hey everyone, i have a major question, how can i figure out what type of baitfish is in this pond i fish in? i know there are bluegills, but i want to find out if there are shad or crayfish in the ponds. thanks for any help

How big is the pond? If it is a small one, there will usually be just bluegills, and probably crayfish if there is a stream that flows into the pond.

they are very small ponds all conected to each other from small tunnels, but there are no streams running into the ponds.

Throw out a net or trap.

which brings me to the question, and sorry to jack the topic, but I always hear or read the pros saying things like: The bass are feading on craws today,I'm trying to match the shad the bass are feeding on today,this jig looks like the craws this time of year in here,the bass are chasing bream.

How in the hell could they know without throwing a cast net or sometimng? Sounds more like a lucky perception most of the time.

Bass spitting out the bait or craws, pinchers sticking out of there throat or the tail of a fish. Also you can usually tell by the feel of the fishes stomach.

Or you can tell just by knowing the area.  I used to do some crawfishing near my hometown in louisiana, so I'm well in-tuned with what those suckers look like throughout the season.  Guides, tackeshops, marinas are all great sources of information like that.  The pros aren't wizards, they just know how to gather their information and sort it out.  That's just part of being a pro, I suppose

The best way I found is to attach battery cables to my truck battery while it's running then "jump start" the pond.   It seems to put the fish asleep for awhile.

They look like little tourists floating around while soaking up the rays.

My girlfriend, I mean my sister said it ain't no good for em cause they don't use sunscreen.  I don't think fish need em cause my cousin said that the fish scales absorb the gamma rays.  'Course he been a little slow since the mule kicked him in the head.  I could aks Pa, but right now he's tenden' the sheep.

anyways it's what we do down here when we can't get shiners.  8-)

Consider doing two things.

First, contact your Department of Game and Inland Fisheries in your state and ask them what types of baitfish may be in the pond.

They will not have the micro answer but they should have the macro answer.

Second, throw some bread on top of the water and note if you have bluegill and bream.  Throw the bread along the bank to see if there are any minnows.

I doubt you will have any shad in the ponds.  But you should have a good population of bluegills and bream, and maybe some catfish.

You may also want to fish with bluegill baits or small bass baits to try to find out if there are any bass in the pond.  

And if you are lucky, maybe you know someone who has fished the pond and they can tell you what they have caught.

see i know there are bass in the ponds because i allways fish for them and catch them on like crankbaits, tubes, and jerkbaits. and i do catch catfish all the time in the ponds.

The best way I found is to attach battery cables to my truck battery while it's running then "jump start" the pond. It seems to put the fish asleep for awhile.

They look like little tourists floating around while soaking up the rays.

My girlfriend, I mean my sister said it ain't no good for em cause they don't use sunscreen. I don't think fish need em cause my cousin said that the fish scales absorb the gamma rays. 'Course he been a little slow since the mule kicked him in the head. I could aks Pa, but right now he's tenden' the sheep.

anyways it's what we do down here when we can't get shiners. 8-)

HAHAHA

Springs will come, then the bait fish will show up in the shallows, that is a good time to sit still and quite and observe whats in there.

Winter is a time when small creatures goes deep and hides till warmer waters.

Matt

Another note, if the water isn't clear, then really it doesn't matter what types of forage are there as far as colors go.  It's hard to beat a 7inch curl tail texas rigged power worm in dingy water.

If it is clear, then look at your tackle.  If you're catching fish, then you're on the right track already.  Your most productive colors might give you some insight to what the fish are eating.

Bass eat things that don't eat them. Regardless of whether your water has a big population of crawdads, bass will strike a jig because (?) it resembles some kind of "bug". I don't know exactly what a plastic worm or Senko represents, but it looks like dinner to a bass!

"Match the hatch" is WAY overrated. Raul has pointed out that bass in Mexico are caught on big trout lures in water that has never held a trout! Action and profile fished on, over or in the right cover or structure trumphs everything else.

Bass are in the sunfish family, where there are bass you will have sunfish, or bream down south, in every classification of lakes, rivers or ponds. Crayfish are usually in all fresh waters of the US. So it's not to hard tp predict what prey the bass are targeting, small sunfish and crawdads, plus anything else that may fit into thier mouths; worms, insects, frogs, lizards, salamanders etc. Look around the pond to determine what prey is available.

Shad; threadfin, gizzard and silver sides require deep water and zoo plankton to survive, so the small ponds should not have a shad population.

When bass are feeding on crawdads, their mouth will be rosy color inside from crunching down on them.

WRB