I came to acquire an approx 1 acre pond in middle Georgia summer of 2024.

The pond is an average of 4-5’ deep, very nice clear clean looking water with sand bottom with patches of grass growing of bottom in various areas. Thicker in some areas.

Many trees, mostly pines surround the pond. Some other type fir trees as well.

The water level will decrease a bit in summer but never gets less than 3 feet and the water table maintains the depth at that point.

I have also deployed various structures. I have cut about 8 wood pallets in two. And made triangle shaped reefs from them. And placed throughout the pond.

The fish…

There is a pretty good abundance of small bream and bass. And even some warmouth.
I began feeding the fish from an automatic feeder last summer, shut it off over winter and started it back up a month or so ago. The bream are really thriving from it.
When feeder goes off a total frenzy breaks out. You can tell they have grown just from observing this.
Now when I catch a bream it’s absolutely fat as can be from eating the food.

I was fishing today avd would use 2-4” bream on a bobber and had pretty good action.
However the bass were very skinny. Their mouths way bigger than what their body’s should be.

With so many bream in the pond I’m not understanding why the bass are so skinny.
I don’t think there’s an over abundance of bass either.
I simply don’t see them (and remember the water is very clear)… could they be hiding in the grass on the bottom?

I am ordering some fish to add to the pond.

Another 300 bream.
50 red ear
6 lbs of fat head minnows
and 50 large mouth bass

Any suggestions of what else I should consider?
Or what I may be over looking that’s causing the bass to be so thin?