EARLY spring pond bass

[BassinBoy]

Please, whatever tips you can throw at me would be greatly appreciated! After no fish from the first 2 times out, I'm desperate.

Thanks guys 

[Shane J]

I'd try a drop shot, or a keel-weighted Rooster or Craw up shallow, preferably around submerged brushes and trees.

[Fishmaster10]

spinnerbaits, lipless cranks, cotton cordell Big-O's, Spro little johns, jigs, soft or hard plastic jerkbaits, and sometimes a wacky rig

[fishingkidPA]

the ponds i have hit dont seem to be hitting on cranks or jerkbaits, texas rigging brush hogs has been working, also wacky rigging senkos.

[hookingem]

Lipless crankbaits jerkbaits, SD crankbaits, Spinnerbaits.

[gotarheelz14]

I would also be looking on the shallower end of the spectrum. I don't know how deep your pond is so this may not apply to you but I would be looking for them to make various moves up to the shallows to feed heavily before they spawn.

Sometimes, the fish move up so shallow that "sight fishing" really plays a factor. So, if there is brush, bust out your polarized lenses and get to looking underwater. Often, they will cruise the banks just waiting to see what they can grab. Just remember though, if you can see them, they have probably already seen you! Be stealthy and if possible always try to cast ahead of where you are walking so the fish don't see you.

Carlos

[bigredxlt]

Scout out a likely area to hold fish from a distance in ponds this is usually cover like weeds, brush, or logs. Stay about 10 feet from the bank for the first few casts. This really helps to keep the fish from spooking. For presentation try dead sticking a weightless rigged baby brush hog in watermelon or green pumpkin. Let it slowly fall to the bottom. This method is dynamite in ponds. If that doesnt work slowly drag a lightly weighted paca craw across the bottom.

[slonezp]

blacknblue jignpigs

[PondBoss]

What has been working well for me is any kind of 4-6 inch minnow bait.  Worked erratically with stops and starts.  That is helping me find the smaller more aggressive fish, then I'm following it up with a 6" cherry seed Zoom lizard and cleaning up the bigger fish behind. 

[CSimon2]

I have caught 2 bass so far this season and I got them both on Rat-L-Traps.  I fish small ponds too and have been throwing a lot of things at them, but the trap seems to work the best so far for me.

[.dsaavedra.]

shallow cranks

[bradbass]

try a 7" blak/purple culprit worm with no weight just fish it slow.

[Ima Bass Ninja]

Being in PA i would venture to say that the water temps are still pretty cold. They will probably be holding pretty tight to cover. I would start there with a spinner bait or crank bait, and bounce it of the cover. If that doesn't produce i would switch to something slower like a worm an drag it over and around the cover. I've found that sometimes in a pond you really have to put the bait right in front of there face cause they don't wanna move to far to get it.

[Nibbles]

A bulky soft plastic, fished weightless and slow seems to do it for me when the bass aren't hitting anything else.

[roadwarrior]

Guaranteed To Catch A Bass

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

8-)

[GrundleLove]

I have tried everything lately after ice out. Lipless cranks...KVD square bills, spinners small(Tiny-T) and regular size...soft plastics (with JJ's Magic) ..EVERYTHING...late last night when the sun was going down i was so desperate i tried topwater and caught a bluegill YIPPIE!  >

I have no idea whats up, i can not seem to land ANYTHING right now.

[bassking1976]

ok so just went out and too got skunked    threw lipless cranks and spinner baits mainly   water still had ice on it in some parts which is suprising considering some high 50's n 60's of late   water was really clear though  n  clear water heats up slower than stained so fish were hard to find

[patrickthebass]

I landed a nice one yesterday with an old school black jig..slow and steady

[Georgia Jeff]

SK Redeye shad, Yozuri suspending jerkbait, and weighted plastic worms work for me in the early spring.

[TheLastRodBender]

Suspending jerkbait -  Husky jerk or variation there of.  Smaller pond means the water is generally a couple degrees warmer then bigger waters due to the shallow water.   I would vary my retreive.  Deadstick it a bit, rip it hard a bit and everything in between.

Flukes - Again, retreive about the same as the jerkbait.

Weightless Stickbaits - I dont know what the 'cover' situation is, but i'd be throwing 4" stick baits around any cover on the water.  Grass, Trees, whatever.

I'd start with that and if none of that works i'd go deeper with a T-rigged worm, or that same stickbait, or even a fluke bounced around cover.

[STL BassMan]

Go get some green pumpkin brush hogs by zoom. Work them slow and you'll get one....

[joshholmes]

3.5 in. yum money minnow, zoom brush hog, 5 in. yum dinger, yum mighty bug, kvd spinner baits, rapala husky jerk, 3.5 in. brown coffee tube

[JoePhish]

Little Black Beaver, t-rigged

Swimsenko, T-rigged w/ 1/16 oz or weightless.

Chatter (sha do bee)

[JamesH]

What ever you have the most confidence in. Saying that 3'-4' cranks have been doing it around here.