Puzzled Ponds

[Squirmin Wormin]

The ponds i fish are a total of 5 ponds , but 2 are new and they are producing ok, the rest are older and used to be as productive and with better and bigger bass , i'm not sure about if they are being heavily fished or what. now i use the same tackle ,tactics etc... with no results like say 2 years ago. their some decent size bass like 3 to maybe a 4lb range in these but seem harder to catch now than before. i'm open for suggestions! one of these ponds is fished heavily for trout by others and not sure if that pressure has an effect as far as me catching my bass. the other 2 nothing at all, and both have good structure for them,(like the hilton ) so can't figure why they aren't hitting and used to be before. As far as the fishing pressure goes besides the one pond with trout in it, limited if any to my knowledge. one pond has fallen trees in it and use a texas rig worm ,with no results like i use too , they used to smash a rattling rogue but nothing now. need some suggestions,thanks

[Sam]

Suggestions:

Search for baitfish.  Go for bream and bluegills to find out if they are in each pond.  If not, chances are the bass are not there. Also look for minnows in the ponds. Once again, if no minnows then probably few or no bass.

 

Searching for Structure.  Throw a heavy sinker as you walk around the pond to search for underwater structure.  Make a map of each pond and enter what the weight tells you. You may be surprised at where the bass are holding out from the bank.

 

Early Mornings and Late Evenings.  Get up before dawn and get to the ponds.  Listen for topwater hits.  Throw a popper, buzzbait or a frog to try to find out if they are feeding. Do this as the sun goes down, too.  Remember, bass will feed as the sun rises and falls. Your eyes will tell you if the bass are in the ponds at these hours of the early morning and late evening.

 

Lots of Small Bass.  Ponds are overcrowded and the bass do not have enough food to grow to heavier weights.  Only way to cure this problem is to harvest the smaller bass.

 

Big Momma.  Usually, a good pond will have one, two or a few big ladies that will hit the bank at dawn and dusk and then go deep into their structure.   After you have made your map of the ponds' structure go back and try to fish out as far as you can cast with a jig and pig, Senko, shaky head or crankbait/spinnerbait. You may not be able to get to the "honey holes" but maybe  you can come close and the big ones will move to attack your presentation.

 

No Bass?  Then the bass population is not there so don't waste your time.  Hit the productive ponds.

 

So do your recon and homework and then start to fish for the bass.

 

I know, it kills us to do this.  Just like we don't want to take the time to check our line or retie our knots.  But this is a basic part of bass fishing.  It is like you going skiing in Colorado and not checking the security of your skis or taking the time to dress properly before hitting the slopes.

 

Let us know what you find and if you finally find the bigger bass.

 

Good luck.

[Bigboy28438]

I fish a pond that has structure in it and lots of grass on the bottom. Water is stained and I have fished lots of different baits. It took me 5 or 6 times to target them but finely I have found what they like. For this pond it was zoom motor oil worms rigged weightless. I can catch 6 or 7 pretty easy now but before I found what they liked it was very stressing. Good luck.

[gulfcaptain]

Just remember these are ponds so the fish you catch on a certain bait or cover type you can exhaust quickly. I have had great bites fishing heavy grass beds on ponds around my house but after a few consistant days they shut off.  You can blow through your fish quickly so you have to try and find multiple ways of catching them.

[hatrix]

I am sure the trout fishermen make a difference. If you compare it to like a local park pond. Almost everyone that goes there will use worms or something of that sort and are trying to catch catfish or some sort of pan fish. Those places can be very hard to get bit at. If it is big enough and you can somehow get away from those areas they fish and off to your self far away you probably stand a better chance.

[FrogTosser88]

This week I went to my usual spot on the delta 2 times.. Caught a healthy bass on a motor oil trick worm.. Came back 2 days later and nothing would touch it.. Threw a green pumpkin with red flake and no hits..... Took out my chartreuse pen and coloured the tail... Bam bam bam bam!!! 4 fish in a row... So I think its necessary to try different baits or colors in my situation to keep them interested