"Big" Bass, Small Ponds 2024

Paul Roberts reply :

J Francho brought up a really good question:

How much depth does a pond need to grow "big" bass. Or, is depth a limitation? Can a shallow pond produce larger bass?

Now, "quality" varies regionally. In my area I'm talking about bass over 19" (4lbs).

The question:

Do you know of a pond(s) that gives up big bass, that are under, say, 12-feet in depth?

wagn reply :

I fish a pond that is mostly 4-6 feet deep except for one channel that's right around th 12-13 foot depth. I pulled a 6 1/2 pounder out last year as well as a few 4's.

Those are pretty good sizes for up where I'm at in NH.

Tom H. reply :

We have one on the family farm that is about 10-12 ft deep. Last weekend my Dad pulled a 7.4 out of it . We pull numerous 4-5's out of it every year.

J Francho reply :

Keep in mind, I'm in an area (Western NY) where freezing is an issue. In a shallow pond, there would be bass Popsicles.

By "big fish" I'm talking about anything over five. I'm personally looking for an eight plus.

By "pond" I'm talking something you could cover from shore or in a small "man powered" boat - less than 100 acres.

I've been excluding water that isn't at least 12' deep from my list of waters to check out. My thought is that most of my big bass, though may have been caught shallow, were in CLOSE proximity to deeper water. I also think they need this to get really big.

Raul reply :

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J Francho brought up a really good question:
How much depth does a pond need to grow "big" bass. Or, is depth a limitation? Can a shallow pond produce larger bass?

Yes, a shallow pond can produce big bass. Many of my relatives have dairy farms and they grow crops ( alfalfa, corn, sorghum ) to feed the cows, the fields are irrigated with irrigation systems with water drawn from a well but in between the water flow ( well - irrigation system ) there 's a man made pond, rectangular or square in shape with a depth of 4 ft ( shallowest ) to 8 ft ( deepest ) deep with a surface ranging from half an acre to two acres.

I have caught fish over 10 pounds from them , it 's not depth what counts but what 's in it, if you have a well balanced prey-predator population, the genetics and the climate you can have trophy size fish in a small pond, you won 't have many loonkers living in them but you will have them.

J Francho reply :

Good points Raul. I don't think a 4' deep pond would work out too well this far north. I used to deal with ornamental ponds, and I've come across koi trapped in ice. Some made, some didn't.

Your point about predator/prey is pretty good too. What about other mix of other species. There is a pond here that is deep, has main points, a large flat, and other structural elements found in reservoir type lakes. There are Northern Pike, gills, black crappie, as well as largemouth. This pond produces many 4 and 5# fish. I wonder what the impact of the crappie is on recruitment. I've always been taught that crappie in a bass pond isn't a good thing.

6pointbuck2003 reply :

IMO i beleive it all has to do with the forage and the cover you have. thats my 2 cents worth

=Matt 5.0= reply :

My 7.5 came out of a 50 acre pond that contours like an inground swimming pool. Starts off on one end from 3' and slopes down to 11-12' at the deepest.

Crestliner2008 reply :

I agree with Raul, but here in the Northeast, freezing becomes a factor. Even in a shallow pond having 10' or water or less, the whole pond won't freeze over. However, the amount of oxygen left after it freezes can be a significant detriment to the bass; unless it has a good water exchange or flow, via underground springs.

Derek Chance reply :

size of fish has to do with the carrying capacity of the pond (fish population). Every pond has a total weight of fish it can carry. The fewer bass that are in there, the bigger they can get. forage is also a determining factor. there must be food for the bass. Some great pond management information on Missouri's Conservation department website and Nebraska has a pond management book they will send for free too. I have a 1/2 acre pond and use this material often

Paul Roberts reply :

Snow cover on the ice stops photosynthesis and oxygen depletes.

It seems the important factors are depth and amount of nutrients. I have 4 foot deep ponds that don't winterkill right next to 4-footers that do. The difference is density of vegetation. The ponds with lots of decaying vegetation winterkill. Some ponds have kills in certain areas but also have refuges. You really gotta go see for yourself to judge whether a pond is worth pursuing.

Paul Roberts reply :

I want to tack this post from Tin on here:

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It made me think that we have one large lake in RI that it a large puddle with one small 5' wide feeder stream, doesn't get deeper than 6' 95% of the year and by June/July the water temps can hit the mid 80's and there have been 9's and 3 10 pound plus fish taken from it on record. Plus in winter there can be 2-3 feet of ice on it.(Our state record is only 10-6 so they like to document the dd's up here) The fish will adapt and there are always exceptions to the rule imo.

J Francho reply :

I saw that one. It looks like there is more to it. Paying attention.....

Catt reply :

A friend of my dad's has 3 farm pond that are approximately 20 acres each that are 4' deep but have canals running around the perimeters that are 6-8' deep. Back in 1982 I caught 21 bass during a 2 day period that weighted 98.25 pounds which averages out to 4.68 pounds with 2 slightly below 10 pounds.

I also know of another farm pond that is approximately 12 acres with depths of 8' that I caught an 11 lb 9 oz.

