This year I have been searching more and more for opportunity zones (I like that term). At one of the local ponds I fish there is this one little amazing spot. I call it, my bonanza spot. It is where this tiny little creek runs into the pond. A seawall runs into the creek as it enters and creates an area of slack water that is bass RICH. There is a small brush pile on the other side but it is very shallow and only bluegill can be found within it.

Plenty of very small minnows hold in the creek, especially in the fall, but they never school and are often consumed by bluegill and occasionaly bass. The bluegill are generally safe inside the shallow brush pile, until they decide to feed on the bountiful amount of small minnows, washed up worms, numerous insects, etc...

It is really a beautiful thing to see. The bluegill aggressively swims into the shallow and narrow creek and eats a careless minnow. However, the bluegill basically traps himself when he does this. Most of the time the gill gets back to the brushpile unharmed. But sometimes the trapped gill finds himself trapped in the stomach of a large bass. All this  is going on less than an inch of water, with quite a bit of splashing and choas. I catch at least one bass everytime I fish it.

I have probably caught about 20 bass at this spot in the past few months, which doesn't sound like much, but the pond is only about an acre big. So, 100 bass per acre is pretty normal and if Ive caught 20 bass from this spot. Thats 20% of the ponds bass!

I also believe this spot is "prime" realestate and that bass are constantly competing for this spot. So when I catch one, another one quickly steps in reckognizing the opportunity for food and dissolved oxygen (from the creek) and throw a little bit of caution to the wind.

Its like if ten guys were living in a trailer park and a mansion is offered to them, they will take it almost every time even if two of there buddies were murdered there.

I always look for these bonanza spots now and would take one of those over five regular ambush spots.

Hester, sounds like you've read that spot perfectly.

Many anglers wouldn't recognize such a spot, others might know they can catch bass there sometimes, but not why. You've got a chunk of the story, and a key to many if not most of the mature bass in that little pond. Very8-)

Many of my small waters have a few key locations that give up the majority of mature bass. Some we recognize just looking at 'em, others are not as apparent. Regardless, most we have to probe with lures, and observe, to find the proper approach.

I'll describe another one, one that involves current probably the most obvious type. It's a navigation canal full of smallmouth and walleyes. There is a pond attached by a short (30 foot) narrow channel that is lined with rip-rap to prevent erosion. The rip-rap and additional habitat (the pond) make it a good spot with more food than other places: silversides, spottails, darters, perch, and sunfish are there. Bass and walleyes are there too.

This place always holds fish, but can become a real hot-spot when water is moved through the canal via the lock system (used to brings boats through the elevation changes across the length of the canal). In most places you would only notice the subtle water change by seeing the flow speed or direction change occasionally as locks are opened and closed. But, at that narrow rip-rap lined channel the added volume of water is squeezed through into the pond where it backs up, then is squeezed back out into the canal, creating a pretty good current.

This oscillating current is fascinating to fish and illustrated perfectly how current affects the upper end of the food chain. It's the downcurrent end of the short channel that fishes well, as prey fish get pulled out through the channel and many get sucked into the vortexes (negative pressure areas) created along the rip-rip edge. Smallies and walleye's line up here to feed. What's neat is the oscillations continue back and forth and you just switch ends of the channel to stay on the opportunity/strike zones.

Over time I've found a lot of opportunity/ambush spots. Keep your eyes peeled, and realize, when you catch a mature bass, there was something going on there, and it may be repeatable.