Replies Views Last post; Nice bass caught on a glass rod. This holds true no matter what time of the year it is. Determine if They Hold Bass. 3. A jerkbait for cold-water fishing. Small Waters Lures. Not only is this an effective way to catch pond bass but it’s probably the most fun way to catch pond bass! Simply cast your horny toad parallel to the bank and start reeling it in and wait for the explosion. The combination of these experiences on small ponds greatly influenced the way I fished when big lakes began to appear and my strategy for catching bass on the "giant" reservoirs. “The beauty of a small impoundment is that it is self-contained and you can manipulate the water quality with just a few simple inputs and by being consistent in the application.”. An ideal pond fishing rod and reel outfit would consist of a medium weight spin or baitcast fishing rod of 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 feet. The more you know about your prey, the more likely you are to catch the prize, so here are some helpful tips for anglers just beginning their largemouth bass fishing … However, it is important to remember that bass are opportunistic feeders. During cloudy conditions, focus casting your frog to the outside portions of the scum. There are, of course, differences in pond types that influence where bass will be. “Our objective is to cover the whole bottom with crushed limestone where it ‘rains down’ through the water and settles on the bottom and that is where a chemical reaction takes place between the bottom mud and the limestone and that is where we create alkalinity.”. This is the algae/scum that typically grows and floats along the side of a pond. Pond bass are notorious for being fairly indiscriminate feeders. It may not look very realistic to us, but 1/16-ounce crappie jigs tipped with … The next tip we can give you is to invest in bigger fishing lures. How big and how quickly the bass grow depends on food plus genes: thus his inclusion of Florida-strain bass to yield the precious few monsters that could attain state-record percentages. 4. “You can buy agricultural limestone for $12-$15.00 a ton and maybe even less and, of course you have to pay for trucking but it isn’t cost prohibitive, even for a larger body of water,” Latona said. Never trespass on somebody’s private property but you can do things as simple as knock on the door and ask the homeowner if you can fish that pond. For more bass pond fishing tips on how to catch big bass in ponds, as well as everything else freshwater in Alabama, check out the Alabama Freshwater Fishing Report, dropping every Thursday. You’ll be able to find ponds that are public and you’ll be able to see the ponds that are private. In this bass fishing video we go to small ponds and search for giant bass! Considering most ponds across the US are fairly shallow, bass are going to relate to irregularities. All about learning how and passing on knowledge about ‘How to Catch Big Bass’!! This means that a bass is going to take the opportunity at eating something, if the opportunity provides itself, no matter what it is. This is … Catching bass in ponds isn’t nearly as hard when you know where the bass are. When it comes to pond fertilization, phosphorus is the key and the fertilizer that they often use has a little more than a 50% phosphorus content level. This is the place to start with. Small waters and water systems fish slightly differently than some big lakes, but offer great fishing often without a boat! Pond owners need to decide what type of water quality they want. During sunny conditions, cast your frog right on top of the mat and drag it across. Ponds can be one of the best places to fish for bass year-round. Latona stressed that, if you can’t catch big bass in your pond, just “occasionally” fertilizing a pond really doesn’t do the job. This small bass fishing pond was loaded with giant bass! About This Site. Bass will be right on the edge looking to feed. These guys mimic a crawfish or minnow. “We can manipulate the fertility level by adding inorganic fertilizer just like you fertilize a food plot or your lawn.”. Believe it or not, not every pond you come across will hold bass. Brian is married to his beautiful wife Brenda and together they have like “all” the kids legally allowed in most states. To start the ball rolling I asked Latona, in terms of water quality, what are the types of things that a private pond owner needs to keep his eyes on and address annually or at certain times of the year. Ponds are also one of the most misunderstood and under-appreciated places to catch big bass in. Bass Feeding Times. And your chances for a wall-hanger are much better. In sunny conditions bass will be tucked under the scum out of the sunlight. Let it drop, then pop it and wait for bass to take it on the fall. A point is a perfect place for a bass to do this. Many times, large neighborhoods have public fishing ponds located in and around them. The great thing is, you can typically see this cover with your own eyes! At night bass are going to roam the shallows in search of a meal. A lot of people seem to go straight to plastic worms and what not in ponds, which is a fine choice, but I personally prefer using baitfish imitations for the bigger bass in ponds. Also, this season causes the big fish to spawn. It’s important to know that bass can relate to any type of cover as well. Light spinning tackle and small spinners take plenty of bass from small waters, but heavy baitcasting equipment is preferable for flipping and pitching to big bass in the weeds and brush. This