ponds specific strategies

[stealthcaster]

I don't live near any lakes, so I'm mostly fishing in ponds.  Most ponds are stained, a few murky, and one or two crystal clear.  Some are the size of a large swimming pool, some the size of a football field or larger.  I've got a feeling that in at least half the ponds the bass' main food source is bluegill, and in the others I'm not exactly sure.

So far I've had good luck on fishing texas rigged culprit/zoom worms and zoom 6" lizards slowly.  I fish junebug lizards/red shad worms close to sinrise/sunset and try colors like pumpkinseed, chartreuse, and green pumpkin during mid day, especially if the water isn't murky.

What do you guys like to throw for specific ponds and what characteristics of ponds give you hints as to what lures might work on bass? 

[Carrington]

the best pond producing bait to date for me is a baby brush hog in watermelon seed color.  3/0 gamagatzu ewg hook with a 1/8 oz unpegged tungston weight.  fish it slow.

[stealthcaster]

wow haha I usually fish 3/0 gamakatzu also with a 1/8oz tungsten weight.  I just got some 8" lizards and 10" worms so I'll be fishing some 5/0 hooks as well.

[DeanFishesNY]

every pond i fish there's different lures that work best. The pond near my house before weeds, beetle spins kill em and in summer it's frogs around the pads. Most other ponds i do well with shallow cranks and jigs.

[wannabeangler]

A friend of mine has a small pond in his neighborhood that he fishes every lunch break (nope, no jealousy here ... none whatsoever!). Last year had nominal success with a variety of lures but during the fall and winter he kept a better eye on the forage and found a gray/blueish pink-bellied crawfish and also some creek chubs. He started throwing black/blue jigs and had been nailing 4-5 pounds all winter (again ... no *** here!). A few weeks ago, he noticed the pattern changing and starting working faster lures and nailed a 7# 10oz on a yellow (I think) spinnerbait.

Bottom line is finding the natural forage and keeping up with the patterns on the ponds!

[bwell]

Buzzbaits do really well with the pond next to my house in the summer time.  I just cast up and down the bank and slay the bass.  Other than that Senko's, beetle spins, and spinnerbaits do well.  When the vegetation starts getting thick I will throw a frog or t-rigged plastics...

[stealthcaster]

Thanks for the responses! I caught a small bass this morning off a minnow-sized suspending jerkbait in a pond that is stained brown. It was about 8:30am and he hit right by the bank.

Do you guys catch more bass near the bank or in the deeper water? Can the time of day/water clarity (or even sunny vs overcast skies) be an indicator of where fish may be hanging out?

[wannabeangler]

Do you guys catch more bass near the bank or in the deeper water?

Yes. Depends on where the structure and drop offs are.

Can the time of day/water clarity (or even sunny vs overcast skies) be an indicator of where fish may be hanging out?

Absolutely! Classic sunny/overcast/cold front/warm front rules still apply to small ponds. Personally, I prefer the sunny warm days. The fish may be more lethargic but I know where to find them on small ponds ... on the shade side of anything!

[roadwarrior]

This might help:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1158577137

8-)

[RoLo]

An uncharted pond is a treasure, like a small lake but with a greater biomass of fish-per-acre.

No two ponds are alike, and the best advice I can offer is to learn the Bottom Contour

of that pond like the back-of-your-hand. For instance, in one spot in the pond,

a long cast perpendicular to the shoreline may land in just 15 inches of water,

but in another spot, the depth may drop-off sharply right underneath the rod-tip.

If necessary, don a pair of waders and instead of fishing gear, bring a notepad and pen.

By hook or by crook, learn the location of all shoals (bedding flats) and all basins (retreats).

Learn the ledge-line of the best drop-offs and the best weed-lines and fix them with shore-sightings.

Only then can you target your casts to parallel the weed-lines and drop-offs.

Making every cast count instead of fishing blindly, is the pond strategy

that will lead to all other strategies.

Roger

[saint romain]

If I'm new to a pond, my most trustworthy baits, in order, are:

White trickworm (just hook and worm, not wacky rigged)

Black with red flake baby brushhog T-rigged

Pumpkinseed baby brushhog T-rigged

[TourPT]

I fish allot of ponds also and generally stick to the 4 basic food groups.

