been fishing in new ponds lately from shore, and been finding spots where i cast out and catch small bass over and over, i was curious do the big bass also hang out in these places, and if so why dont they bite what the little bass are biting, ive even went to a like a 12 inch worm and the little bass still bite it. little to me is like a pound and below, and if big bass to stay in these same areas how big until they move on.
Do the LMB that you're catching seem fat and sassy with small heads, or are they on the thin/small bodied side with larger heads?
there nice looking i know what your getting at but the part of the pond where im catching them is filled with lillypads and frogs and tons of stuff to keep them at a good weight
Maybe you have an abundance of smaller bass. Possibly the pond is at or just over carrying capacity.
If there are no big bass in the pond, it would be impossible to catch big bass... I am betting this is the case. Generally, big bass and little bass do not hang out together in the same locations.
I hear you CJ but have a little different twist.
When one watches small BG (1-2 inches) near shore one would think that nothing else hangs out with them and that is right. However just out of sight are small LMB (6 in +) waiting to eat them. In a flash one will dart in and there is one less small BG. The same goes for small LMB and intermediate BG (3-4 in.) and large LMB. They are in a little deeper water and nearby large LMB wait to eat them. In many ponds the only predator to small LMB is big LMB. The only time they hang out together for any length of time is when the small LMB resides in the stomach of the big LMB. Do keep this in perspective though. You do see 12 in and 20 in LMB spawn together with no problem. You can see 12 in and 16 in LMB together because the 16 can't eat the 12 and they both know this. The ability of fish to size up gape size and ability from both the predator and prey perspective is amazing – they both just know. That is why you see 8 in BG swimming with 12 in LMB – no threat there.
They evidently get educated on size and perspective. If you put a bunch of fingerling bass together, you will see them eat each other. One of them will have anothers tail and a bunch of its body sticking out of it's mouth. Of course, both are going to die.
i caught one of the bass you guys can decide if its healthy or not 3 pounds 78 ounces 20 inches long exact. Now do 6+ pounders chill with this same bass
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/7/3pounds.jpg/
By the time a bass gets 6 pounds, it often turns solitary.
A pond fish is never solitary. The size of the pond determines the basses relationship with other fish, therefore the best way to understand them is to observe them. A large bass 6+ goes where he wants with little fear of predators, and it is not uncommon for them to patrol the whole body of water consistently. To find a pond monster you need to understand why fish move, and particularly why a large fish would "need" to move. They move to follow food, protect their territory, and to adjust their body temp. Large fish have a harder time getting that perfect body temp, and they will move every 10 mins or so constantly adjusting. In a small pond this means throw shallow first and work your way out to the fish. Fish naturally look towards shore to feed, so don't be surprised if you catch the largest fish of the day right on the bank. When fishing the bank use a faster retrieve and look for sunning fish. The last bit of advice to you is to be patient, and don't fish ponds with skinny fish or highly productive ponds.
Bass busted: Expound upon that last sentence, please...
How big is the pond??
Yes, some times sitting there catching small bass a big one will come in and take your line.
The type/size of lure or bait can change what you catch too.
It may be better to fish in the spot or close to where you are catching small bass rather than spending all day in one spot and proving that there are no fish in that location at that time.
Time of day and time of year play a lot in it too.
I would disagree, with bass busted in that big bass move every ten minutes. Bass on a nest dont seem to leave too far, and I have had relationships with bass under logs that didnt own a watch nor be very intimidated.
If they are there they are.. I would try a different method if that is you only concern.
what other fish are in them?
What are there for bait fish?
and amounts/sizes of what is seen?
If you catch a 1 lbs bass every cast in a small pond. This means two things. There are probly not large bass, and you are waisting your time. Being patient and not fishing overly productive ponds is the only way to go when hunting huge bass. Now this is not the same as fishing a pond that just doesn't support fish well. Bass also do constantly move... that is a fact. a big wise bass knows the shade under the log is cool, and food is drawn there. He will not sit under that log all day, but he will stay close. Why is your fridge and air conditioner not in the shed? Because you want to be close to those things. They need to be accessible, but you don't sit in front of your ac vent and fridge all day do you? The point is that bass will sit under that log (10-20 mins) then decide it is hot, cold, or hungry. A half acre pond should contain fish that bite every 20 casts or so if it has good potential for lunkers. Best pond fishing is right at sunset with a purple robo-worm
That last part was my opinion fyi