Please help. I have researched and read many articles. Would like to see if anyone on here has any opinions or advice. I have a house on a very unique private pond/lake. NY/Vermont area. Like nothing I have fished or seen. So this pond is not huge it has a surface area of 21 acres. This pond has steep banks all around. Almost no flat surface. Almost like a huge bowl. This lake is deep 95 feet at its deepest. But lake studies show it has no dissolved oxygen below 30 feet so fish can not survive deeper waters. This lake is crystal clear with a visibility of 24 feet. There is not many weedy areas only rocks as structure and downed trees and huge rock slabs. So I am trying to figure out if there is a problem with the balance of the pond or if I have just not figured it out yet. There seems to be a very healthy population of pumpkinseed sunfish. They are everywhere. Pretty good variety sizes too. I have seen and caught many many bass 12 inches and under. But they seem healthy not too skinny. But have seen pairs of larger bass cruising and my father has caught an 8lb bass out of the pond I caught a 3lb. I have been trying to figure out if there is a stunted population of bass or if there is not enough forage for the bass or that I just don’t catch any mid size because they are more difficult to catch because of the clear conditions and they can not go too deep so maybe they are moving more. Any ideas?

 

the only other species in this pond are catfish. I have seen big catfish at night. 

I have caught very few rock bass

stocked rainbow trout 

minnows

Frogs

there used to be yellow perch in the pond but they were over fished in winters by non residents of the pond. I was wondering if the disappearance of them could be affecting the bass as well. Sorry for the long post. Any advice/info/chat is welcome

I'm from the south, but I believe water is water. So, the first thing I would do is fertilize the water to give it some phytoplankton and cloud it up a bit. 24 feet of visibility is super clear in my world!!  This will not only feed the bait fish but also provide some color to your water and make your fish less spooky. 

 

American Sportfish Hatchery had this to say in an article concerning fertilizers:  There is a new type of concentrated, totally dissolvable powder or crystalline fertilizer that requires no mixing, no platforms and only recommends five pounds per acre to apply. Pond fertilization could not be easier. Formulations vary from 10-52-4 to 12-48-8 and one of them, Biologic’s Perfect Pond Plus (12-48-8) contains a micronutrient package that is beneficial to many crops. This fertilizer, which has the consistency of powdered sugar, can be broadcast from the bank or a pier or may be poured from the side of a boat. A five-acre pond requires only 25 pounds as compared to 200 pounds of granular or 65 pounds of liquid, plus 20 gallons of water (160 pounds).

It would probably be worth having a fisheries biologist come evaluate your lake to see what needs to be done, if anything at all. It's very easy to throw off the balance in a small body of water like that trying to throw stuff at the wall to see what sticks.

Hey thanks to both of you. I really appreciate the input and replies!

 

Bluebasser86..I have a report from 2016 that was done and in the file they say it is a moderately productive lake. Like we all could have guessed there is not so much plankton or anything like that since the water is so clear so it might be a cause of that. But they recommended fishing logs from owners to better determine if there is a balance in the lake. As they only did seine nets at a few locations. 

 

So I guess maybe I should be keeping some logs of fish as I catch them and maybe send them in. This would probably be best as you recommend I don't want to guess and then end up hurting the lake

The primary forgage fish are the pumpkinseed sunfish, anyother chubs, minnows or crawdads?

8 lb Largemouth bass is about a big as they get that far north. What did your dad catch the big bass on?

Do you have a boat?

Sorry to be asking more questions when you are looking for answers, just trying to give good advice.

Tom

No problem. Ask away! I appreciate anything.

 

Yea I assumed the primary forage fish would be the pumpkinseed especially for the bigger guys. I do see alot of very big sunfish which I thought would be good to keep breeding but not sure most the bass can eat them. But when I went swimming around I do see ones about 1 to 3 inches hanging by tree limbs or small weedy areas.

 

I have seen what I think are fathead minnows. Maybe some other kind of minnows hanging around too.

 

At night I have occasionally saw crayfish up tight to shore buried in the muck or dead leaves but not sure if they are ever out in the open for the bass to be able to feed on them.

 

My dad caught that bass on a 5" double tail hula grub from Yamamoto. Around this time last year. 

 

We do have a boat (electric motor only allowed) But also have a depth finder.

 

Thanks Tom

Your small lake is ideally suited for jigs, finesse worms and medium to deep diving crankbaits the majority of the time. Swimbaits may be an option but require specific tackle and long hours.

There is a new thread on Hula Grubs and Glenn's new jig fishing video, both are worth your time reading and watching the video's.

If the bass are largemouth more natural colors work, smallmouth sometimes prefer brighter highlights but natural colors that replicate crawdads and pumpkinseeds should be the high percentage colors.

I forgot to ask about your tackle; spinning or bait casting and rods?

I would use fineese spinning with 5 lb Maxiumum Ultra Green line for slip shot and drop shot rigs using Owner or Gamakasu mosquito/drop shot hooks nose hooked Roboworms oxblood w/LT red flake, MMIII 5" straight tail and curl tail worms. 

Casting tackle for jigs and sliding 3/16 oz  bullet weight weight with 6" straight or curl tail worms using 10 lb FC Sniper line. Jigs GYCB 1/4 and 3/8 oz Football plain black with wire weed gaurd and 4" Hula double tail Hula grubs. Colors 221 and 330.

Crankbaits need to know about your tackle.

Tom

17 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

It's very easy to throw off the balance in a small body of water like that trying to throw stuff at the wall to see what sticks.

Agree totally. However, it seems to be way out of balance already.... In Mississippi we can take a water sample to our local Department of Agriculture and get it tested. At the very least it needs nutrients to feed and grow plankton....YMMV

Because the water is gin clear doesn't indicate it's out of balance, it just doesn't have any suspended particulates to defuse the sunlight. Most of the lakes in SoCal and nearly every lake with quagga or zebra mussels have clear enough water to easily see the bottom at 10', some at 25'. SoCal  lakes have world class bass fishing.

Tom

Thanks Tom.

 

I will go try and find those videos and check them out.

 

these are largemouth bass in this lake. Have not seen any smallmouth. My main gear is spinning rods. I appreciate all the info I will definitely be giving that stuff a shot. I will be going next weekend to do some fishing there.

 

i have to admit my confidence in crankbaits is very low as I have not used many in the past but definitely am open to trying anything. Just not sure where to even begin but again appreciate the info you have given me