Tough Little Pond

[JoeDeal55]

So theres a small rectangular pond near my home. Maybe half the size of a football field. I have fished it for about 18 hours total during 3 different fall outings. I caught 1 dink on a GP jig with a GP/Chart craw trailer on 1 outing. Then I caught my PB 4lb 11oz on a Chart dbl colorado spinnerbait on the next outing. My last outing this week I got skunked. I have thrown everything in my arsenal over the entire pond. In all different colors and sizes. What do they want?!?!?! Im sure theres more than just 2 LMB in that thing. I see no baitfish anywhere in the water. I have seen numerous brownish orange colored salamanders surfacing close to the banks and diving back down. Is that their only food source? Ive never fished a salamander before but im willing to try it out. Any advice is welcome. 

[goosejetski]

Fellow West Virginian here! My advice would be to slow down as much as you can. I have fished a pond similar to this before that seemed to have very few bass in it. For this situation I would also downsize. I like to use ned rigs that have more action than a TRD but less than some with larger kickers and dangly bits. Try something like a hellgrammite imitation on a 1/10 ounce head. Barely move it at times and don't be afraid to dead stick it.  If there is a lot of vegetation on the bottom of the pond, try a drop shot and slowly drag it along the bottom. If you want to cover water, the last thing you could try is a small swimbait. I like the Keitech swing impacts.

An almost 5 pound bass is no joke here so I definitely wouldn't give up on the pond since it is able to hold a bass like this, there's sure to be more.

Good luck!

[JoeDeal55]

2 hours ago, goosejetski said:

Fellow West Virginian here! My advice would be to slow down as much as you can. I have fished a pond similar to this before that seemed to have very few bass in it. For this situation I would also downsize. I like to use ned rigs that have more action than a TRD but less than some with larger kickers and dangly bits. Try something like a hellgrammite imitation on a 1/10 ounce head. Barely move it at times and don't be afraid to dead stick it.  If there is a lot of vegetation on the bottom of the pond, try a drop shot and slowly drag it along the bottom. If you want to cover water, the last thing you could try is a small swimbait. I like the Keitech swing impacts.

An almost 5 pound bass is no joke here so I definitely wouldn't give up on the pond since it is able to hold a bass like this, there's sure to be more.

Good luck!

I threw a ned rig with a TRD ticklerz, didnt dead stick it but I worked it super slow. Also tried the drop shot. No dice. It could just be the time of year. Might pick at it throught the winter or I might wait til spring to give it some attention. 

[the reel ess]

It's just winter time. Sometimes when you fish in winter, you're just looking for 1 or 2 bites. It happens to pros too. Go back in March and I'll bet you'll catch more.

[BassinCNY]

I think the first thing I'd try would be a brownish orange lizard on a split shot rig.

[JoeDeal55]

3 hours ago, BassinCNY said:

I think the first thing I'd try would be a brownish orange lizard on a split shot rig.

Def gonna try this but I will probably wait till spring ?

[king fisher]

DuPont spinner will work, but check your fish and game regulations to make sure it is legal, before using this lure of desperation.

[HaydenS]

Go throw a shallow-regular diving jerkbait in there.

 

Might try this color ned rig as well:

'

Molting craw

26 minutes ago, king fisher said:

DuPont spinner 

What is this?

[DitchPanda]

6 minutes ago, HaydenS said:

Go throw a shallow-regular diving jerkbait in there.

 

Might try this color ned rig as well:

'

Molting craw

What is this?

Pretty sure a DuPont spinner is a stick.of dynamite 

[HaydenS]

1 hour ago, DitchPanda said:

Pretty sure a DuPont spinner is a stick.of dynamite 

?

I wonder why google I had nothing to tell me...

[TnRiver46]

11 hours ago, HaydenS said:

?

I wonder why google I had nothing to tell me...

Hahahah. There are a lot of things we humans keep secret from the google machine ……..

[HaydenS]

3 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Hahahah. There are a lot of things we humans keep secret from the google machine ……..

Lol.

How long have you been a moderator, don’t think I’ve noticed before now?!

Nevermind, I just found it, congrats!

[DitchPanda]

4 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Hahahah. There are a lot of things we humans keep secret from the google machine ……..

Jeez...guess they will let anybody moderate these days..............just messing...congrats dude

[TnRiver46]

19 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

Jeez...guess they will let anybody moderate these days..............just messing...congrats dude

They needed some representation from the torn up jeans crowd and @Team9nineis retired ……..

[DitchPanda]

40 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

They needed some representation from the torn up jeans crowd and @Team9nineis retired ……..

That's my style buddy. I'm the guy in under armor sweats when everybody else is rocking khakis.

[Fat Ika]

On 12/16/2021 at 7:09 AM, JoeDeal55 said:

So theres a small rectangular pond near my home. Maybe half the size of a football field. I have fished it for about 18 hours total during 3 different fall outings. I caught 1 dink on a GP jig with a GP/Chart craw trailer on 1 outing. Then I caught my PB 4lb 11oz on a Chart dbl colorado spinnerbait on the next outing. My last outing this week I got skunked. I have thrown everything in my arsenal over the entire pond. In all different colors and sizes. What do they want?!?!?! Im sure theres more than just 2 LMB in that thing. I see no baitfish anywhere in the water. I have seen numerous brownish orange colored salamanders surfacing close to the banks and diving back down. Is that their only food source? Ive never fished a salamander before but im willing to try it out. Any advice is welcome. 

 

I'm down with what a lot of peeps said. @goosejetski's drop shot idea if you're working plastics super slow in soft bottom/grass pond. Something buoyant.........even though your line's at a certain angle, a buoyant drop shot plastic will not get hidden in soft bottom/grass

 

@HaydenS's jerkbait would be right along side the casting drop shot.

 

On 12/16/2021 at 10:41 AM, the reel ess said:

It's just winter time. Sometimes when you fish in winter, you're just looking for 1 or 2 bites. It happens to pros too. Go back in March and I'll bet you'll catch more.

 

@the reel ess's idea if drop shotting and jerk baiting falls through.