Pond Fishing – Keep It Simple

Subdivision ponds are such an overlooked hot spot for bass fishing. Most subdivisions have multiple ponds and many of them do not get fished often.

In general, as long as you stick to small baits that look natural you will more than likely have a great time catching bass. I’ve written in the past about some of the best lures to use when fishing small ponds. See that post here

When I go to a new pond I ensure it is stocked. It shouldn’t take long to figure that out. Most ponds have fairly clear water and you can usually see small bluegill and bass swimming. Also a quick lap around the pond fishing a fast moving bait will usually draw a strike or two.

I just returned from a short trip to a nearby neighborhood pond where I used this strategy. I checked this pond out a few weeks ago and saw some bass cruising the shoreline. I went back today and I caught over 40 bass on two different lures. This was the first time I had fished this pond for any length of time. This pond was loaded with bass!

My two lures of choice on this trip were a Spit’N’image , a walk-the-dog style top water bait, and a wacky rigged worm. I used the Spit’N’image because it was the smallest style of topwater I had with me. I caught most of the fish on that lure. I also caught many bass on the Zoom wacky rigged worm with a small 1/8 ounce weight.

Keep it simple and don’t hesitate to try a few ponds in your neighborhood.

Downsize to Get More Topwater Bites

If you are like most bass fisherman, we all have a soft spot for topwater fishing. There is something magical about seeing a big bass explode on your favorite lure.

A lot of topwater baits are fairly large. There is no argument that these lures can produce some of the biggest fish of the year. These baits are a staple in any angler’s box. With that being said, I’ve seen times where smaller bass will not strike at these large baits, but are more than willing to strike a smaller version of the same bait.

Often times in tournament situations you are looking for 5 keeper bites. Going with finesse topwater baits will help put some of those barely keeper-sized bass in the boat, whereas larger profile baits may have gone by them without a strike. Some anglers don’t realize that big bass love these smaller presentations as well.

Most manufacturers make your favorite topwater lure in a smaller size. Some of my favorites are the Rapala Ultra Light Pop, 1.75 Live Target Frog, 2.25 Live Target Field Mouse, and Strike King Mini Pro Buzz.

I would really suggest you try some of these smaller lures and see how they work for you. It just may surprise you how many more topwater strikes you get. I think we all can agree that getting a ton of top water bites equals a great day on the water.

An Evening at Saxony Beach

Saxony Lake & Beach in Fishers, Indiana is a very popular summer hang-out for people who want to spend some time outdoors. They have a large recreational area where you can play on the beach, walk around the lake on the paved trail, rent a kayak, or do some fishing. I prefer the latter.

The lake is about 20 acres and is stocked with the usual species you expect most lakes to have such as bass, bluegill, and catfish. I have fished this lake a handful of times this year and have been very surprised with how many bass are in Saxony.

The lake gets a ton of fishing activity. There are always numerous anglers walking the bank or fishing from a kayak. Saxony offers a large pier for fishing. However, I would suggest not spending too much time fishing around the pier. That is usually one of the most fished locations, so you might not have as much luck. Try it, but if you aren’t getting any bites, move to another area. There is a small portion by the clubhouse you cannot fish, but everything else is accessible by foot.

I have had good success on 7.5 inch Culprit worms and Senko style baits. I have caught multiple bass out of Saxony weighing up to five pounds, but most fish average around a pound. One thing I have noticed is the fish seem to spook very easily, so give the area some time to rest before fishing that spot after a previous fisherman has left.

The water clarity is very clear at Saxony. I would suggest using lighter weight line. Lighter line is harder for a fish to see and allows most baits to perform better, and look more natural.

If you are in the Indianapolis area and are looking for some bank fishing, Saxony may be a good option for you. I hope these tips and lures work for you there too.

Cold Water Smallmouth

Winter or early spring is the most challenging time to fish. When the water temperature is in the 30s to low 40s, there are only a few lures in your box that will work.

One of my favorite baits is the suspending jerkbait. These lures can be fished extremely slow and suspended right in front of the fish enticing a bite. Suspending jerkbaits come in all sizes and colors. They can be effectively fished in many different depths of the water column.

The key to selecting a size and color boils down to two things.

