PondBassin

Hey guys, In a recent conversation with a friend, we were discussing the effects of putting in a gravel bed in a 6 acre neighborhood lake. I think it would be a good idea, however he believes it may disrupt the ecosystem. Do you guys think gravel beds are good for spawning, or bad? And if so, how would you make yours? PB

Hey guys, Just wondering if there are any clubs above Atlanta. I'm sure there are, just wondering if anyone knew any. Thanks, PB

Hey guys, I have a neighborhood pond I fish at that is a pretty decent size, its not huge, and its maximum depth is only around 7 feet. There are a good number of both bass and sunfish in there. But, the dilema I'm faced with, is the primary forage for bass in the lake is mosquito fish. If any of you have these fish in your pond or lake, you know they're little guys. Personally, I don't think they are very good forage for the bass, as you will catch fish, but they tend to be 1 1/2 lb to 2 lbs. Every so often in there, you will catch a 4 or 5 pounder, but very rarely. This lake is in central Georgia, so it's not like the fish have reached a maximum size. And to those of you who think it's over populated, it's not. The fish population is in check. Also, selective harvesting is not an option here. I was wondering if there was a way to get these guys to bulk up? I've heard of fish feed that is pretty sucessful, but I'm not sure how it would work in a ecosystem that has been established for a good 20 years. What are your guys suggestions? Thanks, PB

Hey guys, Recently when talking with a friend, he noted how the rain we have had this winter (in central Georgia, a medium sized neighborhood lake that is fed primarily by waterfall) would lead to a better spring and summer fishing. Being my first full year fishing, I don't know as to whether or not rainfall has any corelation with bass fishing at later times. Does a larger amount of rainfall mean a better fishing season later? Thanks in advance, PB

That is perfect! EXACTLY what I was looking for. I'm emailing you right now. Thanks! PB

I agree. I like using a shallow diving crank, the bomber square a, and that works well on another lake. I also love the jointed rapala shad rap, which dives to 4 feet, in the baby bass color. It's actually one of my go to lures this winter. It has good vibration and sound even when slow rolled, I would suggest it.

I also fish a "farm" pond nearby, and I'm assuming, that like mine, there isn't much fishing pressure. I use zoom trick worms, in the pink color, from spring to fall, and it's dynamite. Maybe you could try that out? As advised by the owner, he said that in the winter, the fishing shuts down, and after fishing it a few times, I've found that to be true. Maybe wait until spring, when it'll probably be very active. If your using live crawdads, are they in the lake? If not, I would try using something similar to the forage food in the lake, like a sunfish swimbait, or a 3/8 jig (I prefer the blue and black booyah boo jig for elsewhere) and fish it slow. Also, you could try a rapala countdown, in a bigger size in the gold color, or silver and black. Again, it may just be the season, you may need to wait until it warms up, but anyways, good luck! Tight lines, PB

I agree. I want to look back at the end of the year and see what worked, when, and if anything I think it may be a little fun! I'm just curious as to what produced, and what my total fish count would be at the end of the year. It doesn't seem like much work, or work at all. I'm not going to take it incredibly seriously, just a good record of what happened over the year.

As this past year was my first year bass fishing, I didn't have any goals. Basically, my only goal was to get into bass fishing. And I'm happy to say I did that. But for the next year, I have some new goals. 1. Catch a 7lb+ LMB (would be personal best) 2. Get back into fly fishing for bass. 3. Catch 10+ bass at this very finicky pond nearby in one outing 4. Start a fishing log and record all of my catches for the year By the way that was a good looking bass for up north. Hope everryone can accomplish their goals and tight lines. PB

Alright, thanks a bunch. PB

Hey guys, This upcoming spring will be my first time bass fishing in that season, so I have a few questions for a first timer. I live in central Georgia, and fish on a relatively big neighborhood lake. I've fished this lake since late summer until now, and have cought a lot of nice fish. But, as I'm sitting here waiting for warmer weather, I got to wondering when the spawning season starts for these bass. I was wondering if you guys could give me a period in a month, when pre spawn starts on your lake and when the actual spawning starts. Thanks in advance, and tight lines! PB

Hey guys, One of my New Years resolutions was to start a fishing log (or journal, whatever you want to call it), and record all of my catches for the year. I want to record weight, lure, and conditions in which I caught each fish. I've heard of others doing this, and I was wondering if you guys had any good templates, tips, adivce, or awebsite link that you could provide. Anything is accepted. Thanks in advance, PB

1. Catch a 7lb+ LMB (would be personal best) 2. Get back into fly fishing for bass. 3. Catch 10+ bass at this very finicky pond nearby in one outing 4. Start a fishing log and record all of my catches for the year