1. Jig & Craw (black/blue works everywhere)

2. Spinnerbaits

3. Shallow to Med diving Cranks (Big-O in craw color, Bomber 6a in Craw, Silver Shad or Baby Bass)

4. Plastic Worms

And for desert Frogs, Frogs, Frogs. (Scum Frog Popper. Spro Popper and Mann's Super Frog work for me)

One other lure that has worked for me in every pond I have ever fished is the Rapala Countdown Minnow in Silver/Black. I believe its the CD9 size.

[B A S S E R]

During the summer (on the pond near my house where i get to fish every day  ) I HAMMER them with weightless t-rig. 3/0 gammy 7" worm.  Right now I am doing good with rattle traps. My PB came from this pond that is coming alot more popular to people from out of town  >

[Wild Bill [NY]]

I fish for fun, and NOTHING is as exhilerating to me as fishing a frog in ponds.

If that does not excite you, check your pulse; I think you died.

When Ol' Miss Bighead comes up and crushes the frog , well, I am in my  Nivana then.

[rmr00051]

Once summer comes i pull out the ole jitterbug

[MattinOK]

I'm a 100% shorebound angler. A few of my favorite pond lures are:

Manns Baby 1-Minus I guess you call this my "confidence bait" If I'm struggling I will tie one on and at least catch a few.

Chart. Spinnerbait

Most people throw small spinners in ponds, but i prefer chuckin' a nice 1/2oz or 3/4oz.

Other lures like senko's, rattletraps, cranks, and other soft plastics are hit and miss for me. Sometimes score a good fish or two on them-- sometimes I get skunked. The manns and a big spinnerbait always net me a few fish though.

[hatrix]

I mainly farm ponds my self except when i go for perch or walleye on lake erie. I would have to say I catch the most bass on jigs zoom super flukes and frogs. Theres a guy that makes custom frogs that just destroy the bass. They look so real in the water bass have to eat them.

[ChiCityBasser]

Right now in all the ponds and small lakes I fish I'm using a Strike King 1xs in Gizzard Shad color with #2 Mustad Triple Grip hooks and seems to get me a couple of bits each time out. I'm fishing from the shore and so far it's helped me catch my PB LM at 3.5Lbs

[UGLY STIK]

I luv spinners in my favorite pond...there are large northern pike and bass , so spinners are great producers.

[CAdeltaLipRipper]

An uncharted pond is a treasure, like a small lake but with a greater biomass of fish-per-acre.

No two ponds are alike, and the best advice I can offer is to learn the Bottom Contour

of that pond like the back-of-your-hand. For instance, in one spot in the pond,

a long cast perpendicular to the shoreline may land in just 15 inches of water,

but in another spot, the depth may drop-off sharply right underneath the rod-tip.

If necessary, don a pair of waders and instead of fishing gear, bring a notepad and pen.

By hook or by crook, learn the location of all shoals (bedding flats) and all basins (retreats).

Learn the ledge-line of the best drop-offs and the best weed-lines and fix them with shore-sightings.

Only then can you target your casts to parallel the weed-lines and drop-offs.

Making every cast count instead of fishing blindly, is the pond strategy

that will lead to all other strategies.

Roger

hahaha very poetic  ;D

[BigEZ19]

pond guy myself...flukes..wacky rigged ribbon tail worm..great action..kills the fish..spinner bait..and lizard for sure. 

[TeenageFishAddict]

ok dude, i may only be 16 but i have been bass fishing ponds mainly and exclusively my whole life...i live in memphis. but anyways the key to catching fish in these ponds is simply fishing them enough. learn where the drop-offs are, the weed beds, the spawning beds, and rock beds. find a good consistent spot and fish it. all those big lakes are are a bunch of little small lakes. no two ponds are alike either, figure them out in a nutshell, find a good consistent pattern, sort of like a local favorite. also, most ponds have a lot of fishing pressure by anglers who simply just cast lures and fish blindly, BE DIFFERENT, step outside the box. there is no magic bait that will catch fish in every pond wether it be soft plastic, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, etc.. fish what you have confidence in and have fun.

[ziltoid]

I don't live near any lakes, so I'm mostly fishing in ponds. Most ponds are stained, a few murky, and one or two crystal clear. Some are the size of a large swimming pool, some the size of a football field or larger.

That would be amazing to have those little local ponds around my house.

My personal go-to styles are drop shotting, fishing Senko's wacky rigged, and dead sticking (I caught my first bass fixing a birds nest from one of my first casting reel experiences).