Worms In Ponds

[Lindenau03]

When is a good time to use worms in ponds? What type of worms have worked best and what color and what size for bass? Any advice or tips help.

[RB 77]

In actuality anytime is a good time to use plastic worms in ponds! Due to situational differences some time may be better than others though. You have to put in the work and let the fish tell you that though. Some days a different bait (crank bait, spinner bait, jig, etc.) may be working better. With that being said a plastic worm is my go-to bait 12 months a year. As far as styles, colors, and sizes go the skies the limit!

As far as styles and rigs go my top three go-to choices would probably be 6” straight and curl tails on a t-rig, 4” & 6” straight tails on a drop shot rig, and 5” stik baits on a “fly lined” rig (t-rig, no bullet weight). The presentation of these rigs is dependent on water depth, clarity, temperature, location of forage among other factors. This is where homework and “real world” field testing come into play.

Colors are the least of my concerns as location and presentation are the top determining factors in where and how I fish. You can have the best color in the world, but if you are fishing in a location with no fish you will never get bit. However as a general rule I keep it simple with natural colors (watermelon, pumpkin, greenpumpkin, etc.). A good rule of thumb is in low light and stained water conditions go with darker colors (greenpumpkin, black, etc), with high light and clearer water conditions go with lighter colors (watermelon, shad , etc.).

This is where the fun part comes in. Use some of these tips as a starting point and go out to your local pond and blaze the bank and see what happens. Due to seasonal, regional, and other differences you never know what they will have a preference for that day. Bites change from season to season, day to day, even hour to hour. Get out there and see what the fish have to say about it!

[roadwarrior]

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/13845-guaranteed-to-catch-bass/

[Sam]

Lindenau03, ponds are great places to test your skills, baits and techniques.

Senkos, shaky heads, Texas rigs, Carolina rigs, creature baits, finesse worms, curly tail worms, U tail worms trick worms and the list goes on and on and one with types of plastics and your techniques.

Start with Senkos; graduate to shaky head; try a drop shot; test your skills with the Carolina rig; throw a Texas rig; in the early AM when you get to your pond or late in the evening try an unweighted pink trick worm on the surface.

Take your time and make notes. Which plastic did the bass like and the color; what depth did they bite, on the bottom or with a drop shot 18 inches off the bottom. Water clarity and its temperature plus overhead sky conditions can be added to your log.

Then graduate to jigs and pigs; spinnerbaits; crankbaits; lipless crankbaits; Chatterbaits and Shad Raps.

Ponds are fun to fish and you can sharpen your skills.

Always remember to bring your needle nose pliers with you to remove hooks safely.

Good luck. Let us know how you do with each bait and technique.

[rockchalk06]

Lindenau03, ponds are great places to test your skills, baits and techniques.

Senkos, shaky heads, Texas rigs, Carolina rigs, creature baits, finesse worms, curly tail worms, U tail worms trick worms and the list goes on and on and one with types of plastics and your techniques.

Start with Senkos; graduate to shaky head; try a drop shot; test your skills with the Carolina rig; throw a Texas rig; in the early AM when you get to your pond or late in the evening try an unweighted pink trick worm on the surface.

Take your time and make notes. Which plastic did the bass like and the color; what depth did they bite, on the bottom or with a drop shot 18 inches off the bottom. Water clarity and its temperature plus overhead sky conditions can be added to your log.

Then graduate to jigs and pigs; spinnerbaits; crankbaits; lipless crankbaits; Chatterbaits and Shad Raps.

Ponds are fun to fish and you can sharpen your skills.

Always remember to bring your needle nose pliers with you to remove hooks safely.

Good luck. Let us know how you do with each bait and technique.

I couldnt have said it better myself!

Worms are great for when your worn out, sitting on your butt, and just want to drag something to keep fishing.

I don't fish alot of worms, but I use the Culprit 7.5" red shad and black w/ chart tail alot.

The smaller the pond, I go with a senko swim worm with paddle tail or what ever you call it. Most of these fish have never seen one, and they hammer it like a fat kid playing dodge ball

[Busy]

I don't know about graduating to other baits, or TRigging worms being lazy baits. Not sure the shakey head is a "better technique" because it "tests your skills." It may just be that the fish are biting TRigs one day and Shakeys the next!

In farm ponds I like to use a bigger profile worm. Maybe 8" in length. We used to lift haybales up with the tractor and get the worms out from underneath them that almost look like snakes and they would have yellowed undersides. Definitely not the canadian nightcrawlers you buy out of the gas station fridge. I always like to use worms that mimic these when fishing farm ponds, TRigged of course.

The wacky rig and drop-shot I think of as vertical presentations and may not be the best choice if you are fishing from the shore. Pond bass (as I'm thinking of a pond) don't have the forage that lake bass do and I think that ponds have more personality. Fishing lakes if you can find the bass you should be able to get them to bite. In ponds finding the bass usually isn't the issue but getting them to bite is. There will often be a few specific things they will decimate and then ingnore almost everything else. Especially in ponds I stick to mimicking the natural forage.

[guitarkid]

Honestly, I could fish ponds with nothing more than 1 bag of trick worms, 1 bag of 7.5" culprit style worms and some really light weight bullet weights and be fine. I usually fish the trick worms rigged weedless and weightless with a 2/0 or 3/0 hook. I very rarely use a weight, but when I do they are tiny weights, mostly either 1/32 or 1/16. I also will say this, don't be the guy who is like "small water small lures". Don't be affraid to use whatever size stuff you want to. I caught my old pb (about 8lbs.) on a 1/2 spinnerbait, WAY too big for those guys.

-gk