Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations largest bass black/hybrid out of your pond?

I was just wondering what the largest bass either hybrid or black each of you has taken out of your pond? Would you please say how large your pond is? I think it would be interesting to list how old you think the fish was when you caught it. Do you feed your fish and do you stock forage?

James I assume the following :

1 taken out means - caught (not removed) and excludes electrofishing , nets etc - Just by hook and line)

2 you means - someone with permission to fish the pond (a number of people fish our ponds not just me)

With that in mind and noting these were not with certified scales or pics.

Pond 1 -- 6.5 acres -- 13.4 lbs LMB age unknown (I did not catch this fish but believe it to be true by a very accomplished fisherman with no reason to lie and seen by others)

Pond 2 -- 16 acres -- 12.65 lbs LMB age guess 8+ years (8 years after Fla LMB stocking of 125 - 1 lb fish)

Pond 3 -- 12 acres -- 12.12 lbs LMB age unknown (only had the pond 2 years when caught)

All of these ponds are over 25 years old . No HSB yet. Have seen bigger when electroshocking but not captured .

Forage is stocked to match goals and supp. feeding occurs as is a fert. program. in some form or combo in each pond but not all the same.

James, here is an old photo of the largest bass from our pond, she is right at 8#'s in this late fall photo and is 21-3/4" long.



Here is the same fish several years later, notice the scar on the tail, the fish was 1" longer in this photo but not wieghed, this photo was taken in June.



I have more photos of this same fish as she is easily identifiable by the scar on her tail. The last person to catch her said she was 25" long, I am guessing that measurement was with the mouth open though.

Here are more pictures of the same fish with some dates.

http://www.nefga.org/forum/nebraska-fishing-forum/6681-recycled-fish-tail.html

9.9 surface acres

Eric and shorty can I go fishing on your ponds I'm having big fish envy.

4+ acres - 11# 2oz LMB
We have also caught a couple of 8.5's too in about a year's time.
Pond is ten years old. Its a Detention Pond that is muddy the majority of the time due to new construction. Initial stocking was done about 9 years ago and has not been stocked since.....its hard to get an HOA to agree on things.

No HSB in the pond.

I caught one in my 1.6 acre pond last spring that weighed 8.2 and that pond was drained and restocked 6 years ago. In another 3 acre pond I caught a 8 and that pond is over 20 years old. The smaller pond gets feed every day and was stocked with treadfins last spring. The larger pond doesn't get feed and has had no forage stocked.

James if you get over here you can fish the ponds. But those fish did not get big by being stupid - they are hard to get to bite and harder to land. You will note that I have not posted a pic of a big fish -- not for lack of effort to catch one.

My pond is 1 acre 30+ years old 17feet at the deepest.
1 9.2# on 10" black worm in febuary 06
2 8#'s
several in 5 to 7# range. i just started puting in bait fish within the last 3 years

sorry those were black bass. most of them were caught on worms

15 pounds, 30 inches.

Pellet fed fish. Not sure of the age. I usually waver around 7-8 years old.



My biggest black bass was a 16.5 inch and 2.5 pound smallie that was also pellet fed. Approximate age was 5.

I'm almost embarrassed to follow Bruce's fish ..........WOW! I think that every time I see it and is the reason I stocked HSB last spring.

My largest LMB (8.2#) was caught last year on a purple 7" lizard out of my .75 acre pond....measured 24" long. Biggest bass I have ever caught anywhere.

...if it wasn't for the 5 o'clock shadow, I might believe you

I'm embarrassed to follow Bruce...

Bruce is just forcing a smile. That 15 lb. HSB fought like bag of wet doughnuts.

Bruce is this a common occurance for you to catch hsb this large out of your pond? What is the second largest hsb you have caught out of it?

More pictures please not more cowbell!

If I just post the weight would you guys take my word on it? The camera was not handy when the biggest lunker was caught. Come to think of it neither was the scales or tape measure.

around 6 lbs, BUT lost one bigger tha jumped and spit the hook (REALLY!!!). 2 1/2 acre pond.

so far probably between 2 and 3 lbs but I've only owned the property and pond since November of 2007. Heard there have been 5 and 6 lb bass caught in it. Hopefully there is a double digit lunker in there somewhere. Pond is 18 years old.

