Pond Vs Lake Fish Patterns Come Winter Fishing It Today Please Help Guys!!

[TxHawgs]

I'm fishin a pond tomorrow in NE Texas not sure what the water temps are gonna be, maybe 60° My friend who thinks he knows it all and doesn't thinks that the fish are gonna be shut down and not bite cuz of the temps. It's not Jan of Feb yet, the pond has some 20+ ft. spots in it for the fish. So how different will the fish in the pond be from the lake fish right now? Should I fish the same lures and techniques for the ponds that I would if I was on the lake? Will the ponds become un catchable at some point cuz of the temps? And this is coming from the guy who owns the pond but I just don't think he fishes for them with the right techniques when it's cold, also any suggestions on what to fish would be appreciated and it holds some big fish some 20+ deep water and maybe 10 acres big, thanks guys.

[Gilbone]

Fish it just like you would the lake in your area and react to what the fish want. Find the fish then figure out what they want. Throw a fast bait and see if they react if not slow it down with a shakey head or jig. Fish with everything and the kitchen sink to figure out what they want. 

 

Stickem Hard

[BigSkyBasser]

Ill bet you'll find fish up shallow who want some big meals. If the fish haven't transitioned to winter feeding Id be throwing things like jigs and swimbaits and working them along weed edges.

If the fish are being tough, that's when you whip out the spoons and blade baits to counter winter, and cold water conditions.

Are you guys mainly power or finesse fisherman?

[gulfcaptain]

60, that's prime water temps.  Some overlooked baits when fishing ponds in the fall......smaller castable a-rigs with 3-4" baits.  But honestly I'd fish it the same way I'd look at fishing a lake, just in a smaller body of water.  Fish at 60 can be anywhere and quite active.

[WRB]

First let me add a question, how many acres is this pond?

Sometimes a small pond in Texas is a small lake in other regions of the country and ponds everywhere else can called tanks?

Remember surface water temperature doesn't indicate the core water temps where the bass are.

60 would indicate fall water temps, the bass should be active and respond to whatever you like to use.

Bass are bass, not always active, mostly inactive so timing is just as important in a pond as in a lake, just smaller area with specific prey sources.

I would start with a T-rigged 3/26 oz bullet weight with 6" fat body worm in a floor you have confidence using.

Tom

[TxHawgs]

Ill bet you'll find fish up shallow who want some big meals. If the fish haven't transitioned to winter feeding Id be throwing things like jigs and swimbaits and working them along weed edges.

If the fish are being tough, that's when you whip out the spoons and blade baits to counter winter, and cold water conditions.

Are you guys mainly power or finesse fisherman?

I feel as though I'm pretty well rounded and will throw what they want, we fished this past Thursday and they really had lock jaw. Nothing on worms or Carolina rigs, also threw soft swimbaits, mid depth cranks and squarebills and nothing. I forgot a thermometer but the water felt cold as hell like in the 40s but I could be wrong. Only 3 fish were caught in shallow water on spinnerbaits.

[TxHawgs]

First let me add a question, how many acres is this pond?

Sometimes a small pond in Texas is a small lake in other regions of the country and ponds everywhere else can called tanks?

Remember surface water temperature doesn't indicate the core water temps where the bass are.

60 would indicate fall water temps, the bass should be active and respond to whatever you like to use.

Bass are bass, not always active, mostly inactive so timing is just as important in a pond as in a lake, just smaller area with specific prey sources.

I would start with a T-rigged 3/26 oz bullet weight with 6" fat body worm in a floor you have confidence using.

Tom

I was wrong the water was much cooler, forgot a thermometer but it felt like it was in the 40s it was cold. Don't know how many acres it is, maybe 100yds wide by 200yds long deepest area being 25ft