Pond Fishing Patterns

[ClarkIR]

Like Ive said several times I fish small ponds (Less than 2 acres) and I just wanted to update the guys who dont go out and fish in the larger lakes very often... Id also Love to hear from you guys as well to see whats working

Today I caught 9 to 12 bass in two different Ponds. All were within 1-8 feet of the Bank. Used nothing but plastic today. My best bait was a 4in Chigger Craw by Berkley in Green Pumpkin Party. I was using a 3/0 EWG Worm Owner Hook on the bait. Also had a 3/16 bullet sinker.

I had it stuck on a grass pile when it hit the water and the bass jumped out of the water(I mean completely out) grabbing the lure. Greatest. Bass. Strike. EVER.

[JustinM]

Most small ponds I fish have spawned out. I love throwing a 4" worm without weight in small lakes. Nothing to big yet in the small lakes yet this year. Only the crazy bluegill which I finally found out what they are.

[RyanScheu]

I fish a largish pond/lake in Darmstadt from time to time. Its no deeper than 10 feet in the middle.

2 years ago, some knuckle-headed kid threw an M80 into the overflow pipe which ended up causing a rupture in the retaining wall. The lake dropped 4 feet within a month, with bare earth showing out to 30 feet away from the normal "bank". This caused many new weedbeds to sprout, and let homeowners on the lake "clean up their shoreline". Some actually did provide a little more cover by anchoring trees or habitats in the now bare lake bottom.

Point to that story is: I have been learning all over again how to fish it. Spots where we could hammer fish all day are now drawing blanks. Spots that used to do nothing at all will load the stringer. It's pretty darn bizarre, but lots of fun. The lesson I've learned here: things change, and be ready to adjust no matter what.

My favorites on this lake are inline spinners - preferably Panther Martins in yellow with brown hair. This lake holds MONSTER bluegill and redear - it's nothing to catch 10-15 10-12" gills within an hour or so, and they are mad as hell about the whole situation once you get them on the hook. Pound for pound, the little snots fight better than many of the bass I have caught. Speaking of bass, this lake is starting to come back for them. We were out just last weekend and caught about a dozen bass - all 10-12" again, on inline spinners- which is a very good sign. Most of the bass were 6 inches to 3 feet off of the bank..

[SteveM4A1]

For bass, I love to use monster 10" weightless worms in small ponds. This keeps the bluegill from picking up my worm and tearing it up. For gills, redear, or crappie, you can't beat a rooster tail anytime of the year imo. Small ponds with decent sized fish can be the most fun fishing you can have.

[ClarkIR]

I went out yesterday and tried for 2 hours to catch a nice 20in (probably 4-5 pounds) on her nest. Shed move away and come back. The only thing she touched was an 8 in Jelly worm, just enough to move it.

Switched to a jerk bait and out of nowhere a 3 pounder comes up and gets within inches of it to investigate. Then leaves.

So that sucked.

[SteveM4A1]

I went out yesterday and tried for 2 hours to catch a nice 20in (probably 4-5 pounds) on her nest. Shed move away and come back. The only thing she touched was an 8 in Jelly worm, just enough to move it.

Switched to a jerk bait and out of nowhere a 3 pounder comes up and gets within inches of it to investigate. Then leaves.

So that sucked.

yea they can be picky. sometimes you have to plop it on their head to make them mad, other times you have to let it sit in their nest for a while. and then of course there are those times where you try every trick imagineable and they won't even so much as look at it. or they bump it with the top outside part of their mouth so they won't get hooked.

[chuckconder]

Beetle Spin (White/Red Dots Size: 1/32 oz (Model: BSVP132-WRD) is the preferred pond lure in our house. We fish around 7 ponds and the Beetle Spin seems to be the best choice for my twin boys (9 years old). The great part of the BS is the assortment of fish they catch. Tuesday evening we caught 11 bass, 1 crappie, and 3 bluegill within two hrs
in a local farm pond

[ClarkIR]

Another bait thats catching an assortment of fish for me is the Roboworm/Berkleys Finnesse power worm (Both baits are 5 inches long)

I rigged them with 1/0 EWG worm Gama hooks... I just throw it in there and let it move around in the water on its own... they like to grab it and run so i just let them take the slack out of the line and set the hook.

Ive been using Green Pumpkin and Blue Prizm.

[lroberts]

Beetle Spin (White/Red Dots Size: 1/32 oz (Model: BSVP132-WRD) is the preferred pond lure in our house. We fish around 7 ponds and the Beetle Spin seems to be the best choice for my twin boys (9 years old). The great part of the BS is the assortment of fish they catch. Tuesday evening we caught 11 bass, 1 crappie, and 3 bluegill within two hrs
in a local farm pond

X2 on the beetle spin! IMO its one of the best artificial lure/fish producers of all time.....in freshwater.

[JustinM]

X2 on the beetle spin! IMO its one of the best artificial lure/fish producers of all time.....in freshwater.

Agreed.