Where Do Bass Go When There's No Cover?

[ABW]

I fish a 10 acre pond, and there is literally no visible cover anywhere. I haven't been able to catch anything lately, but while walking around on the bank I have seen activity in the leaves and dead weeds right by the bank. Should I try throwing something in there?

[bighed]

Same place we all would go in an empty room with a bucket of KFC on the floor.  Yep, fish where you think the food is. 

[fishballer06]

In a 10 acre pond, I'm sure there is some sort of structure somewhere, you're just not finding it. 

 

Like bighead said, fish are going to go where the food is more often than not. Other times, their location may be decided upon by depth (dropoffs) or by oxygen levels (deeper water, flowing water, thermocline, etc). 

[Catch and Grease]

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/119978-fishing-small-ponds-without-structure/

 

First link on Google.

[MO_LMB]

Find some underwater structure or cover with a bottom contact bait and try dissecting it from there. 

[PersicoTrotaVA]

Structure.  Even a small little bump or hole is structure.  It is something for a fish to use as a reference point.  Drop offs, ledges as well.  Points as well.

[BigMoneyGrip]

I also fish one with no structure or cover other than the weeds around the edge. The weeds come out about 10' from the bank and the water is 2~3 feet deep. This is where they are. I throw a Zoom swimmin fluke just inside the weeds and then drag it out. As soon as the lure comes out of the weeds, I let it drop to the bottom and thats when the get it. Every time.

[Senko lover]

Leaves and dead weeds are cover, however sparse. 100% positive there is some more cover, you're just not seeing it. Try dragging a Carolina Rig or a jig across the bottom and see if you can find a stick or a rock or something.

Like the others said, structure is equally important. A small dip or hump in the pond's bottom might hold some fish.

[WRB]

Welcome to BR young man.

Cover is. anything organic like aquatic vegetation, trees growing in or near the water edge floating on or near the surface like docks.

Structure is basically the earth and anything solid like the bottom of your pond, any rocks, stumps, pipes, walls, drain ditches, dam etc.

Pond bass tend to roam the edges looking for prey and try to find water temps they prefer, warmest available during the cold water period.

Debris floating on the surface is cover and bass often feed there if prey is hiding around the cover.

Tom

[ABW]

Welcome to BR young man.

Cover is. anything organic like aquatic vegetation, trees growing in or near the water edge floating on or near the surface like docks.

Structure is basically the earth and anything solid like the bottom of your pond, any rocks, stumps, pipes, walls, drain ditches, dam etc.

Pond bass tend to roam the edges looking for prey and try to find water temps they prefer, warmest available during the cold water period.

Debris floating on the surface is cover and bass often feed there if prey is hiding around the cover.

Tom

 

Its pretty much winter around here, but is it possible that bass would stay shallow hidden in weeds and leaves? This would be around 1-2 feet of water. I was fishing with a guy that offered to take me out on his boat, and he was catching a lot by flipping plastics into the weeds.

[WRB]

When someone offers to help take them upon it. Learning to catch bass in the weeds is essential where you are fishing.

If you see fish feeding under debris, try quietly casting a soft plastic weedless rigged to the spot.

Tom

Its pretty much winter around here, but is it possible that bass would stay shallow hidden in weeds and leaves? This would be around 1-2 feet of water. I was fishing with a guy that offered to take me out on his boat, and he was catching a lot by flipping plastics into the weeds.

When someone offers to help take them upon it. Learning to catch bass in the weeds is essential where you are fishing.

If you see fish feeding under debris, try quietly casting a soft plastic worm weedless rigged to the spot.

The slip shot rig or mojo rig using cylinder shape weight works good with finesse soft plastic worms. The Florida rig ( pegged bullet weight) Texas rigged wormer craw also good in weeds or around weed breaks.

Tom

[geo g]

Find some structure. A depth change is a good one, even if it is just a foot or two. Find a rock pile in deep water. Find a creek channel entrance or an exit point, there will be current in the area. The lakes I fish from the bank all have culvert pipes and it can be magical around those openings. Always looks of bird activity. If there are fish in the lake, they will at some point relate to some type of structure.

[Bluebasser86]

Put a couple hardwoods in areas that you've caught fish before, make sure it's okay/legal first though.

[ABW]

Find some structure. A depth change is a good one, even if it is just a foot or two. Find a rock pile in deep water. Find a creek channel entrance or an exit point, there will be current in the area. The lakes I fish from the bank all have culvert pipes and it can be magical around those openings. Always looks of bird activity. If there are fish in the lake, they will at some point relate to some type of structure.

 

I can almost gurantee that this pond I'm fishing is almost all dead plant matter. I have thrown medium diving crankbaits and have dug up dead leaves. There is a cage that was built to hold some sort of fish, and around there is about 9-10 feet deep. I have tried almost everything there but have never caught anything. It is at the very bottom of the pond in the picture. That's where all the deep water is. The little channel is only around 4-5 feet deep, and that strip is a bridge going over the pond. The dead weeds and leaves cover the channel, and the whole right side of the pond in the picture. Where would you start fishing if you came here?

[geo g]

Just from taking a quick look at the lake, on a bright sunny day I would toss a lure under that bridge.  They will seek out the shade.  Also that point on the left side, then around those weeds on the top right side.  Then its a crap shoot, just pound the water.

[ABW]

Just from taking a quick look at the lake, on a bright sunny day I would toss a lure under that bridge.  They will seek out the shade.  Also that point on the left side, then around those weeds on the top right side.  Then its a crap shoot, just pound the water.

 

I have caught tons of fish under the bridge in the summer, but they have moved out since then. Also with that point, I have not had any luck fishing there, but I will try again when I get the chance.