will allow the bass to eat that horny toad a little bit better so you can get a hook in that fish better. Pond Management Principles. Obviously, there is no “silver bullet” for, To that end, on a recent episode we interviewed Norman Latona, owner of, Choosing the Best Suppressor for Your Style of Hunting, Assessing Pre Built Hunting Cabins for Sale, Choosing the Best Duck Hunting Kayak for Your Area, Boat Maintenance Checklist – Annual Tasks for All Systems. Largemouth are ambush feeders and opportunistic feeders. Next time you go pond fishing for bass, remember the tips above and you will do a lot more catching than fishing! Probably one of the best places to find a bass in a pond is on some sort of piece of isolated cover. The edge of the coastline. Bluegill (Sunfish) are probably the number one meal that a bass eats in a pond. Bass will sense that movement on top of the mat and they will literally blow up through the mat and eat your frog. This trough can hold the largest concentrations of fish during the coldest weather. So bass can be more effective hunters when it comes to a corner then they can when they are chasing prey in open water. Randy Yancey, Webmaster/Owner of this and several more bass fishing websites. “Through proper liming and alkalinity and managing the fertility through fertilizing, we can dramatically enhance the water quality as it relates to fish production,” Latona said. Latona pointed out that the “cornerstone management inputs” is the ability to manage the alkalinity, which is the water hardness, and the fertility. He maintains that in the optimum fertilization mode, the visibility standard should be between 18 and 24 inches. The Bass Pond. Throwing smaller baits helps him catch the smaller fish for thinning out the bass population. Don’t fear the “T” word. Since most ponds are bowl-shaped, the bottom usually has a deep edge or lip where bigger bass concentrate. When the water starts to warm in spring, making bass active in the shallows, the single best bait for bass in a pond … I am not going to say that 100% are stocked with bass, but I wouldn’t be surprised if 90% were. Catch Big Bass on Facebook! Limestone is packed onto a barge, to be driven out and sprayed in different sections of the pond. “We look at the growing season as being March through the end of October and, with regular spaced out applications, we can keep the phosphorus and fertility level up.”. "As a youngster, I got my first taste of bass fishing in a pond, and I still enjoy fishing farm ponds whenever I can." 2. This trough can hold the largest concentrations of fish during the coldest weather. ... Alternatively, you could wait on until springtime, as this is the best time to catch trophy bass fish from ponds. During cloudy conditions, focus casting your frog to the outside portions of the scum. I have fish farm ponds, residential apartment complex ponds, and remote swamp ponds in my pursuit of bass. So bass will actually hide directly under the scum mats and ambush prey as it goes by. Depending on how a pond is shaped, many ponds are going to have small points along the shoreline. Typically all you really need is a green pumpkin colored Chatterbait with maybe a chartreuse dip tail. During sunny conditions, cast your frog right on top of the mat and drag it across. 1. One of the best things about pond bass is they are kind dumb. “Water quality as it relates to water for consumption or swimming is different from water quality as it relates to fish production,” Latona said. You not catching big fish has nothing to do with the location. Featured in this video are these 4 baits and techniques for bass fishing thick grass nasty cover. However, there is such a thing as too many bass in a pond and it can affect the way a bass grows. Bass also remains there if it’s not too shallow. They need to make a choice as to whether they want to grow fish or do something different with the body of water. All about learning how and passing on knowledge about ‘How to Catch Big Bass’!! Get Some Bigger Equipment. What Southeastern Pond Management applies is limestone that has been crushed down to a fine powder and then it is distributed over the whole pond. A Chatterbait works best in cloudy or windy conditions. With the drop of temperatures, the fish can be easily caught in shallow waters as they cruise around looking for food. Corners of ponds allow bass to hunt more effectively because it creates a funnel. Bass Feeding Habits. Bass Pro Ron Shuffield likes to use a split-tail pork frog. This is a video breakdown of Bass fishing heavy weeds and grass in ponds and lakes. Another great thing about a Chatterbait is it mimics a bluegill very well to a bass. Something that is great about a Chatterbait is it comes through grass and vegetation very effectively. “The reality is that putting in 50% of the fertilizer that is indicated to be ideal rarely gets you 50% of the results and a lot of times you get no results,” Latona said. Focus on the three areas listed above and you’re going to catch a lot more bass! Not only is this an effective way to catch pond bass but it’s probably the most fun way to catch pond bass! During the summer, the water can get really warm in a pond, so therefore they may do the bulk of their feeding at night. “We typically apply about four pounds of fertilizer per acre for every application and if you make ten applications a year then you are putting in about 40 pounds of fertilizer per acre in the water at roughly $1.00 per pound, which is about $40-$50.00 an acre, so it isn’t that daunting.”