Trails » Fishing » Types of Fishing » Pond Fishing » How to Make a Monster Bass Pond

How to Make a Monster Bass Pond

How to Make a Monster Bass Pond

bass image by Liz Van Steenburgh from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>

Largemouth bass adapt easily to their surroundings, making them ideal candidates to inhabit a fish pond. Buy and raise bass from a young age to ensure they receive the appropriate diet and live in the right conditions to grow into trophy-sized fish. It will take nine to 10 years for young bass to feed, develop and grow into 12- to 13-pound monster bass. Whether your goal is to raise fish for recreation or for game, follow these steps to grow a pond full of healthy largemouth bass.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:
  • Aquatic weeds
  • Bottom-based aeration system
  • 1,600 2-inch bluegill
  • 400 2-inch redear sunfish
  • 10 pounds of fathead minnows
  • 100 3-inch largemouth bass
  • Fishing gear
Step 1
Prepare your pond by making sure there are areas on the waterbed that are firm and are covered by sand, mud or gravel. Bass require firm beds in order to carry out the spawning process.
Step 2
Plant aquatic weeds throughout the pond to provide cover for fry and fingerlings.
Step 3
Install a bottom-based aeration system to provide necessary dissolved oxygen throughout the pond.
Step 4
Fill the pond with feeder fish; a mixture of 800 bluegill, 200 redear sunfish and 10 pounds of minnows is the best. The redear sunfish can crack shells and will keep your pond clear of snails.
Step 5
Stock the pond with the largemouth bass after the forage stock has had a full year to grow and develop. Be sure the bass are young of year, or less than 1-year-old.
Step 6
Catch and eliminate the small, skinny bass after the third year. In order for the larger fish to continue to grow, you must thin the weaker population from the pond. The healthy bass should weigh about 3 pounds by the end of this year.
Step 7
Add an additional 800 bluegill and 200 redear sunfish at the beginning of the fourth year. The addition of more feeder fish will ensure that the remaining bass will become monsters.
Step 8
Allow the fish to grow for the next five or six years. If they are growing 1.5 to 2 pounds each year, by the 10th year you should have a pond full of monster bass.

Article Written By Jacob Hendriks

Jacob Hendriks' work has appeared in "The Western Front," "The Planet Magazine" and Trails.com. He graduated from Western Washington University with a major in international business management and a minor in Community Health. Hendriks' passion for sports nutrition and fitness, combined with experience as a personal trainer, has led him to pursue health-oriented journalism.

Write for Trails.com

  • Editor's Pick

    Backcountry Camping Tips

    Backcountry Camping Tips

    You've already tried car and RV camping. You've camped at commercial campsites that had a convenient restroom and water supply. Now, you want to explore the road less traveled. Backcountry camping, also known as primitive camping, is a wonderful way to explore the remote...

    More Backcountry Camping...

  • Popular Article

    Beach Camping Near Pismo Beach, California

    Beach Camping Near Pismo Beach, California

    Pismo State Beach, California, has many attractions and activities including camping, swimming, hiking and wildlife viewing. Birdwatching is one of the primary activities in the area. The park also has the largest over-wintering colony of monarch butterflies in the natio...

    More Beach Camping...

  • Featured Video

    Common Sense Hiking Tips

    Common Sense Hiking Tips

    The first and most fundamental thing is never hike alone. There are too many situations, especially as an unexperienced hiker, where you may find yourself without anyone to help you. So the buddy system works and applies very much in hiking.

    More Camping Basics...

Outdoor Gear & Equipment

ALL NEW Trails Gear Store powered by:

Trail Finder

US Map

Search by Keyword