Raul reply :

Well, we don 't get winter kill down here , down here the problem is depth is important if the level of the pond depends on rainfall, more depth/more water it can hold = the greater the chance the pond will hold enough water for the fish to survive until the rainy season begins. But that kind of ponds are not common and if they exist they are not for irrigation, they are for grazing cattle to drink and that kind of ponds normally don 't hold fish.

Irrigation ponds don 't suffer from that because they are fed by wells, where I 'm at the water drawn from the well is warm so temps are not an issue, the average temp of an irrigation pond is 25°C year long, so fish live in a perpetual summer. Most ponds are stocked with bluegill/tilapia/bass, some also have some carp in them. Farmers normally don 't stock catfish in them cuz they dig holes on the walls of the ponds to nest and that causes leakeage problems.

Pond bass here if the pond is well managed grow big, fat and very fast, you stock a 10 incher and in about three years you 've got a finned 5-6 lber basketball. Stable water temps and abundance of food ( provided by tilapia ) ---> big bass ! and happy fishermen.

Paul Roberts reply :

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Well, we don 't get winter kill down here Wink, down here the problem is depth is important if the level of the pond depends on rainfall, more depth/more water it can hold = the greater the chance the pond will hold enough water for the fish to survive until the rainy season begins. But that kind of ponds are not common and if they exist they are not for irrigation, they are for grazing cattle to drink and that kind of ponds normally don 't hold fish.
Irrigation ponds don 't suffer from that because they are fed by wells, where I 'm at the water drawn from the well is warm so temps are not an issue, the average temp of an irrigation pond is 25°C year long, so fish live in a perpetual summer. Most ponds are stocked with bluegill/tilapia/bass, some also have some carp in them. Farmers normally don 't stock catfish in them cuz they dig holes on the walls of the ponds to nest and that causes leakeage problems.

Pond bass here if the pond is well managed grow big, fat and very fast, you stock a 10 incher and in about three years you 've got a finned 5-6 lber basketball. Stable water temps and abundance of food ( provided by tilapia ) ---> big bass ! Smiley and happy fishermen.

Great post.

25C (77F) year round! Wow. That's about perfect bass growing temp.

Tin reply :

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I want to tack this post from Tin on here:

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It made me think that we have one large lake in RI that it a large puddle with one small 5' wide feeder stream, doesn't get deeper than 6' 95% of the year and by June/July the water temps can hit the mid 80's and there have been 9's and 3 10 pound plus fish taken from it on record. Plus in winter there can be 2-3 feet of ice on it.(Our state record is only 10-6 so they like to document the dd's up here) The fish will adapt and there are always exceptions to the rule imo.

I forgot about the cranberry bogs in western RI and Cape Cod that are no deeper than 5', get ice, and put out 6-8 pound fish. A northern strain bass that is latharlgic for 4-5 months a year and hits that 5+ pound mark must be old (not sure exactly), nevermind how old a 8-9 pound fish may be. And some years we can have hot summers where the water hits the low-mid 80's in the summer and water levels can drop a foot or two and then a winter with the same water level and ice. Yet the fish can live for 10 years. So they must be able to adapt to different conditions. I would not expect one of these fish to be able to be taken out of it's environment and be able to live in crystal clear rocky water and sustain its weight and live for a good amount of time if this is done when the fish is say 4 years old. And visa versa. But raised in the environment it will. So if Hannon had started with frye and raised them in four feet of water, they could be fine.

fishizzle reply :

Quote

Quote
I want to tack this post from Tin on here:

Quote
It made me think that we have one large lake in RI that it a large puddle with one small 5' wide feeder stream, doesn't get deeper than 6' 95% of the year and by June/July the water temps can hit the mid 80's and there have been 9's and 3 10 pound plus fish taken from it on record. Plus in winter there can be 2-3 feet of ice on it.(Our state record is only 10-6 so they like to document the dd's up here) The fish will adapt and there are always exceptions to the rule imo.

I forgot about the cranberry bogs in western RI and Cape Cod that are no deeper than 5', get ice, and put out 6-8 pound fish. A northern strain bass that is latharlgic for 4-5 months a year and hits that 5+ pound mark must be old (not sure exactly), nevermind how old a 8-9 pound fish may be. And some years we can have hot summers where the water hits the low-mid 80's in the summer and water levels can drop a foot or two and then a winter with the same water level and ice. Yet the fish can live for 10 years. So they must be able to adapt to different conditions. I would not expect one of these fish to be able to be taken out of it's environment and be able to live in crystal clear rocky water and sustain its weight and live for a good amount of time if this is done when the fish is say 4 years old. And visa versa. But raised in the environment it will. So if Hannon had started with frye and raised them in four feet of water, they could be fine.

Cranberry bogs?? I thought they are dry and flood them just to harvest.

