Baby Bass Patterns vs. Adult Bass Patterns

[Rora]

So lately I think I have found a pattern for the smaller fish in my community pond, roughly 6" bass. I wondering how well does that correlate to the larger fish in my pond? Do baby bass share the same pattern as adult bass? Is it as simple as sizing up and down the lures? With the added caveat that adult bass have more experience. 

 

Thank you all for any help in advance.

[Deleted account]

15 minutes ago, Rora said:

With the added caveat that adult bass have more experience. 

That's not a thing. The best "pattern" to catch any particular sized bass (or other fish) is to get a lure in front of them.

[Finessegenics]

Just now, Deleted account said:

That's not a thing. The best "pattern" to catch any particular sized bass (or other fish) is to get a lure in front of them.

 

Exactly

 

OP, If you've patterned the small bass and have yet to catch a big bass in the same areas the small bass are, there's likely no big bass around. The bigger bass in your pond might be relating to different cover or hanging out in different depths than those 6" bass. They surely are hunting different forage as well. It wouldn't hurt to try 'upsizing' the small bass pattern but I don't think it will necessarily lead to more success. 

[Rora]

OH that is good to know! I always thought the older bass were more experienced and therefore pickier.

[Hammer 4]

32 minutes ago, Rora said:

So lately I think I have found a pattern for the smaller fish in my community pond, roughly 6" bass. I wondering how well does that correlate to the larger fish in my pond? Do baby bass share the same pattern as adult bass? Is it as simple as sizing up and down the lures? With the added caveat that adult bass have more experience. 

 

Thank you all for any help in advance.

Which pond in O.C. are you referring to ?

[WRB]

Immature juvenile bass coloration is basically the same as the adults in any body of water. 

LMB arn’t unique in they have a dark lateral line, light belly and dark green back, it helps them blend into the background as a predator.

It’s always a good plan to match the predominate prey source the bass are feeding. Young of the year all fish species in the ecosystem you fish are prey for adult size bass.

My belief is use vertical  bar patterns in the colors of prey in and around cover. Spotted darker back and lighter sides for prey away from cover and shad colors if Threadfin shad are available. Crawdad colors if crawdads are available.

  Baby bass are a prey source early summer when plentiful.

Tom

[Rora]

1 hour ago, Hammer 4 said:

Which pond in O.C. are you referring to ?

laguna and rbc. You helped me out a while back and really its been just what you said.

[Hammer 4]

Laguna is a crap shoot imho. But I would try and get your baits as close to any cover if possible, i.e. toolies if they are still there.

Can't recall what rbc is..

[papajoe222]

Small, immature bass are much more aggressive than adults. It isn't so much that adults are more selective as much as their willingness to chase down a meal isn't as strong, especially when it comes to something that is below them.  There may very well be larger fish in the area you're catching the little ones.  Slow down, upsize, or use presentations in other parts of the water column before moving on. 

[jr231]

Not sure how big the "pond" is, but in some cases the bass become stunted due to lack of food. 6" is very small for a largemouth im talking about when they are all 8-12" and the fish of the day is a 14" 1lber. These are places I take my children with some bobbers. If I fish a pond and consistently catch small fish every time I go there and no big ones, I choose to spend my limited time to fish another place that will offer me a chance at bigger fish. Where 14" is on the smaller side and im looking for the 16-18" and up. 

 

Again not sure of the pond size but if this place is over fished with "bucket fisherman" go somewhere else. 

[WRB]

Laguna Nigel is a small lake not a pond that had golden algae die about 5 years ago. Before the die off or was a trophy bass lake stocked with FLMB.

Tough times since then but the bass are still FLMB, not aggressive Northern strain. The op’s Best bet is natural co,or soft plastics worms or reapers split shot. Roboworm makes a 4 1/2’ Baby bass FX worm that is very good.

Tom

[Hammer 4]

58 minutes ago, WRB said:

Laguna Nigel is a small lake not a pond that had golden algae die about 5 years ago. Before the die off or was a trophy bass lake stocked with FLMB.

Tough times since then but the bass are still FLMB, not aggressive Northern strain. The op’s Best bet is natural co,or soft plastics worms or reapers split shot. Roboworm makes a 4 1/2’ Baby bass FX worm that is very good.

Tom

True, lake is 44 Acers. Use to be they has electric boat rentals, that allowed you to fish the whole lake, nowadays the good spots, if ya wanna call them that are very limited imho.

My Son and Grand son fish there often, only cuz they live 5 mins from the lake. They seldom catch anything of size. That's not to say big bass aren't in there, biggest bass I've caught there was a tick under 7 lbs. 

[Deleted account]

17 hours ago, Rora said:

OH that is good to know! I always thought the older bass were more experienced and therefore pickier.

Common misconception. Fill a pond with a bunch or 5 lb fish and just a couple of dinks, and see what size you end up catching more often. Fewer larger fish are caught because there are fewer (a lot fewer) of them in most places.

[softwateronly]

If you know where 6" bass hang out in a small body of water with presumably less forage, there's a good chance that at some point in time, the big girls will be hunting those fish.  Might be worth throwing a 5-6" swimjig/swimbait / GP jig-beaver/grub at the deeper structure or cover that is near that area.

 

scott