Big Water Or Small Water Preference?

[Choporoz]

Small. Quiet. If I can't enjoy nature there's no point.

Josh

I agree with this to a large degree.  Full disclosure; I fish from 14' boats and kayak...if I had 21' bass boat, I might feel different

 

I like to fish for bass and I like to catch bass first and foremost.  But, I admit that I get quickly annoyed with: jet skis, water skiers, constant big wakes, busy docks where everyone seems to want to talk and interrupt my fishing, boaters with loud music (this is a big one to me...turn that thing down!)....pulling up to a desirable cove and finding three party pontoons essentially killing the whole bay for me......

[DogBone_384]

I'm a kayaker, so it's smaller bodies of water for me. I have a few 'cartop' only ponds/reservoirs near me which I like best because of light traffic.

[the reel ess]

I agree with this to a large degree.  Full disclosure; I fish from 14' boats and kayak...if I had 21' bass boat, I might feel different

 

I like to fish for bass and I like to catch bass first and foremost.  But, I admit that I get quickly annoyed with: jet skis, water skiers, constant big wakes, busy docks where everyone seems to want to talk and interrupt my fishing, boaters with loud music (this is a big one to me...turn that thing down!)....pulling up to a desirable cove and finding three party pontoons essentially killing the whole bay for me......

I used to spend the night and get up with the chickens only to find 2 21' rigs already fishing on my best spot. Then it's on to plan B or C. That's too much work for too few fish. I wasn't a good enough angler at the time to compete with those guys.

[the reel ess]

It really depends on the small body of water, the management of it, water quality, type and amount of bait as to whether it can grow fish that can rival big lakes. I used to think all small bodies were hopelessly overstocked and held few if any trophies. But I've changed my tune. If I can get in a smaller body of water in a kayak and stalk big bass with zero competition and no annoyance from other boaters, I'm going to. And you can always specifically target the largest bass in the pond if you want to.

[Master Bait'r]

I don't care about the size so much as the presence of emergent cover and a lack of traffic.  I can't stand being on water where big boats are buzzing you without a care in the world, or rolling up on you and casting over your line while you hang on for dear life in your kayak while their massive approach wake hits you.  People are too ignorant and selfish and I just want some d**n peace and quiet more than anything.    

[scaleface]

I don't care about the size so much as the presence of emergent cover and a lack of traffic.  I can't stand being on water where big boats are buzzing you without a care in the world, or rolling up on you and casting over your line while you hang on for dear life in your kayak while their massive approach wake hits you.  People are too ignorant and selfish and I just want some d**n peace and quiet more than anything.    

 You take your kayak on large reservoirs ?

[the reel ess]

I don't care about the size so much as the presence of emergent cover and a lack of traffic.  I can't stand being on water where big boats are buzzing you without a care in the world, or rolling up on you and casting over your line while you hang on for dear life in your kayak while their massive approach wake hits you.  People are too ignorant and selfish and I just want some d**n peace and quiet more than anything.    

The older I get the less I want to see ANYONE else whilst I recreate. The peace means more than the fish.

[senile1]

I like huge lakes.  I like small lakes.  I like everything in between as long as a body of water has a balanced population of bass.  I tend to stay away from lakes where I know there isn't a chance of connecting to large bass.

 

Huge Lakes:

• Pros

1. Big lakes with good balanced bass populations tend to have a greater number of large bass.
2. While bigger lakes can be busy, especially those that are near large human populations, you can still find some secluded areas though you may have to travel farther in your boat to get to them.  
3. Huge lakes present a pleasant challenge to locate and find bass.  To me, more thought is needed to determine bass location in a large lake.
4. Huge lakes contain more scenery and more places to investigate.

• Cons

1. In a big lake, bass can be more difficult to locate than in a small lake.  
2. If the bass are located on main lake points, main lake humps or any other structure related to the main lake you will have to deal with boat and recreational water vehicle traffic.  Seclusion is not as easy to find.
3. If huge boats are allowed on said lake, the rollers created from those boats can present a very rough ride that can, at times, be dangerous if one doesn't take precautions.

