Big Largemouth Bass too aggresive. Any suggestions

[Brians2000]

I would like to start by saying I built a 2 acre farm pond, 4 years

ago. I stocked the pond with Bream and Large Mouth Bass. At this time most

of the Bass range between 3 to 5 pounds. The Bass look very healthy. Each

fishing trip I usually catch about 10 to 15 large Bass. Everytime I catch a

bream the Bass steal it away before I can get it in. I have caught some

large Bream that weigh about 1 pound so I know a few made it. I have Bream

in all sizes from newly hatched to medium to large. The only problem I see

is the large Bass are going to eat them too fast. I also notice Bass of all

sizes but most caught weigh 3 to 5 pounds. I realize this is a dream pond to

most but I am thinking down the road. Do you have any suggestions or do you

think I have nothing to worry about. Thanks, Brian

[links_man2]

Brians---You are asking "do I have too many bass or too many large bass" of Bass Fishermen in a bass forum? ;D

I am not a biologist, but what I read, says you need to start harvesting some of the smaller fish if you want larger ones---bass or bream. 2 acres really isn't much room and I would figure it could get out of balance pretty easy.

[Maxximus Redneckus]

ya get rid of the smaller bass and bream and get u some ducks come spring when they have babies the bass will have a buffet and u will have a trophy pond

[mattm]

Welcome ;D.  I'm not a fish biologist and would recommend you contacting one.  However, IMO if you have bream that are reaching 1lb you don't have a problem.  If you stop seeing smaller bream then I would think you have a problem.  It seems to me some of the smaller bream are making it to adulthood.  Can't know for sure though, but i'm off on Tuesday and could come check it out for ya .

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

ya get rid of the smaller bass and bream and get u some ducks come spring when they have babies the bass will have a buffet and u will have a trophy pond

Kiddin', right?

 I'm not a fish biologist and would recommend you contacting one.

Good advice.  Have you contacted a local University?  With the right approach, you can offer your pond to be used as a lab.  Free monitoring, advice, testing etc.  Contact the Marine Biology dept.

[Bassboy15]

I got a great idea, use perch as bait  ;D

[Brians2000]

One thing I notice the Bass like more than any lure of any type is live Bream. When I catch a Bream I have to get it out of the water as fast as possible or the Bass take it. Sometimes if I catch small bream then I use them to catch the Bass. All I have to do is drop them in the water and they are gone. Last week I caught a bass about five inches long and I wanted to see if the Large Bass would eat their own so I thru it in and within 30 seconds he was ate by a large bass. I never dreamed of having a pond with so many large bass but know I worry that in a few years the big bass will run out of food and start dying. I have a fish feeder for the Bream but the Bass go on a killing spree when the Bream gather around to eat the fish food. Does anyone else have suggestions on how I can continue to raise big Bass. Right now we do take out some smaller Bass to eat. When I say smaller they are usually 2.5 pounds and smaller. I have brought out a few 4 pounders and last week I took home a 5 pound Bass because I ripped out his eye with the hook. That Bass also had been caught before because I found a line going down into its stomach. It had already swallowed the hook when it broke someones line before. I have a pic of it and will post it if I can figure it out. Thanks, Brian

[deepsessions]

you should get in contact with someone who can do water samples during the different seasons,help guide you on forage vs. predator fish,making cover,and finding you a good bream swimbait  ;D

[Matt Fly]

B2000,

 Welcome to the forum.    Wish I had that problem, bass to aggressive!!!!

Matt

[Del from philly]

have you tryed the "Robo-Gill"???

its basicly a free swimming robotic bluegill, and they have a sunfish colored one too

built to help pond owners with this same problem....

anyway, its motorized, has razor blades as fins, and provides a 20 watt electro shock to anything it touches.....

that will teach those bass to mind their manners.....

[grimlin]

robo gill?

man i need one of those...just for entertainment...and just might teach my cats to keep their paws out of my aquarium.

[Fish Eater]

that will teach those bass to mind their manners.....

now that would be a tuff taught lesson

[Guest avid]

B2000,

 Welcome to the forum.    Wish I had that problem, bass to aggressive!!!!

Matt

Amen to that.

I say call the F&W and do what they tell you.

There are also professinal pond managers who know how to keep it healthy for big bass.

Outside of that I say, fish it and enjoy it.

P.S..........When you have your bassresource.com get together, I'll bring the hot dogs.

(Hint)

J/K  

[jwo1124]

I have a question regarding your situation. You said you stocked your pond with bass and bream. Did you stock it with anything else, or is th ebream the only meal item for the bass. If that is so, this would explain wwhy the bass are so aggressive towards them, for two reasons. 1. It is the bass' only food item it has ever known, and 2. Bream(sunfish, bluegill, pumpkin seed) are a harder meal to catch than say a minnow, since bass mostly burst through a school of minnows mouth open hoping to swallow a few, while a bream is a high mobile, agile meal. If the cae is that the bass have only the bream to eat, your bass may have in fact adapted to being more aggressive in order to chase down and kill the bream. Just a thought though. If the case is the pond only holds bream and bass, without members lower on the totum pole like minnows or crawfish, I would suggest adding some of them in the supplement your bass's diet in turn reviving your bream population.

