Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Fin Clipping

If I was clipping the fins of smaller LMB for food for the largest bass, I would at the start be cutting the tail completely off and at least initially cutting off one or a few of the other side &/or bottom fins so the fish really struggle to swim and become very easy to catch and eat for the big bass. I suggest that you start using the 5"-7" bass, then when it is working cut fins off larger 8"-12" LMB. The big LMB will soon learn to hang near anglers waiting for their easy meals. Bruce Condello did this in his NE quarry where he grew some huge 9 to 12 lb bass. Actually Bruce was feeding bass fillets of small bass to the big bass. Maybe someone here will post a pic of one of Bruce's hand fed whopper big bass.. This makes good use of small harvested bass. I do this with excess yellow perch for SMB meals.Big smallies now hang around waiting for the YP with missing fins.

Try it for the bass in your pond and come back here and let us know how it works for you. It will be interesting to hear how long it took for your bass learn to eat the fin cut smaller bass.