|
These
days bass fishing is a wildly popular pastime with big boats and
fancy reels and we do our best to keep up with the onslaught of lures
and lines, rods and reels. Sometimes these things can get in the way
of the fun of fishing and we need a break. Don't get me wrong I
have a boat with lures and plastics from bow to stern. I enjoy my
boat and high tech gadgets and big lakes but sometimes small waters
can provide a great day of bass fishing.
Locating
fish on a giant body of water and deciding which lure to use based on
water temperature and/or water clarity can be fun but can also be
considered work and small waters can prove to be a great change in
pace and who knows you might hook into the bass of a lifetime and
locate a hot spot for you and your family when you just want to go
have some fun.
I
have found over the years that small bodies of water, whether it be
an old farm pond or a water retention pond in the city, hold some
great opportunities for some great bass action. Whether you use a
small boat powered by electric trolling motor or choose to cast from
shore these small bodies of water can be home to not only big bass
but big aggressive bass and nothing is more fun than bass attacking
your lure cast after cast.
Large
lakes all across America are seeing more and more pressure from
anglers as well as boaters. These activities can really affect the
fishing on any given lake. While these larger bodies of water are
bombarded day in and day out the smaller lakes that dot the landscape
throughout the mid-west go untouched and the bass tend to be less
weary of your presentation and much more aggressive than its big lake
cousins which see so much pressure.
Baits
for small lakes can vary just like on big lakes and a lot depends on
the pressure that lake receives. Some small lakes get some pressure
especially retention ponds in the city as many kids and grown-ups
flock to anywhere that allows for fun in the outdoors. Bait selection
in these ponds can be a bit trickier than one that is tucked away on
the backside of a 200-acre farm and hasn't been fished in years.
If you
visit a popular pond where there are lots of anglers you will notice
that a couple baits stand out and these are usually spinners of all
shapes, sizes and colors. These bass have been caught many times and
have learned to avoid spinners, for the most part. My favorite bait
for these small waters has to be a plastic worm. Plastic baits
require more patience and can be tough to master compared with
spinners and crankbaits. Most people just out to have a little fun
are not going to take the time to even learn to use plastics so the
bass have seen very few plastic baits in their lifetime.
I assure you it makes a difference as it has been proven that bass
can remember being stuck and what type of bait stuck them. Offer
something new and your arm might just be tired at the end of the day.
Many
ponds are fairly clear around its bank and offer little visible
cover. Even without a fish finder, invisible cover, on the bottom of
the lake, can be probed with a plastic worm, rigged Texas style. Work
the entire pond meticulously as you feel the logs and other bottom
cover with the weedless rigged bait. After a few trips you will know
the bottom of that particular body of water like the back of your
hand. This will help you locate and land many more fish.
There
is still a place for modern technology on small bodies of water. In
fact there is a product line now that targets small water anglers and
it can add to the fun. A small boat with electric trolling motor is
all you need to get around a small lake. Fish finders can come in
handy too in plotting the makeup of a lake and locating either the
fish themselves or cover where fish are likely to be.
One
thing to keep in mind when fishing these small bodies of water is
stratification. Stratification can be complicated to explain but it
can cause bass to suspend, usually in spring and fall, as oxygen
levels decrease on the bottom of the lake. If the plastic worm isn't
producing you may need to go with a lure that stays high in the water
column. A suspending jerk bait or shallow diving crankbait should do
the trick. I tend to go with a topwater presentation during these
situation. Again most people shy away from topwater baits, for whatever
reason, and this presentation can be outstanding on small lakes and
ponds.
A great
choice on top is a floating Rapala. You need only to twitch the lure
creating a small ripple in the water then let it sit for several
seconds. This technique allows you to keep the lure in the strike
zone longer, harassing the bass into striking and the strikes can be
violent.
Remember
the world record bass came from a small lake in Georgia and a once
pending world record was caught from Dixon Lake, a 72 acre lake
located in California. Bass can grow very large in small lakes as
long as the forage is right so don't let the size of a lake fool you
into thinking there are no big bass in it because you never know,
when that retention pond you drive by every day and never see anyone
fishing, might be home to the next world record bass. GOOD LUCK!
|
. 
