Ponds Provide Many Angling Opportunities

Posted: January 9th, 2013 by Bill Dance

Many of us began our fishing careers at ponds, and you know what? They are still great places to fish. They certainly have the right ingredients die-hard anglers look for–water and fish. Of course, there are other pluses for ponds (in addition to “have water and fish”). Ponds also warm quicker than large bodies of water and provide success at times when larger reservoirs may not. These smaller bodies of water likewise provide quick, convenient, get-away fishing trips for a fishing fix, when we don’t have the time to spend on a road trip to a larger reservoir.

With that in mind, here (in the first of a two-part blog) are some tips for fishing these small and often convenient fisheries:

Depth’s Key When Pond Fishing

Just like anywhere else you fish, depth is the key. Sure, it’s possible to catch a fish or two at any depth, but you can bet your best lure that the majority will select and use a certain depth level for a multitude of reasons.

It could be water temp, water clarity, oxygen, food location, pH or whatever. Regardless of the reason, you can be sure the majority will remain at a preferred depth level. Sometimes determining this depth can be difficult, but you should still attempt to work various depths with different lures at different presentation and speeds, and cover all depths from the surface to the middle to the bottom. Bass will sometimes choose the upper, shallower portions, early, late or on cloudy days. By mid-morning the concentration could be found in the middle sections of the pond and by early afternoon, the best fishing could occur on the lower sections where the deepest water exists.

The bass could be five feet deep, suspended over 12 feet of water, or they could be on the bottom. It should be your goal as a fisherman to eliminate the unproductive areas as quickly as possible and then zero in on just the productive ones.

Bass Are Bass, Even In Small Bodies of Water

Bass who reside in these small waters are no different than those who live in larger impoundments. They exhibit the same basic characteristics and they react the same. They both move from shallow to deep and vice versa. Their behavior is the same, and it is governed largely by the season, water clarity and temperature. They relate to cover, open water and even structure both shallow and deep, just like their relatives in the large reservoirs.

Prime Pond Locale

Is there anything I specifically look for when fishing a pond? Yes, there is, and I’ll caution you — it won’t be found on all ponds! But, when it’s there, it’s almost always a prime location, regardless if the bass are shallow or deep.

The type area I’m talking about is normally found from the middle sections of a pond to the dam where a shallow area drops off quickly on one side of the flat into deeper water. It’s the old “shallow water next to deep” locale. Locations like this can hold numbers of bass year round, regardless if it’s in a farm pond or large reservoir.

And to be successful at finding them, you gotta spend the time required to do some close lookin’.

That’s all for now, but look for my next blog to continue on pond tips. ‘Til then, catch one for me!