Meadowlark, I think I may have the same problem with poachers that you do. Like you, I live 70 miles away from my land. I can normally only get there on weekends and it isn't hard to time me.
I have been puzzled with the lack of bass activity. I envied Norm Kopecky when he posted about catching bass during an early warm period quite a distance North of me. I have seen only 2 bass this year, a small 8 or 9 incher and one that hit a spinner bait several weeks ago. I am just not seeing any bass activity. They aren't clobbering the bluegills when I feed and I'm not seeing any feeding at daybreak like I always have. Catfish numbers seem to be down when I feed. It seems like 4 years after initial stocking that I should be bass heavy. I'm not. I am loaded with bluegills of all sizes.
I've been thinking that it was early in the year, only a one acre pond and maybe they have gotten hook shy. Admittedly, I have been hammering bluegills since George hooked me on fly fishing and maybe I have spooked them. However, last Thursday I had to go there and decided to spend the night and do some fishing. I dipped a worm around all of the likely brush piles and walked the perimeter with an ultralight. Same thing the next morning. Nothing and no feeding activity. This weekend, I was up and just watching at dawn. Nothing! Then, I found a couple of dead turtles with holes in their shells. I don't believe I have non fishing turtle shooters.
OK, maybe I'm a lousy fisherman but I spent quite a few years on the bass tournament trail and think I know a little something about what I'm doing. Or at least I used to know what I was doing in lakes. Maybe not. I tried small bluegills as live bait and did no good.
I'm going to take my game camera and try to find a place to put it. I'm not interested in warning people away. Heck, I want proof and retribution. I certainly envy the guys who live on their land.
