Pressured neighborhood pond

[Nathan_flovin]

One of my good friends lives in a gated neighborhood that has 3 ponds connected to each other that equal up about 2-3 acres. This pond gets a decent amount of pressure from people in the neighborhood. We plan on going there and I was wondering what baits we should use in this Texas summer heat. We plan on just using senkos but are there any other tactics we should do?

[Jonathan Evans]

53 minutes ago, Nathan_flovin said:

One of my good friends lives in a gated neighborhood that has 3 ponds connected to each other that equal up about 2-3 acres. This pond gets a decent amount of pressure from people in the neighborhood. We plan on going there and I was wondering what baits we should use in this Texas summer heat. We plan on just using senkos but are there any other tactics we should do?

I am fishing a highly pressured Florida park pond thats about the same size if not a bit bigger. any cover or plant life in the water?

[JLWoodman]

I like to do some homework before I fish something I never have before, or didn't fish at a certain time of year.  Try to find out what the bass are eating and do what you can to match that.  If they are chasing shad, try white and transparent white baits.  If they are chasing sunfish and/or craws, match those with the same colored lures.  Simply put, find what they are eating and "match the hatch".  You also might want to find out where they are hanging out at, given the time of day.  What kind of bottom the ponds have and vegetation.  Look for transition area's.  If these ponds have fountains in them, that's a great place for bass to hang out due to the extra oxygen the fountains give.  I could go on forever.

Do your homework and you will catch more, hopefully.  Good luck!

[aceman387]

Ned rig !  Try different retrieves like crawling it,hopping it,swimming it.

[Yak man]

I have a lot of luck fishing for these types of ponds in the dead of night. Around midnight I throw a  black 7" Power worm. Works great!

[Bankbeater]

Try talking to people and see what kind of bait they are using.  When you find out, throw something different that the fish have not seen before.

[You_Only_Live_Once_Fishing]

frog and senko

-Andrew Flair

[camman]

For heavy pressured waters I usually downsize my baits and fish the lightest line I can usually 4lb test 

[thebillsman]

2.8" Keitech Crazy Flapper

[tander]

On 7/24/2016 at 7:33 PM, aceman387 said:

Ned rig !  Try different retrieves like crawling it,hopping it,swimming it.

This what I would do. Can't beat a Ned Rig for pressured water.

[GetBent]

Wacky rig senko. Ned rig Trd 

[the reel ess]

I would start with whatever they bite everywhere else I fish. You might hit them just right. But if not, I'd fall back on the finesse approaches everyone else has mentioned. My fishing buddy showed me something with the old do-nothing worm with a splitshot lately-the rig with 2 small pre-rigged hooks in a 4" worm. He has 2 fish over 5 lbs on it in the last 2 weeks plus a lot of dinks that weren't biting for us until he switched to it. Use natural colors.

I like a weightless trick worm for new waters because I know most people don't use it, therefore the fish haven't seen it. If it's really tough, I'll use a C-rig with the Zoom Finesse Worm on a 2/0 hook and a light bullet weight. I've tried the ned rig to no avail lately, but I'm sure it works. If you like the Senko, but get no bites, downsize.

[Preytorien]

On 7/24/2016 at 8:33 PM, aceman387 said:

Ned rig !  Try different retrieves like crawling it,hopping it,swimming it.

This to a tee. The Ned Rig is pretty much the greatest lure I've used for heavily pressured waters, especially featureless, coverless, and structureless retention ponds. 

[blckshirt98]

Drop shot something clear or light color with light flaking!  Like a Yamamoto pro senko light green w. clear belly w. green/purple flake or a Molix Sator Worm in Seducente!

[primetime]

What do the Bass eat in the 3 ponds. Tilapia, Bluegill, Shiners, other bass, minnow, craws....I would look in the water and look at the surrounding landscape, take note of where water enters, exits, slopes, Trees which have roots under water, weeds, type and where they grow because this tells you about depth changes, ambush points, current, places where water enters will follow the same path to the exit point to drain every time the same way, so that creates a channel or small cut where Bass can hide and ambush bait over their heads.Many times you will notice weeds growing on the edges or shade lines and it is not so much the lure, but where you cast and are the fish active.

In the Summer, It can be hard to get strikes even with live bait, but before and after rain, early and late (1 hour after dark) fish will be feeding and easier to catch, and most people are gone. Shorelines with cover are usually a good start, and use the lightest line possible, lures that enter quietly, work softly, and a good start is a weightless texas rigged soft bait of your choice assuming it is shallow. If you want to fish the deeper water as fish often suspend in hotter water, crimp a split shot above a 4" Worm and start casting to ambush spots and working outward. 

If you can fish a Floating Rapala it will work since most guys are using Senko's and all the other lures you use in any lake. I would go Split shot rig with a 4-6" twister tail worm or Zoom U tail, split shot as light as possible or none at all, or swim a Small Ribbit, Skinny dipper, zoom Speed worm on the surface to cover water and then work mid and bottom until you get bit. Fish will come up for a wounded minnow bait or any floating topwater like a tiny torpedo, Rebel Popper, Storm Sub wart or any small wake bait.

Fish it with your confidence lures, a small jig is always a good choice, Strike King makes the bitsy jig which is a fine swim Jig or pitching jig with a 3" double tail grub or single if swimming and I always go lightest line possible and walk softly and use natural and subtle colors. Hope that helps, Pond fish can be tough if they get pressure, often if you arrive when it is getting fished, you may find them in an area that is away from where everyone casts, Bass will group together in small ponds, and they know when people are in the area. One loud cast can spook alot of fish in small ponds. 

Don't over think it. Do what you do best and enjoy. Key is fishing where the fish are. Good Luck you will get em.