Improving Ponds for Bass Fishing

LittleBigBass · 01-20-12, 04:16 PM

As a teenager, i cant afford to buy boats for bass fishing, and generally have to resort to large ponds to fish in. There is one pond in particular that i almost always fish in. The problem is, im not sure if there is a good amount of bass in the pond. I also wonder if maybe the other populations of different fish species over-run the bass population. The amount of baitfish also comes into play with ponds. Im not sure how much baitfish is in the pond, but i know there is some. I would like to make this pond as good as possible for bass fishing. Problem is, i have no idea how to make it better. I dont know if i should add more bait to the pond, Kill of the Large Carp population, or add more structure. Is there anything i can do to improve the pond for bass? This pond is approximately 1 1/2 football fields long, and is only about 50 yards wide. The depth is about 3-5 ft. The water is murky, and it has a muddy bottom. There are a lot of trees around the perimeter of the lake. I want to make this pond good so i can catch a lot of bass in the spring. Maybe there is a lot of bass in the pond, and i am just not catching them...But i have tried everything and have practiced daily, but the rewards have been short. I would appreceate any feedback! Thanks

kennethdaysale · 01-20-12, 05:19 PM

Hey LBB..First and foremost who owns this pond? Do you have permission to mess with/manage it? Don't do anything until you're sure you can. Assuming you or a family member owns this pond or you have permission to do stuff to it, there are lots of things you can do to evaluate and improve this pond, some of those things will cost little or nothing some of them will cost more. Step one is to determine what kind of fish population and numbers are in there now. You'll need a friend and a cheap seine net to do a sampling. Unfortunately that isn't feasible until the spring and there's very little you can do now to make much of a difference this year anyway. Best to set more long range(2-4-6) goals after you see where your at with the sampling. I would be more than happy to discus this project at length with you..pm me and I'll give you my e-mail rather than tie up needless space here. Where do you live?

bamabassman · 01-20-12, 06:18 PM

i would like to add that you can contact your local agancy. they should come out and tel oyu more for free. if oyu ask real nicely. i know a lot of people who have ponds will take bags of 8-8-8 fertlizer and pour it along the edges and let the fish eat it. makes the fish grow bigger. jsut be sure oyu get it IN the water and not mostly on the grass, lol.

kennethdaysale · 01-20-12, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bamabassman

take bags of 8-8-8 fertlizer and pour it along the edges and let the fish eat it. makes the fish grow bigger.

7509
Bama you crack me up

the fertilizer makes these little rascals "plankton" multiply

[ATTACH][/ATTACH]

joedog · 01-21-12, 09:11 AM

No idea where you live so real hard to help you.
Unless the pond is yours, you basically can fish it or find another.

bamabassman · 01-21-12, 09:35 AM

lol, thank you for the "correction" joe. as long as it helps the bass grow i am all for it bud.

maybe i need to throw some fetilizer out where i normally fish......hmmmm?

bassfishkansas · 01-27-12, 06:14 PM

Bamabass, that is just about the WORST possible thing that you can do to your pond. When you get 8-8-8 fertilizer, there is VERY high phosphate content. The middle number is the ammount of phosphates. Phosphates can kill fish, contribute to algal bloom, and contaminate water. You had better be joking about that comment!

kennethdaysale · 01-27-12, 07:28 PM

I don't recommend amateurs start dumping bags of fertilizer, BUT it's precisely the PHOSPHATES that many ponds need and benefit from the most. The north and central Fla. reclaimed phosphate mines[ (Bienville Plantation for example) where Bill Dance films over half his shows are loaded with phosphates (and huge bass)] are living proof. Name: high phosphoros.jpg
Views: 107
Size: 4.6 KB

Name: high phosphoros.jpg
Views: 107
Size: 4.6 KB

**notice the phosphate % on this commercial pond fertilizer!

bamabassman · 01-27-12, 08:10 PM

bassfishkansas, i am only reporting what i have seen and heard form others. if the adding fertilizer is bad, sorry. i don't have a pond so i REALLY don't know. that is why i said to ask the local conservation office FIRST. maybe not on this thread, i haveon others like it though. sorry if this infomation is wrong. not my intent at all to harm a pond or bass or any other fish.

