How do you guys walk to your ponds?

[Shak Muscles]

Sometimes the ponds near me aren't well maintained as in there is a bunch of vegetation and such all around the bank so its tough to go and stand there. These ponds also get the least pressure because no one is hardcore enough to go all Man vs Wild to catch a few bass!

I was wondering if you guys have any special technique for navigating such ponds. What do you wear, how do you avoid bugs etc. 

Personally, I go fishing in shorts and these prickly shrubs always make a mess out of my legs. Not to mention the ant hill you might step over. And just countless bugs. The grass is also practically as tall as I am, and there could be snakes in there. I live in Northern Illinois though so I'm not sure if any of them are dangerous. Also I mostly fish alone so if I break my ankle I'm screwed. 

[Oregon Native]

When I used to do a lot of bank angling I would try and walk softly as to not spook fish and cast along the bank vs always casting out.  As far as bugs....I'm a bug magnet!!!!  Long pants and shirt and I would use good repellent around ankles, neck, etc.  Right now I'm using a product with picaridin....deet destroys fishing stuff and this doesn't.  I've already had two tic bites this year looking for golf balls on cold days sooooo...it could be an interesting year.  And I'm pulling out the repellent.

[Catt]

Magellan Outdoors long sleeve shirts & pants, ankle high boots, & a quality hat.

 

The only bugs I'm concerned with are deer flies & the only way to deal with them is to smack em!

 

I'm any thing but quite cause I'd rather spook bass than these bad boys!

 

 

[Troy85]

I always walk the path that looks the least snakey.  Which can really hamper bank fishing. 

[Scott F]

7 hours ago, Shak Muscles said:

Sometimes the ponds near me aren't well maintained as in there is a bunch of vegetation and such all around the bank so its tough to go and stand there. These ponds also get the least pressure because no one is hardcore enough to go all Man vs Wild to catch a few bass!

I was wondering if you guys have any special technique for navigating such ponds. What do you wear, how do you avoid bugs etc. 

Personally, I go fishing in shorts and these prickly shrubs always make a mess out of my legs. Not to mention the ant hill you might step over. And just countless bugs. The grass is also practically as tall as I am, and there could be snakes in there. I live in Northern Illinois though so I'm not sure if any of them are dangerous. Also I mostly fish alone so if I break my ankle I'm screwed. 

Snakes you shouldn't have to worry about. No dangerous snakes. Ticks, those you should worry about. Tall grass and shorts will be the perfect combination to get you covered with ticks. And, they will crawl up your shorts pant legs to get to places you don't want to have them. Those, plus poison ivy are your two biggest threats. Wear long pants and tuck your pant legs into your socks. Cover yourself with insect repellant with DEET. Wear long sleeve shirts also.  If you are worried about twisting an ankle, hiking boots that go over your ankles will provide support.

If you live in Naperville, you should be wading in the DuPage and Fox Rivers for smallmouth. Get yourself some waders which will protect you from the bugs, poison ivy and bacteria in the rivers. Lots of access to the rivers. 

[OkobojiEagle]

1 hour ago, Scott F said:

Get yourself some waders

^^^

Let responsible people know where you will be fishing and keep a cell phone with you and turned on... (a wading staff isn't a bad idea either)

 

oe

[Koz]

3 hours ago, Catt said:

The alligators are a huge concern in my areas as well, especially this time of year when the initial warming occurs and they are hungry after being idle most of the winter. The other day I saw half of a Blue Heron in one of the lagoons I drove past.

 

We also have a number of lagoons with grassy and woody vegetation surrounding the banks. Sometime I bring a machete and do some pruning to clear a spot, especially in areas where I need to clear not just around the bank but also a path for quick egress in case a gator gets too aggressive. My buddy usually brings a handgun when he joins us fishing in these types of lagoons. Most alligators will leave people alone or sometimes annoy the heck out of you by chasing your bait. But I've had enough close calls in the past year that I am overly cautious.

 

As I get older I'm less and less inclined to fish these overgrown areas. It gets to be too much work, especially during the heat of the summer. Luckily we have hundreds and hundreds of lagoons in my area and even the ones with clear banks are usually fairly low pressure.

