Small Pond frustration in the Fall

[senile1]

We still have some vegetation in Northwest Missouri but I would say that about 25 - 30 percent of it has died off in the smaller bodies of water. We've had a couple of freezes and this week the lows will be 20s to low 30s with highs in the 40s. I expect quite a bit of the vegetation to begin to disappear over the next couple of weeks. Water temperatures in the smaller lakes/ponds are around 50 while the larger lakes still have temperatures from 55 - 60. And the larger lakes have a good forage base of shad.

Due to my work, I haven't had a great deal of time to take the boat out often so I haven't been fishing the "shad-based" water as much as I would like. When time is short I head to the smaller bodies of water and fish from the bank.

What are the conditions in Colorado?

[32251]

I fish a small lake in my neighborhood. Caught a big one today on a Chatterbait with two black trailors on it. Fished like a jig and pig. Just let it sit on the bottom and pop it up and let it wobble back down and let it set there. Do this all the way back to the bank.  Jig/pig combination is good in the fall and winter.

[Paul Roberts]

I'm fishing small waters entirely. Water temps were low 50s 2 weeks ago, dropped to around 50 last week following a front, and this week we've pretty much slipped into winter. Another cold front took us down another notch, and nights are staying cold. On a pond today the very surface at the north shoreline was 49F, but the rest was 46F from 2 thru 10 feet. The sun just can't penetrate. Days are darn short too

Fished the pond from shore, for 2-1/2hrs, and blanked. I chose the warmest day of the week (air high 55F today, and temps will erode through this week) with overcast. I should have chosen a different pond -a smaller one so location is less of a question. I believe I was near fish today as this bank has held fish spring through fall in the past. But I can't be certain -not so much as a nip. The only active things I saw were muskrats, waterfowl, and bicyclists -all endotherms LOL. I did see carp, rolling gently. A couple weeks back (at 55F ST) carp were actively rolling and chasing each other. A few even breached! (Is this that autumn pre-spawn thing again??) Today, it looked like they were gulping air -like giant shad.

The latest I've fished this pond was Nov 10th last year with water temps 48 to 51. I wrote in my journal that there were some bass on the north shoreline (gets sun) but the most I could accomplish were a couple wakes and nips at my Rap -sound familiar? I would have blanked but found a pod of bass behind a notable dense (and dead) weed clump -a piece of isolated cover. Four bass took a 4" creature bait fished with short pauses, and slight accelerations. All four bass took on the accelerations. One leapt four times, despite the cold water.

Today, as there were no visible clumps to target I fan-casted with a small slow-rolled SB, a Rogue (5-15sec pauses), and a drop-shotted soft jerk. That Rogue sure has a nice action. The wide lip makes it roll and flash with the slightest tug. I liked it, but the fish could care less. I think it would might have been a good idea to add a few small brushpiles along this shoreline that might draw a few bass. If I had had to find those bass I'd found last year by fan-casting, I might easily have missed them -they didn't move for the jig, and were particular about the retrieve.

32251, that was a nice bass. Congrats! A number of people have mentioned that hopping retrieve for cold water, for jigs, chatters, SBs, and bladebaits. I fished my SB today that way, as well as just straight extra slow retrieve. I think I just missed whatever fish might have been nearby. Also, this particular pond has lots of dead filamentous algae that make touch down messy. I tried to fish just above bottom, but not let the lures touch down. Maybe going T-rigged in some fashion, so I can let it rest some, might have helped. Again, lots a variables. Tougher I think, when you can't roar off to other water. You fish what you've got in front of you. Such is pond fishing. I like to try to "figure 'em out" in the water in front of me, but, the downside of this particular pond was apparent today.

I'm going to get some fishing in right to ice-up. I'll mostly stick to the very smallest waters so I can concentrate on presentation. And I'm going to pop in a few brush piles too.

[Paul Roberts]

Since we are sliding into winter (fast) try Googling: "ice fishing" bass

Very interesting, and encouraging. First ice is a "hot" time. What about just before first ice?

Two good ones:

www.nodakoutdoors.com/bass-ice-fishing.php

http://www.in-fisherman.com/magazine/exclusives/if0601_IceBass/

[Tokyo Tony]

Great thread guys. I agree, shorefishing in the late fall in the North is probably the toughest type of bass fishing there is, and although I think I'm starting to get the hang of it, there are some days when KVD probably wouldn't even be able to get a bite.

When you're getting followers on the jerkbait, sometimes changing colors will get them to commit. If not, at least you know there are fish in your pond that are willing to follow your lure. In that case, although it's not much fun to do, try throwing a wacky senko out there, let it sink to the bottom, twitch, twitch, etc. If the fish won't hit that, you know the conditions are really tough.

I've had a lot of success this fall with black/blue Chatterbaits slow-rolled on the bottom, both from shore and out in a boat. There's something about that bait that bass can't resist. The sensation of a Chatterbait strike is great, too. You either feel a tap, or the blade just stops vibrating and you feel a weight there. Very cool  8-)