How many times do you try the same pond

[Joedodge]

So I’m new to my area and part of the country. I don’t have all my go to spots anymore and honestly been years since I worked to find some lol. I’ve been hitting all the Midwest urban ponds in my area. Having success  too! 
 

my question for you guys is I’ve gone to one got a dink. Went to another and got a 3-4 pounder. Only fished them for 1.5 or so. Do you go back to these ponds even tho it wasn’t a killer 20 fish day? Or not bother with them again since there wasn’t numbers to be caught

[GetFishorDieTryin]

No 2 days are ever the same.  Its hard to draw a conclusive picture from just a couple of hours, even for a small pond, especially if its pressured.  Go back and try being as stealthy as possible.  Don't slam the car door, mind your footfalls and don't wear bright clothes.  All of those bigger fish seem in tiny ponds didn't get so big being easy to catch.

[Joedodge]

Well said. And kind of what i was thinking. I’m always careful how I walk and dark clothes generally. And I’m alone so no talking or anything. Cars are parked far away from this one. probably go back tomm or in a few days and throw the same bait or maybe bring a small spinner bait and the wacky rig again. 

[stk44]

I try to give a new pond at least a few hours on multiple occasions if possible to get a sense of how good (or bad) it might be. It’s really hard to figure anything out in 1.5 hours, but it’s always worth a shot.

 

I would recommend taking notes on weather conditions, time of year, what baits worked, location the fish was caught, etc. You oftentimes find patterns and can use these observations as a starting point on your next outing. 

[Jar11591]

Ponds, like any body of water can fish entirely different from day to day, season to season, and even hour to hour. It would take a lot more than one outing to make me give up on a lake or pond, especially if its a good looking spot. 

[Joedodge]

50 minutes ago, stk44 said:

I try to give a new pond at least a few hours on multiple occasions if possible to get a sense of how good (or bad) it might be. It’s really hard to figure anything out in 1.5 hours, but it’s always worth a shot.

 

I would recommend taking notes on weather conditions, time of year, what baits worked, location the fish was caught, etc. You oftentimes find patterns and can use these observations as a starting point on your next outing. 

I agree usually just have a couple hrs before work. Weekends can be busy with the family. But once the weather is better here I’ll take some more weekend time. I actually do keep pretty good notes of stuff like that since I moved here. Since I’m still learning the water and weather here. 

44 minutes ago, Jar11591 said:

Ponds, like any body of water can fish entirely different from day to day, season to season, and even hour to hour. It would take a lot more than one outing to make me give up on a lake or pond, especially if its a good looking spot. 

Kind of my thinking. It’s a great lil 1.5 acre pond by a library and neighborhood. The state stocked it at one time. Has a walking path around it. 

[WRB]

How many adult size bass do think is in a football field size pond?

Tom

[Pat Brown]

Funny you should ask - I fished a pond for years before I ever caught a bass and even had folks tell me there weren't fish in the pond and not to bother.  COVID hit and I decided to really try....well I got a little better at bass fishing but still struggled to catch my first bass at this particular public pond despite multiple good efforts.

 

Then suddenly in the fall of 2021 - lightning struck and I caught my first bass out of this pond on a jig.  I couldn't believe it - not my beloved senko or a fluke or a Texas rig - the, at the time, confusing and frustrating jig got my first fish to the bank and it was a nice one too.

 

I devoted a lot of time to this particular spot and since then it has produced a 9.1, 9.3, 8.9, 8.0 and many many fish over 6 lbs and I'm positive it has fish over 12 in it that are very very tough to catch.  Fairly certain I've been broken off by or lost some of these extremely illusive giants mid fight over the years - and I can't begin to explain how emotionally stressful that gets when you work as hard for a bite as you do at this spot.

 

People seem aware that there are fish in the pond now - but I mostly see people show up with the best of intentions and then they trudge up to me looking fairly foresworn and ask if I'm catching anything and I always say the same thing.  Nope.  🙂🤫

[Joedodge]

8 minutes ago, WRB said:

How many adult size bass do think is in a football field size pond?

Tom

Honestly no idea lol 

8 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

Funny you should ask - I fished a pond for years before I ever caught a bass and even had folks tell me there weren't fish in the pond and not to bother.  COVID hit and I decided to really try....well I got a little better at bass fishing but still struggled to catch my first bass at this particular public pond despite multiple good efforts.

 

Then suddenly in the fall of 2021 - lightning struck and I caught my first bass out of this pond on a jig.  I couldn't believe it - not my beloved senko or a fluke or a Texas rig - the, at the time, confusing and frustrating jig got my first fish to the bank and it was a nice one too.

