16 Days And Only 2 Small Bass

[billinok]

I have a 2 acre pond that is supposedly spring fed.  I have lived here since 1988.  The pond does have fish (bass and sunfish) and are reproducing.  In the last 16 days I have only caught 2 bass (both under a pound).  I have tried everything bait wise.  Nothing.  I see the fish swimming, I see them on the fish finder.  The few bites that I have got, are always along the shore line.  Rarely, even when they have been biting some, do they bite in the body of the pond.  They will not bite top water of anything, never have.  Few fish have bit spinners, and then again one bite and then that's it.  The only thing that has ever produced any catch's were plastics.  They rarely will bit any crank baits of any kind.  A friend caught a sunfish on a plastic last year and a very large bass took the perch.  He spit it out when they surfaced.  The pond is 18 feet deep.  In the spring it is crystal clear.  Right now, visibility is about 3 - 5 feet.  I live in central Oklahoma.  I have not stocked the pond.  It is just too expensive ($350 for 100 6"-8" bass), but in the spring I know they are spawning.

I'm just frustrated to have a beautiful pond with fish that will not bite.  I have fished morning, afternoon and evening......nothing.

Any ideas?

[MIbassyaker]

Go small and go slow. If plastics work, stick with plastics. Things you can let fall, let sit, lift, fall again. Or drag or hop slowly back to you. 

 

Ned rig

wacky rigged senko

Split shot rig with a 4" worm

[Paul Roberts]

You may have some catch up reading to do. Have you bass fished for very long? Not to assume too much, but there are likely some basics being missed here. That said, clear water and open water are tough in general.

 

Some questions:

-Is there any cover (vegetation, wood, rock) in the pond.

-18ft is pretty deep for a 2 acre pond. How much of the 2 acres are over 10ft? Is it steep-sided? Are there any shallow flat areas?

[billinok]

You may some catch up reading to do. Have you bass fished for very long? Not to assume too much, but there are likely some basics being missed here. That said, clear water and open water are tough in general.

 

Some questions:

-Is there any cover (vegetation, wood, rock) in the pond.

-18ft is pretty deep for a 2 acre pond. How much of the 2 acres are over 10ft? Is it steep-sided? Are there any shallow flat areas?

Lot of vegetation around.  Not sure on rock, don't think so.  Some areas are steep canyon walls.  About 1/3 + of the pond is under 10 feet.  I've fished nearly all my life (57), but I'm always learning and very open to new and different things.  This pond is usually very clear.  During the spring, when it was so clear, I found a wooden 14' boat sunk at 10 feet.  You could see it from the surface.  On the fish finder I'm noticing piles or something in different areas, sometimes the fish are around those areas.  I attached a google earth photo of the pond (March 2014). 

[bigbill]

Rebel crickets, bumble bee, joesfly spinflys, panther Martin silver/yellow fly. Rapala f7 in black or blue.

Try a bass scent.

I fished a drainage pond in a mall. Small baits. It started out with dinks. After a few years we had 3lbers. You have to have bigger bass there.

[JOBU1967]

Have you tried any live bait just to confirm there are still bass in your pond. Once you confirm there are bass still in your pond try using smaller lures. A friend of mine has a 1 1/2 acre pond that they mainly swim in but when I fish it I use crappie size lures and I catch 30-40 bass from 1-3 lbs.

[NEBasser101]

Lot of vegetation around.  Not sure on rock, don't think so.  Some areas are steep canyon walls.  About 1/3 + of the pond is under 10 feet.  I've fished nearly all my life (57), but I'm always learning and very open to new and different things.  This pond is usually very clear.  During the spring, when it was so clear, I found a wooden 14' boat sunk at 10 feet.  You could see it from the surface.  On the fish finder I'm noticing piles or something in different areas, sometimes the fish are around those areas.  I attached a google earth photo of the pond (March 2014). 

I would try a dropshot off the steeper walls. You might be able to catch a few like that. Also, try a neko rig around the piles and boat. If they don't work, try a senko, jig, or a chatter bait.

[Paul Roberts]

From the image it looks great.

 

Clear water can be tough, esp on bright days, and esp up shallow.

 

Things to try:

 

Location:

 

-Fish the shallows early and late, although you've said you've done this. Being fall, sun angle is lower now so this will be become less an issue, or at least extend "early" and "late". Otherwise pray for clouds. A nice chop or riffles from a breeze can be a great help (prime buzzbait/SB window too).

 

-Fish deeper. Key is going to be hitting some of those structural pieces we are seeing in the image, and on your sonar.