 

Later today I'm off to Sgt. Jasper Park for a few hours and heading to some of the lagoons deeper in the woods. I'm hoping to find enough clear areas to fish. We'll be taking our bikes so we can cover a lot of ground.

[Catt]

@Koz you can relate to the fact that with gators ya don't wanna be quite & walk up surprising one!

[SWVABass]

Look into a woodsman pro, it’s a small machete like device, can easily help you open something up. We use them clearing trail and in the Everglades. They sure make beating the brush much easier, and you can maintain your path overtime. Also they are pretty light weight and fit in a backpack.

[Bankbeater]

I try and look for a path that someone else has made.  Sometimes I have to make my own. 

If I am going through waist high grass then I make a couple of pit stops to check for ticks along the way.  I do try and stay out of the tall grass when there are a lot of trees overhead.  Ticks can drop down from the trees also.

[Koz]

46 minutes ago, Catt said:

@Koz you can relate to the fact that with gators ya don't wanna be quite & walk up surprising one!

I was inspecting a stormwater retention pond last month and this pond was located in the woods with only a narrow dirt path down one side. I forgot to clear the path first. I was so intent on looking at the deficiencies I was seeing within and along the pond that I did not notice the alligator hiding in the brush along the bank. Luckily, he heard me first. I was only 7 or 8 feet away when he went crashing into the water. He was only a 7 footer, but that's still big enough to grab your ankle and drag you into the water.

 

I finished inspecting that facility, went home and changed my undies, then hit the next stop

 

[Fishing_FF]

12 hours ago, Shak Muscles said:

Sometimes the ponds near me aren't well maintained as in there is a bunch of vegetation and such all around the bank so its tough to go and stand there. These ponds also get the least pressure because no one is hardcore enough to go all Man vs Wild to catch a few bass!

I was wondering if you guys have any special technique for navigating such ponds. What do you wear, how do you avoid bugs etc. 

Personally, I go fishing in shorts and these prickly shrubs always make a mess out of my legs. Not to mention the ant hill you might step over. And just countless bugs. The grass is also practically as tall as I am, and there could be snakes in there. I live in Northern Illinois though so I'm not sure if any of them are dangerous. Also I mostly fish alone so if I break my ankle I'm screwed. 

 

There has been some great advice already on clothing and animals already, so I won't go back over them again. 

 

Check out a pair of gaiters. I have a pair that can seal the gap between pants, shoes, and socks. I tuck in my shirt when hiking too to seal that gap. Then, if a tick gets on my clothes, I can find and get rid of him before he's had a chance to bite. You got to stop periodically because they will keep crawling until they've reached your head or neck. Never made this error, but seen it occur. 

 

I am a snake fanatic. As a firefighter/paramedic, I was the one who willing drafted a fire and EMS plan for the local serpentarium. I also have trained with the Miami Dade Fire Rescue Venom 1 unit, so when it comes to snakes, I've got a little experience.  

 

As long as you aren't creeping, which others have recommended against for gators, the same applies for snakes. Snakes don't hear, not in the traditional sense. Instead, they feel the vibrations on the ground that is converted into sound. Walk quiet, the snake won't know you are there and are more likely to have a surprise encounter. Should you encounter a snake, backing out the same way you came is best, and never try to corner a snake as they will have no choice but to become defensive at this point. When I am attempting to catch or trap a snake, I purposely cut off its exit because they will flee majority of the time given the chance. The snakes native to your area are the Cottonmouth, the Copperhead, the Timber (Canebrake) Rattlesnake, and the Massasauga Rattlesnake. Identification of a rattlesnake is easy because of the rattle on the tail, but a lot of Copperheads are confused with rat/corn snakes and Cottonmouths with various banded/nonbanded water snakes. I can provide resources for proper identification. However, avoidance is always an better option, just like with alligators. For what it is worth, even though I have the training to handle venomous snakes, since I don't take my snake boots, gloves, and hook with me when I go fishing, I don't handle or move a snake I encounter while hiking or fishing. 

[soflabasser]

I fish often fish ponds, canals, and other small bodies of water and I tend to do well by being as quiet as possible. I walk slowly along the shoreline and try to make as little sound as possible. As for clothes, I tend to wear drab colored clothes and avoid clothes that have bright colors so the fish have a harder time seeing me on the shore.

