New Guy. Question About Early Spring Fishing A Pond

[Kylems11]

Hey all. Im new here my names kyle. I have been fishing all my life but just really started getting into fishing lures about a year and a half ago. I have had done decent so far. I live in massachusetts so i do my fishing in spring, summer and fall. No winter fishing for me. So i have a question about pond fishing. I have this pond in my backyard, very isolated have never seen anyone fish this pond the past 18 years i have lived here. The reason for this is because there is no way to get to it because its surrounded by woods, thorns, brush and there are no paths. The only way to this pond is through my backyard and it is very hard to reach. There is a stream that eventually leads to a very big river, there are parts of the stream that are very shallow like a foot or less deep so i always assumed there were no bass in this pond. I decided last year to give it a shot. I cleared out a bunch of crap fished for about an hour and landed a very small large mouth. Probably about 1 pound, caught it on a little wooden floater. Kept going for about a week after that with no luck until i gave up and started fishing my normal spots again. I decided to try again a few days ago. Cleared out a bunch of crap and have been fishing this spot for the past 4 days with not evan a bite! Used everything from the wooden floater i caught one on last year, crank baits, spinner baits, soft jerk baits, swim baits and yamamoto senko worms. I doubt this pond has ever been stocked but i dont know this for a fact. Its not like its some big public fishing hole. Im wondering if maybe they are not biting because its not warm enough yet? I know you can still catch bass when its cold out but maybe im not getting bites because they are not as active yet. The water is stil pretty cold. We had a late wonter in new england and a pretty bad one at that. We have had like four 65ish degree days in a row but night time it cools off alot. maybe this one baby bass i caught was just one that wondered off got lost and might have died out or somthing. Is it likely that bass would swim up this very shallow long stream to get to this pond? Or maybe since i caught this one bass last year there must be more i just suck at fishing? Sorry if this sounds like a unch of stupid questions. Im still a noob and dont want to waist my time building a dock and clearing out brush to fish my backyard if there are no fish to catch. Thanks for any advice/opinions anyone can give

[massrob]

I would keep trying if you caught one small one that means there are big ones that made the small one. And some giant fish can live in small ponds I caught a 6lber in a tiny pond like urs. I'd try the senko again that always works for me in ponds. Maybe try a chatterbait. Where are you in Massachusetts anyway? I bet that pond is loaded.

[Sam]

Kyle, please add your location to your avatar so we can help you with more specific data pertaining to where you live and fish.

 

Please do the following:

Throw pieces of white bread onto the pond and see if any minnows or bream/perch attack it.

If no attacks, then there are no minnows or bream/perch in the pond. 

 

The bass you caught may be small because there is not enough food for them to survive.

 

You now have to start the food chain in the pond.

 

If possible, go to another pond and catch some bream and restock your pond. It won't be easy as you will have to make many trips with your cooler through the woods but if you can stock the pond the bass will have something to eat.

 

Also invest in some minnows at a local tackle shop and add them to your pond.

 

Crawfish will be a big bonus if you can find any live ones this spring and summer.

 

After doing that you may need to go to another pond and catch some bass to restock your pond.

 

If possible, try to check the real estate records for the property and if possible find the previous owners. Contact them and find out all you can about the pond and if they stocked it.

 

In many ponds there is one big lady and lots of smaller bass trying to survive. This may be true of your pond.

 

Good luck and keep us posted on the white bread trick; stocking the pond; and if you catch anything.

[Dogmatic]

How deep? With our winter, very possible it's too shallow to sustain a population. Try live bait, I'm not a big live bait fisherman, but if you throw a live shiner(or worm), and don't get bit, there might not be anything in your pond. Good luck, keep us posted, and Welcome.

[Kylems11]

Im from taunton, MA. About 30 mins south of boston. I am going to head outside now and try the bread thing. Im not exactly sure how deep it is. I will try and take an estimate. I really hope there is more bass in there, it would be awsome to walk right out to my backayrd and fish every day. I will keep you posted after another day of fishing out there.

[Kylems11]

So i fished the pond again today, for about 4 hours total. Not one bite. I threw out some bread pieces and nothing but little turtles bit at them, but i did see some bait fish up close to the shore floating around in the sunny areas. So i know there are bait fish in there and there are turtles, but still no sign off bass since last summer. I evan sprayed every lure i used with some scented spray that is supposed to attract bass. Still no luck. Did not get a chance to try live bait will probably do that tomorrrow. I did not get a chance to take the water temperature but it still feels pretty cold to the touch. I could not determine how deep the water was out towards the middle but about 20-30 feet out i could still spot the bottom. So im assuming it may not be that deep out there. maybe the water is just too cold still? We did have a very late winter in MA and only had a few 60-65 degree days so far.

