I'm curious....a local pond I fish has a ton of snails along the shallows (and maybe deeper?). It's actually a small impoundment, with a constant (not fast) water flow toward the dam. These snails are about 1 1/2" - 2" in diameter. Yep, they're pretty big! And some rocks along the shallows are literally covered with them.

Is this a plus or minus to the fishery and is this something to consider in my presentations? Do bass (or other fish species) use these for forage?

Two days ago I my self picked up a snail crushed its shell and put it on a hook because I too was curious. The smell terrible, and the smell wouldn't come off my hands even after washing them 3 times, not even the bluegill or catfish messed with it. Don't know the science behind this one but I think that fish don't like them.

Trout eat snails all the time. If they have been gorging on them you can feel them in the trouts stomach. Give the next few bass you catch a good squeeze and see if you can feel them.

Two days ago I my self picked up a snail crushed its shell and put it on a hook because I too was curious. The smell terrible, and the smell wouldn't come off my hands even after washing them 3 times, not even the bluegill or catfish messed with it. Don't know the science behind this one but I think that fish don't like them.

I dunno, Bluegill around here (Nashua, NH) will go for anything. There like piranha.

I would say they are forage for something.  If not, net some up and make escargo.

I was duck hunting at Lake Greenwood here in SC this pat January. I brought a rod with a jerkbait on it in case things got slow. Which they did around 10 or so. We were hunting an area that was LOADED with snails. I caught a bass on my first cast that had a crawdad in its throat. So i gues crawdads could eat them which could in turn attract bass? Just a thought.