 

I devoted a lot of time to this particular spot and since then it has produced a 9.1, 9.3, 8.9, 8.0 and many many fish over 6 lbs and I'm positive it has fish over 12 in it that are very very tough to catch.  Fairly certain I've been broken off by or lost some of these extremely illusive giants mid fight over the years - and I can't begin to explain how emotionally stressful that gets when you work as hard for a bite as you do at this spot.

 

People seem aware that there are fish in the pond now - but I mostly see people show up with the best of intentions and then they trudge up to me looking fairly foresworn and ask if I'm catching anything and I always say the same thing.  Nope.  🙂🤫

I talked to a driver at my work. Who fishes a lot but mostly walleye and pan fish and such. He said his nephews have fished that pond since they were young. There’s big fish in there but they didn’t get big in a public neighborhood pond being dumb. And I agree with him. And could not agree more with your comment. So i definitely will Hit this pond again. Weather has to get better honestly. Midwest 20 mph winds and 36 degrees in the mornings is a tad brutal lol

[WRB]

Answer; 40 adult size bass per acre in a heathy pond.

Tom

[stk44]

37 minutes ago, Joedodge said:

I agree usually just have a couple hrs before work. Weekends can be busy with the family. But once the weather is better here I’ll take some more weekend time. I actually do keep pretty good notes of stuff like that since I moved here. Since I’m still learning the water and weather here. 

Kind of my thinking. It’s a great lil 1.5 acre pond by a library and neighborhood. The state stocked it at one time. Has a walking path around it. 

A couple hours before work once or twice per week for a few weeks should give you a good idea of its potential and it won’t be a pressured. I fish a pond by myself that has some big fish(biggest I caught went almost 6 lbs) but they are few and far between. During the Covid years I was fishing like every morning before work and I had like 12 fish over 4 lbs that year. Last year I don’t think I got a single bass out of that pond over 4 lbs. so frequency matters, too. Good luck figuring it out. 

[Joedodge]

5 minutes ago, WRB said:

Answer; 40 adult size bass per acre in a heathy pond.

Tom

Seriously?!?! I didn’t know that! Wow. 

[stk44]

5 minutes ago, WRB said:

Answer; 40 adult size bass per acre in a heathy pond.

Tom

What would be considered an adult size bass in the NE? Like 2-3 lbs? 

[Joedodge]

4 minutes ago, stk44 said:

A couple hours before work once or twice per week for a few weeks should give you a good idea of its potential and it won’t be a pressured. I fish a pond by myself that has some big fish(biggest I caught went almost 6 lbs) but they are few and far between. During the Covid years I was fishing like every morning before work and I had like 12 fish over 4 lbs that year. Last year I don’t think I got a single bass out of that pond over 4 lbs. so frequency matters, too. Good luck figuring it out. 

That’s what I’ll try then. There’s so many ponds here lol hard to pick one and they are so close to the house. I’m gonna have to figure out a routine and hit some every week or something 

2 minutes ago, stk44 said:

What would be considered an adult size bass in the NE? Like 2-3 lbs? 

Excellent question 

[WRB]

24 minutes ago, stk44 said:

What would be considered an adult size bass in the NE? Like 2-3 lbs? 

1 pound.

Tom

[MonsterZero]

Depends on how good I think the spot is. If there is the possibility that it is just not a good pond for numbers, pressure, fishable conditions, etc then I will just stop going. But if I am the problem, through my technique, lure choice, whatever, I will keep going back until I get dialed in or find that I was wrong and there are just no fish to be had.

 

After all the years I have spent with a rod in my hand, I am pretty confident in my ability to find fish if there are fish to be found. Sometime there is just no success to be had in a place, and sometimes it just takes a bit more work to find it.

[GRiver]

@Joedodge you asked how long would I fish the pond. Probably way to long, but I love to fish, catching fish is the gravy. 
If it is a convenient place to stop, try all your new gear there. 
I have a little pond, that I stop at when I’m in that area. It has easy access and the water is clear, so I can see what the bait is doing or not doing. 
Anyway I saw a swirl in that pond one day, had to have been the new world record. Then again it might have been a turtle, or something falling out of a tree, or a frog. 
But you ask how long would I fish a pond…. That was almost four years ago. 

[Joedodge]

7 hours ago, MonsterZero said:

Depends on how good I think the spot is. If there is the possibility that it is just not a good pond for numbers, pressure, fishable conditions, etc then I will just stop going. But if I am the problem, through my technique, lure choice, whatever, I will keep going back until I get dialed in or find that I was wrong and there are just no fish to be had.

 

After all the years I have spent with a rod in my hand, I am pretty confident in my ability to find fish if there are fish to be found. Sometime there is just no success to be had in a place, and sometimes it just takes a bit more work to find it.

