The pond was dug in 2006. From 2006-2014 Jan, the pond was not fed, fertilized, or any fish harvested(got stocked by the neighbors and friends). When I first moved in I could go out to the pond and catch 10+ LMB, they were small but I was catching, so, did a little research myself and started feeding (2 feeders throwing feed 4 times a day for 4 sec each feeding "feeding Aquamax" on each end of the pond, bluegill definitely found both feeders and go crazy when they go off, also started fertilizing, got a nice bloom 20-21" on a secchi disk, and I also started harvesting any bass I would catch under 13". Every bass I would catch had sunken in belly and we're very thin.
I mentioned feeding earlier in this post, that started about 3 months ago, and the last month, I have fished alot, not catching a single LMB small or large, BG I can catch anytime as long as I want to, so my questions are
-LMB not biting because they are not hungry?
-over fishing?
-changes in water composition?
I know these can all be factors but just wanted to get some advice if I'm wasting my time with anything of doing something wrong?
Thanks in advance
Kurt

Kurt, welcome to the show. Your bass may be hook shy. It happens in ponds.

Try a 4 inch bluegill for bait. It works.

I'll try that out but it's just weird that ever since I started feeding and fertilizing they quit bitting,
Btw your talking about putting a 4" BG under a bobber?

If you cut the tail fin off of the BG it will give it even more action. It will swim kind of like one of those crank bait lures.

Lack of a LMB bite is due to your over fishing, removing the vulnerable bass and creating hook smart fish in a smaller pond. It is a common occurrence. No easy answers for this type of problem of too many small bass in a pond.

Just to add to Bill's comments, using angling to remove LMB from a pond removes the LMB that are prone to grabbing lures. What might be left are the fish that aren't as agressive, or fish that are smart (hook smart) enough not to bite anything that has a string attached to it.

In my pond, CC will eat pellets. If more pellets hit the water after the first feeder throw, they will not feed on the surface until the next day. They will not feed on the surface near a bobber or anything floating besides pellets.

They've been conditioned, and all the dumb ones have been removed.

What lures are you fishing with? Trying something more finesse could help. I like to use the 1/8 ounce spider slider head jighead with a 4" zoom finesse worm rigged weedless in watermelon red or green pumpkin colors in clear water, plum or redbug in stained water. Cast it out on 6lb fluorocarbon and bounce it along the bottom, it's very weedless and catches lots of fish. A popper or walking bait really early in the morning or at dusk should also work.



Edit: these have a light wire hook so be sure you don't overtighten the drag. You do not need to slam the hookset either as it can bend out the hook.

Thanks for the opinions fellas, I'll give it some more time until I take any more action I guess

[size:17pt][/size]I usually use the weedless style but a little bigger hook, I'll be doing a little fishing in the morning, going to try a smaller hook and line, worth a shot.

Put a live grasshopper on a long shank bream hook,, I catch everything on them.
Nothing can resist them


Pat W

I've done it with and without a bobber. I do not use any kind of weight. I also try to have a soft presentation(no weight) when pond fishing. Of course, that depends on the size of the pond.

You might also find that the fish know from your foot steps that you are there. I've often tossed a grasshopper into the pond and had it make it back to the bank when I'm fishing. I'll bet that thing would get eaten if I weren't there.

I never use a weight when worm fishing and go with 6 to 8 pound line. More than likely 6 pound on a spinning reel. Even then, I seldom catch over one without changing my location.

Try tossing a weightless worm onto a nearby bank. Wait about a minute and ease it into the water. Move it very slowly and occasionally vary the speed during the retrieve.

Some on here have used 2 pound line when BG fishing. I can't tie that stuff or even see it.

The bottom line is that the fish don't like to get jerked around by the jaw. They can become conditioned by observation.

As you get a little deeper into this stuff you will find that some fish are genetically wired to not eat anything with strings attached.

You can also use flurocarbon line for less visibility.

lunker1987,

Using a 4" bluegill hooked through the back with a long shanked brim hook works really well. I introduced my this method after a bass slapped at 2 differnet small bluegills my 9 year old was reeling in and caught a 2 lb 6 oz LMB. Since then, it is the fishing method as soon as we hit the pond......as she states....."We raise the worms to catch the bluegill to catch the LMB to bring to the table"....

Twice the LMB would not hit the brim so the kids left the dead fish hanging under a bobber and about 20-30 minutes later, 7 lb 1 oz 3-1/2 year old Channel Cat was on the bank....it was hard for the 16 year old to eat supper with a constant grim he had.....lol

Coupe