Tin reply :

No, we have old ones that they don't use anymore, most of which are private. (don't know if they are no longer fertile or what) They just stop using them X amount of years ago, the owners stocked them, and now have big fish. I think most were originally intended to hold water to flood others.

fishizzle reply :

here is a pond I used to fish--it is about 3 feet deep throughout with a 6' deep channel and a laydown in the channel which I caught a 5lber in

the pond is under 10 acres

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=broad+brook+ct&rls=com.microsoft:*:IE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GPEA_en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&split=0&gl=us&ei=7VraSb7yC47rlQeioP3cDA&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1

modify-- that didn't work like I thought --zoom in and scroll up a pinch

Broad Brook Mill Pond

Paul Roberts reply :

It seems to me that there is a corridor of larger than usual northern bass growth up the eastern coast. It just seems that MA, RI, CT, E NY. and NJ, give up 8 to 9lb bass where more inland waters don't. The largest pure northern LMB on record (15.5) came from MA.

I've assumed it has something to do with Gulf Stream effect that affects duration of growth. Anyway, I'm straying here...

Back on topic...Can shallow ponds produce big bass?

zaraspook_dylan2 reply :

it seems to me that the fish do need access to a bit deeper water i dont i wouldnt know why, but maybe just googling it up would give you an answer

J Francho reply :

Quote
It seems to me that there is a corridor of larger than usual northern bass growth up the eastern coast. It just seems that MA, RI, CT, E NY. and NJ, give up 8 to 9lb bass where more inland waters don't. The largest pure northern LMB on record (15.5) came from MA.
I've assumed it has something to do with Gulf Stream effect that affects duration of growth. Anyway, I'm straying here...

Back on topic...Can shallow ponds produce big bass?

Anadromous Herring fed bass....?

J Francho reply :

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here is a pond I used to fish--it is about 3 feet deep throughout with a 6' deep channel and a laydown in the channel which I caught a 5lber in
the pond is under 10 acres

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=broad+brook+ct&rls=com.microsoft:*:IE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GPEA_en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&split=0&gl=us&ei=7VraSb7yC47rlQeioP3cDA&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1

modify-- that didn't work like I thought --zoom in and scroll up a pinch

Broad Brook Mill Pond

The creek bed has to be key. Is it a productive pond as well? Just one 5 lb. or several larger fish?

The pond is here, looks awesome:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Broad+Brook,+CT&daddr=41.91922,-72.544098&hl=en&geocode=Cf0HXGRrnUd8FVeRfwIdBwat-w%3B&gl=us&mra=mi&mrsp=1&sz=16&sll=41.917575,-72.542768&sspn=0.011799,0.019312&ie=UTF8&ll=41.919224,-72.543637&spn=0.00295,0.004828&t=h&z=18

You can clearly see the creek channel.

WRB reply :

Well and spring water tend to be about 60 degrees year around where bass can survive. The key is sustained big bass population verses boom & bust cycles. Small lakes and ponds suffer form recruitment cycles due to low water conditions or high water usage. Nutrients and cover play a major factor when the bass are fry and growing the first year or so.

Water that freezes shorten the growth cycle or can end it, depending on water temperatures and DO levels.

Everything being equal, it's the small lake or pond with the best forage and cover that can constantly produce big bass regardless where it is located.

WRB

PS; crappie spawn before bass, however the bass fry grow much faster.Adult bass eat small crappie year around. This issue becomes cover for both young of the year predator and prey to hide in and provide a food chain.

Paul Roberts reply :

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The key is sustained big bass population verses boom & bust cycles.

Speaks to age structure really well. I like the Boom side of Boom & Bust cycles -for the sheer numbers. But this is a deathknell for "big" bass.

fishizzle reply :

Quote

Quote
here is a pond I used to fish--it is about 3 feet deep throughout with a 6' deep channel and a laydown in the channel which I caught a 5lber in
the pond is under 10 acres

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=broad+brook+ct&rls=com.microsoft:*:IE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GPEA_en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&split=0&gl=us&ei=7VraSb7yC47rlQeioP3cDA&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1

modify-- that didn't work like I thought --zoom in and scroll up a pinch

Broad Brook Mill Pond

The creek bed has to be key. Is it a productive pond as well? Just one 5 lb. or several larger fish?

The pond is here, looks awesome:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Broad+Brook,+CT&daddr=41.91922,-72.544098&hl=en&geocode=Cf0HXGRrnUd8FVeRfwIdBwat-w%3B&gl=us&mra=mi&mrsp=1&sz=16&sll=41.917575,-72.542768&sspn=0.011799,0.019312&ie=UTF8&ll=41.919224,-72.543637&spn=0.00295,0.004828&t=h&z=18

You can clearly see the creek channel.

A two lb bass too: thats it

there were no bass anywhere in the shallows because it was clear water and I saw nada

HossFly reply :

Small ponds in south ms rule!!

I have two bass on my wall, both 7-lb'ers (one black, one spotted) and both came from ponds less than 7- acres.

I have seen countless numbers of double-digits come from 10-acre or less farm ponds.

I dunno, maybe it's the cow-dung or chicken-dung....... ;D

mrlitetackle reply :

Small ponds can definitely hold large fish from my experience. One of my favorite spots here in Orlando (i'll never tell you where it is..) is less than in acre in size and 10-13 deep max. My buddy and i have caught numerous 5 to 6 with the largest being 8.3 lb.

CatBassin reply :

From my experience most farm ponds aren't very deep at all, maybe 10-12 ft deep, and I have caught 4's and 5's easily over the years. In fact our state record, here in North Carolina, was caught in a farm pond and it weighed something like 14 I think.

