Gator,

My response will be somewhat long and I apologize for that in advance.

My thinking has been influenced by my own experiences with multiple ponds, by publications/articles I have read, and information gleaned from Saturday’s session with Bob Lusk and the gang (one of which included some very interesting points from “Tentmaker Farm” who has multiple ponds). The decision on one pond vs multiple ponds does not hinge on catchability alone, as there are several factors that come into play. However, you asked about catchability, so let’s start there.

Let’s just use one 12 acre pond vs three 4 acre ponds as an example. We could just as easily use one 8 acre pond vs four 2 acre ponds.

Remember the expression (repeated many times by Bob Lusk on Saturday) that 90% of the fish live in 10% of the pond, which pretty much matches my own experience. In ponds on the order of 12 acres, one person fishing regularly can easily condition the LMB. That requires fishing only about 1 acre effectively to do that. Repeated fishing (I’m talking about weekly) will accomplish that, in my opinion. Now, if that same person on one week fishes one 4 acre pond, then the following week fishes another pond, and so on the fishing pressure is effectively reduced by 2/3 and the fish have a chance to unlearn or “uncondition” in the ponds that are rested.

Okay, one can argue that you would have to fish all three small ponds each time to have a comparable experience to fishing the 12 acre pond once and argue that by limiting the fishing to one 4 acre pond a week, you are sacrificing quality. I don’t believe so (90% of the fish in 10% of the water). I believe the effect of rest/rotation far offsets the possible reduced quality from fishing a 4 acre pond vs a 12 acre pond.

For this discussion, I need to define a quality pond fishing session. That definition will vary from person to person. For me, my family, and friends, a pond fishing session typically amounts to about two hours in length. We don’t pound the water all day long; we generally will fish the morning or evening shifts and do other things during the day. Now, my definition of a quality pond fishing session is 10 to 15 predator fish in a typical 2 hour session with an opportunity to catch one 7 pound plus predator. Opportunity does not equal catch. I also include big BG in addition to the predators, although not what I define as a predator, to be part of a quality pond fishing experience.

Granted, I don’t own or manage enough ponds to be able to say this or prove this conclusively. However, actual evidence of spectacular LMB fishing (not just quality) in a ¾ acre unmanaged pond and a ¼ acre unmanaged pond both of which were limited to semi-annual fishing vs my 3.5 acre pond which is fished weekly and yields very poor LMB fishing, leads me to believe that there is indeed something to consider here.

When you throw other considerations including the ability to refesh genetics, to have specialty ponds, and to have experimental ponds, the case swings me over to that approach. Then when I add to that the consideration that I could do much of the construction myself (which I like and which means my limited $ will stretch farther), the case becomes even stronger for multiple small ponds vs one large pond.

When I try to see the pluses for the other side of the argument, i.e. one large pond, I just don’t find compelling reasons that support that position. As it always does, when faced with decisions regarding ponds, it comes down to what are one’s objectives. If you are looking for true “trophy” LMB fishing, then perhaps the pendulum swings the other way. If you are looking for solid reliable quality fishing experiences with a legitimate chance at LMB in the 7 plus pound category, then perhaps the pendulum goes the other direction.