Bruce that is a fantastic HBSB! Do you think that size and health can be obtained from pellet fed fish in a 1/2 pond that is groomed and maintained with that result in mind? We are starting our new pond now and I intend to leave my smaller pond as a HBSB experiment!We have airation,forge,cover,good water qulity and I feed.Please tell me I have a chance to grow a fish like that!That is why I bought the HBSB now I am hooked on them!

Depends on how you look at it. I've caught a 14 pounder and a 13 pounder out of the same 1.25 acre pond, but they were the exact same fish.

The biggest "different" fish was 11 pounds, and I also caught several around 10 pounds.

You're right, Sunil. It was an awful fight. I always hate catching 30+ inch hybrids on fly rod and 6 pound tippet.................

Yes, you absolutely can do it. Genetics is the one variable you don't have covered. I like to start with fish that are top of the line "super-growers". I start with about 5 times the number that I actually need, then spend a couple of years culling them so that only the best, fastest growing females remain.

Then if you really want to be like me you can let your water quality slip and watch them all die in one horrific grease fire after raising them for five years.

Bruce caught this giant LMB on a secret pond in Paraguay when his arms were still short. Later he started working out and learned some dental technology. The rest is history....

-
-
...shortly thereafter, he hit Ebay and picked up a used copy of Buddy Ebsen's guide to Tae Kwon Do. The 3-a-day workouts created an unusual side-effect that he ultimately parlayed into prize winning fish photo-shoots.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

(a young Bruce sparring with a young Bill Cody)

Bruce "long arm" Condello as interpreted by Fatty McB

We are big Yo Gabba Gabba fans at the house.

that show is WEIRD...But the kiddo loves to do the dancey dance!!

WEIRD only begins to describe it.

5 lbs 2 oz from 3 acre pond (most LMB get to 3 lbs)
7 lbs 4 oz from 25 acre lake (most LMB get to 4 lbs)

Several SMB up to 3.5 lbs in 25 acre lake!

i dont know which character creeps me out the most...Brobee or Moon-o.... Man I feel like I am having an acid flashback when I watch gabba gabba.

Somehow, I don't think this has anything to do with The Ramones.
Gabba, gabba, hey!

I gotta get up to speed on these shows. The Collinator is coming to stay this weekend. Can you give me a list of the current top 5 TV shows for kids? I need to be able to speak intelligently and appear knowledgeable about them. After all at 7 months, there is already little room for grandpa to be in error!

My wife was saying that she didn't know where the creators of these shows come up with this stuff. I had to correct her and tell her that she did know where they came up with this stuff, and not to act so naive

Thanks to Yo Gabba Gabba, my daughter now knows what a Theremin is, although, they couldn't have picked a more freaky dude to play it.

Dwight, how old is the Collinator now?

You see what you started James .

This thread has digressed so much it is scary.

ewest, you are right. I nominate Fatty to take the blame.

Dwight, I see you did say Collin was 7 months. I think the best bet is Baby Einstein DVDs.

I tried MY best to keep it on track

I always get the derail blame.....

BTW. at less than a year: 64 zoo lane was big, the baby einstein stuff, and the weirded show ever boobah.

Getting derailed for me isn't difficult. I have about ten projects that I want to get done at the farm before I have to start spending time mowing. But This will be the year that I get to post a picture of a large fish from my pond. Until then I just have fish envy and am inspired by what other's have done. I still think that fish of Condello's is a blow up toy from Wal Mart.

Collin has grown weary of the Baby Einstein DVDs. Knowing his lineage, you understand his is a pretty smart little boy!

At 7 months he loves music, especially Hendrix, Dylan and oddly enough, Jan and Dean.

Get him a mini organ and introduce him to jazz and blues. Everyone knows you cold weather guys are rhythm challenged. --

How on earth did he get exposed to Jan & Dean???

Grandpa Dwight ran out and bought some J&D after Collin complained that The Beach Boys sounded derivative.

My kid ismoreinto smashing things and driving his big wheel into the walls and doors

Takes after his old man, I see.

I am proud!!!