Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Feed trained bass, pets?

I finally decided to get some LMB this spring, just a dozen to keep up with the pumpkin seeds. What a fun bunch they have turned out to be!

I have been regularly feeding the fish in the morning and evening, which usually everyone including the turtles make an appearance. But the bass, as I walk around the pond, will find me and follow me. The faster I walk, the faster they swim to keep up. I stop, they stop. I reverse direction from where I feed them, they wait. I swear you can see the little question marks and exclamation points over their heads.

The feed is the same stuff they were raised on, and is probably getting too small for them. They are still babies though, about 6-8”. They seem smarter than the average fish.

Very entertaining!

That's awesome! Bass are surprisingly smart—fun to watch and even more fun when they start following you around. Sounds like you’ve got a great little pond family growing!

Upon further observation, I realized they are very aware of the 1/2 acre environment they now live in, and where the dock is in relation to them. I throw food from the dock only, and they know the way. They tend to mostly follow me towards the dock, not as much away.

They do grow fast!

The other day all 12 showed up, and they actually formed a wake in their haste to meet me at feeding time.

How the heck am I going to want to go fishing for these bass? The little guys were swimming with me yesterday. They all swam with me to my float raft from the dock, all 12 accounted for. I’m sure they just wanted more food, but what this is new and pretty fun. I wasn’t swimming all that fast.

I always thought bass were nothing more than mouths and stomachs. A heck of a lot more fun than the perch and black crappie which vaporize the moment your in the water.

Now if only my 14yo dog would stop waking me up at 5am so I wouldn’t be posting here entirely too early.

Sounds like you are smitten. Just wait a few years and fish for their progeny. Easier said than done, right!
Get a copy of that book I've mentioned "What a Fish Knows, the inner lives of our underwater cousins, by Jonathan Balcombe. It's really fascinating what fishes can sense, understand, and retain.
And, I'm with you there with the dog thing. My Aussies jump up and flop down on my sides when the morning light starts in the East. The moment I open my eyes? Attack!!!! They are respectful enough to only hover nearby, anticipating the movement of my eyelids. Ha! Personal space isn't "a thing."