Tips on Catching Bass in Ponds

Quiet

It is vital to keep quiet when fishing in ponds for bass. Approaching the pond from shore will require some stealth. You do not want to alert the fish to your presence. You should speak in a low voice or not talk at all.

Often a pond will have a good amount of vegetation surrounding its edges. Being able to wade through the shallows without alarming the fish can give you access to spots that you may not be able to access from the shore. An inner tube or a small inflatable boat also gives you the advantage of fishing the pond from the middle and lets you cast toward the shore and the weed beds without raising too much commotion.

Baits

Try to match your bait with what creatures the bass feed on in a small pond scenario. Crickets, grasshoppers, minnows and crayfish all fall victim to bass in a pond. Keep your offerings small and do not bother to bring along your larger lures such as stickbaits.

Downsize lures such as plastic worms. Rig them Texas style to make them skip through the weeds that invariably grow in ponds. Slip a bullet weight onto your line with the tapered end facing away from the end of your line. Tie on an offset worm hook and stick the point of the hook through the very end of it. Cause the point to come out through the side of the worm just 1/2-inch from where it entered. Turn the hook toward the worm's body. Push it all the way up snug to the eye of the hook, and jam the sharp point into the worm's body. Make sure the worm is dangling straight down when you do this and push in the hook in the middle of the worm.

Floating lures like surface plugs and plastic frogs can appear very life-like to bass in a small pond. Fish these slowly with a single jerk of the line followed by a wait of as long as 20 seconds before making the lure move again.

Cover

Bass are the type of fish that likes to ambush its prey. Finding spots in a pond that bass can do this from is important to your success. These may not be the obvious places in a pond that there are in a lake or river. By looking at every structure carefully you can determine if it is cover that is capable of holding bass. Remember that a small insignificant bush growing halfway in the water may not hold bass in a river or lake but could be a major hiding place in a small pond. Rocks, overhanging branches that provide shadows and shade, and any type of water weeds or grass are all likely spots for a bass to be planning its next attack.

Ice Fishing

Do not overlook a small pond if you are an ice fisherman. These ponds can be covered much more thoroughly than a larger lake. They also will tend to freeze quicker and offer safe ice long before a larger body of water. By drilling holes near the same places that offered cover to bass before the ice came along can give you a chance to catch bass. Use small- to medium-size minnows and shiners and keep moving around on the pond until you find where the bass are holding. Late afternoon is the best time for small pond ice fishing.