Paul Roberts reply :

We know big bass can come from small ponds, but..the question is:

Is there a depth limitation?

Any more of you guys know of bass larger than 5lbs or larger from ponds less than 12 feet deep? Just want to see some examples.

drmnbig reply :

Although I haven't fished it in about 5 years there was a small farm pond a couple properties over from where I lived. This pond is probably an acre in size and the deepest point is less than 8' deep. It holds a bunch of 1lb+ bluegill and I've personally caught several 6lb+ bass out of it. Suprisingly I didn't catch very many small bass or small bluegill out of it. The pond had very dark water and seemed very acidic as it was surrounded by pine trees.

Hooked_On_Bass reply :

Quote
It seems to me that there is a corridor of larger than usual northern bass growth up the eastern coast. It just seems that MA, RI, CT, E NY. and NJ, give up 8 to 9lb bass where more inland waters don't. The largest pure northern LMB on record (15.5) came from MA.
I've assumed it has something to do with Gulf Stream effect that affects duration of growth. Anyway, I'm straying here...

Back on topic...Can shallow ponds produce big bass?

It's funny that you mention this Paul Roberts. I see some anglers in these regions mentioning 7-8 lbs largemouth; that is HUGE here in Ontario. And really, we are not that far from these states geographically. A 5 lbs largemouth here in Ontario is a trophy; a 7-8 lbs LM is almost unheard of. It's not to say fish of this size are not here (I know they are), it's just that they are extremely rare. When comparing the records for Largemouth in these areas with ours here in Ontario (10 lbs 4 oz), it's apparent that they are fairly close (with maybe the exception of MA). Although, our record LM was caught in 1976. I'm not sure when the records were set in the above states? I'd really like to find out more info on this...............

For the gents in these regions: How common/rare are LM in the 7-8 lbs class in your opinion?

Thank you in advance,

PS - Paul Roberts, I don't mean to hijack your thread. I'm just curious.

J Francho reply :

HOB, here is the leader board for a NY based forum for 2008

1) 7lb 7oz by Huskybass (Mike)

Was caught 9/18/2008 with friend Wally

Tied 2-3) 7lb 6oz by DSouth (Dan)

Was caught 9/25/2008 with basser TBass (Joe)

Tied 2-3) 7lb 6oz by Gregg

Was caught 4/1/2008 with basser Pete L

Tied 4-5-6) 7lb 4oz by tcbass

Was caught 4/26/2008 with friend Mike

Tied 4-5-6) 7lb 4oz by Chip13 (Bryan)

Was caught 4/13/2008 with basser Jerkbait (John)

Tied 4-5-6) 7lb 4oz by Gregg

Was caught 4/1/2008 with basser Pete L

Tied 7-8) 7lb 3oz by Jighead61 (Ronnie)

Was caught 10/23/2008 with basser Chip13 (Bryan)

Tied 7-8) 7lb 3oz by Nicole

Was caught 816/2008 with basser Buttlesdog (Eric)

Tied 9-10) 7lb 1oz by Jighead61 (Ronnie)

Was caught 4/3/2008 with basser Tubeking (Dennis)

Tied 9-10) 7lb 1oz by Maximus10k (Max)

Was caught 10/18/2008 with basser Chin814 (Pete)

Its worth noting that #1 was caught in Mass. - from a pond, LOL. The rest in NY.

Hooked_On_Bass reply :

Excellent!

And to think..........you're right across the pond from us. I've got to get to the bottom of this.

Thanks J Francho.

J Francho reply :

HOB, see my post here: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1238973903. that fish is #5 on the 2009 leader board. No sevens yet this year, though a 5-9 just got knocked off yesterday.

Here are a couple of big pond fish. The first comes from a pond that I don't think is very deep - maybe 6', but I can't be sure. The second copmes from a very deep pond, 13 or 14' deep, its basically shaped like "bundt cake pan" if you know what I mean.

Hooked_On_Bass reply :

Thanks for the link J Francho! Those are some superb fish anywhere, especially up my way. Congrats!

Some sevens should start to show up soon if we go by the 2008 leader board you posted. Five of the top ten were caught in April.

Mottfia reply :

Central Alabama + 6.5foot(deepest) pond= 9lb bass

That fish was pumping some major roids cause he was 5 times bigger than anything else I've seen out of there. Someone explain that to me!

Mottfia

CFFF 1.5 reply :

A lot of the lakes in central florida that I fish aren't more than 10ft deep at any point and they all hold big bass.

Paul Roberts reply :

Great stuff -Both threads LOL

OK first:

Thanks guys for numbers on those fish and ponds.

Quote
entral Alabama + 6.5foot(deepest) pond= 9lb bass
That fish was pumping some major roids cause he was 5 times bigger than anything else I've seen out of there. Someone explain that to me!

It would take too long to detail all the possibilities, but among these are:

-Genetics

-Age

-Aggressiveness

-Difficulty to dupe by anglers (bounces back to age)

-Reproductive anomaly -sterile individual allowing growth to go into body size and not shunted off into gonad production.