[southernson1989]

id say when it gets a little warmer put on some trunks and just walk into it to find the depth.

[Master Bait'r]

20-30ft out you can still see the bottom? It's either really clear or really shallow. If it's the latter and you're in MA you may have had a winter kill.

I know of a few ponds like that- look great but they aren't deep enough to sustain larger fish over a bad winter so they mostly have sunnies or bluegills and maybe a few pickerel.

[Crestliner2008]

Welcome Aboard! Western MA here. What section of MA are you from?

 

As to your pond, first off, we need to know what kind of water this pond contains - stained, clear or very dark. Are there signs of weed growth? Any idea how deep the pond is? You can judge the depth by casting out a 1/8 oz. jig head and count it down, on as long a cast as you can achieve. "One-thousand-one.....one thousand two....etc.. You should be getting about a foot of depth for every count. If it's over 10' deep, chances are it could sustain a bass/panfish population. Also, check for more information on the pond via the DNR, which you can call.

 

Since you've already seen bass and minnows of some kind, I'd say try this: Rig up a medium light weight spinning rod with 6# test Fireline. Add a 3' fluorocarbon leader to the end (join the two with the Alberto knot). Tie on a weedless wide-gap size #1 hook, such as the Gamakatsu weekless (with plastic weed guard). Wacky rig a 4" Senko in a rather dull color pattern, such as green pumpkin or watermelon. Cast that rig out as far as you can and fan cast the area with a slow lift & drop retrieve. If, after a couple of times, you still have no success, chances are the pond is in need of stocking. IF all other factors prove out, such as a healthy weed growth and sufficient depth to sustain a fish population.

 

You've already caught a bass there. So it had to come out of the belly of a larger bass. Unless the eggs were deposited via water fowl. You stand a good chance of catching something there, but I wouldn't waste a whole heck of a lot of time trying to prove it out.

[Hyrule Bass]

wait till it warms up some is what i would say. you've caught a bass from there, and seen a forage base. i know the pond on my uncles farm is tough fishing until may and this is in VA. but if you want a couple of lure recommendations to try, go with a silver rapala husky jerk with orange belly or a manns 1-minus of the same color and fish them slow...or go out there with some nightcrawlers and see what you get, the best way to figure out whats in a pond is live bait and nightcrawlers will work very well in most all instances...

 

does the creek flow directly into the pond or is there a dam of some sorts? maybe study the creek and see if fish are using it to travel to and from the pond and river. a bass can swim in a foot or less of water. may be better off fishing the river.

 

or you could stock it or have it stocked, there are laws on this, but many people stock their own ponds with fish they caught other places regardless. i wouldnt stock anything more than bluegill and bass if i you decide to go that route, bluegill first and then bass in a year or two after the bluegill have had time to spawn and build a sustainable population. knowing the depth would help though, if its too shallow it may not be able to hold a viable fish population with the winters yall have up north.

 

ask some of the older locals there the history of the pond, you might be able to get some info and if it ever did hold a population of fish...

[Kylems11]

I plan on buying some waders and walking out there to find out the depth for sure. I did try throwing a weighted jig out there yesterday and as soon as it hit the water it didnt take anymore slack from what i could tell. So im thinking its pretty shallow. I swear though as a kid i remember being out there on the ice one winter and sticking a long branch into the water and it being pretty deep. There is vegetation growingin and around the water. Especially in the summer time it turns into a forest out there. Any map i look at weather on paper or on a gps system the pond is nameless so i dont see why the pond would be stocked when it doesnt evan have a name. Here are a few pictures of the pond. 

 

[uRL=http://s1293.photobucket.com/user/kylems11/media/Mobile%20Uploads/A3565950-BEB1-4680-B34E-4D4C495BD505_zpsyxdwzewq.jpg.html]

 

[Hurricane]

If I were you I'd stock that place with as many bass as I could.. Do you have other places to fish around you? Take a cooler with you too..nice pond. Wish I had one in my backyard. .

[Starchalopakis]

Try finesse.  I know I hate it but some like it and its a great tactic for lethargic bass.  Smaller baits fish real slow.  Small jigs, If you get the Mystery Tackle Box Threre is the z-man Ned rig in it this month.  Try that out.  Seems to be very effective.  On another note you could be the one to stock it

x2 on the Ned rig. I tried it out last night for the first time and it worked out awesome!

