Native fish collecting

[Greg31]

I live in Southern Maryland near the Patuxent river. I live on a farm with plenty of creeks and ponds. I am interested in possibly trying to collect some very small bass. Anyone know any strategies to doing this?

I know our pond has small mouth but other than that I wouldnt know how to acquire them.

 

[sostoudt]

I live in Southern Maryland near the Patuxent river. I live on a farm with plenty of creeks and ponds. I am interested in possibly trying to collect some very small bass. Anyone know any strategies to doing this?

I know our pond has small mouth but other than that I wouldnt know how to acquire them.

minnow trap or net

 

[Greg31]

Right now would probably be a bad time to start looking for these fish, am i correct?

 

[MinnowMagnet]

if private propert, use a castnet

 

[dsaavedra]

I live in Southern Maryland near the Patuxent river. I live on a farm with plenty of creeks and ponds. I am interested in possibly trying to collect some very small bass. Anyone know any strategies to doing this?

I know our pond has small mouth but other than that I wouldnt know how to acquire them.

i live in southern maryland by the patuxent too! where are you located? i'm in mechanicsville.

are you SURE you have smallmouth bass in your ponds? smallmouth bass aren't a "pond" fish, they prefer deeper lakes or cool streams/rivers. ponds down here are much too warm for smallmouth.

anyway, to answer your question, take a dipnet (or seine if you have a buddy) in the creeks and just net around snags and leaves and deep pools and roots and any kind of cover you can find. this is where the fish will be. you can also put minnow traps in the pools to catch a good amount of fish overnight.

in a pond you will be better off sticking with minnow traps, or like minnowmagnet said, since its private property you could give a cast net a shot.

 

[jinkzd]

I have seen a smallmouth guarding a nest in a pond about 50' x 75', when I lived in Delaware so it's not unheard of up around these parts. One of the neatest aquatic things I have witnessed firsthand. Good luck with the collecting!

 

[Greg31]

If you have ever heard of Baden, thats where I am. If not Baden then Brandywine is probably the actually city name. I am out of state at the moment, but once I get back I will try some of these strategies.

 

[dsaavedra]

never heard of Baden but i know where Brandywine is.

 

[dragonsong]

I caught a couple little baby bass using a rod and reel (in my aunt's pond) and grew them out for a while. Just find out where they like to be and then get the nets

 

[dsaavedra]

yeah thats true you can always catch sunfish and small bass with rod and reel, though most of the fish you catch with rod and reel will be pretty big for a tank, unless you got a giant tank.

i like to get fish when they are real small like 2 inches and grow them out from there. nets are good for getting juvenile fish.