Hey! 

 

This may be a dumb question so go easy fellas, but does anyone know if you're less likely to catch smallmouth bass if you fish in places that are popular/fished frequently by people? In other words, do bass catch on to the popular places their friends are hooked and purposely avoid them in response? 

 

It seems a little silly, but I actually have noticed that when I fish ponds that arent't fished as much, the bite seems more aggressive and frequent. I fish almost every day. Is this a coincidence? 

 

Always wondered this! 

 

Thanks for the response! 

7 minutes ago, Nepatizz said:

Is this a coincidence?

Nope.  We call it fishing pressure.  It can have an effect on small waters.

Pressure can effect the fish to some degree. However, a lot of people fish community holes for a reason. Because there are fish there.

38 minutes ago, Jleebesaw said:

Because there are fish there.

Exactly! Community holes are often spots with some structural and cover element that is attractive to bass, and are often spots that "reload." The really tough part is finding these spots that aren't well known.  That's where you can learn a ton following threads about structure, or off shore fishing.

The most aggressive bass everyone catches until the population has been diminished.

Tom

People certainly scare fish and make them nervous..... but they still have to eat. If you make it to a place full of smallmouth where nobody fishes, it’s usually like taking candy from a baby. Then again you can still catch them in a crowd, sometimes very well if you figure out the the magic that particular day