How many tries at a new pond before calling it quits

[BassB8Caster]

Hey Guys.

 

its finally february here in Maine and its starting to feel like spring is closer and closer (even though the reality is, its quite a ways away). Starting to get the bass fishing itch. I have been thinking about a small 50 acre pond i fished at last fall without success that made me think of this topic. I think it would be interesting as well to hear how people approach these situations. i attached a pic of the pond. From what i see, it should be the perfect body of water for some big bass. It is in a rather tough location where it sees little fishing pressure. Tons of little hiding spots, fingers, beaver dams, grasses etc that should hold bass. Big bass.

 

I fished it three times. the first time i walked the shore and tried a few spots. On my way to the pond i happened to travel on some private roads (i mistakenly missed the signs). The closest land owner saw me drive by and ended up coming down to the pond. I talked with him a bit about the pond. He said he takes his nephews and nieces out once in a while. but other than that, no one fishes it. He also said "if you catch a bass it will be a big one". He said he caught a 7.5lber out of it. The next 2 times out was in my kayak. I feel i gave it a good effort in fishing all the spots that would hold bass. I also fished several types of baits (spinners, soft plastics, topwater etc) that should have produced. Especially a pond with so little fishing pressure. There were quite a few pickerel in there, but not one sign of any bass. The water is a dark stained water. Best guess is 8 feet +/- deepest spot. There are so many ambush spots there where i do believe bass can grow very big. 

 

So, at what point do you decide that there are not any bass in a pond? I do want to try again, especially spawn. But i dont have much interest in catching just pickerel.

[everythingthatswims]

My favorite time to try new areas is in the spring because even if you don't catch them, the big girls will often reveal themselves. I fish a lake that is extremely frustrating, about the same size as this one, in the spring if you walk the bank you will see a 30lb limit every time, but my biggest out of there is less than 5lbs. I have hooked 3 big ones but despite many days there, it hasn't come together yet. I'm convinced that some bodies of water just have smart fish, regardless of pressure.

[SFL BassHunter]

Tough question, I have a lake out there at a public park that I had heard was a good place for big bass. Went 2 times with a buddy and neither of us caught anything. I stopped going. Recently another friend went and caught a very nice bass. I then went with him and caught a 6lber. He has caught a few 5-6lbers now.

Interesting thing is, it seems to be a lake with bigger fish, but not a lot of fish. Now when I go there I go there knowing I am looking for the big bite.

Might be out there for 5 or 6 hours beating the bank and have only a couple of bass to show for it. But I know that one of them could be 5+lbs.

 

[lonnie g]

wonder if the lake has turned over in past few years  being that  shallow  try to find more people that live close to get more info. I would work that point on bottom of map if it has any grade to it at all. are there any small  blue gill in there or have you seen any hatchlings ? always  heard match the hatch. good luck hope you figure it out, and land one those big ladies

[CTBassin860]

ill go a bunch of times.I found this smalll pond a few miles from my house that i almost gave up on.Id catch a dink here and there,but nothing over a pound.One day i was pitching a frog into the brush off the bank and caught my PB.Now when i go there i stick to frogs and other topwater.The only lure ive caught a fish on that wasnt a frog or a popper was a spinnerbait.IVe pulled a few 3# out of there now plus the usual dinks.You just have to learn how to fish that pond.

[soflabasser]

4 hours ago, everythingthatswims said:

My favorite time to try new areas is in the spring because even if you don't catch them, the big girls will often reveal themselves. I fish a lake that is extremely frustrating, about the same size as this one, in the spring if you walk the bank you will see a 30lb limit every time, but my biggest out of there is less than 5lbs. I have hooked 3 big ones but despite many days there, it hasn't come together yet. I'm convinced that some bodies of water just have smart fish, regardless of pressure.

 

Come down to South Florida and you will find plenty of lakes with +10 pounders in them that rarely bite, no matter how good you are as a bass fisherman. These lakes will test your skill and patience to the highest level, with many days of only 1-2 pounders. One of these lakes is in a public park where thousands of people fish it every year, yet less than 1% of those people have caught a bass over 8 pounds in it...some say the lake is not worth fishing because its such a difficult lake to get a big bass out of(but I disagree with them based on my experience fishing that lake).

[soflabasser]

7 hours ago, BassB8Caster said:

So, at what point do you decide that there are not any bass in a pond? I do want to try again, especially spawn. But i dont have much interest in catching just pickerel.

 

Nice looking pond. You know there's big bass in there so its only a matter of time before they present themselves to you. You need to be 100% prepared when one of these big bass bite, there is no room for error. Its better to have a story about the big bass you caught than the one that got away.Don't be discouraged and try to find someone who knows the lake very well and fish with them if possible. This will make your learning curve much shorter and possibly save you years of figuring out that pond.

