Hi all,  I'm a new board member.  Pleased to "meet" you.

 

My friends and myself have been fishing this particular lake now for about 5 years.  The lake is only about 600 yards long by 500 yards wide so it's not huge by any means

 

 If I had to guess, in the past 5 years from March-September, I've probably averaged 40-50+ bass over 3 pounds (16-18 inches) and 10+ LMB over 4 pounds.(18-20 inches)  Nice fish for my state. I'd say the average LMB over that time is about 14 inches.  Maybe 15.   However in 2014, from March - September, I didn't catch ONE bass over 3 pounds.  Not one!  Neither did any of my friends I consider "sticks"  Almost all the bass we caught were in the 13-15 inch class.  I'm talking hundreds of catches by a half dozen good fishermen using different baits at different levels of the water column on different parts of the lake at different times of the year.  None of us even got lucky and "accidentally" caught a 3 or 4 pounder.  We're dumbfounded!  Has this lake just plain and simply gotten over run with a very aggressive and very numerous year class or two that is dominating the feeding?  As far as I can tell, not much has changed in the lakes environment over the past 5 years as far as forage base and the like.   Does anyone have any suggestions as to why this is taking place and how I can catch the bigger bass in the lake?  I've already tried upsizing my baits but to no avail.  Is there anything we can do other than a slot limit (taking the medium sized bass out) to start catching the bigger bass again?  Is the lake over populated with the wrong sized bass?  I'm so confused.  What could be the reasons myself and my friends haven't  caught the bigger bass in this lake in 2014 vs catching scores of them the past few years?  

 

 

Thanks!

To begin with, welcome to our little home off the water. 

 

Now that you've jumped aboard, do yourself and everyone else a favor by filling out your profile.  It's much easier to help if people know what part of the country you are from.  As an example, if you were from up in Michigan, I might ask if your lake suffered a winter kill a few years ago. 

 

A few other things to consider.  Maybe others are over harvesting the fish from this lake.  Is there VHS is your area?  Have you talked with your local Fisheries Dept.?

 

It sure sounds like something has changed, but hopefully those 13"-15" fish will gain a few more inches in the next year or so.

From what i have read. Is sometimes when you catch alot of the same size fish and nothing bigger could possibly be due too to many bass for the forage. For good pond maintenance they say to pull out some small ones to allow more food for others to get bigger. Sometimes to much catch and release is not good. Im not saying to kill fish and waste them. But find somone who will eat them and give them a few bass every month or so.

You got some good advice but it is difficult if we don't know where what part of the country you are residing.  Fill out the profile it helps other respond to your questions.

Hi all,  I'm a new board member.  Pleased to "meet" you.

 

My friends and myself have been fishing this particular lake now for about 5 years.  The lake is only about 600 yards long by 500 yards wide so it's not huge by any means

 

 If I had to guess, in the past 5 years from March-September, I've probably averaged 40-50+ bass over 3 pounds (16-18 inches) and 10+ LMB over 4 pounds.(18-20 inches)  Nice fish for my state. I'd say the average LMB over that time is about 14 inches.  Maybe 15.   However in 2014, from March - September, I didn't catch ONE bass over 3 pounds.  Not one!  Neither did any of my friends I consider "sticks"  Almost all the bass we caught were in the 13-15 inch class.  I'm talking hundreds of catches by a half dozen good fishermen using different baits at different levels of the water column on different parts of the lake at different times of the year.  None of us even got lucky and "accidentally" caught a 3 or 4 pounder.  We're dumbfounded!  Has this lake just plain and simply gotten over run with a very aggressive and very numerous year class or two that is dominating the feeding?  As far as I can tell, not much has changed in the lakes environment over the past 5 years as far as forage base and the like.   Does anyone have any suggestions as to why this is taking place and how I can catch the bigger bass in the lake?  I've already tried upsizing my baits but to no avail.  Is there anything we can do other than a slot limit (taking the medium sized bass out) to start catching the bigger bass again?  Is the lake over populated with the wrong sized bass?  I'm so confused.  What could be the reasons myself and my friends haven't  caught the bigger bass in this lake in 2014 vs catching scores of them the past few years?  

 

 

Thanks!

You wanna know if the big fish are in yer neck of the woods, check during the spawn.

If the big fish are clearly there you guys are just not appealing to them no longer.

In addition, if you guys arent practicing catch and release..well..