6 hours ago, Troy1985s said:

I always walk the path that looks the least snakey.

 

Sometimes the path less taken ( possibly has snakes, alligators, etc) is the most productive path since less fishermen take it. I tend to take these paths and do well and I am always watching where I step and whats around me.

[WDE]

11 hours ago, Troy1985s said:

I always walk the path that looks the least snakey.  Which can really hamper bank fishing. 

I don’t even go into the woods in the Spring/Summer because of this. Last Summer I found a lot of ticks, so that’ll keep me out of the woods too. It’s too hot to wear boots, long sleeves, and long pants in Memphis during the Summer. 

[FishDewd]

If I'm anywhere that bad, I'm probably carrying a machete with me lol.

[junyer357]

I thankfully dont have to do this much anymore, most of mine i drive up to them. When i do go to one that is bushier, i reduce my tackle greatly and fill my pockets, no tackle box or bag. No more than 2 rods in my left hand, machete in my right, and my pistol ready in an owb holster. I normally have on my rubber snake boots, long pants n sleeves, neck gaiter and wide hat.

 

One trick that works well for me is to spray my clothes with bug spray before i put them on. Better coverage, no missed spots, or tasting while it spraying my neck/face. 

[boostr]

On 2/19/2018 at 9:13 AM, Scott F said:

Snakes you shouldn't have to worry about. No dangerous snakes. Ticks, those you should worry about. Tall grass and shorts will be the perfect combination to get you covered with ticks. And, they will crawl up your shorts pant legs to get to places you don't want to have them. Those, plus poison ivy are your two biggest threats. Wear long pants and tuck your pant legs into your socks. Cover yourself with insect repellant with DEET. Wear long sleeve shirts also.  If you are worried about twisting an ankle, hiking boots that go over your ankles will provide support.

If you live in Naperville, you should be wading in the DuPage and Fox Rivers for smallmouth. Get yourself some waders which will protect you from the bugs, poison ivy and bacteria in the rivers. Lots of access to the rivers. 

Learned my lesson with Poison Ivy, now when I'm walking the bank in wooded areas I only wear long pants. Denim in the colder months and World Wide Sportsman II convertible fishing pants from BPS during the warmer months.

[NYWayfarer]

When bank fishing I wear jeans and boots, even in the dead heat of summer. One case of poison oak is all it took to ditch the shorts and sneakers when fishing. Carry a walking stick and sweep it ahead of you to uncover any slithering critters. Always make noise while stomping through the brush to warn animals you are coming.

 

Plenty of sunscreen and insect repellent. I use the Bullfrog brand which contains both in one convenient spray.

[Florida Cracker2]

Looks like everyone has covered the hazards. So I will mention a fishing tactic I use for canal and pond fishing, approach with the sun to your back...but don't cast a shadow across the water. Move slooooowly. You spook the birds, you spook the fish.

[fishwizzard]

In the summer I wear short shorts, I mean like 70's basketball player short, hiking boots, wool socks pulled up to my calves, and a hooded sun shirt.  I look like a lunatic but with all my clothing treated with permethrin every 3-4 washes, I stay pretty tick-free.  I do get hit by a nest of nymph ticks about once per summer, but they don't carry diseases at that point so it is just two weeks of itching.    

 

By the middle of the fall my legs look like hell, more scabs then open skin, but I cannot stand to be hot so I am willing to do what it takes for comfort.  

[Shak Muscles]

Thanks for the advice guys. Looks like the general consensus is to wear long pants/waders and make sure bugs can't crawl into and up your pants!

 

The only thing that sucks is when the weather gets 85+ and you're in jeans. But it's definitely worth it because some of these ponds are in the middle of nowhere and I don't wanna have bad experiences with poison ivy or bugs. 

On 2/19/2018 at 1:52 PM, soflabasser said:

Sometimes the path less taken ( possibly has snakes, alligators, etc) is the most productive path since less fishermen take it. I tend to take these paths and do well and I am always watching where I step and whats around me.