One, what depth range do you anticipate the fish to be holding in? The size of the bill dictates the lure’s depth. The bigger the bill the deeper it will dive. Even in very cold water, bass will come up to the lure. I would rather have a jerkbait above the fish than have one that dives under the fish. For example, if the fish are sitting in 10 feet of water, I would select a jerkbait that dives 6 to 8 feet. You can really play with your line size to help you get the depth you want out of your lure. The lighter the line the deeper the bait will go, and the heavier the line the shallower it will run.

Two, what forage are the fish feeding on? I like a shad color in clear water for the majority of my fishing, but if the water has some stain to it I will go with a chartreuse color. If you are fishing in a natural lake with perch, then a perch color lure may be the ticket.

This time of year bites may be few and far between, so tie a lure on you have confidence in and stick with it. I think you may be surprised how many fish a suspending jerkbait can put in the boat for you when nothing else will seem to work. Go buy some of these lures and give them a shot.

Small Creek Fishing

I spent about an hour this past weekend walking a local small creek to see what I could catch. Having never fished this creek before I wasn’t sure what to expect. The creek is no wider than a one lane highway and is very shallow. The deepest water I found was about 4 foot.

I used 6 pound test Berkly Trilene XL on an ultra light rod made by St. Croix. My lure of choice on this trip was a Slider grub, but I also really like a Mepps spinner.

Like any other creek in Indiana, I quickly found out the creek has bluegill, bass, sunfish, and carp. I’m sure there are many other species living in this creek too, but these are the fish I caught in my short time.

This is a great way to introduce new fisherman to the sport. The fish may be small, but they are usually very aggressive and easy to catch.

Swift Current Lure Options

My dad and I recently floated the White River near Brookville, Indiana in a canoe. This is the fastest flowing stretch of river in Indiana. There were definitely some areas of very swift current. The river is very scenic and offers some great water to fish. We even saw a bald eagle on this trip.

Picking the right lure is critical for success when you are floating at such a quick pace.  Fishing with fast moving lures is by far the easiest and most productive way to cover water in these situations. Sure, you can anchor, fish the pockets and deep areas slowly, but these lures will work for the entire float trip in all current speeds.

I like to choose fast moving topwater lures such as a buzzbait or a fast working “walk the dog” style lure.  This river is very clear and the smallmouth bass love to hit these speedy topwater lures. Choosing smaller baits is a great choice. There are a lot of small bass in rivers like this and bigger baits will not get as many bites. Don’t worry, big bass will hit these smaller lures too.

A shallow diving crankbait in a crawdad pattern is also a great option. These lures dive fast and deflect off most rock and wood cover making them very efficient. Not to mention, crawdads are very prominent in rivers and stream making them a regular meal for most fish. In the shallow stretches I hold the rod tip high which helps the bait run much shallower. When I come to deeper water in the river I will hold the rod tip low to the water, making the bait dive deeper.

Another option I like to throw is a small swimbait. Picking the right jig head is very important. If you choose too light of a head the lure will just be swept down stream with no action. If you go too heavy, it will sink and get stuck in the rocks and boulders. A good rule of thumb is to start with 1/4 ounce head and see how that works.

If you haven’t floated a stream or river in the summer months, you should give it a try. You can catch a wide variety of fish and will usually have the entire water to yourself.

Memorial Day Crappie Fishing

This past Memorial Day was one of the hottest I can remember. While most Hoosiers were watching the Indy 500, my nephew and I were on the lake catching some crappies.

It was 90 degrees and super humid. This would have been a great day to relax in the water, like many others were doing. The water temperature actually rose 8 degrees during the time we were on the lake. It was 76 in the morning and 84 by the afternoon!

The crappies are pretty much done with the spawn and are transitioning to their deep water summer patterns. When the water temperatures get into the 80’s they are usually located in deep water. The pattern we found is almost done now for the summer. We caught our fish in shallow water around docks. The fish were located in the shadiest parts. Skipping plastic grubs worked the best. (Check out a previous post about my favorite crappie lures.)

Crappie fishing can be very difficult on hot, calm, sunny days. If you are faced with these conditions in late spring to early summer, it may be worth skipping some docks to see if you can get a few bites. I know we had a great Memorial Day on the water.