ponds and bait fish

[fishingrulz]

why aren't there any schools of bait fish in small ponds?

[Will]

It probably all depends on pond management. If you don't put the right amount of fish in per acre then the predators can eat up all the prey.

[Keepin_It_Reel]

There is in all the ponds i fish

[fishingrulz]

how big are they?

[Keepin_It_Reel]

about two or three acres

[basspro48]

It depends on where you are. For example, most ponds and smaller bodies of water in the south have   panfish, shad or some other type of open water baitfish. While most ponds up north have mostly panfish and perch, which don't usually travel in schools.

Hope this helps.  

[Keepin_It_Reel]

I live in indiana

[fishingrulz]

i'm in new york and we have blugill that school 30 at a time but no perch

[Keepin_It_Reel]

No perch in my ponds either but those bluegill do really school up by the millions

[basswest1]

Well think about it.........do the ponds have everything needed to sustain schooling baitfish such as shad?  Shad and similar forage feed on phytoplankton(algae).  They also require specific amounts of oxygen and a specific PH range.  Most real small ponds do not have the right conditions for schooling baitfish like shad.