Yeah this was my reasoning. I wanted to fish ponds/spots that are less pressured since no one else would actually bother to go through all the trouble to get there. I usually don't last long because sometimes I see these small gardener snakes and even those freak me out haha I just feel like they're gonna crawl up my shorts and bite areas that I want to preserve. I would definitely feel safer about it if I had my whole lower body on lockdown (and upper body too).

 

Just another question, how do waders hold up? Are they durable? And are they mainly meant for river use or do people use them to step into ponds also?

[Scott F]

There are other types of long pants that are cooler than jeans.

 

As I always say, there are two kinds of waders. Those that leak, and those that are going to leak. Waders do not hold up. The best choice of waders are light weight, breathables. Most comfortable to wear in summer. If you are going to fish in colder weather, you layer clothing underneath. Wading in ponds is not recommended. The bottoms can be muddy where you might sink in, or the bottom could drop into deep water. Get a wading staff to probe where you want to walk to test the depth. BE CAREFUL!!!!

[Falkus]

always wear pants ! 

 

I always worn shorts until last year. I got poison ivy all over my legs and other parts that I cant mention on this forum. It was unpleasant experience for me. 

[soflabasser]

3 hours ago, Shak Muscles said:

Yeah this was my reasoning. I wanted to fish ponds/spots that are less pressured since no one else would actually bother to go through all the trouble to get there. I usually don't last long because sometimes I see these small gardener snakes and even those freak me out haha I just feel like they're gonna crawl up my shorts and bite areas that I want to preserve. I would definitely feel safer about it if I had my whole lower body on lockdown (and upper body too).

 

There is no doubt that the bass in less pressured bodies of water are easier to catch than bass from a highly pressured body of water, but the bass might be bigger in a highly pressured place. Those bigger bass become quite good at evading most if not all fishermen since they had a long life to learn fishermen are no good for them. There are a couple public bodies of water I fish down here where I have caught several +8 pounders ( including some over 10 pounds) and most people never catch a single bass over 8 pounds from these places. You have to know how to read the conditions on any particular day and know what to use to get these big bass to bite. Putting the time on the water is what has helped me the most, and its the same for most good bass fishermen I know. Private waters is different, its like shooting fish in a barrel and not much of a challenge to fish those places. Watch your surroundings when you fish, keep safe, and most importantly have fun.

[Shak Muscles]

18 hours ago, Scott F said:

There are other types of long pants that are cooler than jeans.

 

As I always say, there are two kinds of waders. Those that leak, and those that are going to leak. Waders do not hold up. The best choice of waders are light weight, breathables. Most comfortable to wear in summer. If you are going to fish in colder weather, you layer clothing underneath. Wading in ponds is not recommended. The bottoms can be muddy where you might sink in, or the bottom could drop into deep water. Get a wading staff to probe where you want to walk to test the depth. BE CAREFUL!!!!

I do know how to swim but you're right it could be dangerous wading into ponds since all the vegetation could get wrapped around your legs. 

17 hours ago, soflabasser said:

 

There is no doubt that the bass in less pressured bodies of water are easier to catch than bass from a highly pressured body of water, but the bass might be bigger in a highly pressured place. Those bigger bass become quite good at evading most if not all fishermen since they had a long life to learn fishermen are no good for them. There are a couple public bodies of water I fish down here where I have caught several +8 pounders ( including some over 10 pounds) and most people never catch a single bass over 8 pounds from these places. You have to know how to read the conditions on any particular day and know what to use to get these big bass to bite. Putting the time on the water is what has helped me the most, and its the same for most good bass fishermen I know. Private waters is different, its like shooting fish in a barrel and not much of a challenge to fish those places. Watch your surroundings when you fish, keep safe, and most importantly have fun.

I always thought that bass get bigger in ponds which aren't fished often? Because in public ponds there are people that take fish home to eat so they might not max out their potential. But I understand your reasoning as well, since the big bass are usually the smart bass. And most the giants seem to come from public lakes. 

Fishing private really is way too easy. I live in a golf course neighborhood and I have permission to fish on a small part of one of the ponds on the course and the fishing is insane! This area of Illinois in general has really good bass fishing, even though the bass don't get trophy size like the ones down south.