Fishing Small Ponds For Big Bass
In all of my years of bass fishing I have seen more big largemouth and smallmouth bass come out of small farm ponds and strip mines than anywhere else. These small bodies of water hold trophy bass and the best part about it is that they are normally fairly easy to catch.
Small ponds and strip mines are usually pretty featureless compared to the big lakes and reservoirs your use to fishing. Theres not much in the way of cover or structure and the depth of the water usually remains pretty consistent. So the first thing you will want to do before even thinking about tossing a lure around is to make a thorough evaluation of the pond. Are there any fallen trees, shallows, where is the vegetation, are there any shorelines that provide abundant shade and so on. When your done making an evaluation of the area its time to start bass fishing!
Your job when fishing these small bass fishing gems is to locate and fish the little bit of cover that does exist. If theres a felled tree that provide shade, cover and an ambush point, FISH IT HARD! Many times you’ll pull several big bass off one small piece of cover in these small bodies of water.
Bass fishing small ponds and strip mines also requires a certain amount of finesse. Bass in these waters are usually holding close to the shore or just off shore, so tread lightly! When casting cast parallel to the shore line and make long casts to any cover and always try to keep yourself at a distance. Make a few heavy steps or make any unwise casts and you just might ruin a good days bass fishing. Once you have spooked the bass in these small bodies of water you are better off packing it up for the day, or pulling out the ultra light gear to do some pan fishing.
Small ponds and strip mines are generally overlooked by other anglers and people in general making them some of them of the best trophy bass waters in America. As good as the fishing might be, finding them can take a bit of research and also a bit of talking. Never fish a pond on private property without first gaining permission from the land owner. Nothing will spoil a good days bass fishing more than a round of rock salt fired out of a 12 gauge shotgun!
I will be touching base on this subject a bit more in the future with some very specific bass fishing tips and techniques that will help you catch more bass in these areas. For now I just want you to try something different, put the day at the lake that everyone and their mother fishes off for another day and try bass fishing one of these small bodies of water. I am sure it will be a real eye opener for you!