All this on top of a water body that can produce enough food in enough sizes, to support such growth from fry to MONSTER.

Take the above list and imagine a bass that either outlives and outgrows it's cohorts. It jumped a barrier that keeps other bass from getting any bigger. That 9lber very likely was supported food-wise by other mature bass it had outgrown. Or, there are big bluegills in that pond that are just too big for the other bass to eat, 'cept for that one. Barriers are real and every pond has them. The waters in which many bass can leap them are rare indeed. Otherwise it's a rare individual that manages it. And I'm not convinced every pond has such fish -despite how much we'd like to believe it.

Quote
HOB, here is the leader board for a NY based forum for 2008
1) 7lb 7oz by Huskybass (Mike)

Was caught 9/18/2008 with friend Wally

Tied 2-3) 7lb 6oz by DSouth (Dan)

Was caught 9/25/2008 with basser TBass (Joe)

Tied 2-3) 7lb 6oz by Gregg

Was caught 4/1/2008 with basser Pete L

Tied 4-5-6) 7lb 4oz by tcbass

Was caught 4/26/2008 with friend Mike

Tied 4-5-6) 7lb 4oz by Chip13 (Bryan)

Was caught 4/13/2008 with basser Jerkbait (John)

Tied 4-5-6) 7lb 4oz by Gregg

Was caught 4/1/2008 with basser Pete L

Tied 7-8) 7lb 3oz by Jighead61 (Ronnie)

Was caught 10/23/2008 with basser Chip13 (Bryan)

Tied 7-8) 7lb 3oz by Nicole

Was caught 816/2008 with basser Buttlesdog (Eric)

Tied 9-10) 7lb 1oz by Jighead61 (Ronnie)

Was caught 4/3/2008 with basser Tubeking (Dennis)

Tied 9-10) 7lb 1oz by Maximus10k (Max)

Was caught 10/18/2008 with basser Chin814 (Pete)

Its worth noting that #1 was caught in Mass. - from a pond, LOL. The rest in NY.

What's really interesting to me is: Where are the 8lbers??? I hear about them all the time. People reading BassMaster and not carrying a scale I suppose.

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It's funny that you mention this Paul Roberts. I see some anglers in these regions mentioning 7-8 lbs largemouth; that is HUGE here in Ontario. And really, we are not that far from these states geographically. A 5 lbs largemouth here in Ontario is a trophy; a 7-8 lbs LM is almost unheard of. It's not to say fish of this size are not here (I know they are), it's just that they are extremely rare. When comparing the records for Largemouth in these areas with ours here in Ontario (10 lbs 4 oz), it's apparent that they are fairly close (with maybe the exception of MA). Although, our record LM was caught in 1976. I'm not sure when the records were set in the above states? I'd really like to find out more info on this...............

Here's why I mentioned the Gulf Stream:

The Gulf Stream (GS) is a "river" of warm tropical water that runs up the coast affecting the inland climate with it. The GS bounces off Long Island and turns east, toward the UK. Thus coastal waters off S NE can get summer influxes of tropical fish like false albacore, and the stripers grow big. But as you go into N NE the water gets cold, and the stripers in ME are known to be small.

I'm wondering if there is a growth differential due to climate from the GS. The other thought could be overall productivity due to the marine sediments (lotsa limestone) in some of those areas. Anyway, somthin' is different along coastal NE.

J Francho reply :

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What's really interesting to me is: Where are the 8lbers??? I hear about them all the time. People reading BassMaster and not carrying a scale I suppose.

An accurate scale has to rank as the worst investment I have ever made. That ended a great run of catching monster bass, LOL.

But seriously, I don't know where the 8's are. I know at least one was caught in Conesus (or something close to 8) during a tournament. Perhaps the trophy hunters aren't reporting everything they've caught. You'll know when I get my 8. Seriously, its happening this year. My PB NY fish is 7-2, from "I" of all places, and looking to bust that by at least 14 oz.

I'm trying to find the largest fish reported over there - its a 9-5, if memory serves me correctly.

Paul Roberts reply :

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I'm trying to find the largest fish reported over there - its a 9-5, if memory serves me correctly.

At "I"??

I'm certain you don't need to hear this, but, I'm so used to saying it: Don't believe everything you hear.

There was a rumor from a very reliable source (I won't mention bc he really is a reliable source and good guy) that DEC had shocked 8 and 10lb LMs from a certain lake. This was published. I finally contacted the DEC and they could not substantiate it. It appeared to by another myth.

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An accurate scale has to rank as the worst investment I have ever made. That ended a great run of catching monster bass, LOL.

;DSo true. I fished with a really good young bass fisher last year who had one of those incredible stories (I won't bore you with). Anyway, we fished together and each caught a "big" bass that day. He was thrilled, and then he said, "Gosh that's gotta go 6 or 7". I put it on my calibrated Chatillon and it went .... 4#9oz. Mine went 4#14.

I think to this day he doesn't want to believe it, and when I asked if it was OK, my weighing his fish, he replied "Yeah...I guesso...If you say it was calibrated...I guess..." Sure seemed to take some wind outta his sails -and truth be told, it was a very nice Colorado bass!