[BassB8Caster]

Thanks everyone for your replies and opinions. I agree it looks like prime big bass real estate. I have been skunked a few times in the past in other bodies of water. But usually I will at least see some sort of sign of bass. Like I said, I only caught pickerel. Tells me that it is a suitable habitat for fish to survive. Only issue I see with spotting bass during spawn is this water is very dark. Where I live there are tons of these small ponds. I love taking good the kayak in them. There is a mystique about them. Potential of 5lb plus in many of them. Quite the challenge that can leave me frustrated and scratching my head (like this pond), but I enjoy the test. 

[Bluebasser86]

If I'm confident there's big bass in a pond, I'll fish it several times before I'd give up on it. It's possible there's not a strong population of bass, but the ones in there are primarily large ones, and I'm okay with that. 

[TheGreatOne]

BassB8caster, sometimes this early in the year things can be slow everywhere, don't let that discourage you... Once it warms up good tie a #2 circle hook on the end of your line the put a 1/16 oz splitshot squeezed on the line butted up against the knot and put a June bug Yum dinger wacky style on your hook and sling that sucker around everywhere you think a bass should be... If there's bass in that pond and it doesn't get a lot of pressure, this spring they should hammer the dinger... Then write a post thanking me for your best day ever.... TGO

[Airman4754]

15 hours ago, everythingthatswims said:

My favorite time to try new areas is in the spring because even if you don't catch them, the big girls will often reveal themselves. I fish a lake that is extremely frustrating, about the same size as this one, in the spring if you walk the bank you will see a 30lb limit every time, but my biggest out of there is less than 5lbs. I have hooked 3 big ones but despite many days there, it hasn't come together yet. I'm convinced that some bodies of water just have smart fish, regardless of pressure.

 

I've already seen a couple fish here that would push double digits in ponds no more than an acre. We will see how Spring goes, but I haven't caught anything over two pounds in any of them.

 

Ponds can be amazing fishing or some of the worst there is. I can't ever remember much of a grey area.

[BassB8Caster]

3 hours ago, TheGreatOne said:

BassB8caster, sometimes this early in the year things can be slow everywhere, don't let that discourage you... Once it warms up good tie a #2 circle hook on the end of your line the put a 1/16 oz splitshot squeezed on the line butted up against the knot and put a June bug Yum dinger wacky style on your hook and sling that sucker around everywhere you think a bass should be... If there's bass in that pond and it doesn't get a lot of pressure, this spring they should hammer the dinger... Then write a post thanking me for your best day ever.... TGO

I haven't fished this year. We are frozen up here. I fished it last fall. I will definitely give that a try. Just want to know if there are bass in it. Time will tell.

 

Any particular strategy fishing (if they are in there) older larger bass in dark stained water? Shouldn't there be some smaller aggressive fish too?

[Sam]

BassBaitCaster,

Now let me get this straight. You are in Maine. Main is next to Canada. It is ice hockey season in Maine. It is skiing season in Maine. It is ice skating time in Maine. The lakes and ponds are frozen in Maine, or very close to be frozen. And you are not getting any bites at a local pond with dirty water.

 

Local man says there are big ladies in the pond.

 

OK. I got it. And you ask, "So, at what point do you decide that there are not any bass in a pond?"

 

Answer: Next Fall if you don't catch anything in the spring and summer.

 

Where are the bass now?  They are deep. Holding deep and not wanting to move to catch a meal or snack. They will save energy as best they can. But they have to eat. So where do they go to eat and find some warm water? They go to the northern and western shore where the sun beats down and warms the water. Your first places to start are the northern and western banks as the sun warms the water.

 

Do you have any idea of what forage is in the pond? Large bluegill and bream? Minnows? Crawfish? Small catfish? Frogs? Turtles? Throw some white bread on the water and note if any minnows, bream and bluegills come up to feed. If not, you may have to go with other forage they may be eating. Would the pond support crawfish?

 

Do you have a swimming pool thermometer? If not, get one. Attached to a long cord, throw it in the pond. What is the water temperature? 40's? 30's? The colder the water the slower the bass' metabolism and the less likely they will be interested in your presentation if they have already eaten a minnow. Could take up to two weeks before they will feed again.

 

What to throw? Smaller baits retrieved slow. Ever heard of "dead sticking"? If not, look it up and give it a try. Boring, but it can produce results in cold water.

 

You have a lot of homework to do both at the pond and at your computer before you write off the pond. Check out articles on winter fishing; winter presentations; effect water temperatures have on the bass; how deep will the bass go in the pond? What forage is in the pond?

 

Can you meet with the individual you spoke with about the history of the pond? If he does not know maybe he will give you the name of the individuals who know about the pond and who stocked it with what. 

 

Read, read and read. Experiment, experiment, experiment. And let us know what happens.

