To All My Memphis Pond Hoppers!

[jameadows21]

Hey everyone, been lurking this thread a while and only just got something i felt was worth sharing. 

Snagged him out of the front pond at Johnson park in Collierville - caught a few from here but this is by far the biggest. Really tough fishing around memphis for me lately, so this was a nice change of pace. Reading this thread has helped me find some good spots. I appreciate you guys' help!

[WDE]

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. 

[LeeBo]

Just found this site last week while getting back to a past time I had forgotten for a while.  Like the idea of locals here and have found some good info on some nice places to fish local.  Still have not read through all the Memphis Pond Hoppers pages but working on it.  After years and years of driving by a little private pond every single day I finally went and asked permission to fish.  Started with a nice bass bug on a fly rod and hit a pound and a half bass pretty quick.  Then took out the ultra light with 2 pound test and this fella hit my yellow spinner bait on the way to the bottom.  Little under 4 pounds I would say.  Nice fight.  20 minutes later I thought I was hung until the line started moving.  Never got him close enough to the bank to see what it was before he spit the lure out.  have been invited back to see if I can find him again.

[WDE]

Caught what I believe is a bowfin today at Johnson. 

 

 

[beaver]

I was out at the larger pond in the back of Johnson this morning early and I believe I saw one or two of these.

I didn't know what they were but the color and dorsal matches. 

 

Also, this is my first post and I'd like to thank everyone who has provided information on this thread. 

I'm a Collierville pond hopper and it's nice to know there are others out there trying as hard as I am to coax out these pressured fish.  

 

Thanks!

[beaver]

Not sure who else is crazy enough to walk around c-ville with a baitcaster and a headlamp but, I've done decent recently between 9pm - 11pm with t-rigged blue/black and black curl tail worms at Johnson.

 

Nothing big but catching two pound fish on rainy nights is still fun. 

 

 

[WDE]

I work retail and it’s crazy season, coupled with this awful weather I haven’t been out in a while. 

 

But I did get some farm pond fishing in today out in Dickson, TN. The weather is just as gross there. 

 

 

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

[beaver]

Beautiful fish!

Merry Christmas to you too! 

[Angry John]

So now that all the water is hard what's the chance this rain and warmer next week may open some water back up.  My closest lake is about 1" thick.

[WDE]

On 1/7/2018 at 10:25 AM, Angry John said:

So now that all the water is hard what's the chance this rain and warmer next week may open some water back up.  My closest lake is about 1" thick.

Johnson was frozen over in parts last week when I drove through. Hoping to get out tomorrow before it gets too cold again.

[Angry John]

Orgil golf course was over an inch thick all the way around. A little open water in the middle where some ducks were playing.  This sucks...

[WDE]

One small bite in over 3 hours between Neshoba, Johnson, and the Wolf River. Yes, I said the Wolf River. Found a little path in the woods at Neshoba down to the water front. 

[Angry John]

I was going to try and get out today but kids had a project for school.  I will try and sneak in an hour tomorrow before the deep freeze starts again...

[WDE]

55 minutes ago, Angry John said:

I was going to try and get out today but kids had a project for school.  I will try and sneak in an hour tomorrow before the deep freeze starts again...

Got rain in the forecast, good luck!

[Angry John]

Got out today but due to it being the dead of winter i figured i would do some testing.  I played with a tungsten weight in front of my owner beast hook and trash fish.  Because the weight is so dense i could use a very small weight and get the bait to the bottom with no issue.  I did not get any bites but i really did not expect to,  This also would work well for bed fishing because it makes the bait sit nose down.  I caught it on a video with a pro doing it and sad i did not think to do it earlier.  Might be even better if you used a tungsten bead and could color it to match eggs.

[beaver]

I saw kids walk across the brush pond by the boardwalk last week. 

Looks like we're much less frozen after a couple 60 degree days. 

 

What lures, styles are working for folks right now? My hits dropped off pretty bad when the temp did.

[beaver]

Also, looks like Collierville is on to my night fishing scheme. 

[beaver]

Caught a nice fish out of the swampy pond next to the fountain pond at Johnson this afternoon. 

Most of the ice is gone.

I bushwacked around to the back side of that little pond and found where the creek bed leaves it. 

Bed was full of bait fish and 20 ft of water churned when I stepped up to it with a couple of the motions being bigger fish.

Might be good to consider. Most of the good fish I've caught out of that pond where in the area of the old creek bed that goes down the north side of it, easy to see when water is low.  

This lady is still out there by the way. 

[roadwarrior]

Nice fish, great pic!

 

[beaver]

I wish I knew about this thread back when it was hoppin in 2012. 

I assume it's kinda old news for many that used to follow. 

Seems to still be very relevant. 

Fishing is still in style right? :]

[Angry John]

Went out yesterday and caught my first blade bait fish. Ended the day with 8 all small but the water is still very cold.  The Keitech easy shiner in 3" caught the rest on a 1/32 ball head.  They were more active than I expected.  

[WDE]

On 1/21/2018 at 9:22 PM, beaver said:

Caught a nice fish out of the swampy pond next to the fountain pond at Johnson this afternoon. 

Most of the ice is gone.

I bushwacked around to the back side of that little pond and found where the creek bed leaves it. 

Bed was full of bait fish and 20 ft of water churned when I stepped up to it with a couple of the motions being bigger fish.

