Pond Fisherman Needs Advice

[a_cajun_2]

I recently moved to a subdivision with a 6 acre spring-fed pond. I am told it has been stocked with bass and cats for about 3-4 yrs. I've been fishing on the bank using ultralite with plastic worms. I can catch 1-1 1/2 pounders all day but have never caught anything over that, although neighbors say there are some 4-5 lbs. there. Lots of grass on bottom catches on the worms too. Pond is about 12-15 deep at deepest point.

How can I catch a big one? Thanks,

acajun2

Pensacola, FL.

[hookingem]

Ahh this is vague..But throw a bait that is too big for the dinks to eat! Throw a 10in worm or a swimbait for a few days straight. You won't get nearly as many bites but the ones you do get will be solid fish. Also how often do you catch the dinks? are they every cast? The pond may have become over populated. More information would be helpful.

[JoePhish]

Yeah, I agree, think big.

For the record, I've never caught a dink on a Chatter Frog. The smallest was close to 2 lbs.

Big fan of big jigs for big bass, as well.

[hookingem]

Yeah, I agree, think big.

For the record, I've never caught a dink on a Chatter Frog. The smallest was close to 2 lbs.

Big fan of big jigs for big bass, as well.

After reading this post I began to think Iv'e never caught a fish under 2# on a chatterbait either interesting...  :

[Grey Wolf]

Large lures.

[Crestliner2008]

Start tossing some big swimbaits at night. Surface & wakebaits in dark colors will get you bit - IF there are any real hogs in there. Problem is, to some folks, a 2 lb. bass looks like a 5 lb. bass! 

[TourPT]

I don't know really if this will help, but I know it helped on the ponds I fish. About 4 years ago I started throwing hollow body frogs at the ponds, been doing so at the lakes for about 6 years now, and have been amazed at the size increase of the bass I have been catching the last couple years. Even on dish bowl ponds with no visible cover to target.

I still catch the 1 pound bass on the frog but never in my 25 years of bass fishing have I caught so many 4 to 6 pound bass then I have in the last few years. In fact I have caught more such size bass in the last 3 years then I have in my whole 25 years of bass fishing combined.

Last year I added throwing a football jig without a skirt or weed guard, with the large size paca craw and had days where I averaged 3 to 4lb bass, of which is great here in IL. I also caught a 8lber on this setup of which was only the third 8lb class bass I have caught here in IL in all the years fishing here. Threw other football jigs with skirts and a weed guard, with the same large paca craw and did not get half the hits or size bass. Weird, but what ever works.

Another lure of which I am no expert at, but my fishing partner is, is the buzzbait. Some of the bass he catches on that thing is amazing. He uses only one color, Black with a black blade, in only one size, 1/2 oz. The theory is early mourning or late evening, but he must have a four leaf clover in his back pocket because I have seen him catch many big bass on the thing smack dab in the middle of the day in bright sunlight.

One of the biggest misconceptions to pond fishing is you got to go small. Sure small lures work, but there not the only way to catch bass in small ponds. Big bass will hit bigger lures no matter where they live, provided the conditions are right. Try up sizing. You may not get as many hits, but most of what does hit will surprise you.

[Bass_Akwards]

I'd say, since you're a newb, instead of concentrating on catching the bigger fish in the pond, you should concentrate on just plain and simply catching bass.  If you do that, the big fish will come. You can catch a 4-5 pound bass on the same bait you catch a 2 pound bass.  If you want to catch bass of all sizes, and you're just startiing out, I'd try this.

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

[J Francho]

I don't know really if this will help, but I know it helped on the ponds I fish. About 4 years ago I started throwing hollow body frogs at the ponds, been doing so at the lakes for about 6 years now, and have been amazed at the size increase of the bass I have been catching the last couple years. Even on dish bowl ponds with no visible cover to target.

I still catch the 1 pound bass on the frog but never in my 25 years of bass fishing have I caught so many 4 to 6 pound bass then I have in the last few years. In fact I have caught more such size bass in the last 3 years then I have in my whole 25 years of bass fishing combined.

Great advice on the frog.

Add in a Mattlures Hard Gill, and you pretty much will violate every little mud puddle you fish.

[Jigfishn10]

Bass_Akwards, you may want to read the OP again. 

[christine Cellino]

As stated; Frog all the way.  It weeds out the men from the boys.

[bigredxlt]

Buzzbaits in the summer mornings and evenings. I had a pond in my backyard and fished it every day after work. Alway caught the biggest fish with a buzzbait. The one I used was a purple booyah two nickel blades. Everyone on this forum seems to swear by cavitrons though.

[lightsout]

When you say stocked, do you mean from a fish hatchery? If it has been only 3 years, even in Florida the short answer is there may be no real hogs in there. Alot of people have no clue how big an honest 5-6lb bass is. At any rate thats all hear say for us sitting at computers miles away.

   The only way your gonna figure it out is time on the water. Blindly chucking larger lures will help, but learning the depth, cover, bottum composistion, etc will put you on big fish consistantly.

Are you limited to the shore? If you can put a boat in with a depthfinder several times throughout the year you can really dial in a place. You can find out alot about a lake using live bait also.