Hey guys, I just wanted to see what everyone used the most and liked throughout 2011. See if you can come up with a top 3! My top 3... 1. Zoom Trick Worms (pink) 2. Rapala Jointed Shad rap (baby bass) 3. Good ole Heddon Zara Spook (black and white) PB

Thanks for the responses, guys. I'll probably try the trick worm out for a bit, then switch to something new Maybe a brush hog,though not sure yet... any more suggestions or lures? But to add on to the conversation earlier, I'm almost 100% certain bass can get used to plastics. Another very small pond that I fish nearby proves that whenever I am sight casting for bass and through my good ole trick worm nearby. What used to be aggressive strikes is now just swim over, look at it, and sprint off into the distance! Thanks again, PB

Hey guys, I've got a couple of questions regarding how to approach fishing at a neighborhood pond. The pond I'm fishing at is closer to a lake than a pond; it's pretty big. BUT, here's the important part. It is fished by only ONE person. This person however, fishes the lake EVERY day for multiple hours. He's mastered the lake as it's in his backyard and he's fished it for over 10 years. He brings in constantly big fish every time, but has also seriously pressured the fish of the lake. Every single fish in this lake knows the sound of his paddle boat or the splashing of his canoe, yet he still manages to catch them. Me, on the otherhand, not so much luck. I've fished with him before and I don't know if it's the season or the pressure but the number caught has gone down significantly. He usually sticks to the same baits, zoom trick worms, buzzbaits, and zara spooks, and for the first time in his fishing career, has switched baits and is now almost exclusively fly fishing. This has been going on for aboout three or four months, also the amount of time since I've been there. The question I'm asking is should I just go to one of his old successful baits? Or should I try something new (any suggestions?)? The pond at its deepest point is eight feet and is a couple of acres. It has points and droppoffs (though not significant) and it has two VERY shallow creeks. Should I try up in or near those creeks? Where should I be looking now that it is fall time? This is my first time serious bass fishing in the fall, so any advice would be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions just post a reply and I'll answer em. Thanks, PB

Headed out there last afternoon. Caught 5 in about 3 hours, 4 on the worm, one on a jerk bait. Nothing hit the topwaters, buzzbaits, or cranks I threw. The one caught on the jerk bait was a white bass. Or so I thought. I never know there were white bass in the pond. It looked just like a white bass, especially with the significantly smaller mouth. However, as the day went on, the rest of the fish I caught had a similar color to them. So, I deduced that the fish were probably sick. The next time I see the owner I'm probably going to bring the topic up. PB

Hey guys, About two months ago, I found a nearby private pond that I was allowed to fish on. At first the fishing was great; I would catch probably 10 an hour with half of them being over 2 pounds, some ranging up to 6 pounds. This is a relatively small pond, only about an acre, were I am about the only person that fishes it. It it about 4 feet deep at its deepest point, and I do the majority of my fishing along the shoreline were the fish have been holding. I'm not in a boat, rather am just walking around on the shore. All I have used since going there are pink zoom trick worms (quite possibly overlooked, a great bait that I always trust). The bass loved 'em, but all of a sudden, in the past three weeks, the fishing has decreased. I know it's most likely because I've only been using the trick worms. They've probably gotten used to it. What I need is some tips about how to get back to catching these fish. Do you suggest a change in technique, presentation, color, new bait, etc? The important things to know are that this pond is very small, can be walked around completely, the fish are pretty skidish, the pond is very shallow, and the bottom of the lake is covered with a mucky substance that is easily collected on any bait. If you have any questions about the features of the pond or anything else, just post below. Thanks in advance! PB

Alright, thanks for the input guys.

You guys are probably right. Is there a way to feed the bass of the pond? Say a specific type of fish food the would eat and the sunfish wouldn't?

I culled the pond last year taking out about 30 14 inchers and smaller. It doesn't seemed to have worked.

Hey guys, I'm new to this site, so if this thread or anything like it has been done before, I'm sorry. But anyway, here's my dilemma. I have a pond in my backyard that was stocked by the previous owners with bass, various sunfish, some channel cats, and some mosquito fish (a sort of baitfish for the pond). The problem I'm having is this; the bass in the pond are very small. They have been in the pond for about ten years now ( I've fished the pond for 5 years) and I have seen very few bass exceeding the 4 pound range. The previous owner told me to expect this. The pond is pretty small, and I believe there is a sufficent amount of food in the pond. I also know for a fact that the pond is not overpopulated. The fish are never taken out of the pond and are always released back. They are all northerns, no Florida's or mixes. What I was hoping to find on this site was a way to beef up the size of the bass? I'm not sure if this can be done, as we don't want to restock the pond at all. Should we try and add a species (although I'm afraid this would set off the food chain)? Is there a sort of bass feed that the bass would eat to bulk up? Any answer would be helpful. Thanks! PB