Does pond quality affect how many bites you get

[SDFishies]

Hello, to get straight to the point, I don't live close to any body of water that I can fish in besides an old murky pond. The bottom is covered in rotted leaves and wood that gets stuck on my lures. I don't know of the gunk at the bottom is stopping the bass and bluegill from biting, if the lure I use isn't great or if I just suck at fishing LOL.

 

Thanks

[raydomz]

I’d say water quality could be directly related to how many fish there are…which could mean fewer bites.

 

Give us some more details.

Have you caught fish here before? What type of baits do you throw? What has worked in the past? Is the pond fed by a creek or is it standalone? 

[padlin]

You didn’t give us much to go on, where you are, what you are using, and where are you fishing from, I.e. boat or shore, depth of the pond, etc.

Don’t fish the bottom, use Texas rigged plastics. When I get somewhere I don’t know I go to a Mepps, seems everything will grab one depending on the size of the lure. I just have it move fast enough to NOT catch the crap on the bottom. It’ll let you know if there is anything in the water. Even a worm on a bobber works.

[Swamp Girl]

The consistent quality of the answers at BR is outstanding. I rev up to reply and then I read those who've already replied and I think, "Nothin' left to say."

[jbmaine]

Water quality does make a difference in the fishing. I've seen it multiple times. As the water quality gets worse the fishing goes down hill as well.

[F14A-B]

Find different places to fish.. 

 

Hunting Superbucks isn’t much different than hunting a trophy LMB. 
 

You got to hunt where a Superbuck lives and you have to fish where trophy LMB live. 
 

(since it’s soon to be bow season 😂)

 

Find new places to fish. 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Ponds can be really tough if they get pressured.  Most all the water around here has a nasty bottom that makes fishing most anything bottom contact an absolute chore.  If you get grass and slime on your bait, its going to limit the number of bites.

Try using smaller baits, like real small 3" or less swimbaits on a very light head 1/16.  If there are fish there, you will catch some.  Also be as quiet and discrete as you possibly can.  Those fish can feel your footfalls well before they can see you.  

[MediumMouthBass]

I have a mixture of really clear/clean lakes, mainly rock bottoms and you can see down between 5-15 feet. And others that look awful, 1 foot or less visibility, junk on the bottom as well as the surface.

If i stepped in the lake id probably sink a foot or more in mud and other stuff thats on the bottom.

Always having to pull slime and grass off the hooks, and getting stuck in wood frequently.

 

I always did better at the nicer lakes, until i learned how to fish the junk filled ponds and smaller lakes. Now i prefer them, i catch more bass, and much bigger bass to. I usually stay away from the bottom though, i cant imagine a bass digging through mud for a bait, but it has probably happened.

Ill either use different search baits like lipless crankbaits or Chatterbaits and rip them through the vegetation, bounce them over or off of the wood, and just cast out and reel back in. Or ill try fishing the bottom without getting dragged down into it with a weight, i like weightless senkos and flukes for this. Lets me fish the bottom without the mess or getting pulled into a never ending void of mud.

 

Try moving up in the water column, search baits are a good choice, same with the weightless soft plastics, but weighted soft plastics moved fast or hopped up and down can be good producers too, top water baits are great for places that dont have vegetation on top, and if there is use frogs.

And try a spinnerbait through those wooded areas.

[Bankc]

Yeah, water quality can have a huge effect on the bass.  I've seen it many times.  This is especially true in a small pond, where there's not near as much water to begin with, so there are less places for fish to go to escape the "bad" water.  Decaying leaves can feed bacteria that absorb some, or a lot, of the oxygen in the water.  And this can not only cause the fish to slow their metabolism and appetite, but can also stunt their growth or even kill them. 

 

But, that doesn't mean it's a total waste of time.  All ponds have decaying matter in them.  And most still support fish.  And since it doesn't sound like you have any other options for fishing, I'd just try to focus on different techniques and places in the pond to fish to find out what the fish will bite on. 

[SDFishies]

Well I use a spinner, and I have seen many people catch Fish here, However I've had no luck.However I've had no luck. I'm also fishing from the shore because the pond is too small for a boat. Thank you guys for getting back so quick.

[MediumMouthBass]

3 hours ago, SDFishies said:

Well I use a spinner, and I have seen many people catch Fish here, However I've had no luck.However I've had no luck. I'm also fishing from the shore because the pond is too small for a boat. Thank you guys for getting back so quick.

Using a spinner might be the cause, while they work very well for panfish, trout, and pickerel. Bass fishing with spoons and spinners is very hit or miss. And using a treble hooked spinner will catch alot of leaves and wood. Try a spinnerbait, bigger profile and flashing blades to draw in the bass, even in dirty water. And does great in leaves, grass, and wood since its a single hook, and they are designed to come through some unpleasant places in the water.