[tritz18]

Frogs and Buzzbaits in the grass during early morning and late evening. Other times just try throwing a bigger bait, although I wouldn't completely cut out using smaller baits. If they are in there you will eventually catch them. Took me and my friends a whole year really fishing our favorite pond to finally catch a few five pounders. Just keep fishing!

[BassinBoy]

Frogs and Buzzbaits in the grass during early morning and late evening. Other times just try throwing a bigger bait, although I wouldn't completely cut out using smaller baits. If they are in there you will eventually catch them. Took me and my friends a whole year really fishing our favorite pond to finally catch a few five pounders. Just keep fishing!

X2  Tritz is right. I fish a half acre pond, it's small. And there are two five pounders in there (I've seen them and the owner has caught them), yet after 2 years of fishing it I have yet to catch them. IT TAKES TIME.

[Fat-G]

I don't know really if this will help, but I know it helped on the ponds I fish. About 4 years ago I started throwing hollow body frogs at the ponds, been doing so at the lakes for about 6 years now, and have been amazed at the size increase of the bass I have been catching the last couple years. Even on dish bowl ponds with no visible cover to target.

I still catch the 1 pound bass on the frog but never in my 25 years of bass fishing have I caught so many 4 to 6 pound bass then I have in the last few years. In fact I have caught more such size bass in the last 3 years then I have in my whole 25 years of bass fishing combined.

Last year I added throwing a football jig without a skirt or weed guard, with the large size paca craw and had days where I averaged 3 to 4lb bass, of which is great here in IL. I also caught a 8lber on this setup of which was only the third 8lb class bass I have caught here in IL in all the years fishing here. Threw other football jigs with skirts and a weed guard, with the same large paca craw and did not get half the hits or size bass. Weird, but what ever works.

Another lure of which I am no expert at, but my fishing partner is, is the buzzbait. Some of the bass he catches on that thing is amazing. He uses only one color, Black with a black blade, in only one size, 1/2 oz. The theory is early mourning or late evening, but he must have a four leaf clover in his back pocket because I have seen him catch many big bass on the thing smack dab in the middle of the day in bright sunlight.

One of the biggest misconceptions to pond fishing is you got to go small. Sure small lures work, but there not the only way to catch bass in small ponds. Big bass will hit bigger lures no matter where they live, provided the conditions are right. Try up sizing. You may not get as many hits, but most of what does hit will surprise you.

"Threw other jigs with skirts and weed gaurds..."

Alot of times the slimmer profile of a craw style bait (I prefer Chigger Craws and Rage Craws) without the skirt of a jig will catch more fish than a jig with a craw trailer. I think the less bulky profile is more attractive to the big girls while it still provides an easy, filling meal.

[TourPT]

I don't know really if this will help, but I know it helped on the ponds I fish. About 4 years ago I started throwing hollow body frogs at the ponds, been doing so at the lakes for about 6 years now, and have been amazed at the size increase of the bass I have been catching the last couple years. Even on dish bowl ponds with no visible cover to target.

I still catch the 1 pound bass on the frog but never in my 25 years of bass fishing have I caught so many 4 to 6 pound bass then I have in the last few years. In fact I have caught more such size bass in the last 3 years then I have in my whole 25 years of bass fishing combined.

Last year I added throwing a football jig without a skirt or weed guard, with the large size paca craw and had days where I averaged 3 to 4lb bass, of which is great here in IL. I also caught a 8lber on this setup of which was only the third 8lb class bass I have caught here in IL in all the years fishing here. Threw other football jigs with skirts and a weed guard, with the same large paca craw and did not get half the hits or size bass. Weird, but what ever works.

Another lure of which I am no expert at, but my fishing partner is, is the buzzbait. Some of the bass he catches on that thing is amazing. He uses only one color, Black with a black blade, in only one size, 1/2 oz. The theory is early mourning or late evening, but he must have a four leaf clover in his back pocket because I have seen him catch many big bass on the thing smack dab in the middle of the day in bright sunlight.

One of the biggest misconceptions to pond fishing is you got to go small. Sure small lures work, but there not the only way to catch bass in small ponds. Big bass will hit bigger lures no matter where they live, provided the conditions are right. Try up sizing. You may not get as many hits, but most of what does hit will surprise you.

"Threw other jigs with skirts and weed gaurds..."

Alot of times the slimmer profile of a craw style bait (I prefer Chigger Craws and Rage Craws) without the skirt of a jig will catch more fish than a jig with a craw trailer. I think the less bulky profile is more attractive to the big girls while it still provides an easy, filling meal.

The jig was one of the first lures I started throwing 25 years ago. It's funny how one is still learning after 25 years of bass fishing. I guess you can say that's one of the things that makes bass fishing such an exciting sport for no matter how much you know there is always more to learn.

I just discovered what your saying last year. I am amazed at the results. It's really mind boggling how a simple little change at the right time can make or break a day on the water.

BTW I just picked up a couple packs of Rage Craws, Look forward to giving them a good workout. If there half as good as the Rage Monkey I am going to be one happy bass fisherman. HEHE