What ever type of fishery you prefer is good for your needs. I have a fair amount of experience with similar situations to yours. Your comment of "The local experts said that bass in this region are really not a big problem, even in ponds without bait fish." "They said they don't ever see overcrowded bass ponds". "I assume this is because our climate is quite a bit different than it is in areas where bass ponds are more common (we basically only have trout ponds here)." I don't think your 'local experts' are telling you the 'whole story' or there is some confusion of the goals of the discussions among you and local experts.
You are in a northern climate - Maine, thus your growing season is shorter and cooler than more southern climates. Small bass could be a very common situation in Maine; although the Maine state record LMB is 11 lb 10oz. In your area we expect the LMB to grow slower than those further south. This means to me that they may top out at closer to 10" than 12". As I mentioned earlier they could reach 13+" if you manage to keep their numbers in the lower range of 14-20 in 1ac. Please return and further educate us if you are able to achieve other results.
IMO we need to define "big problem" and "overcrowded". One persons 'overcrowded' could easily mean something quite different than another person's definition of overcrowded. Overcrowded is a matter of opinion and local acceptability. Big problem is also a relative term and the definition is important. Big problem compared to what?
Overcrowded in this thread to me is the bass stay small 9" to 12" and there are too many LMB for the food source to grow to 16", 18"+ (3-4lbs) that can common happen even in northern areas in a balanced predator prey community. Many with balanced LMB - sportfish ponds will call bass toping out at 9"to 12" as overcrowded. For many that have a bass grow to only 12", that is considered overcrowded and stunted. However 10"-12" LMB can be considered by some as very acceptable, providing fast catching angler action and not as overcrowded. Most people with bass sport fish ponds want the bass to grow to 18" to better 20"+. Bass in your pond will never do this - guaranteed; unless you have a reproducing thriving forage fish present and keep the bass numbers in a "standard low numbers balance".
You say ""I will not be adding any YP or other bait fish. They are not easy to get here at all, and I have been told they really aren't needed by local managers. Does everyone agree with this?"" as noted below panfish are not needed when 10"-12" bass are acceptable. Again local managers have their opinion. I would quiz them as to what bass in Maine ponds generally eat to grow to 16"+ and what are the LMB density per acre???. Do your local experts really know? Your pond will need these same types of foods to get bass larger than 13". If you are satisfied with 10" to maybe 12" bass and no other form of panfish to harvest and eat,,, then YP or other fish forages are definitely not needed. Other forage fish and appropriate LMB numbers per acre are only needed to grow bass to sizes larger than 15"-16"+.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 09/06/19 09:21 PM.