It's apparent to me that a lot of anglers use what's called relative comparison, in which they compare their fish to others they've caught and those they've seen pictures of and read weights of in media. Add inexperience and excitement of the moment and numbers fly.

It is a peeve of mine because it gives a false sense of what's really around, and what a genuine accomplishment a given bass might actually represent.

Paul Roberts reply :

Gosh! Speaking of Conesus I had a guy come into the shop once, and say, "Hey, wanna' show you something ." He climbed onto his boat, reached into his livewell, and a simply enormous bass head emerged from the well.

"Holy ....."

Then he laughed and pulled it all the way out. It had a HUGE head, biggest I think I've still ever seen, but comically short body, and weighed I don't remember, 5+ or something. Anyway, we both had a good laugh.

pondhopper reply :

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IMO i beleive it all has to do with the forage and the cover you have. thats my 2 cents worth

I'll second that.

J Francho reply :

Paul, no not I, the 9-5 came from Westchester County. Sorry if I wasn't clear. My PB NY fish was from I, a 7-2.

Raul reply :

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What's really interesting to me is: Where are the 8lbers???

Good question ! where are they ?

My first 10+ pounder came from one of those irrigation ponds I was talking about, as a matter of fact, my 1st, 2nd and 3rd 10+ lbers came from the same pond the same day ( who wouldn 't love to have a day where you catch 3 10+ pounders ? ), now the catch here is, I fished that pond for maybe 5-6 years on a reagular basis ( every 2 weeks ) and all I caught were 8-12 inchers all the time, the largest fish I caught out of those ponds in all those years was a 4 pounder.

One day it happened, I caught big momma bass from that pond and the spawn had a lot to do with it, I was at the right place at the right time. So where them big mommas hid ? well the pond in question has a lot of tule, it 's a gigantic bed that cover 1/3 of the surface of the pond, a practically impenetrable mass of weeds where most likely big mommas spend most of their time hiding.

WRB reply :

Growing up fishing small clear lakes and rock quarry ponds helps to learn bass habits because you can see them.

The first lesson learned is the bass in these smaller ecosystems are always aware of everything above, around and in the water. Bass that don't learn what can harm them don't survive to grow larger. Big bass in these ponds or small lake become extremely wary. The one seasonal period where they are less wary is during the spawn. The drive to survive is over come by their instinct to spawn.

The best times to fish ponds is during low light periods, light rain or at night, if big bass are your targets. You approach the water as if the bass can see you, because they can, and stock them like a trophy buck because they are just as wary. Use lures that look and act like the prey they are looking for; large baitfish, frogs and crawdads.

WRB

grumman reply :

I use to fish a small 3 acre pond no deeper than 10 to 12 ft. Was not uncommon to catch 4 to 5 bass over 4lbs each almost every time you went. Would always throw them back. This pond had good structure. Sure do wish i could still fish it! That has been 10 years ago, there has to be some monsters by now. I live in West Tennessee and directly behind my parents house was watershed lake or pond about 10 acres in size. Me and my buddy would go out there the first of April crappie fishing, using minnows and bobber. One day we got into some big bass while crappie fishing. We were about 20ft off the bank fishing next to a log and pulled 3 bass in each over 7lbs! My buddy was using a croppie poll and how he got it in the boat i'm not sure. Every one was full of eggs. That was a fun day.

Paul Roberts reply :

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Westchester County

That's lower NE, isn't it?

J Francho reply :

Westchester is just north of NYC. Many of the cities drinking water reservoir systems are there. Silly good fishing in them!

Paul Roberts reply :

Quote
Good question ! where are they ?
My first 10+ pounder came from one of those irrigation ponds I was talking about, as a matter of fact, my 1st, 2nd and 3rd 10+ lbers came from the same pond the same day ( who wouldn 't love to have a day where you catch 3 10+ pounders ? Smiley ), now the catch here is, I fished that pond for maybe 5-6 years on a reagular basis ( every 2 weeks ) and all I caught were 8-12 inchers all the time, the largest fish I caught out of those ponds in all those years was a 4 pounder.

One day it happened, I caught big momma bass from that pond and the spawn had a lot to do with it, I was at the right place at the right time. So where them big mommas hid ? well the pond in question has a lot of tule, it 's a gigantic bed that cover 1/3 of the surface of the pond, a practically impenetrable mass of weeds where most likely big mommas spend most of their time hiding.

Raul,

Specifically, We were comparing the NE coastal states and inland NY specifically, and (in my mind) other northern parts of the LM range.

Peak size (beyond freaks) seems to be about 7lbs over much of the northern range, but 8s and 9s appear along the coast pretty far north. Beyond that, such fish seem to be a "southern thing".

That aside, I think you are very much on the money that many of those big ones become inaccessible for much of most anglers fishing season.

I think this is why the coldwater period in general (late fall through spring) is the best time to catch large bass -they have moved (to winter quarters or spawn areas) and are thus exposed. The vegetation dying back then helps too. In the south, without cold water there may not be a movement to winter habitat, so the spawn is the window.

