Finicky Pond Bass

[BassinBoy]

Hey guys, Ive got the ultimate pond to try to catch bass.  The man who owns it is a perfectionist.  His pond is crystal clear blue water, clean enough to drink from.  The water is so perfect they found an unknown species of freshwater jellyfish that appear every august.  The pond has palimino trout, largemouth, bluegill and a few catfish.  It is pretty rocky, meaning layered with gravel.  Pretty deep, about 20- 30 feet deep, and is a couple of acres big.  He feeds the fish with food pellets.  It takes alot of the feeding insticts and aggressiveness out of the bass.  I have put alot of thought to it and have tried to think of new techniques to catch these bass.  I have caught them on ribbontail worms and trick worms before.  Im gonna try a dropshot rig, swimbait, and a fluke for the more aggressive bass.  They are some of the more realistic baits and thought they would be best.  Any tips of advice would be great, thanks everyone.

[JerseyBassin]

flukes are amazing..thats all i've been using for my past couple trips and its worked magic..i'd use those, maybe even try a tube or creature bait...i've found that baits that aren't used much in my lake work like a charm

[BirdNestBen]

I've been hammering them this Spring... and for a while on these lures...

#1 Fluke- Watermelon seed- if they don't bite this your in trouble

#2 Senko- I fish these in the heavy weeds texas rigged weightless- one of the best bass lures ever... I use the Strike King Zero version...

#3 Zara Spook- has always been deadly early and late on big bass as well as the Pop-R

#4 You'll catch a ton of bass on the Powerworm texas rigged in Electric Blue or Blue fleck colors...

You also have the issue of very clear water... may have to go to a spinning reel and lighter lines... that would be my recommendation... you'll get longer casts, but may have problems landing bigger fish...

do some research and get a light line that the fish will have a hard time seeing but still is tough and hard to break... I don't have enough study yet on this to give you much more info. on lines....

I think you will have super luck on those flukes....  i rig them on a spinning rod with a small splitshot about a foot above my lure... in the slop you should fish them weightless however... I'm sure many more tips will come in to help you land some of those greenies.......

[Marty]

Im gonna try a dropshot rig, swimbait, and a fluke for the more aggressive bass.  They are some of the more realistic baits and thought they would be best.

These fish are apparently well-fed and I don't think you need realism, you need something to anger those fish or arouse their curiosity or otherwise appeal to their senses. I'd try a full assortment of lures, retrieving them erratically and try to get them to react.

[Maxximus Redneckus]

Try jointed rapalas and manns jelly worms 6 inch in purple

[Sam]

Go out before sunrise and throw a black with silver blade Cavitron buzzbait.

Go out at dusk and throw a black with silver blade Cavitron buzzbait.

Fish a finesse worm on a split-shot rig.

Try the drop shot but you may do better with the split-shot rig.

Try a blue/black jig and pig fished slow, like a crawfish.

Then go back to the buzzbait.

Aggravate the suckers!!!! ;D

[PondBoss]

If this water is as clear as you say it is they should be able to see an electric orange trickworm from all the way across the pond.  Bright colors and eratic retrieves kill the fish in my ponds.

[Raul]

Normally a bass would not eat pelletized food, pellets are for trout and catfish. I took me 4 months to train a bass in an aquarium to accept fish fillets so I seroiuosly doubt that those bass in that pond accept pelletized food when they have bluegills around. I certainly don 't think that the man is taking away any agressiveness or changing the feeding habits of bass.

Being crystal clear the most probable reason why bass are so finicky is that they can see you and that any mistake in your presentation ( which the bass can see ) is what keeps them from biting your baits.

[Fisher of Men]

To add to what's already been said, of course light line/spinning tackle is best.  Plastic bait colors should be clear (watermelon, motor oil, salt/pepper, etc.).  In addition to tubes, grubs can be successful, too.  Try a small Beetlespin, perhaps a Mepp's in-line spinner also.  Just some thoughts.  

[Bassnbrett101]

Take your trick worm put a dropshot hook in the meaty part of it and cast it out wacky style.  That rig opens alot of lockjaws for me in lakes like the one your talking about.  Long casts on 8 lb test help too

[bigbill]

Just before day light just as the sky lights up in the east, i like to use a BPS topnocker color #25 or a Rebel BIG Claw crawfish the biggest one they offer (BIG claw).  A few shots of baitmate on the topnocker and make the longest cast i can to scent the water to get there juices flowing.  After a few casts if nothing happens then go to my rebel BIG Claw and cast it out and close the bail and yank it to get the lure down and reel it very slow.  The BIG Claw even floats good to so it can be used as a topwater bait too.  These are my favorite two baits for early mornings.

If your fishing from shore be very very stealthy too, don't step on any rocks and walk softly.  Put your tacklebox down softly too.  Also wear dark colored clothes too if you can see the fish they can see you too.  We have to be very stealthy like were not there that means very quiet.