01-20-12, 04:16 PM	#1
LittleBigBass BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 70	Improving Ponds for Bass Fishing As a teenager, i cant afford to buy boats for bass fishing, and generally have to resort to large ponds to fish in. There is one pond in particular that i almost always fish in. The problem is, im not sure if there is a good amount of bass in the pond. I also wonder if maybe the other populations of different fish species over-run the bass population. The amount of baitfish also comes into play with ponds. Im not sure how much baitfish is in the pond, but i know there is some. I would like to make this pond as good as possible for bass fishing. Problem is, i have no idea how to make it better. I dont know if i should add more bait to the pond, Kill of the Large Carp population, or add more structure. Is there anything i can do to improve the pond for bass? This pond is approximately 1 1/2 football fields long, and is only about 50 yards wide. The depth is about 3-5 ft. The water is murky, and it has a muddy bottom. There are a lot of trees around the perimeter of the lake. I want to make this pond good so i can catch a lot of bass in the spring. Maybe there is a lot of bass in the pond, and i am just not catching them...But i have tried everything and have practiced daily, but the rewards have been short. I would appreceate any feedback! Thanks

01-20-12, 05:19 PM	#2
kennethdaysale BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: rock hill, sc Posts: 2,315	Hey LBB..First and foremost who owns this pond? Do you have permission to mess with/manage it? Don't do anything until you're sure you can. Assuming you or a family member owns this pond or you have permission to do stuff to it, there are lots of things you can do to evaluate and improve this pond, some of those things will cost little or nothing some of them will cost more. Step one is to determine what kind of fish population and numbers are in there now. You'll need a friend and a cheap seine net to do a sampling. Unfortunately that isn't feasible until the spring and there's very little you can do now to make much of a difference this year anyway. Best to set more long range(2-4-6) goals after you see where your at with the sampling. I would be more than happy to discus this project at length with you..pm me and I'll give you my e-mail rather than tie up needless space here. Where do you live? __________________ Sometimes you gotta risk it to get the biscuit.

01-20-12, 06:18 PM	#3
bamabassman BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: cedar bluff, alabama Posts: 15,292	i would like to add that you can contact your local agancy. they should come out and tel oyu more for free. if oyu ask real nicely. i know a lot of people who have ponds will take bags of 8-8-8 fertlizer and pour it along the edges and let the fish eat it. makes the fish grow bigger. jsut be sure oyu get it IN the water and not mostly on the grass, lol. __________________ so many lures, so little time.

01-21-12, 09:11 AM	#5
joedog BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: JANESVILLE,WI. 53545 Posts: 3,415	No idea where you live so real hard to help you. Unless the pond is yours, you basically can fish it or find another. __________________ "Fishing isn't life or death... it's more important than that."

01-21-12, 09:35 AM	#6
bamabassman BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: cedar bluff, alabama Posts: 15,292	lol, thank you for the "correction" joe. as long as it helps the bass grow i am all for it bud. maybe i need to throw some fetilizer out where i normally fish......hmmmm? __________________ so many lures, so little time.

01-27-12, 06:14 PM	#7
bassfishkansas BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 77	Bamabass, that is just about the WORST possible thing that you can do to your pond. When you get 8-8-8 fertilizer, there is VERY high phosphate content. The middle number is the ammount of phosphates. Phosphates can kill fish, contribute to algal bloom, and contaminate water. You had better be joking about that comment!

01-27-12, 07:28 PM	#8
kennethdaysale BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: rock hill, sc Posts: 2,315	I don't recommend amateurs start dumping bags of fertilizer, BUT it's precisely the PHOSPHATES that many ponds need and benefit from the most. The north and central Fla. reclaimed phosphate mines[ (Bienville Plantation for example) where Bill Dance films over half his shows are loaded with phosphates (and huge bass)] are living proof. *notice the phosphate % on this commercial pond fertilizer! __________________ Sometimes you gotta risk it to get the biscuit. Last edited by kennethdaysale; 01-27-12 at 08:27 PM.*

01-27-12, 08:10 PM	#9
bamabassman BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: cedar bluff, alabama Posts: 15,292	bassfishkansas, i am only reporting what i have seen and heard form others. if the adding fertilizer is bad, sorry. i don't have a pond so i REALLY don't know. that is why i said to ask the local conservation office FIRST. maybe not on this thread, i haveon others like it though. sorry if this infomation is wrong. not my intent at all to harm a pond or bass or any other fish. __________________ so many lures, so little time.

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