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Largemouth bass
Largemouth bass are a favorite sport fish for landowners. Properly managed, they provide exciting opportunities for anglers young and old. But what are the keys to managing for trophy bass?
After the initial stocking and several years down the road, many landowners are left with a pond full of small- and medium-size bass, but no big ones tugging on their lines. So what needs to be done to grow bigger bass?
Consult a fishery professional before trying to fix the problem. Most states have fishery biologists on staff who can diagnose the problem and present realistic solutions.
Too often, overzealous owners make the problem worse or waste a lot of time and money on a solution that does not address the issues at hand.
A pond lacking in large bass may be the result of a number of factors:
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Is the pond choked with weeds, preventing bass access to forage? Spot treatments of herbicide, mechanical removal of weeds or drawdowns can alleviate the problem.
- Too many mid-size bass can suppress older fish from growing, stunting the size structure. A biologist will often introduce a slot limit to protect fish larger than 16 inches, while allowing the harvest of mid-size bass (12 to 16 inches) to allow older fish to grow.
- Is your pond secure from trespassers? Absentee landowners often learn about unscrupulous anglers hopping the fence to poach fish from their ponds. Post the property, erect gates, install trail cameras or enroll the property with local law enforcement for patrol. Poachers can quickly destroy an investment, so protect your fish.
- Stocking forage to bump up growth is not always a good idea. Dumping live food into a pond is expensive and can introduce disease, unwanted fish and invasive species. Often the landowner ends up with a dirty pond full of gizzard shad, causing more problems than a lack of big bass. If the fish in the pond are healthy, the pond has enough forage.
- Is water quality a problem? Runoff from agriculture or septic systems could limit oxygen for fish. Larger fish tend to be more sensitive to low oxygen. Planting filter strips around the pond or working to reduce tainted runoff will help the health of a pond.
There are many more reasons bass won’t grow, such as pond fertility, pH, predation, etc. The best step for landowners is to consult with a biologist, who can prescribe one or several solutions. — P.J. Perea
WANT MORE? > Visit ALEARN.info for more on pond management. The site is a cooperative effort by the Auburn University Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquaculture, and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.