Finding Out What Baitfish Are In A Pond

[Captain America]

I am moving in a few months, and where I'm moving there are not many lakes or rivers that hold bass. There are some bodies of water an hour or so out, but I like to do my regular fishing closer to home. There are a handful of ponds that have bass in them which is cool since I just bought a kayak... Anyway do you guys have any methods for finding out what baitfish are in a pond or a small body of water? 

[jimmyjoe]

   If it's not obvious by simply looking in the shallows, then the only idea I might have is casting a net.       jj

[plawren53202]

2 hours ago, jimmyjoe said:

   If it's not obvious by simply looking in the shallows, then the only idea I might have is casting a net.       jj

That's usually my admittedly unscientific technique, just looking in the shallow water as I walk around the pond.

 

I also usually guess based on size of the body of water and geographical location.  For instance, I know that ponds and lakes under a certain size in my area are not going to have shad in them, and the primary baitfish forage for bass is likely to be bluegill.  Lakes over a certain size in my area, typically have threadfin shad.  

[Koz]

Funny you should mention looking in the water. Last week I was fishing down in the SC Lowcountry and there were tons of tiny fry or baitfish along the banks where I was bank fishing. I ran into a guy who was fly fishing for bass and he was using this tiny, 1" streamer that essentially looked like a small, gray piece of fuzz. But it matched the hatch.

 

He caught a 9 pounder on that little streamer.

 

 

[WRB]

Start with the local fishery management folks, they know what's in the waterways in thier area. 

Tom

[N Florida Mike]

On 4/7/2020 at 5:56 PM, Captain America said:

I am moving in a few months, and where I'm moving there are not many lakes or rivers that hold bass. There are some bodies of water an hour or so out, but I like to do my regular fishing closer to home. There are a handful of ponds that have bass in them which is cool since I just bought a kayak... Anyway do you guys have any methods for finding out what baitfish are in a pond or a small body of water? 

Just throw some bread out there. They’ll come. If your allowed to cast net, then...

[schplurg]

23 hours ago, WRB said:

Start with the local fishery management folks, they know what's in the waterways in thier area. 

Tom

Yep. In my area I stumbled upon reports of all the lakes. They shock the fish then do a count and analyze the data. These online documents listed all the fish species found and how many of each one, age, size, and the location in the lake for each test. Maybe you can find information like that, or like Tom said, just call.

[DitchPanda]

Yep I would talk to a park ranger, someone who works as a dnr officer or gfp employee of some type of even just ask somebody working at a local bait shop

Also the idea for looking online for lake surveys is always a good idea

But I will add that shad color baits work in ponds without shad...bluegill colors work where no bluegill are..crawfish colors work...well you get the idea

[TnRiver46]

Minnow trap. Small bait swims out of a cast net 

[MIbassyaker]

Moving within MI or out of state?   MI DNR keeps an online archive of survey results and management plans for lakes and other waterways that usually have a lot of detail about baitfish present, as well as other aspects of the aquatic food chain:

 

https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79136_79236_85892_85897---,00.html

 

Homeowners associations also sometimes post lake surveys and maps they have commissioned.

[CrankFate]

Minnow/crawfish trap or cast net. I’ve seen the pros on TV and in articles sometimes saying when they are about to fish somewhere new they throw a trap out to see what they get to decide what to use. 

[Mr. Aquarium]

Go at night and walk the shoreline with a headlamp.  You’ll see all sorts of bait fish up shallow!