 

Small Lakes:

• Pros

1. One doesn't have to deal with recreational boaters and jet skis.  Traffic can be less if the lake is off the beaten path.
2. Bass are easier to locate because there is less water to cover.  Some lakes are small enough that much of them can be covered in a day of fishing.
3. If lake is off the beaten path, bass are easier to catch due to less pressure.  
4. There is no danger from large boats and careless pleasure seekers on recreational craft.

• Cons

1. Less water acreage means fewer big bass compared to a huge lake.  
2. It is easier for a small body of water to become out of balance with too few forage fish for bass to eat, resulting in "skinny" bass with big heads.
3. Small lakes that are not off the beaten path can be just as crowded as a large lake.  On a small lake, once it is crowded there is no place to go to get away, if desired; whereas, on a very large lake, if you want to get away from everyone you can always find a place.  However, the location of the fish may require you to be in the most crowded places on the lake.  That's fishing.  

[Master Bait'r]

 You take your kayak on large reservoirs ?

 

 

Not usually, but even the smaller lakes around here with boat launches are just chock full of people with exactly zero sense and all kinds of boat to throw around. 

[the reel ess]

The place I fish most often, the most boats I've ever seen on it was 3 on July 4th. I joked with my buddy that we might see a skier soon. It's an electric motor-only drinking water reservoir.

[Bankbeater]

Sometimes I like big water, and sometimes I like ponds. It all depends on the moment.

[bassr95]

I think finding and catching bass from a big lake is more rewarding than catching fish at small pond, but my fishing is probably split 50/50 between big and small water.

[WRB]

SoCal doesn't have any big lakes, lots of big bass, so I fish where the bass are located. At my age I prefer fishing from my bass boat, it's comfortable and takes me to the bass with all my stuff to catch them with.

Tom

[Neil McCauley]

I don't care about the size so much as the presence of emergent cover and a lack of traffic.  I can't stand being on water where big boats are buzzing you without a care in the world, or rolling up on you and casting over your line while you hang on for dear life in your kayak while their massive approach wake hits you.  People are too ignorant and selfish and I just want some d**n peace and quiet more than anything.

Yep. I hate weekends on LG. I have had my line run over and ripped out and have also been swamped by speedboat wake and had to bail out 5 inches of water. I regularly have to give speedboats the bird, blow my whistle at them, shine them with my 1000 lumen strobe.... Some lakes are a ******* zoo in the summer.

[chadmack282]

What is the definition of big water & small water ?

[Bass newb]

I prefer coves on big water, that way I'm isolated from the traffic but still have massive fish potential.

[aprestonSEK]

Small. I love fishing strip pits!

[Robeng]

I fish Lake St. Clair in michigan which feeds Detroit River onto Lake Erie. Great fishery. But all the boat traffic on weekends is crazy. Much better to fish during week. Thus, I love small inland lakes with cover n structure.

[badhatharry]

In a perfect world, I would love to be on a small pond loaded with fish all by myself.  But more realistically, on those days that the fishing is tough, it's nice to be able to run to a different section of the lake that offers shade, warmer/cooler water, different depth or structure.

[WRB]

What is the definition of big water & small water ?

Big lakes to me are over 5,000 acres or more than 10 miles long, less than that it's small lakes or water.

Tom

[J Francho]

I like big fish water.

[einscodek]

I need a body of water big enough that it has enough variety of structure in it.. shallows, deep, flats, ledges, channels

if a small 30 acre pond has that then I'll be on it.. otherwise it needs to be bigger

[A-Jay]

I like big fish water.

 

 

The Definitive Response to this thread ~

 

A-Jay

[Jaderose]

I mostly fish small Missouri Dept of Conservation lakes that are very well managed.  Anything under 100 acres in MO is electric only.  I only fish 2 that are bigger than that.  I catch my share.  Would I like to fish one of the big boys?  Sure....but I'm not there and don't have the time or money to go there.  I guess we do have one down south of me that a few may have heard of.  I believe it's called "Table Rock"...lol

 

 

So I guess...small

[steverowbotham]

I enjoy fishing small lakes here and there.  But I enjoy the hunt in big water.  Big water = Big Fish.  They can just be a lot harder to locate.  My home water is 178,000 acres.