[Del from philly]

are theyre any rocks? i dont know about thsi stuff, but maybe introduce another food source-CRAYFISH??

you could put some vegitation on a corner, and that will supply bugs and stuff

maybe introduce a type of minnow.....not just baby bass and gills, but maybe a shiner.....

lilly pads will bring out frogs maybe?

[Brians2000]

I have a question regarding your situation. You said you stocked your pond with bass and bream. Did you stock it with anything else, or is th ebream the only meal item for the bass. If that is so, this would explain wwhy the bass are so aggressive towards them, for two reasons. 1. It is the bass' only food item it has ever known, and 2. Bream(sunfish, bluegill, pumpkin seed) are a harder meal to catch than say a minnow, since bass mostly burst through a school of minnows mouth open hoping to swallow a few, while a bream is a high mobile, agile meal. If the cae is that the bass have only the bream to eat, your bass may have in fact adapted to being more aggressive in order to chase down and kill the bream. Just a thought though. If the case is the pond only holds bream and bass, without members lower on the totum pole like minnows or crawfish, I would suggest adding some of them in the supplement your bass's diet in turn reviving your bream population.

The first year we built the pond it was packed with tadpoles. It had so many tadpoles it actually looked scary. There must have been millions in the pond. Everywhere you looked there were tons of tadpoles. We were very concerned about the amount but the second year of the pond they were gone. We suspect the Bass got were eating very good those first two years. The third year of the pond all we caught were Bream. We could catch fifty in just one trip but they were all small. We never started catching Bass until about one year ago. Now when we go the Bass are everywhere and they are mostly big 3 to 5 lbs. We dont keep any big Bass unless they are going to die from hurting their gills or hurting them when we take the hook out. There are probably about 30 big Bass that we left the hook in because pulling it out would have hurt them. Thanks for all suggestions. We are thinking of putting Fathead minnows into the pond. Brian

[fishfordollars]

What do you charge for rooms? I want a week's worth...

[Brians2000]

Where does everyone live who responded to this topic. I live in SC. It would be nice finding Bass fisherman who live close by so we could go catch a few. I am planning on going fishing this afternoon at a local lake. Sometimes it is fun trying to catch a Bass in a lake that don't have many than it is fishing where you are guaranteed to catch at least 10. Brian

[jeremyt]

I am in SE NC if you ever need anyone to fish with on the weekends I am there. I have a 16ft boat if you want to try some larger lakes or whatnot.

[fishingfrenzy]

I know a little bit about pond management.  I'll try giving you as much info as I can..  

With the backround of your pond being 2 acres, according to what I've read you probably have 30-50+ mature bass (3 pounds or more) living in the pond.  You say that the bass are overly aggresive, by eating sunnies whenever you hook one.  I would think that there might be a lack of food within the pond, so when a bass sees a sunny strugling (from you hooking it), each bass is trying to eat it before another one does.  You might have a good population of large bass, but if you want to grow trophy bass 7 pounds and larger, I would suggest harvesting roughly 15-20% or so of the mature bass.  You might want to keep the larger ones and harvest about 5-10 bass 3-4 pounds.  Bass need food to continue to grow and with a lack of it, the bass will still grow but they will become skinny and not gain as much weight.  I would rather have the bass nice and fat, than a bunch of skinny ones.  You might also consider stocking the pond every 2 years or so with sunnies and other minnows.  It is good that you have some big sunnies (1 pound and larger), that way they will continue to reproduce without bass eating them.  I would also advise you to contact a fisheries biologist and seek their advise.  

[GAMEOVER]

Adventually your pond will stabalize on its own. Nature will take its course, but what are the Bream eating?

[Cory20]

All stages of insect and their wheaties

[GAMEOVER]

There Northern Strain Bass correct?

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Adventually your pond will stabalize on its own. Nature will take its course, but what are the Bream eating?

Please tell me you are not serious?

[senile1]

I know a little bit about pond management.  I'll try giving you as much info as I can..  

With the backround of your pond being 2 acres, according to what I've read you probably have 30-50+ mature bass (3 pounds or more) living in the pond.  You say that the bass are overly aggresive, by eating sunnies whenever you hook one.  I would think that there might be a lack of food within the pond, so when a bass sees a sunny strugling (from you hooking it), each bass is trying to eat it before another one does.  You might have a good population of large bass, but if you want to grow trophy bass 7 pounds and larger, I would suggest harvesting roughly 15-20% or so of the mature bass.  You might want to keep the larger ones and harvest about 5-10 bass 3-4 pounds.  Bass need food to continue to grow and with a lack of it, the bass will still grow but they will become skinny and not gain as much weight.  I would rather have the bass nice and fat, than a bunch of skinny ones.  You might also consider stocking the pond every 2 years or so with sunnies and other minnows.  It is good that you have some big sunnies (1 pound and larger), that way they will continue to reproduce without bass eating them.  I would also advise you to contact a fisheries biologist and seek their advise.  

I haven't managed a pond, so forgive me if I'm asking a silly question.  You state that he might want to harvest 5-10 bass in the 3 to 4 pound range.  This would be 18 - 20 inch fish where I live.  I think he should be harvesting fish that are smaller . . . . say up to 15 inches at most.  Aren't these 3 - 4 lb'ers the source of his future 7 and 8 lb'ers?