How Would You Fish This Neighborhood Lake? (Images Included)

[Chris-W]

This neighborhood lake is my primary fishing spot and it's been giving me trouble this summer!  I have caught 5lb bass here before and the primary forage is bluegill.  Much of the lake is 6-8 feet deep with the deepest point around 15 feet.  Senkos have been the most successful but I'm trying to gain confidence on the classic search baits that everyone recommends (spinnerbaits, squarebill crankbaits, etc) which I've never caught fish on.  I've tried fishing early in the morning, middle of the day, and evening and no matter the time, lure, or presentation I've used, it's been really tough lately.  Just curious how everyone else would attack this lake.  I take a Bass Raider 10E out most of the time so I have access to all of the areas you see in the pictures.  Thanks in advance!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[STPC]

I would be flipping/pitching jigs into those submerged trees...pick the jig, color and then add a rage craw trailer.  Being in the same situation and only fishing the neighborhood "fishing hole" the fishing has been tough of late.  I'm gonna just ease off and wait until late September and then kill it again w/jerk baits.

[Chris-W]

I would be flipping/pitching jigs into those submerged trees...pick the jig, color and then add a rage craw trailer.  Being in the same situation and only fishing the neighborhood "fishing hole" the fishing has been tough of late.  I'm gonna just ease off and wait until late September and then kill it again w/jerk baits.

Thanks STPC!  I'm BRAND new to jig fishing, but I recently picked up a couple of pitching/flipping jigs that I need to start fishing. Will definitely throw one the next time I'm out there.  Glad to hear I'm not alone with the tough bite lately  

[warpath58]

Try a black fliptail floating lizard, I lived in an apartment complex years ago and it had a lake that looked like what you show. I had tried everything with little success I would catch a nice one about every other trip until I tried the lizard. throw it  on the bank and drag it in and hang on !!! The old fliptails would float a 5/0 hook but the new ones I just got will only do a 3/0 but that should still do the trick. I also use to catch some huge bullfrogs in the same lake on the same bait, first time I did that I didn't know what I had on the end of the line LOL but they sure tasted good. www.FLIPTAIL-LURES.COM 501-745-6145 GOOD LUCK

[Preytorien]

I think you've pretty well got an idea of what the fish want in that pond. There are some new-to-you techniques you can try, such as the jigs, and that'll increase your odds if the fish have becomed any bit conditioned.

 

Really though, like one person said, we're starting to hit the mid-season slump - some of my consistent "money" waters have skunked me the past couple of weeks. It tends to take the confidence right outta you, but you just have to remember this seems to happen every year. Fall will heat up the action again.

 

One other thing I'd recommend. I don't know how often you fish these waters, but I would try to keep them pristine in their conditon. What I mean is try your level best (and believe me it's tough), to only fish it a couple days a week, even go for maybe 1 day a week. If you and everyone else in the neighborhood hit the water a few times a week, that ends up being a lot of lures, bobbers, and hooks the fish are used to seeing, and may get wary of lures after a while. My closest fishing hole is like that. It produces great until about mid-June, then flat out shuts down once the bass get wise. They won't hardly hit anything until again the next spring, when the water thaws. It's a brutally tough thing to hold yourself back from fishing your favorite spots, but it's pretty well worth it when you can keep the spot infrequently fished enough that you're consistently catching when you actually do fish it. That's why I'm constantly on the lookout for more little honey-holes, that way I can hit each of them once every week/10days and prevent the fish from conditioning. It's sort of a fishing spot management challenge. I even have a little spreadsheet on my phone that I track my frequency to these spots and my results from those days to see if any patterns seem to do better than others. I've found that 1-2 times a week on a decent sized pond is usually fine, but 3 or more and it starts to suffer. Once a week is very good, once every 10-days and the fish might as well jump on the tip of my rod and say hello. (just kiddin')

[RAMBLER]

Original floating rapala, gold/black back; trick worm t-rig weightless; 1/4 oz spinnerbait, 3 colors, white, chartreuse white and firetiger.; and a super fluke starting with white and then color to match the forage.

[2833-34497]

They suggested allot of good tackle already above, but I would hit it at night when the Bass may be more willing also starting with top water baits!

[speed craw]

They suggested allot of good tackle already above, but I would hit it at night when the Bass may be more willing also starting with top water baits!

Dont forget a couple of hours right before sun light ....  That pond is screaming for a senko to skip into tight spots . Sometimes subtle presentations win vs making a lot of movement and disturbance .

[TorqueConverter]

I'd cover water with a Rapala DT4 followed by a texas rigged ribbon tail worm in a dark color.

[gulfcaptain]

I would also fish a jig or flip a tube. If it's got grass don't forget a punch jig with a rage craw or the DB Craw.  This has been my biggest bass producer this year on the local city park lakes which are heavily fished hard.  But I would switch it up.  If you're used to fishing senkos and finese options, go power fishing.  I see everyone fishing senkos and drop shots, yet I manage to produce with a 3/4oz punch jig and straight braid fished in the grass as well as a few stray sight fish that happen to attack the jig when it hits the water.  I'd say it's a 70/30 on those...IE I catch 30% of them. Think outside the box and try something new.  If you're gonna fish a jig, leave everything else at home and only bring a few jigs and trailers as so you can't fall back and are forced to fish them.  A swim jig may also be an option since you said the primary forage is bluegill. 

[Catch and Grease]

I would definitely be throwing squarebills around those areas in the pictures early in the morning....

[2833-34497]

Dont forget a couple of hours right before sun light ....  That pond is screaming for a senko to skip into tight spots . Sometimes subtle presentations win vs making a lot of movement and disturbance .

 

Yes couple hours before sun are good. I meant both dusk and dawn by saying night. Should have maybe worded it differently, LOL!!

[Chris-W]

Thanks for the insight everyone! Keep the tips coming

[gulfcaptain]

Reading a lot of people suggest early morning and evening, well most of all my fish are caught between 10am and 2pm. Sunny days and afternoons when most stop fishing can be some of the best.  Less pressure for one. and you can use the sun to your benefit.  Sun forces fish to look for cover...shade, boat docks, weeds. You can isolate the fish and concentrate on smaller areas.  Pick apart cover.  Once you catch a few see if they are relating to the same things....if so pattern them.  Dismiss the rest of the water and look for those productive areas.  Just remember, it's a pond. a few days of good fishing on a certain pattern and you will blow through your fish at which point you will have to look for another way to catch them.  I've had great bites for 2-3 days and then like a light switch not a bite.  At that point you have to start over and look for another group of fish.  

[Bluebasser86]

With water that stained you should be able to catch fish up shallow all day long. I'd start the morning with a black buzzbait or black and blue bladed jig and switch to a black and blue jig or tube as the sun got up higher. A chartreuse black back squarebill would also be in my arsenal.