Make sense. And I agree. I can generally not get skunked I can  find a fish. Just been years since I started over I guess and I was about 20 with a lot more feee time when I found my ones back home lol. Now I’ll be 37 and busy as ever lol

1 hour ago, GRiver said:

@Joedodge you asked how long would I fish the pond. Probably way to long, but I love to fish, catching fish is the gravy. 
If it is a convenient place to stop, try all your new gear there. 
I have a little pond, that I stop at when I’m in that area. It has easy access and the water is clear, so I can see what the bait is doing or not doing. 
Anyway I saw a swirl in that pond one day, had to have been the new world record. Then again it might have been a turtle, or something falling out of a tree, or a frog. 
But you ask how long would I fish a pond…. That was almost four years ago. 

I agree. The hunt, outdoors, fun equipment. That is what makes fishing. Catching is the gravy. This pond actually reminds me of my pond back home that I used for the same purposes as you.  Test new equipment,stop by before or after work. I found it on the state stock list. Shortly after they stocked it. Never saw a single person there. Was a local community center. Fish were very tiny. I fished it regular till I moved and they were up to 2 pounds for the bigger ones. Was a great one if ya one hopped and got skunked. Ya could always get at least one to eat there on the way home lol. 

[Pat Brown]

One thing I will add to this discussion that is a piece of wisdom that really helped me catch big fish early on in my journey - pick ONE spot and always go there until you catch one fish.  Then try to build on that one fish etc.

 

I think spending time trying lots of bodies of water has a novelty and allure and a rush early on - but generally leads to frustration and more failure than success - every body of water is different and I try to digest them one at a time.

 

I finally broke the 8 lb mark on a public lake I've been pounding for 5 years that has WAY bigger fish than 8 lbs in it - and then...- I caught my second fish over 8 lbs on that lake a few days later!  This happened a couple weeks ago!  When it rains it pours.

 

I'm still buzzing from those fish - 9 lb 14 oz on a jig out of 14 feet and a 9 lb 3 oz on a frog out of 0 feet lol - opposite sides of the lake - just a couple days apart.

 

Never broken 7 on that lake fishing it hard for 5 years before that.  I know there are tons of fish in the 8+ range on that lake it's just very very different from other lakes I fish and I really had to hunker down and grind on it to start to figure out what fish do there.

 

Point being - pick one you feel good about - and hammer it every chance you get doing everything you can to learn to catch *those* fish.

 

 

[Joedodge]

Well said and excellent point! It is easy to just go nuts and run all over the place. There is that one by my work and a small chain of ponds literally

bg my house that I got 2 fish between 3-4 pounds last week. I probably need to stick to those for while and try and learn that water. 
 

congrats!!! Wow that’s really impressive!! That’s gotta be one heck of a feeling to break your pb that fast! And after all those years on that same lake. 

[the reel ess]

If I know it has produced for others, I may go back after getting skunked. But I've been in ponds that just give the impression of the Dead Sea-no minnows or anything. I won't go back to those. There's a local pond with a  reputation for big bass that I finally got permission to fish. I went with another guy. He caught a tiny dink and I got skunked. Later learned from the owner that they think it was wiped out by otters. That's a no-go until I hear a good report.

[Pat Brown]

19 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

If I know it has produced for others, I may go back after getting skunked. But I've been in ponds that just give the impression of the Dead Sea-no minnows or anything. I won't go back to those. There's a local pond with a  reputation for big bass that I finally got permission to fish. I went with another guy. He caught a tiny dink and I got skunked. Later learned from the owner that they think it was wiped out by otters. That's a no-go until I hear a good report.

 

 

I see otters all the time at my big fish ponds AND people keep fish there all the time - it don't matter.  You will never hear a good report from anyone who fishes that pond ever.  That is often a sign it's got giant fish in it - it's tough.  Big fish are smart.

 

You do realize the Japanese govt tried to wipe out the LMB with gill nets and chemicals and paying citizens to keep and kill them?  Well it produced the world record - that and some trout 😂

 

In BIG FISH ponds - you usually catch nothing or a big fish or maybe a dink now and again because the big fish eat everything including other bass and it's just a couple schools of really big smart fish and some super scared dinks.

 

Numbers ponds are different entirely and in general - we don't have those here.

 

I actually think otters and people accidentally selectively harvest for giants and make fisheries into giant factories.

 

We might get angry when we see the bucket brigade pull a few 4-6 lbers off the banks and eat them every year but consider this - those are often the smallest and most competitive females on the pond - and the stupidest - and the ones you really would be worried about them catching - you actually don't know exist - and you'll never see them spawn in your life up shallow.  AND - those folks keeping those couple dumb 4-6 lbers aren't touching the general population of 4-6 lbers that now have enough biomass to become 7-9 lbers next year.

[ike8120]

I go back to the same pond numerous times, fish in different spots. The conditions are always changing. Some days are good and others are terrible.

[Joedodge]

Man this topic turned into some great conversation!!!

[the reel ess]

nm