. Bass pond fishing tips and knowing how to catch big bass in ponds aren’t helpful if you are not  managing your pond properly. The best way to find out if there are bass in a pond, is to fish it! “A good rule of thumb is that if you can see 36 inches in the water, you need to fertilize to get the visibility down to 16 -18 inches,” Latona concluded. The bottom line is that for the best bass pond management you need to strike a balance between liming and fertilizing that results in high fish production and meaningful fish growth. No jet skis, houseboats or cruisers. If there are a lot of bass in a pond then the bass is not going to eat enough and its growth will be stunted. The big question is how much does all of this cost and is it affordable? Good lures for catching pond bass in the summertime include spinnerbaits, crankbaits, topwater lures, plastic lizards, plastic worms and … So they are going to try and find a piece of cover or structure where they can hide and ambush prey as it comes by. The good thing is most ponds across america are stocked with bass. Get outdoor trends, data, new products, and tips delivered to your inbox. When it comes to fishing a jig you have to be near cover. Small waters and water systems fish slightly differently than some big lakes, but offer great fishing often without a boat! You will then have to find big bait and attract the bass by putting your bait in the sight of a bass. As well as big bass. These ponds can potentially be great for fishing and they are public which is even better. Featured in this video are these 4 baits and techniques for bass fishing thick grass nasty cover. March 27, 2020 Missouri Record Fish Stories – Largemouth Bass. One of the best lures to use in a pond is a Chatterbait or a vibrating jig. Therefore you can really catch bass on pretty much anything you want. Another great thing about points when it comes to pond bass fishing, is that this is an easy place for bass to move from shallow to “deeper” really quickly. This week we’ll start a series on stillwater fly fishing. This is really important to be able to maintain a healthy bass pond. Bass will be right on the edge looking to feed. How To Catch Big Bass In Ponds: 8 The Prime Pond Covers That Bass Goes To 1. So if a cold front or thunderstorm comes by, bass can move to deeper water to seek shelter quickly. “If we can enhance and increase the production at the very base level then we can control production all the way up to the top and the effect can be dramatic,” Latona said. Pond fishing is just downsized big bass lake fishing except that pond bass are easier to catch if you fish lures that look like their normal forage. Basically, everything emanates from that. A spinnerbait for spring and for deep fish. Bass Fishing In Ponds 101: Catch More Pond Bass, How To Rig A Chatterbait To Catch More Bass, How to Fish a Texas Rig | What You Need To Know, Hank Cherry Dominates 2020 Bassmaster Classic. Although fishing in ponds isn’t as complex as fishing in lakes, reservoirs or rivers, knowing a few things about ponds can really help you to catch more bass. You simply just cast your frog on top of the mat and start dragging it across the scum. "There's a lot to like about fishing farm ponds," adds Kenyon Hill, a professional bass fisherman who grew up fishing numerous state soil conservation lakes in Oklahoma. Latona said keeping tabs on the water clarity gives a pond owner the heads up on when he needs another fertilizer application. He is also a Land Agent for National Land Reality focusing on timber and recreational properties through the state of Alabama. Removal of these small bass helps reduce competition and allows for faster growth of the remaining fish. Bass fishing in ponds is one of the most exciting things there is for a bass fisherman. That doesn’t mean that small ponds, lakes and reservoirs can’t hold big bass either. Bass can eat small bullhead catfish, shad, minnows, crappie and other panfish. The bass are more vulnerable during this time as they are actively feeding on small bait fish. They might even eat other bass. Tips for Fishing Small Farm Ponds. Brian Senn is the CEO and founder of YUDU Outdoors social media platform. This is... 2. They typically collect along the side of a pond and there may be 3 or 4 feet of a scum along the entire border of a pond. Most … If your pond can naturally support a population per acre of 500 bluegill and 50 bass, you can double … No matter what this food is, there is only so much of it to go around. Spending a day fishing a farm pond or small lake is a most enjoyable experience. DISCUSSIONS. Typically, a head jig with a trailing pork rind or plastic imitating a crawfish, is a good bet, especially when the water is muddy. There were some interesting observations made during the snake-and-chigger visiting days of my farm pond era. Fish the bucktail deep, and use it as a go-to for fishing structures. Check out The Fly Fishers' list of the best 10 fly patterns for topwater and subsurface largemouth bass fly fishing to become a true ace bass fly fisherman. The reason you need to use bigger lures is because big ones are lazy. Latona explained that liming and fertilizing impacts the very base of the food chain, which is the planktonic community (phytoplankton), which consists of tiny, free floating algae that gives the water a green tint. When you mix cover with points/corners you really have a dynamite spot to catch a bass. “We pile the limestone onto a big barge and drive out to a section of the lake and we spray it off and we do the same thing for different sections of the lake,” Latona said. These