Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain Bass gone? Need to re-stock?

Hey pond guys,

I had something funny happen in our pond recently (not funny actually). We stocked our 1-acre pond last August with 40 bass (6-8"), 500 bluegill and redear (4"), and 50 channel catfish (4-5"). Now the bluegill are doing great; no problem there. I know because I fished a beetle spin around the pond this weekend and caught over a dozen hand-sized gills. Notice anything strange about that statement though? I caught no bass even fishing around the structures I built for them. I'm use to naive bass biting everything the first time you fish for them. But there was no sign of bass in the pond.

Now here is the list of possible evidence:
1) We lost over 5 fish to stress during transport... so maybe the others contracted a disease and died. And there are so many turtles (snappers and painted) in the pond, a carcass would be quickly eaten. But we did see one ~ 10" bass prowling the shoreline a few months after stocking. Note: water clarity in the pond is about 2-2.5 feet.
2) Great blue herons stalking around the pond edge.
3) Underwater camera spotted no bass around the "bass condominiums" or anywhere else.
4) Fathead minnows are extremely abundant; bordering on density-dependent population controls.
5) Tiny bluegill are extremely abundant; due to recent spawning activity, of course.

Does anyone have advice or suggestions regarding my situation?

Thanks in advance!
SC

Keep fishing or look for yoy LMB or try a seine survey looking for LMB yoy. I bet they are there.

They are probably fat and sassy too.

Theo's crazy idea:

Consider adding more, smaller bass. Unless you were planning on managing for trophy bass, 40 isn't too many in a 1 acre pond. If you add 50 small LMBs (4"-ish), they will either be the bass you need or get eaten by the bass you have but can't find.

Thanks guys,
Given the limited time I can spend on the pond, I'll probably just add 50 small LMB for the reason Theo stated. But I'll definitely continue fishing for them. ~ 8}

PROBLEM WITH THAT IS , COULD BE AN EXPENSIVE SNACK! WHY NOTY 25 5-6 INCH . SOUNDS A LITTLEMORE LOGICAL. YOU WOULDN`T BE THROWING YOUR MONEY AWAY.

Well I've got some good news to report. My bass are doing fine, as evidenced by the pictures below. Apparently, bass can spawn at <12 inches.


Seine haul results



Fishing results



Thanks for the advice everyone
SC

to make you feel better we get this all the time. Greg I have nto got a bass. Later on ok you rigth we are catching them all the time now. Weather can play havoc on sampling with a rod and reel.

wow, nice dock..house?

I posted some other pictures of the lighthouse on the Habitat forum - "Human habitat dreaming out loud."

[quote=Mesocosm]Well I've got some good news to report. My bass are doing fine, as evidenced by the pictures below. Apparently, bass can spawn at <12 inches.

Most of my bass are less than 12 inches and they spawn every year. Nice pictures of your fish. They look healthy.