WRB reply :

Take a look at state record largemouth bass:

Colorado is 11 lbs, 6 oz, NY is 11 lbs, 4 oz, MN is 12 lbs 12oz, which may indicate the maximum size of northern strain largemouth bass grow above the Mason-Dixon line or snow belt zone. The reason IMO is the growing seasonal periods are shorter. Bass were protected from harvesting in the northern states during the cold water period for conservation reasons. LMB that live in water less than 40 degrees are stressed, low metabolism and eat less. Targeting the big bass during the cold water period may be effective, if the state law allows you to fish for them.

Small lakes and ponds are very susceptible to cold water die offs due to the lack of deep water sanctuary areas.

WRB

Paul Roberts reply :

WRB, state records are, in my opinion, the "freaks" I was talking about in the above post:

Quote
Peak size (beyond freaks) seems to be about 7lbs over much of the northern range, but 8s and 9s appear along the coast pretty far north. Beyond that, such fish seem to be a "southern thing".

If one fishes hard and smart in the north they will likely see a 7lb LM. But, they will not likely see an 8 over most of the northern range. A DD?? Fugettaboutit!

The CO state record btw was 22.5inches long. Think how FAT that fish was! A 22.5" LM in good body condition would normally weigh ~6.5. The only 7 I've got a lip on measured 23".

As WRB has stated in the past, body length is a real limitation. It takes a freak to pack DD weight on a 23inch frame.

WRB reply :

I was surprised to see the Colorado record at 11 lbs 6 oz, thought it would be about 8+, due to the altitude of most the state being around 5,000 feet. Thin air doesn't hold heat well. I don't know about saying giants are freaks of nature, they result because of everything coming together for that fish to grow, then be caught at the prime time in it's life. Lets just call them rare and few and far between.

I caught a 12 lb NLMB out of a 2 acre rock quarry pond that was crystal clear, 40' deep and had a year around stream running in and out, plus springs. Ideal habitat, lots of baitfish and had a good big bass population, located in SoCal. This bass was over 27" long.

Altitude has a big affect on bass, cold climate and short growing periods. Big Bear lake is a lot like Colorado lake; 7,000' and freezes, 7 miles long, 70' feet deep at the dam. Lake record is around 8 lbs. Big Bear is located in SoCal. There is location and then location; sea level verses higher altitude, big difference.

WRB

PS; maybe the 23 is a typo for 28, or the fish swallowed something very heavy.

fourbizz reply :

WRB, I used to fish the lake in Colorado where that fish was caught. It actually sits at 7,237ft! That angler has 2 doubles out of there too. Only about 100acres. It gets pumped full of trout.

J Francho reply :

Quote
It gets pumped full of trout.

Oh my! There's that "food source" thing again.

Paul Roberts reply :

Quote
I don't know about saying giants are freaks of nature, they result because of everything coming together for that fish to grow, then be caught at the prime time in it's life. Lets just call them rare and few and far between.

OK, agreed. Rare. (How about "freakishly rare"?? LOL

Quote
WRB, I used to fish the lake in Colorado where that fish was caught. It actually sits at 7,237ft! That angler has 2 doubles out of there too. Only about 100acres. It gets pumped full of trout.

Ahhhhhh....I wondered what that fish had been eating.

Actually, the climate here (on the plains at 5000ft where I fish) is about 3 weeks ahead of central NY, where I came from and where J Francho is. Summer temps on the plains regularly go into the 90s and some of my ponds get into the mid-80s in summer. It's advances about a week for every 1000ft from there.

WRB reply :

OK, freakish works. The deal with thin air is it doesn't hold heat during the night and 30 to 40 degree changes are normal. Warms during the daytime and cools fast during the night, the water doesn't get above 70, or maybe just above that at the surface. One reason the trout did well. NLMB don't eat big bait often, so the trout plants must be small size; 5" to 7" with a few 9" to 12". FLMB will eat a 12" rainbow like a gum drop, NLMB tend to eat the smaller size baitfish, it's a genetic thing. The freak evidently decided anything it could swallow was a good meal. Still a square 23" bass is freakish.

A 6" Huddleston would be the ticket there.

WRB

Maxximus Redneckus reply :

10-4 and 9-4 here in Maryland in ponds i love ponds and prefer them so much easier to plan a strategy and so forth and they out number lakes and rivers by about 200 to 1. small meduim and large ponds ill take um all. look for forage and cover and as others stated depth is key Good luck and enjoy

roadwarrior reply :

The issue in the Mid South is drought. As a "general rule",

I target ponds that are at least five acres, five years old

and professionally stocked. My best ponds are 9-12 acres

and 10+ years old. However, they are not "managed". My

best pond has produced five 10s, my favorite consistantly

produces 5+ up to 8 lbs. All but one are public ponds in city

parks.

None of these ponds have much cover or structure, but they

are teaming with baitfish. Go figure! Currently we are in pre-

spawn and the fish are fat.

8-)

Paul Roberts reply :

J Francho wrote:

Quote
Perhaps the trophy hunters aren't reporting everything they've caught.

