Skinny Bass

[njbassman82]

Been fishing a local golf course lately (yes I do have permission to fish here) and have started to notice a trend in a couple of the ponds on this course. I've caught multiple 5+ pound fish in these ponds but when I'm not catching those it seems that every other bass I land is very small and there is no 1 1/2 - 3 pound range bass whatsoever. I've never caught or even seen a bass in these waters between 1 and 4 pounds. When I have caught fish that seem to be the length of a 2 or 3 pounder they are incredibly skinny. Same goes with a lot of the small ones and some fish that have the mouths of 5 pounders seem almost anorexic and weight in around 1 - 1/2 pounds. I know that there isn't much food for this abundant amount of fish, but I still don't understand why there are no medium sized fish, and some fish are chunks while others are skin and bones. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[Dwight Hottle]

Sounds like a classic case of stunted bass from over population. Golf course ponds do not normally have any catch & kill bass . Small waters need some or many fish removed to keep a healthy population. Most fish under 15" need to be removed until a healthy population emerges.

[njbassman82]

Sounds like a classic case of stunted bass from over population. Golf course ponds do not normally have any catch & kill bass . Small waters need some or many fish removed to keep a healthy population. Most fish under 15" need to be removed until a healthy population emerges.

That's what I suspected, still not sure why there are no medium sized fish. I began taking some of the fish out the other day, took out about 20 under 14" and will be doing the same tomorrow and so on.

[MichBassMan]

 "still not sure why there are no medium sized fish"

 Very well could be a couple bad spawning years back to back. Bad weather or over harvest off beds can make a huge impact on an age class in a small pond.

[Mainebass1984]

Ive been catching a few skinny bass this year in the waters I fish too. Sucks catching a big, long fish with no girth.

 

 

23 1/4inch fish with no girth. Should have weighed much much more then 5 lbs 4 oz.

[Skeeter Dan]

Back in the mid to late 80's  I took my young son to a stocked pound that the owner said nobody had fish in several years. It was only stocked with LMB. He told me to keep as many as I wanted. ( Tn state Limit 5 per person ) and throw the rest that you catch on the bank .  It was so over stocked the bass hit every thing we threw out them . The largest only weighed 3 lbs but his lenght suggested that he should have weighed 6 to 7 lbs. They were starving. You never had to make two cast with out catching one. My son and I had a blast that day. It made my day watching my son.  Long Skinny Bass means over stocked and not enough food.