Lake Management

[90x]

so every year I go up to ludington in Michigan. I stay at a house with an amazing lake in the backyard with good fishing and so much to do. However, the lake produces quantity but the down side is quality. I took the jon boat out and rowed to the lily pads at around dusk. I was fishing some lily pads and saw a few bass. They were all pretty much the same size. I don't get it small fish and an abundance of bait fish.

The lake is comprised of many floating docks, lily pads, and is a sand bottom with alot of weeds. While bass fishing this past summer, I noticed something: all the bass were the same relative size. It was like catching the same fish over and over again. I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help raise the overall quality of fish.

The prey fish in the lake like bluegill and perch are of good size and abundance. Is there a reason why the bass are so small (14 inches)?

I was thinking about taking a few bass out to create less competition for the other fish. I hate keeping bass, but the fishing is so disappointing.

[Lund Explorer]

Almost sounds like you're talking about Hamlin Lake.  Most of the keepers have been off the drops lately.

[Grey Wolf]

By your description , your lake doesn't sound over populated to me.

[Fat-G]

I would keep every fish you caught under two pounds for a trip or two, maybe more.

[cart7t]

A lot of cookie cutter bass stuck at a specific size range would indicate too many bass and a forage base too small to feed them.  Most lakes in that category would wind up with a slot limit, 15-18"  and encourage anglers to keep those under the slot.  

[Raul]

The only way to know if the lake is overpopulated with bass is to make a study of the population of fish by species and by sizes, that should only be done with somebody with experience in lake management ( like the local DNR office or a lake/pond management service ).

[whoopbazz]

It sounds like an over population problem. But like the above poster said without doing a good population dynamics study it is all just a guess. There could be water quality issues at hand. Generally, 14 inches is big for an over populated lake. If you told me the lake had under 12" it would sound more like it. Perch and blue gill are big forage for a 14" bass (the canabilization rate for perch and blue gill is high) so young offspring from these spp are gobled up by there own parents or aunts or uncles (LOL). Shiners or shad type fish are more size appropriate for this size bass.

By the way I  hold a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries biology. If it holds any weight.

[Lund Explorer]

FYI guys, the minimum size limit for both LM and SM Bass is 14" state-wide.  There are no slot limits, though they have been discussed in the past with very little support.

Regardless if 90x is talking about Hamlin Lake or not, the only overpopulation problem around this side of the state deals with fishermen and not fish.  There are way too many folks that practice catch and release only if the fish are released one fillet at a time into a pan of hot grease.

Case in point - In the 1970's the minimum size limit was then 10" and it was not unusual to catch numbers of 9 1/2" bass during an outing.  

Towards the end of the 70's, the size limit was raised to 12".  The next year, it was fairly easy to catch bass that were 11 1/2" long.

And finally, when the size limit went to 14", somehow all those stunted bass grew another 2" in a year or so.

Like many others, 90x needs to start searching other lakes that don't support a large number of resorts or campgrounds, or that don't support large fishable populations of panfish (the stringer fisherman's target of choice).  There are any number of very good bass fishing lakes in the area he is traveling to, but I think he's found a lake where bass are considered nothing more than a strange hybrid bluegill.

BTW, has anyone else ever watched a 12' rowboat with three guys in it work a line of boat docks, using live night crawlers before?  There is a resort on Hamlin Lake where the owner trains his guests on this little tactic.

[Sharpie]

I fish a lake similar to 90x near ludington. I either kill the 12-14 inchers or catch 20-24 inchers one way or the other. My pb came from near baldwin at 7 lbs.

[jiggerpole]

It's best to ask a biologist to take a look at it. If you want to do a study then it would take some effort on your part. You would have to catch every possible bass the same relative size and fin clip them all. You would have to catch alot depending on the size of the lake, to clip, because your going to have to release them all and catch them again later for a comparison. (Growth Rate - lenth - ect.) Just a few bass will not do. Or you could try tagging them, with the weight, lenth, ect. and write the tag number down on a chart with the info. of each bass, then compair year to year.

[90x]

By the way, the lake is called Ford Lake. Not many fisherman. The lake sits on private porperty.

I fish in barrington in another private lake with the same amount of houses and fisherman. I am catching 5 pound bass there.

Ford Lake has a lot of bait fish as well as bass. There is alot of cover and is well oxygenated. There is much forage in forms of plants.

Just want to do my part to preserve the bass and allow everyone to catch quality fish.

The main problem is that its private. Therefore, no regulation.

[fishfordollars]

The only way to know if the lake is overpopulated with bass is to make a study of the population of fish by species and by sizes, that should only be done with somebody with experience in lake management ( like the local DNR office or a lake/pond management service ).

X2, without a qualified study by trained personnel it's just  a shot in the dark. You have no idea what is growing in the lake, and certainly no idea as to the abundance of each size class.

[skeetermike]

Almost sounds like there might have been a fish kill recently and then a re-stocking.  The kill could have been planned or just natural.  Thats just a thought.  I have a lake nearby where the crappie are like that, all stunted.  I've heard that crappie when placed in small water do that... this lake is 13miles long though and gets a lota pressure but still has loads of crappie under 9"s for some reason.  

[Omaha]

Yeah, it's unfortunate when you have to keep bass, but if you want to catch large ones, you should start keeping the bass you catch under 15".  Too many bass create too much competition, even though you're saying the forage base looks good.