Help with bass

[Nell Huffman]

I have a ditch about 25 feet wide and 2 miles long on my property that has a water level that goes up and down with the river level. Eighteen inches to thirty inches deep. Most places very very clear and some places a little murkey. There is a small amount of flow but not like a creek. Also beaver dams. There are plenty of bass, plenty of feed (crawdads and frogs) as I am the only one that fishes it. There is only a few places where there is any open water of twenty to thirty feet and I can always catch bass here. Lots of little ones 4 to 6 inches and the average 15 inches. I have two questions that I need help with.

1. Will a bass grow large in this small and this shallow a water?

2. There are lots of open water a foot across (think dinner plate) the rest is covered with grass, moss, etc. Can I expect to fine bass here? I have tried to drop a jig here but with no luck. As expected I am not an experienced bass fisherman. How does one fish this type of place?

3. If there is bass in the open water should there not be bass here in the weeds and grass?

Any help would be great as I love to eat and catch them.

Many thanks!!!