Small Ponds & Cold Water. What baits?

[Bassin_Harrison]

As always it's getting harder to find the fish in MA, and without a boat (can't even use my kayak right now sadly) my options are kind of limited to small ponds. Most of which are loaded with grass even this time of year. 

 

What baits do you guys throw when fishing ponds with temps this cold?

 

Obviously most people on YT will tell you to fish a jig or a dropshot this time of year, but around here with so much grass still around it's a pain. Are blade baits a good option? Finesse swimbaits? Ned rigs?

 

I always end up at a loss once late November rolls round. 

[Don51]

This time of year jerkbaits and rattle baits will produce. If the grass is still heavy using those will be difficult. Try a weightless fluke, senko, worm and a jig. ?

[rtwvumtneer6]

Can you define "loaded with grass"?  Are we talking about bottom composition, floating mats or live vegetation?  

 

This time of year, I'm looking for deeper water or cover near deeper water.  In particular, anything that will hold heat like wood and rock.  

 

As far as baits, you could drop shot and rig your bait weedless instead of nose hooking.  Finesse jigs or downsized Texas rigs.  Senkos.  Small soft plastic swimbaits (3"ish) on a light jighead.  

 

I believe there's always a reaction bite (crank, trap, bladed jig, spinnerbait) but I generally have to slow down.  Way down.  Once you get bit, pick that area apart.  I've had plenty of days where I'll fish for hours without a bite, then catch 3 or 4 in a row making the same cast.  

 

[DogBone_384]

I fish Ponkapoag, in Canton.  It's shallow and weedy. If your local ponds are shallow and weedy, texas rigged soft baits are your most 'painless' option.  Shallow running jerkbaits like Rapala's Shadow Rap or Rip Stop work, as well as square bill crankbaits.  Cast around weedbed edges where you can. 

 

Good luck out there.

[Mr. Aquarium]

Make sure the water is clear! I hate fishing cold stained water..  some ponds are better then others for cold water fishin.  Fish will stack up year after year in the same spots in the cold. So keep fishing different spots until you find your favorites. Jerkbaits , finesse baits and swimbaits for shallow ponds.  I love fishing this time of year. As the water gets colder I tend to fish deeper ponds.   I fish blades, and finesse baits like neds, hair jigs.  
 

my 2 favorite winter spots I found by accident. One is deeper the other is shallow. . The deep spot. A buddy and I fishing the area in December decided to check it out cuz we had time after the slow fishing at a different spot. We slammed them on blade baits, knew nothing about the pond. Just saw it and stopped in real quick. 
 

the 2nd winter spot, the shallow  one , I was once again in the area and decided to check it out. It was January, I fishing soft swimbaits, a 4.5 weedless hudd and an 8 inch floating hudd. Crushed em!  Once again, knew nothing about this spot. 
 

my point is, you don’t know until you try. Just keep fishing different ponds until you find you favorites 

[Team9nine]

50 minutes ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

Make sure the water is clear! I hate fishing cold stained water..  some ponds are better then others for cold water fishin.  Fish will stack up year after year in the same spots in the cold. So keep fishing different spots until you find your favorites. Jerkbaits , finesse baits and swimbaits for shallow ponds.  I love fishing this time of year. As the water gets colder I tend to fish deeper ponds.   I fish blades, and finesse baits like neds, hair jigs.

Pretty good summation right there ^^

 

Ned and small blade baits get the most action for me, but smaller suspending jerkbaits and hair jigs of various sorts are also productive. Our shallowest ponds started icing last week, but we’re still getting bit on the open water ones. Small blade bait got this one yesterday. Don’t be afraid to probe out deeper with long casts to see if the weeds end somewhere. Very common to find here, and a lot of fish will stack up on that deep weedline or beyond at times.

 

[Mr. Aquarium]

I would fish spring fed ponds that have an inlet, part of a river system or are spring fed. 
 

the shallow pond I fish is part of a river system.  They feed all winter in one area, no more then 6 feet deep. 
 

the deep pond I fish is spring fed they all sit in one area. 
 

the springs are naturally 50 degrees, while they don’t have oxygen, it will warm up the water around it. 

[Mr. Aquarium]

I went to the shallow pond 8 bass and 3 picks with a few good whacks. Half hour of fishing before dark. Nothing big but they were chewing. They were cold to the touch. They loved a 4.5 inch weedless hudd and a 7 inch real prey

[Mr. Aquarium]

The wind was blowing into the spot they sit! After the brief warm up cranking winds. I knew they would be feeding. 

[MacJig]

Living in New York I have the same problem. Unfortunately, I don't have an answer. I've tried Texas rig, lipless, small crankbaits, wacky rig, small crappie type plastic swimbaits, different colors, etc, etc. It's just like in December the bite dies completely. I was catching bass up until the end of November. Then December comes, nothing! So I can't tell you what works but I can tell you what doesn't work, at least for me.

[Bankbeater]

With the cold weather we have been having around here a lot of the surface vegetation has died, or is in the process of dying.  I have been fishing weightless senkos, swim jigs, and lipless crankbaits mostly.  Once you guesstimate the depth of the vegetation try to keep the bait above it.

[Bassin_Harrison]

I totally forgot that I had asked about this sorry guys! Got busy with school around that time.

 

Thank you for all the great advice! Hoping to be out tomorrow with the good weather. No kayak, just bank beating sadly. Might head to Plymouth. 

 

Thanks again. 

 

Harrison

[Mr. Aquarium]

3 minutes ago, BigBass'n_Harrison said:

I totally forgot that I had asked about this sorry guys! Got busy with school around that time.

 

Thank you for all the great advice! Hoping to be out tomorrow with the good weather. No kayak, just bank beating sadly. Might head to Plymouth. 

 

Thanks again. 

 

Harrison

Plymouth, MA?

I fish that area and the cape! HARD!!!! 

[Bassin_Harrison]

6 minutes ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

Plymouth, MA?

I fish that area and the cape! HARD!!!! 

Yes sir. I'm in the Hanson area, fish Burrage and surrounding waters a lot. I go to Plymouth a ton even though I don't have much success since I'm stuck bank fishing most of the time. I just love the area, used to live there.

From time to time my dad and I will fish the cape a bit (Nickerson State Park, Goose Pond in Chatham), but I'm the only one with a kayak and otherwise we're stuck on the bank so it's a challenge. 

Wouldn't be surprised if we've crossed paths before, I'm down there a lot throughout the whole season.