What lure would you use??

[geo g]

Go with a 4" senko type bait in watermelon red color, or Junebug.  Dirtier the water and low light conditions use the Junebug.   Use a 1/32 bullet weight for a slow fall and good movement along the bottom.  Jerk and slack you can get a walk the dog action along the bottom.  If the fishing is tough, slow down and just shake the bait and then a slow pull.  I have caught bass all along the north east, mid west, and south to south Florida.  It will catch a variety of different fish.

[Catt]

9 hours ago, BigMinnow said:

the bottom is black and mucky.

 

Y'all be amazed how well a white Senko stands out in offcolored water & how well it silhouettes against a dark bottom.

[TnRiver46]

10 hours ago, BigMinnow said:

You guys are gonna break my bank!! But it’s okay, I’ve been itching to buy more tackle.

 

As for everyone recommending t-rigged senkos, I know it works but gosh darn is it boring. Also, I feel in a very murky pond, I just have to get lucky and happen to drag or pop my worm next to a fish. The t-rigged worm doesn’t lend itself to being easily located in water that looks like black coffee. 
 

I will be shopping tomorrow, but still taking suggestions! Make sure you mention colors!! 

They can find the worm in coffee water. Even if you add cream and sugar 

[Catt]

6 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

They can find the worm in coffee water. Even if you add cream and sugar 

 

They can find a black worm sitting still on the bottom in 20' of water on a moonless night!

[Bankbeater]

Black jig and craw.  

[Boomstick]

23 hours ago, BigMinnow said:

@Bird what color/size spinners and buzzbaits. Colorado blades or willows? Trailers?? Haha I need some info! 

I would say a single colorado blade, chartreuse colored sounds like it should be productive. You probably won't even need a trailer but you could try a trailer hook.

[BigMinnow]

@Catt @Mobasser @Ski213

 

okay, I could see the majority of people were recommending t-rigged senkos so I’ll cave in. I bought some black, chartreuse, and white 4” and 5” senkos. 
 

Honestly, I have avoided fishing senkos for a long while so I’m rusty on technique.
 

Since you guys were the first few to suggest them, would you mind sharing how you fish em? What kind of method do you use? 
 

Should I just cast past the strike zone and then just slowly drag it back? Pop the rod tip and jiggle it? Bullet weight or weightless? What works for you guys? 
 

I went out shopping yesterday, now im

just waiting for a semi-nice day to get out and try these ponds! Excited to try all these new baits!

[Mobasser]

As Catt stated, with the senko, fish them weightless, slowly near bottom. My choice was a light trig plastic worm, I would fish this one with slow hops near the bottom . A straight tail bait might work best here.

[GreenPig]

Weightless Zoom Fluke Jr. in White, Green Pumpkin, or Watermelon Candy scented with MegaStrike on a Gamakatsu 2/0 EWG on 8 lb FC.  Never seen a pond it wouldn't work in that have bass in it.

[Ski213]

@BigMinnow  I usually cast to or past a pretty specific target then do everything I can to keep it right on that target for as long as possible. Just a little drag then let it sit a second. Sometimes I’ll kind of swim it and twitch the rod if it’s in the grass. Most of my fish with the senko come on the fall and pretty frequently as it’s falling from the cast.  

[roadwarrior]

I would fish a Senko and look for somewhere else to fish.

[geo g]

It’s hard to beat the Senko type baits.  Sometimes they want it hopped off the bottom, sometimes just a shake and stop, some a subtle slow pull, sometimes a fast jerk especially through Lilly pads and shore weed lines.  It all depends on the day, the hour, that moment.  One thing I always do is let it fall on slack line, and let it settle before working it.  To me I get bites on the initial fall.   It’s up to you to figure that out what they want that day.

[Catt]

I can guarantee ya it won't be Wacky Rigged!

 

Texas Rigged weightless, fish it on the bottom like a normal T-rig, fish it like a Fluke, pitch it in to heavy cover.

[BigMinnow]

6 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

I would fish a Senko and look for somewhere else to fish.

I have a few other places I fish and can reliably catch em. This pond is more of my personal challenge, and I want to see if I can figure out it’s secrets. 

[Kook Bass]

I'd just go with my go-to: a paddletail swimbait on a  jig-head.  And I know you said one lure, but ill bend the rules a little bit, I would bring one light colored and one dark colored. That way, if they don't bite on the dark, they should on the light. Good luck and tight lines.

[waymont]

Fish what ever you like, but make sure your at the pond before the sun comes up.

[CM-fisher]

Weightless senko or strike king caffeine shad

[scaleface]

I.5 foot visibility is good, sometimes I fish in 1.5 inches of visibility . If I was fishing that pond , that has heavy pressure , I'd take a spinning rod some grubs and jigheads .

[galyonj]

6 minutes ago, scaleface said:

I.5 foot visibility is good, sometimes I fish in 1.5 inches of visibility . If I was fishing that pond , that has heavy pressure , I'd take a spinning rod some grubs and jigheads .

 

Honestly, I think we worry a whole lot more about water visibility than we really need to.

 

[QED]

4" senko (or z-man equivalent which is a little more buoyant) on a 1/16 oz drop-shot rig (to keep the worm off the bottom muck and vegetation). Nothing like finesse fishing when dealing with spooked bass.  Caught a decent bass this morning on that very setup in my neighborhood pond which is heavily fished and full of moss.

[Bankc]

3 hours ago, galyonj said:

 

Honestly, I think we worry a whole lot more about water visibility than we really need to.

 

Especially on a 1-1.5 acre pond.  On a big lake, visibility is a bigger deal.  They may have to travel a ways to find you.  On a small pond, it's a whole lot easier to drop the bait right on their nose.  

 

I'd go with T-rigged Zoom 6" lizard in junebug.  You'd fish it the same as the Senko, but you get more action and vibration underwater, which might help.  And if it doesn't, you could start ripping off appendages until you're left with an ugly Senko.  Versatility.  If you can cast it far enough as is, I'd go weightless.  Otherwise, I'd add just enough weight to get it out there.  The slower the fall, the better.

 

As for the retrieve, try everything.  Swim it in the middle.  Slowly drag it along the bottom.  Hop it up and down like a jig.  Burn it across the top.  Swim it like a jerkbait.  Let the fish tell you how they want it.  I'd just keep circling the pond until you find the sweet spot.  The good thing about small ponds is you can fish the whole thing over and over again, every time you go out.  

[TriStateBassin106]

I fish a similar pond but it's a giant fish bowl with a fountain and some cover like rocks and overhanging trees, My water looks like pea soup in the summer and most of my bass are pale in color at that point. I would recommend throwing black baby brush hogs bkack n blue senkos and maybe black n blue chatterbaits 

[soflabasser]

I would fish with whatever lure I have the most confidence.

[NavyVet1204]

Shaky head is the correct answer