I doubt that. Too many anglers out there ready to brag. They dwarf the number of serious and close-lipped trophy hunters. Through the south we see and hear about DD fish from trophy hunters and the masses alike. In the inland north, nada. Look at the boards, top fish are 6 to 7. 8s come further east (that corridor) and south.

roadwarrior Wrote:

Quote
The issue in the Mid South is drought. As a "general rule",
I target ponds that are at least five acres, five years old

and professionally stocked. My best ponds are 9-12 acres

and 10+ years old. However, they are not "managed". My

best pond has produced five 10s, my favorite consistantly

produces 5+ up to 8 lbs. All but one are public ponds in city

parks.

None of these ponds have much cover or structure, but they

are teaming with baitfish. Go figure! Currently we are in pre-

spawn and the fish are fat.

RW, to a northerner, that's just...amazing.

Hey, how does one get the "roadwarrior wrote:" into the quote without my having to type it??

roadwarrior reply :

"RW wrote"

Don't know...sometimes that's printed, sometimes not...it's a

mystery to me.

Regarding "drought". We get plenty of rain most years. However,

every decade there is a drought, the last was two years, ending two

seasons ago. There is no way of knowing if a small pond dried up and

the fish were killed. I want to fish where I can be pretty sure big fish

live.

An example is my "Secret Pond". It did not go completely dry, but it

got extremely hot and seemed to turn-over two summers ago. The

water appeared almost metallic, with rotten, suspended and dead

vegetation. I fished it once without a bite and haven't been back. I

will give it another try in the next few weeks, but I think it's a goner.

p.s. A friend of mine caught the biggest bass I have ever seen in

person, at the Secret Pond. No scale, no pic and he would not keep

her even though I insisted. Her eyes looked like gigantic shooter

marbles. We settled on 13lbs, but she might have gone 15, who

knows? To put it in perspective, fishing from a two man kayak and

having no net, we spent an eternity getting her in the boat. HUGE!

J Francho reply :

Paul, I think for the majority, you are right. But I still think there are others, with bigger catches that aren't reporting on the internet. To us, its a ubiquitous part of our social lives, to others, its something completely unknown. I also do think there are a select few that keep their cards close to their vest. They may be onto something, e.g. a new state record, that needs to be kept quiet. Who knows.

Kent, awesome post! 10's in your ponds? For real? Where's my invitation, LOL!

I do see your point about "professionally stocked, though, and "abundant forage." Sounds like a BLAST.

tyrius. reply :

Quote
Hey, how does one get the "roadwarrior wrote:" into the quote without my having to type it??

When you click on the quote button in the thread (instead of the reply button) you'll get a quote author=XXXXXXX link=###### date=##### (where those X's is a string of letters and numbers which must represent a specific user). This displays the author and provides a link to the quoted post.

I don't know if you can type a name there. The attempt is below.

Quote
Will this work?

And no it doesn't work.

J Francho reply :

Quote
Quote
Hey, how does one get the "roadwarrior wrote:" into the quote without my having to type it??

When you click on the quote button in the thread (instead of the reply button) you'll get a quote author=XXXXXXX link=###### date=##### (where those X's is a string of letters and numbers which must represent a specific user). This displays the author and provides a link to the quoted post.

I don't know if you can type a name there. The attempt is below.
[quote author=tyrius]Will this work?[/quote]
And no it doesn't work.

Correct, tryius. The forum software references the primary key value in the database for username. Once you have it though, you can quote away!

Quote
That J Francho is a buffoon!

That is true....

back to pond action.

RW: please visit that "secret pond" and report back! All may not be lost.

tyrius. reply :

Quote

back to pond action.

RW: please visit that "secret pond" and report back! All may not be lost.

I agree. I only fish small neighborhood ponds (don't have any idea on the deepest spots so I haven't responded too much to this thread). There are BIG fish in these ponds. Last fall I caught one that weighed nearly 7 pounds out of a small neighborhood retention pond. I'm convinced that this string of ponds holds some MASSIVE fish. The issues with pond fishing that I've found are lack of cover makes locating the "hotspots" a tough go.

Little ponds are subject to many risks though. RW's pond is likely not completely dead, but may have experienced a large fish kill that will take a long time to recover from.

Paul Roberts reply :

We have droughts here too that drop pond levels, and at first it serves to consolidate fish, and the bass get FAT! All those bass and 'gills all crowded together. But these ponds are also at risk of winterkill.

This is the boom and bust cycle that WRB brought up earlier in this thread. This is a key point. Those booms (often following busts) bring on great numbers fishing but, at least in the north, size takes age. A 6lb fish in the north is at VERY least 10 years old and in some cases 15 or more. Boom and bust cycles don't support such ages.

RW, don't write off that pond yet. LMs can survive surprisingly low oxygen levels -they are adapted to it.

I have a pond that gives up "big" fish and it gets low and "stanky", but still supports it's fish. It's been in a low state the last two seasons -down almost 3 feet, with max depths at about 7-8ft now.

Filamentous algae covers the milfoil and kills it off even before fall sets in. In late summer the last two years the place looks and smells terrible. But, those bigger bass are still there.

Here are some bass from this pond from this year and last. (The white flecks on the ground is not snow, it's salts left from evaporation!):

10252

"Big" Bass, Small Ponds 2024

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