 

-Regardless of where you fish, "ambush points" are key. Places where bass know they can make a kill. Identify these spots. Broken cover can help bass surprise prey. Shorelines can offer spots where prey can be chased into and trapped against. You mentioned catching fish at the shoreline. Once an interested bass knows which direction the prey is going to go, it increases the chance of a strike greatly.

 

Presentation:

Lure action is critical for triggering bites. Off-the-shelf (right out of the store) stuff may not be effective, esp if fish are educated and water is clear. Boiling plastics makes them move better. I love pork trailers, but they must be pre-softened. Certain rigs (wacky for instance, and drop-shot) can offer better triggering. Tough to beat the original Senko and its built in action, fished any which way. With horizontally retrieved baits, employing starts, stops, pauses, accelerations, striking cover, ripping off weeds, etc... can mean the difference between your lures being struck or ignored.

 

You say you can see fish, I assume good bass. Are they ignoring your plastics? Looking and turning away?

 

There are two general presentation options in clear water:

 

-Fish translucent plastics and amorphous jigs with stealth employing triggering action. Often more than subtle vibrations and twitches can put fish off. Falling baits are a great attractor, as are killed baits. Twitches following are a strong trigger.

 

-Topwater should work -don't give up on them. Zara (the little Zara Puppy can be great in clear water), little (and slow) buzzbaits, bulged tandem SB's, waking plugs, twitched and jerked #13 Rapala's, ... 

 

-Don't let them get a good look at the bait -try fishing fast and erratic. Try this: Burn a lipless crankbait. Cast and reel as fast as you can. Throw in some occasional pauses, just a stop for a split second, then burn again. Yo-yoing a single-spin SB: CAst sink, sweep it up, let fall, sweep it up, let fall. Pauses on bottom can help set up the strike.

[MickD]

If there really are decent sized bass in the lake, they will not be able to resist a 3-4 inch minnow about 6-7 feet below a bobber.

 

OK, plastics purists, give me hell, but I think the first step is to in some way verify there really are good sized bass in the pond.

 

I would not consider any stocking without consulting an expert.  With most ponds it's too many fish, not too few.

[billinok]

From the image it looks great.

 

Clear water can be tough, esp on bright days, and esp up shallow.

 

Things to try:

 

Location:

 

-Fish the shallows early and late, although you've said you've done this. Being fall, sun angle is lower now so this will be become less an issue, or at least extend "early" and "late". Otherwise pray for clouds. A nice chop or riffles from a breeze can be a great help (prime buzzbait/SB window too).

 

-Fish deeper. Key is going to be hitting some of those structural pieces we are seeing in the image, and on your sonar.

 

-Regardless of where you fish, "ambush points" are key. Places where bass know they can make a kill. Identify these spots. Broken cover can help bass surprise prey. Shorelines can offer spots where prey can be chased into and trapped against. You mentioned catching fish at the shoreline. Once an interested bass knows which direction the prey is going to go, it increases the chance of a strike greatly.

 

Presentation:

Lure action is critical for triggering bites. Off-the-shelf (right out of the store) stuff may not be effective, esp if fish are educated and water is clear. Boiling plastics makes them move better. I love pork trailers, but they must be pre-softened. Certain rigs (wacky for instance, and drop-shot) can offer better triggering. Tough to beat the original Senko and its built in action, fished any which way. With horizontally retrieved baits, employing starts, stops, pauses, accelerations, striking cover, ripping off weeds, etc... can mean the difference between your lures being struck or ignored.

 

You say you can see fish, I assume good bass. Are they ignoring your plastics? Looking and turning away?

 

There are two general presentation options in clear water:

 

-Fish translucent plastics and amorphous jigs with stealth employing triggering action. Often more than subtle vibrations and twitches can put fish off. Falling baits are a great attractor, as are killed baits. Twitches following are a strong trigger.

 

-Topwater should work -don't give up on them. Zara (the little Zara Puppy can be great in clear water), little (and slow) buzzbaits, bulged tandem SB's, waking plugs, twitched and jerked #13 Rapala's, ... 

 

-Don't let them get a good look at the bait -try fishing fast and erratic. Try this: Burn a lipless crankbait. Cast and reel as fast as you can. Throw in some occasional pauses, just a stop for a split second, then burn again. Yo-yoing a single-spin SB: CAst sink, sweep it up, let fall, sweep it up, let fall. Pauses on bottom can help set up the strike.

Thanks Paul, I'm going to try all this.  I do rig for wacky fishing and earlier in the year it worked.  It was my go to plastic.  But that don't work now, however I'm going to try the translucent colors and see.  I use BP stik-o's and G-Man ZinkerZ (The darker blues and greens).  I may need to try senkos also.  

