Uncommon Techniques

[Outdoor Zack]

I fish a pressured pond from the shore, which is actually part of a local park.  Its located on a wide point that extends about 50 yds. into the pond.  On both sides, there are dense lilly pads and theres rip rap along the entire point.  This about the only cover around.  A bare flat runs from the front of the point out pretty far.  The bottom is sandy/gravel and the water is dirty, but not "chocolate milk".  There is a lot of algae around the bank, but there isn't a lot of vegetation otherwise (besides the lilly pads).  Also, the water has been very warm lately, but a cool front has moved in during the past couple days, so it has probably chilled down.  Also, its worth noting that the water level fluctuates a lot as the pond owner uses a lot of the water for their crops during the summer.

I fish this pond several times a week, but haven't been a lot lately because of the heat.  The last time I was there, Monday, I got a dink on a finesse worm with spike it on the tail.  But back in the pre-spawn/spawn period, I was catching multiple fish in only 2-3 hr. trips.  I was having the most luck on senkos, brush hogs, lizards, and other plastics. 

I have spoken with other people who fish this pond frequently and they claim that the best producing bait are spinnerbaits, buzzbaits frogs, senkos, brush hogs, and squarebills.  I know this pond is heavily pressured from the bank as there are usually 4-8 other fishermen there when I am in the evenings/afternoons.  Some of them are kids using bobbers/nightcrawlers, others are throwing heavy spinnerbaits, frogs, crankbaits, and other loud, flashy techniques.  I'd like to get better at fishing this pond, but I think that using lures that the fish have not seen may be the way to go.  What baits do you recommend for this situation and can you let me know of any tactics that may be 'new' to these fish? 

[A-Jay]

Here's some things to consider ~

 The end of July and most of August are Historically tougher bass fishing periods all over the country including Delaware.  Fishing pressure often puts off bass, especially on small, easily accessible waters making catching bass challenging. Bank fishing can be particularly frustrating when encountering the above.

Unfortunately, there are no super secret lures or techniques to overcome these situations.  There are a ton of articles & writings that suggest all types of "solutions".  However I think what you'll find is this: Bass fishing is Always better early and later in the season.  Summertime bassing is still quite good most everywhere.  However, smaller bodies of water that are only shore accessible that receive heavy fishing pressure are and will probably always be tough sledding by August.   

I have a few suggestions that have offered a bit of success for me when faced with a similar situation.   

If you can safely to it - fish at night.  Consider fishing at a different lake.  That's not meant to be funny or a me being a wise guy.  Some waters I just Do Not Fish when the odds are totally not in my favor.  I like to fish but I like to catch too.  Bass fishing is hard enough so no sense making choices that make it harder. If there are good fish there, I'd be content to try for them early & later in the season when they are much more cooperative.  And finally, be patient.  Don't burn out now.  Pace yourself.  Once the Cool Autumn air rolls in, the bass there will come a little shallower & be in an eating mood (which is important).  Finally, much of the local angling pressure usually fades quite a bit as well. 

Good Luck

A-Jay

 

[bigbassin']

I'd step up the size of the worm. Personally I won't throw a worm smaller than 6.5 inches in the summer, and prefer worms in 10"-12" range and this time of year. If everyone else is having success with moving baits but you wan to offer something less flashy try a paddletail swimbait and a fluke. Both can cover the entire water column and provide different actions than what everyone else is doing.

[scaleface]

Most fishermen do not allow t sinking lures to sink . Spinnerbaits , rattle traps... work real well in deep water . I use the two lures mentioned out on deep points often  . You will lose a few lures to snags though . You might want to go with inexpensive ones or lures out of clearance bins . But any lure that sinks is   more versatile than the way most use them .

[BareHook]

I've had some luck with soft swim-baits fished really slow and also a chatterbait worked slow along the bottom.

[Outdoor Zack]

11 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Here's some things to consider ~

 The end of July and most of August are Historically tougher bass fishing periods all over the country including Delaware.  Fishing pressure often puts off bass, especially on small, easily accessible waters making catching bass challenging. Bank fishing can be particularly frustrating when encountering the above.

Unfortunately, there are no super secret lures or techniques to overcome these situations.  There are a ton of articles & writings that suggest all types of "solutions".  However I think what you'll find is this: Bass fishing is Always better early and later in the season.  Summertime bassing is still quite good most everywhere.  However, smaller bodies of water that are only shore accessible that receive heavy fishing pressure are and will probably always be tough sledding by August.   

