Okay 1.5 ac pond can we assume that you verified the size on google earth? Build or buy a secchi disk to monitor your water clarity. Learn about it, use it, keep records along with your fish catch records. Create a pond log book of events.
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92624#Post92624It is likely the previous owner allowed removal of fish before you arrived. Thus your numbers of LMB-BG are low. Skinny bass as you and others advise means food shortage due to too many predators. Your clearer stained water and low alkalinity, low pH means low productivity food chain. So unless you lime, fertilize and or feed fish expect low numbers and slower growth rates of all species. Note that a few (20-40) fish all species will grow fast and big in 1.5 ac if they are the only ones eating the food chain. Increase the numbers in that habitat and you get what you now have. Adding more fish into a low productivity food chain results in starvation for the masses and unbalance.
To get fish to eat pellets can often take a significant amount of effort. There are examples here on the forum of getting fish to eat pellets. In a question, ask how others have done it. 1. One good way to get fish eating pellets is to buy fish that are already trained. Bigger pellet trained fish are best so they do not become food themselves. They will tend to teach others about pellets. 2. Start with good premium, good tasting food. 3. In the beginning, try softening the pellets to offer to BG hanging near the dock. Low food production pond should have fish eager to eat offerings esp if food is soft and flavorful. YOu may have to start by feeding some BG at the dock chopped worms, hot dogs, chopped meat, chopped fish. Others may hopefully advise how they do it. Most of this info has been discussed here previously in old posts.
IMO remove every big bass you catch that is larger than 12". Achieve a fishery balance and create a productive habitat then manage that fishery for growing larger fish or a general high quality mixed size fishery. Lack of catching middle sized BG is a sign of too many big bass eating those middle sized BG. This can be good or bad depending on ones goals. Decide your goals then get advice here how to manage toward those goals. Big panfish, trophy bass, mixed generalized fishery choose one. It is very very difficult to have all three for the novice pond owner.
To catch your older smarter, larger bass you will probably need to resort to live fish as bait either FHM, GS, or small BG under a bobber. Keep good catch records of length and weights so you can see number wise if things are improving, staying constant or getting worse .
