Hello All,

 

I've recently joined the Forum after regularly reading up on the many questions others have had about the sport for about a year. Im still a novice when it comes to bass fishing, I started August of 2019, and I'd love to get more involved with this wonderful community.

 

Very soon here I am going to buy a Fishing Kayak (waiting for the one I want to be in-stock) which should open up many new ponds and small lakes to try out here in Cali. Most of these ponds and small lakes are off the beaten path and almost impossible to fish from the bank, only accessible by kayak, but im able to scout the terrain and get a basic idea of the what waterbodies layout is. I am in love with hooking into big fish and I was wondering what the tell tale signs are for a waterbody to have big largemouth bass? So far I suspect deep water to be essential as well as water with decent water clarity, but im not entirely sure. What type of cover or structure should I keep an eye out for when I scout these waterbodies by foot? I can count all the 4lb+ bass ive ever caught on basically 2 hands so my experince with big fish is fairly limited. I have some general ideas of what to lookout for but I'd love to hear from you experienced guys out there. So far the Two water bodies I've scouted have a ton of standing timbre or have their banks covered with water primrose, water visibility both have about 2ft or so. Seen baitfish creating small wakes on waters surface and saw many old bluegill spawning beds so atleast there are fish hahaha. Any tips on finding some Hawgs? Thanks!

You need deep and shallow water, with cover of some sort. Look for something different then the other cover. Learn to fish slowly and develop patience. Catching lunker bass is not easy.

We have 10+ pound bass here and our lagoons (ponds) are only 8-10 feet deep. 

 

For bass to get big they need a reliable food source and a lot of luck. My theory is that big bass (7 pounds and up) are the ultimate ambush predators unlike smaller bass that seem to cruise everywhere. But again, I’m speaking about the unique area that I fish.

 

Find the forage and find the ambush points where you see the forage. Be stealthy. 

9 minutes ago, Koz said:

Be stealthy. 

 

   This point cannot be overstated. Where the river had a levee, I have walked over it and seen fish jet away from the shore. I was 50-60 feet from the shoreline.

   They knew I was there. Never underestimate the sensitivity of a fish's lateral line.    jj

My humble opinion.

 

I think you find big bass at lakes and ponds that the state stocks with trout. Trout is like a big protein growth powerbar for bass.  Check The department for their stocking schedule. 

1 hour ago, jimmyjoe said:

 

   This point cannot be overstated. Where the river had a levee, I have walked over it and seen fish jet away from the shore. I was 50-60 feet from the shoreline.

   They knew I was there. Never underestimate the sensitivity of a fish's lateral line.    jj

We used to feed the catfish. When you’d walk down towards the lake late afternoon you’d see big wakes coming towards you from several hundred yards away. They knew you were walking to the pier before you even got there. 

4 hours ago, Koz said:

We have 10+ pound bass here and our lagoons (ponds) are only 8-10 feet deep. 

 

For bass to get big they need a reliable food source and a lot of luck. My theory is that big bass (7 pounds and up) are the ultimate ambush predators unlike smaller bass that seem to cruise everywhere. But again, I’m speaking about the unique area that I fish.

 

Find the forage and find the ambush points where you see the forage. Be stealthy. 

Koz +1.  I think any well established pond having the basics (food ,cover and a stable water source) has the potential to hold big fish.  I have found the main forage of larger sizes bass(4lbs and up) in the ponds I fish, is Bluegill. I have caught several 4-5lb fish with Bluegill in their gullet. So, I look for bluegill feeding in the shallow flats and target those areas. I have found that drop offs from these flats hold some nice fish. Bigger fish want to have access to deeper water to escape if needed. Also, one of my favorite places to fish are bottlenecks. The areas where ponds narrow for a stretch. I have found that big Bass will take up ambush positions on the ends of these choke points especially if there is cover...ie: weedbeds or timber. Hope this helps you find bigger fish!

Edited January 21, 20215 yr by Biglittle8
Added relevant content

It definitely matters what the ratio of baitfish to predator fish there is. A 1 acre pond can only hold 100lbs of fish under natural circumstances, its a natural balancing act. Also whether there is common carp, which wont eat fish. A ton of different variables to consider. Depending on the ratio, the bass might be stunted if there are many with not alot of forage or they might lunkers because of a low bass population and a higher ratio of other species.

 

Plus obviously cover and structure matters as well. Another thing to remember is that depth doesnt always necessarily mean bigger fish. Plankton in the water produce the majority of the oxygen fish breathe, and the oxygen levels drop significantly the deeper you go. Bass are upwards predators that like to be below their prey ( it helps knowing there most likely isnt anything below you when you are hunting). The oxygen and the water temperature is what causes turnover in depth liveability in alot of bodies of water.

Thanks for all the replies you guys! I'll be sure to keep these words of advice in mind when i finally get the chance to explore these spots. Tight lines!!!

If you do a web search for how to manage at home ponds you'll find out all kinds of information about what creates the conditions for monster fish, a huge part of it is the consistency of food, there is some other factors as well that I can't remember off hand but it's worth the investigation...if it applies to at home ponds, it's very likely that other bodies of water providing the same conditions would respond similarly. 

Time on the water helps. Being in the local fishing community, clubs, meeting friends.  Tournament results help.  Fish brain.  
if you know of a spot that holds big fish. Look for creeks that run into other ponds.  Chances are the surrounding ponds will have big fish.  
look up info about the pond. Forums or state pages help. Not just about bass fishing but look for bait fish species. Is the place stocked with other fish like trout or catfish?  
hope this helps 

So I live in Iowa...our state record bass is 10lb 14oz. So a big bass around here is anything over 6lbs. I have a small pond about 10 minutes from my house in a county park that is maybe a few acres in size...over the past few years I've caught probably 4 or 5 bass there between 6 and 8lbs. One thing I've noticed is the biggest fish seem to be most active during non prime fishing times like bad weather...windy rainy...cold water.