Some Interesting Behavior I've Noticed In A Small Lake....

[Fishinbyrd]

And I'm curious if any of you know why.

Its more of a pond really, only 5 or 6 acres. So when the water levels drop its more pronounced than a bigger lake.

So normally the largemouth bass do what I call "skids" to feed on the small fish in the lake. Since the slope of the lake is very gradual, the smallest stay in shallow waters 3-5 inches deep. The bass will skid through the shallow water, eating a fish, and then letting their initial momentum carry them back into deeper waters. Actually this wasn't the behavior I was initially posting about, but have any of you seen this? I just realized this is the only place I've ever seen bass do this.

Anyways, back to the original question I've been building on. When the lake gets low the small fish are still close to shore, if anything, they are in slightly deeper water, possibly easier to get. Yet the bass will rarely go for them.

For instance, in one hour of fishing with the lake low, I'll see one bass skid. With lake full I'll see close to a dozen bass skid per hour.

This is important why? Well when the lake is full and they are in a feeding frenzy I can catch up to 3 bass in an hour. When the lake is low I'm lucky to catch 1 in 2 hours.

I just don't understand the difference in bites just because the lake gets a bit low.

added info:

I use buzzbaits and spinners mostly

Dawn usually

in Arizona

6lb braided green line

I can usually cast to the middle of the lake, usually get bites halfway in

its a stocked lake (not the bass, trout and catfish)

fishing from shore if it wasn't obvious

very clear water

about 15 ft at its deepest

[11justin22]

Bass have a tendency to stay in deepest water when levels start going down. Probably some instinct to keep them from getting caught in a receding low water pool.

[Fishinbyrd]

So top water lures don't work as well?

[11justin22]

IMO no they don't work as well, doesnt mean u can't catch them in top but it's always easier to catch something on a deeper lure

[Bass Slayer 72]

Bass have a tendency to stay in deepest water when levels start going down. Probably some instinct to keep them from getting caught in a receding low water pool.

I have to agree with justin on this, from what info you gave, it'd be real interesting if you could put out a small paddle boat and cast top water from shore out deep....That would be something I think you'd like...

[desertwitch]

Keep in mind that algae grows most heavily in the first couple of inches of waterline. When lake levels start falling, baitfish aren't pecking at the established algae growing in these places because it's no longer in the water. These small fish need to look elsewhere for their food and the bass follow them. In waters that have little depth fluctuation, you can almost always count on those baitfish being very shallow during the warmer months whether they're grazing on shoreline algae or the first inch or two of docks. When the water level drops, one of their most convenient sources of food is no longer available. The bass follow the bait.

[rdollar80]

I have seen the same "skidding" action from bass here in Indiana. I have been at my wife's grandparents lake house and observed bass mostly juvenile schooled in about two feet of water. The bass were feeding on the the minnows that were in about 3-6 inches of water. The bass come in and take a swipe at the minoows causing several of the minnows to beach them selves. Where I was observing this there was a willow tree hanging over the water. When the minnows would beach themselves to get away from the bass the birds would come down out of the tree and eat the minnows. It was really neat to see.

After I observed this happen a couple times I decided to get a pole and try to catch a fish. I threw a Rebel Pop-R and first cast landed a fish. I can tell you that the bottom is sandy and the water is pretty clear. Most of the time it's in the morning or late in the evening when I have observed the fish "skidding". I have also caught smallmouth that were schooled with the largemouth feeding on the minnows. That was something that I also had never seen before.