 

You may have to wait for the water temperature to warm up into the 60's before the bass will become active. In Maine that will be in June.  But don't give up on the pond just yet. Give it one season and keep trying.

 

Let us know what successes you have or if you give up and move on to another pond.

[N Florida Mike]

A lot if it is how you think.The lake I live on is full of bass but you would never think it was.There is rarely any surface action or other sign of bass activity.Most people fish it once,dont catch anything,and dont fish it anymore.( Which is good for me )

I have another pond I KNOW that has DD fish.I usually catch nothing there.It is a very strange place to fish, and it is stocked and managed by Florida FWC.They wont even bite live shiners very good there.But I know theyre there....

In your case Id try senkos or flukes.Also fish very slow .When I dont catch fish with these baits Im usually fishing too fast.

[BassB8Caster]

I have been bass fishing for only 2 years, so i know i have a lot to learn. I try to learn as much as possible (on this forum, articles etc) and then try it out in the field. I have fished ponds that were hot one day and ice cold the next. So im aware of how things can vary just one day to the next. The chance at a big bass (over 5lbs for me) has pushed me out to places i never would have thought i would venture to. I love catching fish, but i really enjoy the chance at a big girl. And many times that results in not catching anything. In all honesty, looking back, fishing a place twice and thinking that is enough time to judge the quality of the pond is unfair. I intended to go back there again regardless. I thought it would make a great topic, as im sure other small pond fishermen run into this predicament as well. I have a lot of little ponds around me, and i try to limit my time to those that have best chances of producing good bass. I guess i was a little surprised that in those two trips in the kayak in a low pressure body of water, i didnt hook up with any bass. 

 

I will admit that slowing down is a challenge for me. I can mentally prepare a game plan of slowing down, and dragging a worm or jig or even dropshot. Then when i get out there i tend to go with faster baits (after trying slow techniques for a bit). So this is something i will work on. I have heard of dead sticking, have not tried it yet though. As far as forage, honestly i dont know. I did not see signs of anything. the bottom is very soft and muddy.

 

  

[roadwarrior]

Four hours, but not necessarily right now. Fishing can be tough in the winter, As Spring approaches

the fishing will improve and the four hour limit comes into play.

 

[Bucky205]

Live worms are the universal bait.  I would float night crawlers under a bobber for a couple of afternoons.  If I didn't get a bite I would move on.

[joeblowwwww]

Maybe with no fishing pressure they can hear and sense you from a mile away?

slow dragging a Texas rigged senko will always work 

 

[frogflogger]

Why would you quit trying? Nothing better than a challenging piece of water.

[BassB8Caster]

5 hours ago, frogflogger said:

Why would you quit trying? Nothing better than a challenging piece of water.

 

I hear ya. I dont want to quit if there are bass in there. But i dont want to spend tons of time if the bass are not there. I will def give it a fair try. With all these small ponds around me, and fairly limited time to fish with a new baby, i try to eliminate ponds that are not worth my time. I do want to give them a proper effort, but have to draw the line somewhere. Which lead to this thread. 

[the reel ess]

If there are pickerel and at least one time there were bass, there are probably still bass there. If I hadn't caught one in three hard tries, I'd probably hang it up. At this point, I don't even want to go back to places where I fished hard and only caught one dink. Life is short.

[IndianaFinesse]

How many times should you try that pond? Enough times to figure it out.

[BassB8Caster]

5 hours ago, the reel ess said:

If there are pickerel and at least one time there were bass, there are probably still bass there. If I hadn't caught one in three hard tries, I'd probably hang it up. At this point, I don't even want to go back to places where I fished hard and only caught one dink. Life is short.

I caught several pickerel but no bass. The only info about bass was from a land owner who says he caught a 7.5lb out of it. Other than that I have no proof there are bass in it. 

 

I think this spring during the spawn will give me a better idea. 

[the reel ess]

13 hours ago, BassB8Caster said:

I caught several pickerel but no bass. The only info about bass was from a land owner who says he caught a 7.5lb out of it. Other than that I have no proof there are bass in it. 

 

I think this spring during the spawn will give me a better idea. 

Yeah, that ought to make them obvious.

[lmbfisherman]

Bring out your live bait setup with a worm, see what species of fish you can catch.  Learn the forage, look around your settings.  Do they have crawfish? insects? frogs?  I wouldn't give up.

 

Since you are in Maine, when you say pickerel do you mean pickerel or some people up north mean "walleye".  Which drives me nuts because they are two different fish!  Anyway, if it is pickerel it maybe just like my local pond.  Well sort of, the pike population has exponentially grown the past 2 years and the bass seem to be driven off and being dominated.  I have days where I catch 10 pike and catch only 1 bass. It is possible that the pickerel is the dominant predator in that pond.  There probably is bass, but you probably weed through the dominant predator.