[Dogmatic]

Looking at it, from your pics, and Google Earth, it's not deep, but could sustain a bass population. If there are or were fish, they were definitely "stocked", bc they wouldn't have come in on little Cobb Brook. You have plenty of water around you, time to start stocking your pond.(If I am even correct on location, but I took an educated guess)

[Kylems11]

Looking at it, from your pics, and Google Earth, it's not deep, but could sustain a bass population. If there are or were fish, they were definitely "stocked", bc they wouldn't have come in on little Cobb Brook. You have plenty of water around you, time to start stocking your pond.(If I am even correct on location, but I took an educated guess)

You got it, cobb brook. Very small. I have plenty of other places to fish around here. How many bass would i need to catch and release in my pond to start a little population?

[Hyrule Bass]

You got it, cobb brook. Very small. I have plenty of other places to fish around here. How many bass would i need to catch and release in my pond to start a little population?

forget about bass for a moment. go catch a bunch of bluegill, big and small, and load them up in the pond. let them spawn 2 or 3 times, put in bass next year or the year after even...you want them to have plenty of food

[Dogmatic]

You got it, cobb brook. Very small. I have plenty of other places to fish around here. How many bass would i need to catch and release in my pond to start a little population?

Like RedEarth says you'll need forage first, and that takes time. So several "buckets" of bluegills, minnows(set out some traps), ect...but if you catch a legal bass, keep it, throw it in your pond. Make sure you check your state regs though. If you want a number, 25 or so, you have to account for losses. Good Luck, and did you try live bait yet?

[Kylems11]

Like RedEarth says you'll need forage first, and that takes time. So several "buckets" of bluegills, minnows(set out some traps), ect...but if you catch a legal bass, keep it, throw it in your pond. Make sure you check your state regs though. If you want a number, 25 or so, you have to account for losses. Good Luck, and did you try live bait yet?

I havnt tried live bait yet. Im going to try shiners in the next day or 2 and see what happens.

[Sam]

The pics show a grass area across from the bank.

 

The bass will be in that area which may be very difficult for you to get there to fish.

 

If they are in the pond they will come up to spawn around 60 to 65 degrees and probably head to that grass to make their beds.

 

Throw over there with a Senko to try to entice a bite.

[Hyrule Bass]

I havnt tried live bait yet. Im going to try shiners in the next day or 2 and see what happens.

i would try night crawlers. that way you can see if there are any pan fish in there already as well. plus bass love them and will readily eat them too.

[Kylems11]

If the water only ends up being a few feet deep. Say 5-6 feet, could bass not survive in water that shallow?

[Dogmatic]

If the water only ends up being a few feet deep. Say 5-6 feet, could bass not survive in water that shallow?

It would be very tough. Usually the minimum depth of a pond to sustain a population of warm water species is 10', with roughly 25%-50% being that depth. It's necessary for proper water temp and oxygen levels. Not saying it isn't possible, it's just not "ideal".

[Hyrule Bass]

It would be very tough. Usually the minimum depth of a pond to sustain a population of warm water species is 10', with roughly 25%-50% being that depth. It's necessary for proper water temp and oxygen levels. Not saying it isn't possible, it's just not "ideal".

its possible, i just dont know if they would survive the winter that far up north in a pond that shallow. only way to know is to try it. apparently the pond has a small creek flowing into it that should supply constant oxygen. i fish a 5-6 foot deep pond in northern VA that freezes over every winter but the fish still live. the pond is feed by a spring that constantly flows into the pond and exits into a creek.

[Dogmatic]

its possible, i just dont know if they would survive the winter that far up north in a pond that shallow. only way to know is to try it. apparently the pond has a small creek flowing into it that should supply constant oxygen. i fish a 5-6 foot deep pond in northern VA that freezes over every winter but the fish still live. the pond is feed by a spring that constantly flows into the pond and exits into a creek.

Like I said, possible, but not ideal...same goes for forage. "Ideal" situation you would have self-sustaining population of bait fish and blue gill, but every pond has natural sources...craws, creek chub, terrestrials ect...that could sustain a small population of bass. Possible, but not ideal.

Put it in perspective, this "pond" is a lot bigger than yours, and it still has winter kill...http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/155664-some-bad-news-about-one-of-my-favorite-springtime-spots/