two things make a worm one of the best pond lures ever made. A Texas rig worm or weightless worm (like a Senko) is a great option for pond bass fishing. Be … Growing Bigger Bass in Your Pond or Lake. You can listen to that interview below. Many ponds across the nation have scum or algae mats in them. How to know if there are Big Bass in Your Pond. Well, the big guy probably came up to feed on all of the small fish that were eating the food. This also provides cover for bass that will hide under the floating nastiness. I love to fish farm ponds for bass, crappie, bluegill, and catfish … It’s a top choice for those looking to land a big bass. Bass pond fishing tips are something we specialize in on the, Great Days Outdoors Alabama Freshwater Fishing Report, podcast and one of the questions we consistently receive is what do fish pond owners need to know and do to catch big bass in a pond. One of the most important things to remember when catching bass this way, is to wait a couple of seconds before you set the hook. There are few fishing experiences that match catching your first largemouth bass. According to Latona, the first step to bass pond management is to make sure that when you are looking at water quality to remember that it needs to relate to something specific and what you want to accomplish. Obviously, there is no “silver bullet” for effective bass pond management but there are some things you can do that will start to add some heft to your fish. Hair Jig (or bucktail) is another jig that made Wirth’s list for winter bass fishing. The best way to catch large fish is by using a big fat jig and dragging it, or a crankbait will do the trick too. Of course make sure you let them know that you won’t be harming the fish in any way, and you might be surprised at how many say yes. Randy Yancey, Webmaster/Owner of this and several more bass fishing websites. Proper management will keep your bass pond stocked with big bass. He maintains that in the optimum fertilization mode, the visibility standard should be between 18 and 24 inches. Cover gives a place for a bass to hide so that they can ambush pray effectively as it swims by. “Our water in this part of the country tends to be acidic which is a reflection of the soils that the water is sitting on and we add lime or other components to increase the alkalinity,” he said. Another great thing about these worms is they can be fished anywhere and they come through cover extremely well. Water close to the dam. If they want the water to be pretty and clear, to be used primarily for swimming and secondary for fishing, they need to understand that that environment is not ideal as it relates to fish production. Table of Contents. December 11, 2020 ... on Facebook! First, the jig and pig. How to Find and Catch BIG Bass in Small Water Most shows and tournaments are fished on big lakes, and we expect to see big fish. Latona pointed out that the cost of materials is relatively low and even with application costs, the project isn’t cost prohibitive and is affordable. That doesn’t mean that small ponds, lakes and reservoirs can’t hold big bass either. They could eat baby ducks, earthworms and birds. Hopefully, getting a visual on how nasty a place can get, and these thick grass techniques working will give you more confidence in catching bass. There are only about two lures that you need for pond fishing at night. If you mix in a piece of cover such as a tree or rock, you have a perfect spot to catch a bass in a pond. Bass start feeding in ponds early in the spring and you can often catch more than on a big lake. Once you know what these irregularities are and how the bass relate to them, you have figured out the hardest part about bass fishing in ponds! 2. I have caught more bass in ponds than rivers and lakes combined. Small gets eaten by something bigger, who gets eaten by something even bigger and so on. Dumb meaning they don’t get fished for a lot and so they are not educated on lures like highly pressured bass are. It is super fun and it is a great way to catch a big bass at night. Or the 50th for that matter. While this slimy scum mess can make fishing difficult at times, it can also be your best friend. There’s really a number of different creatures that live in a pond that bass could potentially eat. Bass fishing at night in ponds is one of the most exciting things that a fisherman can do. Cover can come in a number of different forms in a pond, it can include lay down logs and Christmas trees, docks, rocks, grass, fountains, water drains, culverts, etc. By Pete Robbins, and Joe Cermele. With Google Earth you’re able to see all the ponds that are close to you or in the area that you wanted to fish. A black zoom horny toad is probably the best bait to use at night and during the summer it may be the only lure that you need. Now you definitely don’t want to trespass on someone’s private property, but one of the best ways to find a pond is by using Google Earth. Pond fishing for bass doesn’t get much better. In warmer water, in hard-fished ponds, and in places where bass are finicky, a soft-plastic jerkbait can be a top producer. Another method to determine if your pond has a big bass is to throw a manns purple jelly worm in the water. A large run-off pond with a big dam may have an exceptionally large trough from where dirt was removed to construct the dam. Pond BASS FISHING w/ 2 lb Line!!! Southeastern Pond Management offers full-service pond management services including fish stocking, fertilizing and weed control, electrofishing, pond design and construction and more.