Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Where are all my small bass??

Pond 3 yrs old, 4500 CNBG stocked 2 yrs ago. 3 large spawning gravel beds put in last fall when water down. 2 of this areas are covered up with cnbg with 2 to 3 lb LMB cruising thru them. 200 Northern and 100 Florida LMB stocked this spring. I have a lot of 1” cnbg but don’t ever see any of the smaller bass feeding on them or for that matter I don’t ever see any small bass period. I stocked 40 lbs of FH this spring also and could see some 6” long bass chasing them but never the fingerling bass.Should I be seeing bass in the 4 to 8” size, or are they hid out in the deeper brush? We had a large rain event that topped my dam but fortunately didn’t damage it. I’m sure I lost some but hopefully not all.

Once bass fry leave the balled up stage guarded by the male, I don't see them swimming again until they reach about 7". They seem to hide out in the abundant elodea. When I drag weeds plenty of 2", 3", 4" etc. LMB get dragged to shore in the weed tangles.
My guess is that the fingerlings are hiding from predation by larger bass and GSF. I have GSF to an honest 10". The 7" bass that appear are in groups of 2 to 4 individuals and are safe from most of my pond's predators. In the weeds are many insect larvae, YP fry, and tiny sunfish, all eaten by those fingerling bass.

Of all the eggs laid, hatched, etc. 90% never get big enough to spawn. They get eaten.,It’s Mama Nature at work keeping you from having a fish kill.

Can you provide LMB stocking.

" 200 Northern and 100 Florida LMB stocked this spring."

Just done this year?

If so they probably have not spawned yet.

Where did the 2 lb LMB come from?

Try a seine survey - that should show 2-6 inch LMB.

This was a small pond about a 1/2 acre that had some fish in it. Never stocked but 2 ponds above me that feed into mine. I should have said renovated 3 yrs ago..