Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations The death zone

I admit that it is pretty cool, but I wonder if others have the same situation or if it is a sign of a problem.

Any bluegill that I hook in my pond enters the "zone of death." As soon as they start to fight, they get hammered by my 6-8 20 inch bass. If I want to get them back to the dock or shore, I have to buzz them in. I have caught several of the bass this way because the get hooked on the lure. Actually, this is the only way that I have caught my biggest bass (except one through the ice a 21 inches).

I see this happen every once in the while in the wild, but not on about every bluegill. Is this a sign of a problem?

I caught my biggest LMB this same way, 23 1/2" Id say around 8-9 lbs not bad for michigan. I would say its just an easy meal for them.

Brian good post, I love the "zone of death"! Like Sawgunner - I too caught my largest LMB - just over 8#, on a 12" LMB which I'd hooked on a rattle trap. The larger fish followed him him, hit him twice, and nearly spooled me into the middle of the lake. Ended up landing him with one treble hook. I've also had many larger fish hit when I hook smaller BG, haven't landed many of those, though, as they typically let go once they see me on the dock, boat, or on shore.

When a BG is hooked and fights that movement apparently sets predator fish on high alert - it's like the dinner bell when they sense another fish struggling - I'm guessing. If your LMB are in good body condition, I wouldn't worry about it, and enjoy the show. If your BG population is suffering, add some dense shallow cover to help boost survival rates and population. If your LMB are getting skinny, might want to remove some of the underperforming fish as well.

I was on a fly in fishing trip in here in northern Saskatchewan and the northern pike do the same thin when trying to reel in a walleye. I had a 1lb walleye on the hook and a 18-20 lb pike was latched on. Tried to get them both in the net. The pike let go so I let the walleye take another run back into the hole. He grabbed it again and we again tried to bring him in but it didn't work. A couple in the same spot a week eirlier had the same thing happen and they managed to net both a walleye and a 25lb pike.

I would say you have trained the bass to target an easy meal. Pulling them out if you can/ want to might be the best. Sure is fun when it happens.

Coach if you're saying that your 20" LMB are in the 6 to 8 pound range, I'd say your pond is working extremely well, so I wouldn't worry about that.

Does this happen all over your pond, or just in one area? I do know my LMB congregate around my BG feeders, so they're already there looking for an easy meal.

The last two years my bass have been hammering my bg when I pull them in. I thought this was odd. I don't think its a problem. I have lots of bait fish. It seems to happen in early spring.

Something wrong????

Heck no....something super exciting!

Oh the brutality!

A couple of the lakes I fish (Kincaid and Shelbyville) are full of musky. You talk about a zone of death!! Your heart really wakes up when that poor little crappie you're casually reeling in is suddenly obliterated by one of those toothy behemoths. The violence is just----awesome!!

I like saltwater fish, they don't grab on they just cut the fish you're reeling in, in half... Bluefish have some nasty teeth.

Barracuda are bad about that...so are sharks.

Can be really frustrating.

Suh-weet...I gotta witness this sometime.