Swimming the dropshot in a mudhole.

[Fishing Rhino]

You don't need a fancy boat. You don't need expensive gear. You don't need to "follow the book".

We are at our daughter's home in GA. Behind her home is a small pond, created many years ago by damming a tiny trickle of a stream.

Trees were cut, leaving stumps, and the earthen dam with a standpipe attached to a culvert determines the maximum water level.

At the moment, it is about three feet below "full pool". That is appropriate because the pond is not much bigger than a pool, two acres at the most.

Last year at Thanksgiving, I caught a four pounder from this tiny pond, and felt certain there was bigger to be had.

Here we are in GA, my bass boat parked in the driveway, and used only three times, in West Point Lake, launching at different sites.

Total catch for those three excursions? Eight fish, all under two pounds.

I'd been puttering around in my daughters 8 foot bass hunter with one paddle, trying different baits. Kept snagging in grassy patches in the shallow pond.

Paddling a BassHunter is no easy chore, but on this small pond it was fine. I was very impressed by the boat, in spite of its size. The seat was comfortable, swiveled, and could be positioned anywhere along the length of the boat. It is a very stable boat, easy to carry in the bed of a pickup, and with a trolling motor is ideal for small ponds or hanging close to a sheltered shore.

I'm considering adding one of these types of boats, in a larger size to my "fleet".

I switched to a drop shot rig, spacing the quarter ounce sinker about 18 inches from the bait, and started out with four inch senkos in various colors. Caught a few which averaged about a pound. Then I put a three inch watermelon/chartreuse laminate trick stick on the hook, wacky rigged, and the action picked up.

In a couple of hours I caught twelve, again, averaging about a pound in size. But, it was action, and it cost nothing but a couple of baits.

The next day I switched baits to the BPS Tournment Series Stiko bait, 5 or 6 inches, watermelon/chartreuse swirl, and did even better.

Wanting to try an entirely different color to see what would happen, I attached a four inch trick stick, black/yellow swirl.

Even more action, and on the day before thanksgiving, in the morning I landed this. Note the camoflage treatment on the boat, the size, and the amount of gear. The brown plastic bag beneath me held around a dozen bags of various plastic baits.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

Heck of a fish right there, Rhino.  WTG.

[Dwight Hottle]

Looks like you might have doubled your previous pb from that little pond. And look at all the gas you saved! Nice bass.

[Red]

Nice fish!  I love my little Bass Raider!

[Shane J]

Beautiful!!

[GLADES]

Nice bass Rhino. How much did she weigh? My family has a nice farm in Vidalia with a pond similar to that one. It is loaded with bluegill, bass and catfish. I love to fish there when we are visiting.

[Fishing Rhino]

Nice bass Rhino. How much did she weigh? My family has a nice farm in Vidalia with a pond similar to that one. It is loaded with bluegill, bass and catfish. I love to fish there when we are visiting.

I didn't weigh it.  Didn't want to keep it out of the water long enough to run up to my boat to get the scale.

I'd guess about eight pounds.  She was fat, in spite of her worn out tail. 

I haven't seen anything but bass in this pond.  I know there are smaller fish because there is usually a couple of pairs of kingfishers, and a heron or two wading the shore.

[A-Jay]

A trophy size example of Georgia's official state fish.

Congrats ~

A-Jay

[Ern]

Nice

[Jigfishn10]

Nice fish Rhino! Those little ponds can be great watering holes for sure.

[SeanW]

Beautiful fish Rhino, Ive always enjoyed the  simpler fishing days.

[CAdeltaLipRipper]

Niceeeee 

[pitchin fool]

Great story!!  Just goes to show that you never know in what kind of water a big ol' girl lies.  I love small waters that everyone else passes up.

[Sam]

Excellent report and super photo.

Yes, that drop shot can be dynamite.

I expect to fish it at least 25% of the time next year.

Thanks for a great report to let us know that someone out there is still fishing. 

[Big-O]

Yehhh Buddy   WTG Tom and keep after'em til ice out 

Big O

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