Yes, I have seen the bass and they will sometimes follow then turn away. (Haven't seen a lot, but definitely nice sized bass).  Same with the sun fish.  I was setting in the boat at the shore the other day throwing a new spinner I got through LTB or MTB.  A large bass came right up to the shore following it, and I guess he spotted me and turned away.  Never got any more hits or anything.

 

Mick, have tried live minnows and rarely do they work.  

[Paul Roberts]

Remember, you are not feeding fish as much as triggering them, much of the time. Play with speed, and triggering (locations and lure action). Lures look stupid most of the time, esp in clear water, more so with edified fish (and it doesn't take much to edify them). They must make a mistake and, on small waters esp, you cannot rely on feeding binges to help you out (very often).

[MickD]

It may be time for dynomite.  :-)

 

Since you've been seeing large bass, they are there.  I have only caught a few bass that I have seen before casting to them.  Usually if I see them, they've already seen me, and they don't bite.  Long casts, small and slow, like others have been suggesting.  And just keep trying.  When you figure it out, you'll feel great.

[scaleface]

Are you  absolutely positive the fish you are seeing are bass ? 16 days of fishing and only 2 dink bass doesnt seem right , even in the clearest , heavily pressured waters .

[billinok]

Are you  absolutely positive the fish you are seeing are bass ? 16 days of fishing and only 2 dink bass doesnt seem right , even in the clearest , heavily pressured waters .

Yes, they are bass.  Caught some earlier in the year also.  Its crazy.  

I'm going to try the suggestions that I haven't already tried and hopefully those will work

[ClackerBuzz]

sounds like you need to get into pond management.  search this site and google for 'bob lusk' and/or pond management. i would put a bunch of artificial cover in that pond so they come closer to the shoreline. i bet there is a place where you can get free broken cement or you can build ur own PVC structure/christmas trees etc.  just use youtube for artificial bass/crappie structure/habitat/PVC

[clh121787]

Clear water doesn't have to be tough. BUT stealth is key. Aluminum boats are loud. Electronics are loud. I'd be quiet and throw small natural colored plastics. Make long cast to structure. So you're not seen or heard

[NJSalt]

Scale it all down and slow it down is what I would do. I'd head out with a Shakey head, a dropshot, and a senko if you are just looking to catch fish. IMO, if you can't catch them on those baits, something else is wrong

[ClackerBuzz]

there is something called a slot limit. it's the population of fish that dominate a body of water.

it sounds counter intuitive but your pond would likely benefit from removing as many 8-10" bass as you can catch in a year.  that will open up a whole new bait fish population for the biggest bass to feed on (no more over crowding of small fish).  the big bass then have a much better chance of passing on their genes at spawn.  big bass keep baitfish in check ie not raiding bass nests during spawn. you should have ur pond electro-shocked to find out ur slot limit and remove what's recommended.  instead of paying money to add fish you are removing the overcrowded ones, which corrects the ponds biomass.

i'm sure others can expand on this better than me.

 

i found bob's video...35 min of great info.

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/bass-fishing-fish-biology.html

 

his site is: http://www.pondboss.com/

[lmbfisherman]

I know a pond that similar to what you're describing.  Majority of the time plastics is the winner.  If I stuck with cranks I'd probably be skunked and if I was lucky I'd get 1.  However, if I dropshot a 4" worm, craw or whatever (small).  Oh and I catch more if I'm using a natural color.  I'd catch 10+ every outing.  When they are on the bottom I will go with a split shot rig. You are just going to have to fish how they want it not how you want to. 

[billinok]

there is something called a slot limit. it's the population of fish that dominate a body of water.

it sounds counter intuitive but your pond would likely benefit from removing as many 8-10" bass as you can catch in a year.  that will open up a whole new bait fish population for the biggest bass to feed on (no more over crowding of small fish).  the big bass then have a much better chance of passing on their genes at spawn.  big bass keep baitfish in check ie not raiding bass nests during spawn. you should have ur pond electro-shocked to find out ur slot limit and remove what's recommended.  instead of paying money to add fish you are removing the overcrowded ones, which corrects the ponds biomass.

i'm sure others can expand on this better than me.

 

i found bob's video...35 min of great info.

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/bass-fishing-fish-biology.html

 

his site is: http://www.pondboss.com/

I've been wondering about that.  Its always been catch and release.  

Just watched the video.  That may be one of the problems.

[billinok]

Thanks everyone for comments and suggestions.  Please continue.  Fished over the weekend and nothing.  The water temps at about 1 foot range 77 - 85 last several days.  I haven't tried all the suggestions yet, but will.  Definitely going to be adding some structure (concrete slabs, wood, etc).  I have an endless supply of cedar trees.

Once again, I'm open to any all suggestions and techniques.