Winter Pond

[Bigbass37]

Best tactics for fishing in the winter in small to medium ponds with not much structure and vegetation. Baits, tactics, anything helps!

[ABW]

If you're fishing small ponds, I'd throw a jig out to the deepest water I can reach and slowly drag it back. Could try a shakeyhead too. Some like to throw jerkbaits in the winter but that's not my thing.

[Bassin30721]

I having luck with a jig with zoom speed craw draging it on the bottom. Dose the pond have rocks?

[SRQbass]

I actually had some sucsess throwing buzzbaits at some bass in a shallow pond the other day

[ABW]

I actually had some sucsess throwing buzzbaits at some bass in a shallow pond the other day

I see you live in Florida....

[Ozark_Basser]

Small swimbaits fished with as light of weight as you think you can get away with along the banks or tight to whatever cover there is.  Fish the same stuff as always but in winter you really got to put your bait in front of their face. 

[everythingthatswims]

 

I actually had some sucsess throwing buzzbaits at some bass in a shallow pond the other day

 

 

 

Florida doesn't count as winter, you just have early fall for a few months before spring 

[Bluebasser86]

Florida doesn't count as winter, you just have early fall for a few months before spring 

Right, if you're complaining because it's cold out when it's in the 50's, I don't want to hear about it.

 

Suspending jerkbaits are about all I use in ponds during the winter time. Soft twitches and long pauses are the name of the game.

[Sam]

Bigbass, no matter what you throw you will have to slow down as the bass are not going to move too far to hit your bait.

 

You have to think like a bass in cold water. And "cold water" is different in parts of the country.

 

I mean that in Florida water in the low 60s or high 50s is cold water.  In Virginia water in the 50s and 40s is cold water.  Up north anything below a minus 20 is cold water.  And Texas and California never have cold water!!!!!

 

So knowing your pond and the water temperature (invest in a swimming pool thermometer and add a long string so you can throw it into the water) you will probably be fishing on the bottom with jigs and plastics.

 

And you know the "warm water" theorem.  The pond's waters will heat up the fastest on the north and west banks.  So consider fishing the banks where sun hits them first as that water will be a little warmer and the bass will swim into it to feed or sun themselves.

 

Concentrate.  A bass may not grab your Senko and run like the police are chasing him in colder water.  He will pick up the Senko; mouth it a little; decide if he wants to eat it; and if so swim away or just sit there, in one place, enjoying its feel and taste.  So if you feel anything different with your bait you set the hook. And set I hard. This means keeping a finger on the line at all times the bait is in the water to try to feel the differences in tension and slack in your line plus any of those famous little bumps.

 

Scent and vibrations.  You need scent on all baits and try some with vibrations like spinnerbaits or Chatterbaits.  You have to alert the bass that your bait is in the water if you are using a moving bait.

 

Cast out as far as you can and make a slow retrieve back to you.  Or flip and pitch along a sun drenched bank.

 

Now go out and do some fishing and let us know, by adding to this topic, how you do.

[primetime]

I just started using Flick Shake worms on a shaky Head rig, and they stand vertical which I did not know, and I have been doing well with them on 8lb camo mono....I usually like fluoro but on spinning gear I get frustrated with it in the cold, but braid to fluoro or even mono to fluoro is something I will do as I believe in cold clear water fluoro helps, and it is also good for topwater in many cases...Louder pops, I know it sinks, but I have been doing well with topwaters on cold days in the afternoon, Chug Bugs, Sebile Flatt shad suspending using reel for all the action works great since you can pitch it like a jig...and a Jig...I forget that the Jig is never a bad choice, and when in doubt, a brown jig with a twin tail trailer in black is always a good pond lure....or add a floating worm and fish it like a shaky rig...

[Bigbass37]

Bigbass, no matter what you throw you will have to slow down as the bass are not going to move too far to hit your bait.

 

You have to think like a bass in cold water. And "cold water" is different in parts of the country.

 

I mean that in Florida water in the low 60s or high 50s is cold water.  In Virginia water in the 50s and 40s is cold water.  Up north anything below a minus 20 is cold water.  And Texas and California never have cold water!!!!!

 

So knowing your pond and the water temperature (invest in a swimming pool thermometer and add a long string so you can throw it into the water) you will probably be fishing on the bottom with jigs and plastics.

 

And you know the "warm water" theorem.  The pond's waters will heat up the fastest on the north and west banks.  So consider fishing the banks where sun hits them first as that water will be a little warmer and the bass will swim into it to feed or sun themselves.

 

Concentrate.  A bass may not grab your Senko and run like the police are chasing him in colder water.  He will pick up the Senko; mouth it a little; decide if he wants to eat it; and if so swim away or just sit there, in one place, enjoying its feel and taste.  So if you feel anything different with your bait you set the hook. And set I hard. This means keeping a finger on the line at all times the bait is in the water to try to feel the differences in tension and slack in your line plus any of those famous little bumps.

 

Scent and vibrations.  You need scent on all baits and try some with vibrations like spinnerbaits or Chatterbaits.  You have to alert the bass that your bait is in the water if you are using a moving bait.

 

Cast out as far as you can and make a slow retrieve back to you.  Or flip and pitch along a sun drenched bank.

 

Now go out and do some fishing and let us know, by adding to this topic, how you do.

Been going out here and their and having some success. I cant seem to find the right baits to catch the majority of the fish. I seem to be catching one or two on one bait, then one or two on another so I guess they arent too picky. Thanks for the help! I also have been struggling to find a good pond jerkbait. 

[*Hank]

T-rigged watermelon senko,Gyb d-shads(bubblegum).,zoom horny toads watermelon.

[Rhino68W]

Best tactics for fishing in the winter in small to medium ponds with not much structure and vegetation. Baits, tactics, anything helps!

Light spinning setup, wacky rig, and patience.