is "way in the back" of pond 8??? If you do get lost in there, you need a lot more than a GPS unit. I could see someone getting confused in pond 10, but certainly not pond 8.


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## bassmaniac (May 10, 2004)

The tournaments aren't the problem at Resthaven, since everything has been released back alive. I don't think we lost more than 1 or possibly 2 fish the entire season. It's the bass that are being caught and kept that troubles me. No matter where you go, there will be people that fish for food for the table and bass will be kept. I don't have a problem with it. What I do have a problem with is that when people keep more than the legal limit or fish under the legal size limit, or even just wasting them. As for the tournaments, all we are doing is educating the fish and so you have to get creative to catch them now, no more easy days. Thats what makes it fun for me, figuring out what they want and then catching them, That gives me a much bigger sense of accomplishment than going out throwing whatever you might grab to tie on and catching a truckload. Sorry to ramble on, just thought I would share my opinion for what it's worth.


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## JDBrown (Feb 6, 2009)

Flyfish Dog said:


> No, not a pay to fish. It'is a public fishing and hunting area. I grew up watching them build #8. I think I still have the pictures of them dredging and before there was water in it. Them tournaments will ruin that pond if they keep having them like I heard they are. As for #1,2 and 3 it is not worth the hassle as 7,8 an10 are much better fishing. but if got a a yak or short canoe you can hop over all them logs if you are able to get into some great fishing. Recommend a GPs if you do if not really familar especially way in the back of #8. Caught and released a 21 inch crappie back in 81.


Seen 6 different people with buckets the other night. Sure theyre taking out the big bass that are in there but dont give them the benefit of the doubt, there are fish under 15" taken out by morons all the time in there. Jim said it right before, that pond should be catch and release only...Just in the past few years more "new" people started fishing. Blame it on the economy or whatever, fishing is a fairly cheap activity compared to everything else out there. And when I talk to people who arent very logical when it comes to fishing, most of them think whatever you catch, you eat. And when I explain when I bass fish its purely for sport, not for the filets, I sort of get a weird eye. All I know is you see buckets on the bank all the time in there anymore and it actually frustrates me a bit. Theres nothing wrong with fishing tournaments every 2-3 weeks or so for 6 hrs. Thats not goin to hurt the population whatsoever. Making that pond catch and release only would make a huge impact on size and quality fishing in there.


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## bassman64 (Jul 10, 2007)

I think that making it catch & release only probably won't help much because it still won't stop the people who don't care.I don't know what the solution is.Seems like whenever I strike up a conversation with anyone keeping fish,they always seem to play the "ignorance card"......I didn't know that was a bass......I didn't know that they have to be 14"/15" long....I didn't know that there was a closed season...etc...etc... I get upset sometimes,but "stupidity" isn't illegal,so the best I think that I can do for now is to pollitely attempt to educate them.Okay,thanks for letting me vent...time to get off my soapbox and go fishin,see ya all on the water!


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

jbrown said:


> Please explain your logic on why tournament fishing is going to ruin pond 8. None of the fish are taken home... all are released, and healthy at the time of release. What's hurting pond 8 are all the wing-wangs fishing from the banks, throwing 2-4 lbers in 5 gallon buckets and taking them home to the deep fryer.
> 
> Oh and you'd have to be a complete moron to get lost in pond 8. Where exactly is "way in the back" of pond 8??? If you do get lost in there, you need a lot more than a GPS unit. I could see someone getting confused in pond 10, but certainly not pond 8.


Yea, I meant #10 not 8. If that is the case with the ignorant bucket meatheads then what has happened to the Officers that patroled the area as they seem to be there all the time long ago. Maybe I am wrong about the tournaments but it felt that there was one every other weekend on there lately. In time that will put a lot of pressure on the bass fishery.


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## flippin fool (Apr 3, 2006)

Flyfish Dog said:


> Yea, I meant #10 not 8. If that is the case with the ignorant bucket meatheads then what has happened to the Officers that patroled the area as they seem to be there all the time long ago. Maybe I am wrong about the tournaments but it felt that there was one every other weekend on there lately. In time that will put a lot of pressure on the bass fishery.


its not just any 1 thing. its the pressure from the tournaments, the people keeping legal fish, the people keeping illegal fish, the bad economy that has more people fishing for food, and the fact that we have half a billion post on here about how good it is/was with pics of nice fish. that has more and more people coming to check this place out. i hope im looking on the bright side by saying maybe in a couple years we will have a booming population of big fish again through selective harvest...kinda only time will tell what is gonna happen to that place


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## peckwadsworh (Apr 23, 2009)

been fishing at all ponds since late 80's. Great place to hone your bassin skills. i agree that there are too many fish being taken illegally or for the wrong reasons. But, there are plenty of fish for us all to catch. How do i get into one of your tourneys?


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## flippin fool (Apr 3, 2006)

have to wait til next year now


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## Scum_Frog (Apr 3, 2009)

The tournament series is done until next year, but we will probably do a small tourny here and there spratically this year still....probably small $10 or $20 ones.....once one is going to get put together we will post it online and let whoever show up and join!

Also I think all the people keeping 12-15" fish out of pond 8 is whats deminishing the population in the pond. Not us having our tournys who do a catch and release.


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## peckwadsworh (Apr 23, 2009)

thanks, i'll be hittin #6 and #2 this week, i'll let you know how i do. Caught a nice pike in #6 earlier this year. Crazy day. Caught a crappie, pike, catfish, and bass. All on spinner bait.


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## thistubesforu (Mar 30, 2009)

how big was the northern


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## peckwadsworh (Apr 23, 2009)

30". crappie was decent. i'd love to find more of them.


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Not a crazy day, thats a a great dy!IMO Nice pike also!!


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## thistubesforu (Mar 30, 2009)

nice, its good to see some pike in some of those ponds considering the division stopped stocking them in the 80's.


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## KingFisher89 (Feb 22, 2007)

Pond 10 has the most pike in it


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## idontknow316 (Mar 21, 2008)

The last time I caught a pike at Resthaven was in 1989, when I was a little kid. I was fishing with a float and a worm, and caught a pike. I don't think there are many pike left in any ponds at Resthaven, and if you did happen to catch one you are pretty darn lucky. You guys have got to start taking cameras with you, almost everyone at least has a cell phone capable of taking pictures. Not saying you didn't catch a pike this year, I'm just saying that you are pretty lucky to have caught one.


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## peckwadsworh (Apr 23, 2009)

any of you guys had any luck crappie fishing in castalia?


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## idontknow316 (Mar 21, 2008)

Years ago I did, my cousin and I used to go all the time. The best crappie bite was in pond 10. I have not tried for crappie at Resthaven in many years. But I have heard of some people getting them there.


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## peckwadsworh (Apr 23, 2009)

the largest bass ive ever caught at resthaven.. maybe i'll catch her again someday


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## peckwadsworh (Apr 23, 2009)




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## idontknow316 (Mar 21, 2008)

Thats is a nice Resthaven bass.


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## thistubesforu (Mar 30, 2009)

in the spring pond 10 gets fished pretty hard for crap pies. personally i never have much luck although i did catch a 15 1/4 incher about three weeks ago out of 10. was using a 5.5 inch strike king shad-a-licous.


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