Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Habitat % rule..........................

What is the general rule for % of lake that should have habitat for optimal bass growth. I thought it was 20%, but wasn't sure. Thanks.

That seems like the number I have heard bantered around.

One thing to remember, that includes any natural cover like established weeds, lilly pads, etc.

Yeah, that's the general %.

There is no optional % for "optimal LMB growth". This is a very complex question. Optimal growth over what time period ? Optimal LMB growth is best where LMB have lots of food , little competition and nothing keeping them from the food.

So I have an abundance of trees, and Bob told me to leave them..

He was correct!!

I actually plan to add some structure as the original trees are beginning to disappear.

Are you looking for habitat or structure ?

Proper use of structure/cover is a big plus for many reasons. It is not however necessarily what is best for optimum LMB growth.

This is a fun topic.
Here are my thoughts...this is an excerpt from the March-April issue of Pond Boss. For those who haven't subscribed, please do so. Go to www.pondboss.com and subscribe online, or call the office at (800)687-6075.

The detail really comes when we think about habitat for all size-classes of each species of fish. For example, baby bass run in schools of its nest-mates—until slightly larger predator fish burst into schools over a 4-6 week period, eating most of the fish. By then, remaining bass have grown from zero to four or five inches and are running for their lives most of the day—unless there’s dense structure where they can hide, and emerge long enough to eat something slightly smaller. 10-14” bass run in schools of like-sized fish, typically cruising edge cover, waiting for an unsuspecting morsel to swim into the open, where they inhale it. At that point of their young lives, those intermediate bass can’t navigate the dense cover. Advantage small fish, until they unwittingly emerge.
For bigger bass, expect them to be mostly solitary, preferably off points, next to a sunken log, or some other well defined structure, next to deep water. By then, their preference is to feed mostly by ambush.
But, we must always think about habitat for small fish, since they are the food chain for our bigger fish. Remember this—it takes about ten pounds of baitfish for a game fish to gain a pound. It also takes about ten pounds of food for baitfish to gain a pound, collectively. That food pyramid is why we pay attention to the detail of habitat.
Understanding that concept helps us with the next principle. This one is fun for discussion. I firmly believe that 90% of the fish live in 10% of a pond on any given day at any given moment. What that means to us, as lake designers, is to have some reasonable idea of what fish expect, so we can provide it. Here’s where it gets a little complicated. That 10% changes according to season, photoperiod, and time of day—all factors of which we have very little comprehension. Translation? Every lake needs about 20-30% of its area with some type of habitat or areas of fish attraction.

Additional thoughts: When you say "optimal bass growth", there are lots of variables. But, it all starts with healthy water and excellent habitat. After that, it's a mature and dynamic food chain and management decisions.

See archive thread for pics , ideas and discussion.

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92463#Post92463