Might be good to consider. Most of the good fish I've caught out of that pond where in the area of the old creek bed that goes down the north side of it, easy to see when water is low.  

This lady is still out there by the way. 

I’ve been stomping/wading around in that pond since October when it got cold enough to drive most of the snakes into hiding. They love a t rigged worm...specifically black/blue variants. Average weight seems to be in the 2lb range, but I’ve caught a handful of 3+, up to 4.5ish. There are definitely some big fish hiding in there though. 

 

And speaking of which, got my first fish of 2018 today in what looks/sounds like the same spot as the pic above. This is only the second time I’ve been able to get out due to weather, ponds partially frozen, and being sick. That creek runs way back into the woods with shallow pools throughout. Lots of stumps and overhang, didn’t see much activity today that far back. 

 

[beaver]

2 hours ago, WDE said:

And speaking of which, got my first fish of 2018 today in what looks/sounds like the same spot as the pic above. This is only the second time I’ve been able to get out due to weather, ponds partially frozen, and being sick. That creek runs way back into the woods with shallow pools throughout. Lots of stumps and overhang, didn’t see much activity today that far back. 

Awesome fish WDE!, yep that looks like the same area. 

Sorry to hear you've been sick.

I've been looking for you at JP when I go.

 

If you walk in from the fountain pond till you hit that creek and take a left, there is a dry crossing 40-50 yards back. 

I caught the fish on the other side of the creek. 

This pond intrigues me. 

As you say, most of what you pull out is around 2lbs, however every once in a while I see some movement out there that is obviously bigger than what I have caught in there. 

 

My 1985 spring scale said the fish in my pic was 1lb so i'm probably going to leave it at the house next time. 

I would have eyeballed her at closer to 4. 

 

I'll try worms, nearly every fish i've caught out of that pond have been off of green pumpkin t rigged crawdads, was using rage craws the other day. 

9 hours ago, Angry John said:

Went out yesterday and caught my first blade bait fish. Ended the day with 8 all small but the water is still very cold.  The Keitech easy shiner in 3" caught the rest on a 1/32 ball head.  They were more active than I expected. 

Hey John, 

 

Thanks for reporting what you were using, I'll try them out!

[WDE]

1 hour ago, beaver said:

Awesome fish WDE!, yep that looks like the same area. 

Sorry to hear you've been sick.

I've been looking for you at JP when I go.

 

If you walk in from the fountain pond till you hit that creek and take a left, there is a dry crossing 40-50 yards back. 

I caught the fish on the other side of the creek. 

This pond intrigues me. 

As you say, most of what you pull out is around 2lbs, however every once in a while I see some movement out there that is obviously bigger than what I have caught in there. 

 

My 1985 spring scale said the fish in my pic was 1lb so i'm probably going to leave it at the house next time. 

I would have eyeballed her at closer to 4. 

 

I'll try worms, nearly every fish i've caught out of that pond have been off of green pumpkin t rigged crawdads, was using rage craws the other day. 

Hey John, 

 

Thanks for reporting what you were using, I'll try them out!

The other side of the creek(boardwalk side) definitely looks more fisherman friendly, better casting radi. I was just following what I assumed were game trails, but perhaps some of your bushwhacking as well. I’m pretty sure I crossed the little land bridge you’re referring to. 

 

I came back back down the other side of the creek to the little pool where I caught the one today. I have waded in that area, but it’s full of broken tree limbs and stumps...potentially dangerous, as I tripped on one not long ago and pierced my boot, and nearly the skin(left a nasty bruise). I don’t even know what those stumps are, what kind or tree or whatever. But they’re good at hiding and I’m good at stumbling on them even just walking in the woods. 

 

Today, I was just in my gore tex boots and didn’t want to walk all the way back to the little land bridge so I attempted to cross a fallen tree. Needless to say, fishing rods don’t make the best walking sticks for balance and I came out of there soaked up to my knees—probably a poor decision. 

 

It’s a fun, reliable little pond if you don’t mind getting your feet wet so to speak. I’ve got a video on the previous page or two showing another little corner near the boardwalk. If you have waders, the water is probably only chest deep at its deepest. It’s lousy with alage in some spots. Deepest I’ve gone in is a couple inches above the knee...but you can cast in a 180+ degree arch if you want. I’ll usually start in one corner and creep along the reeds and slowly make my way toward the middle. I haven’t traversed all the way across yet because I don’t have chest waders. 

 

There are gar and bowfin in there too. Caught one of each, also stepped on a gar. 

 

When we get good rain it’ll overflow by the walking bridge with the fountains. So there’s a lot of potential for travel for the fish from one pond to the other. 

 

Sorry for all the exposition. Still hyped from catching a fish and eager to discuss. 

[beaver]

19 minutes ago, WDE said:

Today, I was just in my gore tex boots and didn’t want to walk all the way back to the little land bridge so I attempted to cross a fallen tree

Hahahah, I know the tree, it was about 4 inch diameter and there was another shorter 4 inch diameter tree at its start, both laying across. 

Am I right?

I tried that junk for about two steps holding onto an upright tree and wussied out. 

 

Additional thought, if you've ever seen that pond, when it's dry you know it's a mud flat. 

Ever tried dragging a carolina rig or drop shot across it?