Ingredients for best lakes for a 7lb Largemouth

[RichS]

What do think are the prime attributes for a 7lb bass lake in Jersey? I've taken 2 bass that I didn't weigh, but were probably 7 or close to it. Both private water- one in Poconos and one Southern Catskills. So, aside from limited access, what do you think are the key ingredients? Forage? Regulations? Lakes with large volumes of water (Cong, Greenwood, "the reservoirs") put out big fish every year despite fishing pressure.

[AndyS]

Why is limited access a key ? The biggest trout and bass I have ever seen caught in New Jersey came from Round Valley.
The bass from RV was 8 pounds. The State Record Smallmouth came from Round Valley, limited access, not getting your point here.

[Lard Almighty]

Originally Posted by AndyS

Why is limited access a key ? The biggest trout and bass I have ever seen caught in New Jersey came from Round Valley.
The bass from RV was 8 pounds. The State Record Smallmouth came from Round Valley, limited access, not getting your point here.

This. The pic below is my PB NJ largemouth, caught from a VERY public park pond.

I would say forage base is the absolute most important thing. There is no chance of any bass getting big if there is not enough for it to eat. In fact, there needs to be MORE than enough, since as a bass gets larger it requires more food to maintain its body mass, i.e. it takes a lot more food to get a bass from 6 t o7 pounds than it takes to get a bass from 1 to 2 pounds.

[DanH]

1 Forage Base

2 Forage Base

3 Forage Base

Gizzard Shad is a real good start !

[bulletbob]

Forage base of course.. thats the first priority.. However, you also need a place where fish aren't eaten by the first angler that catches them after attaining legal keeper size.. lots of lakes in NJ can grow big bass, but lots of them are also highly pressured as well.. Up here we have cayuga lake which was bass lake of national reknown.. Until the national, state, and local tournaments destroyed it.. between that and the many locals that catch bass to eat, it destroyed a LMB fishery that was once one of the best in the entire US.. Pressure is fierce on LMB these days.. Yes a LOT of guys release them, but they get hooked a lot, handled a lot, and the amount of bass fishermen I see on some lakes in summer is beyond belief.. makes one wonder how any survive at all... bob

[NJSquatch]

Forage and surviving the gauntlet.

Those 5# fish are over 10 years old.

Pic from F&W exhibit

[Chrisper4694]

come on, you know where to catch a 7lbs smallie!