I have a few suggestions that have offered a bit of success for me when faced with a similar situation.   

If you can safely to it - fish at night.  Consider fishing at a different lake.  That's not meant to be funny or a me being a wise guy.  Some waters I just Do Not Fish when the odds are totally not in my favor.  I like to fish but I like to catch too.  Bass fishing is hard enough so no sense making choices that make it harder. If there are good fish there, I'd be content to try for them early & later in the season when they are much more cooperative.  And finally, be patient.  Don't burn out now.  Pace yourself.  Once the Cool Autumn air rolls in, the bass there will come a little shallower & be in an eating mood (which is important).  Finally, much of the local angling pressure usually fades quite a bit as well. 

Good Luck

A-Jay

 

Thanks for the response.  I understand that there is no 'perfect lure' and I understand what you mean by not fishing it when the odds aren't I my favor.  I will give your advice some serious thought. 

11 hours ago, scaleface said:

Most fishermen do not allow t sinking lures to sink . Spinnerbaits , rattle traps... work real well in deep water . I use the two lures mentioned out on deep points often  . You will lose a few lures to snags though . You might want to go with inexpensive ones or lures out of clearance bins . But any lure that sinks is   more versatile than the way most use them .

Ok thanks.  I have some of each that I have been waiting until the fall season to really put into use, but I will definitely give your ideas a go

[papajoe222]

One thing I always suggest on pressured water is to throw something different. If you don't have anything different, try a different color or a retrieve you don't see others using.  (slow roll, or burn a spinnerbait for example)  The other thing I recommend is to downsize.  A 1/8oz. spinnerbait  shows them something different, but basically the same.  I throw a tube quite a bit for these reasons and do quite well fishing behind others working the same spots. 

[Bankbeater]

Try using an older bait.  A lot of people get caught up in using the bait that is hot right now, and they forget about what has worked in the past. 

[dsqui]

try a neko rig have had good success with that this year

[Outdoor Zack]

2 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

Try using an older bait.  A lot of people get caught up in using the bait that is hot right now, and they forget about what has worked in the past. 

Example please?

[Fisher-O-men]

6 hours ago, dsqui said:

try a neko rig have had good success with that this year

But keep this to yourself!

[Crestliner2008]

If there are some decent bass in that pond, try a 7" Senko, Texas rigged with a 7/0 worm hook - no weight. If there are bass around, especially this time of the year, that will probably force a strike. And if you do locate one, but don't connect, keep trying. Sometimes it takes repeated casts to one piece of cover to get them to commit.

[Outdoor Zack]

I was able to get out today in a borrowed kayak.  Using a lot of the wisdom in this thread, I was able to hook up with 2 fish, one was a dink, the other was a decent size for the particular pond I was at.  That's more fish in one outing than in the last 4 trips combined.  I found that fishing places that other overlook was the way to go (small docks that are nearly inaccessible from shore, fallen trees, hade lines, etc.) .   Thanks all, I'll keep you posted as I have more success.

[dsqui]

7 hours ago, Fisher-O-men said:

But keep this to yourself!

of course...shhhh

[Bankbeater]

On ‎8‎/‎6‎/‎2016 at 7:42 AM, Outdoor Zack said:

Example please?

Jitterbugs, and humpback rebels.  I've had people shrug their shoulders, and tell me "that's an old bait",  when I tell them I am using a jitterbug. Now I just tell them I was using a topwater bait.

[Outdoor Zack]

6 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

Jitterbugs, and humpback rebels.  I've had people shrug their shoulders, and tell me "that's an old bait",  when I tell them I am using a jitterbug. Now I just tell them I was using a topwater bait.

Ok, I've used jitterbugs in this particular location, except around sunset.  I was able to get several blowups, but all behind the bait.  I will continue to fish it.  Thanks

[Dreadhead47]

This small body of water sound very similar to my local park pond, and just like you said it gets really tough during the summer due to heavy fishing pressure. Honestly I haven't found a single technique that will catch bass consistently there. I always change it up, cycling through different finesse baits like a drop shot, NED, mojo rig, and 3 - 4 inch slim senkos. This is the only way I know to keep from getting skunked there during the summer.