pond fishing!? 2024
guest reply :
Hello everybody. I'm a new user so bear with me. I think I'm in the right board. I went fishing today,01-07-06, and did fair or what I would think is fair. I had several large bass hit my plastic lure and no matter how hard I tried to set the hook they would still get away. I thought they were hitting at the back of the lure so I moved my hook back, still nothing. Then I decided to push the hook threw the base of the body barely hiding the hook and that didn't work. Any ideas on what I can do?
2nd question----I'm having a hard time on selecting the right color bait for the conditions that I'm fishing in? I mainly fish with plastic baits ( lizards, worms, etc). I do just fine with spinner baits even though I don't use them much. I also fish with jigs (black/blue). Any ideas?
directlink reply :
bassmaster4879, what size hook are you using? Also what color plastics are you using? It sounds like the fish might be a little unsure of something and that's why they're not gobbling it down. 
guest reply :
Im using a #2 hook and the colors I'm using are cotton candy, june bug, and watermelon. The color jig I use is black/blue only.
roadwarrior reply :
Soft plastics on ponds are my strong suit. First of all, some of your "strikes" may have been rocks or branches. A "hit" is almost always a double tap. I generally reel down and set the hook with a snap hook-set, which is "weak", mostly wrist, not a Bill Dance hook-set.
There will be lots of opinions on what are the right color for the situation, but I ALWAYS fish natural colors. About as wild as I get is watermelom with black and red flakes or black neon. My main color is "Dark".
Specific recommendations:
Gamakatsu 4/0 or 5/0 EWG. I can't say enough about how important the right size and a sharp hook is in putting together a rig.
You MUST have a fast action rod with a firm tip. Soft plastics are about a quick hook-set.
I think you need no less than a medium power rod with a fast, firm tip.
BTW, Welcome aboard!
cart7t reply :
I'm assuming you mean a 2/0 hook. A number 2 hook might be a tad small for fishing plastic worms.
You didn't say what kind of worm you were fishing or what size. I wouldn't fish anything larger than a 6" this time of year. You might have scaled the size back a bit if they were short striking or you might want to try a worm with a little less tail action and dead stick it. When a bass hits let him run a little with it. Usually it's best to fish a Berkley Powerbait product or one of the Yum products, the fish tend to hold onto to those longer.
As for colors, If the waters clear I prefer watermelons, pumpkinseeds or amber colored worms, in stained I'll fish the same but dip-n-glo some chartreuse on the tail. I'll also go with Junebug if it's a lowlight situation. In stained I love Junebug, Black neon with chartreuse tail.
guest reply :
roadwarrior: I know it is a fish instead of a branch or rock because I see the fish. My line is moving in another direction and that is when I try to set the hook. That is were my problem is. I have tried to give the fish time to take the bait before I set the hook and that doesn't help. This same thing happened to me about 2 years ago and just now starting back up. I really missed some big fish. I don't want this to happen again. I can see losing 1 or 2 or even 3, but around 10 to 15 fish. That is just outragious.
The hook size is a 2/0. Sorry
KYbass1276 reply :
I would have to agree with roadwarrior using the right size and sharp hooks are important I fish ponds alot and would say the same thing not to mistake the hits for vegitation in the water but since you see the fish I'm not real sure. Are you using ewg hooks. I think they help in certain situations
guest reply :
I might have to fish with smaller baits. The hooks are brand new before I use them. They are FLW Tour brand. Extra sharp. That is what a friend suggested at work, go to smaller baits. How does that sound???
Will reply :
I would try some scents, maybe the fish will hold on longer allowing you to get a better hookset. What action rod are you using, for soft plastics I wouldn't go below a Medium? Also set the hook when the fish bite, they can suck a worm in faster than most think.
bronzeback_NW reply :
4/0 EWG with Junebug Brush Hog.This time of year I would never sug to go smaller.I don't know what the temp of the water is where your at but if it's inbetween 45-55 that is what I would do.These fish don't want to put out alot of energy for small amounts of food.Give them a reason to want it.And I pond fish AWHOLE BUNCH.Once the water hits 40degrees I will be out there flippin and pitchin.Make sure your using a trialer on your jig as well.
guest reply :
get back to the basics. Buy a few bags of senkos in pumpkin, watermelon , and june bug and hook em t-rigged with no weight. Pick a fishy looking spot and toss it in their nice and easy. The hook shoud be 3/o or possibly 4/o, Let the bugger sink and carefully watch the line for movment. It you see the line jump a little reel in the slack and set the hook. If not raise the rod tip slowly and let it drop again. then reel in and cast to another spot. iF You are stealthy and persistnant you will catch fish.
cajun1977. reply :
i disagree on t rigging your worm if you can get away with using an exposed hook that will increase your hookup ratio
guest reply :
I'm using a baby bush hog. I'ts about medium size so I cant use a 3/0 or 4/0 hook. I would have more hook than bait. Do yall think that I should use just the regular size bush hog. I never have mucn luck with bigger baits but seeing what just happened I will use anything. I also want to thank the people that is helping with this problem. It means alot to know that there are people out their that wants to help you and not hurt you. THANKS AGAIN!!!!
Panamoka_Bassin reply :
This talk about hooks and hook-sizes got me to remember something I read in a book. Shaw Grigsby uses a 1 HP hook in a lot of his plastics. I can't say I really know what this means, but from the picture, it looks almost like a circle hook, but more oval. He says the reason for this is that its easier for the bass to push the hook through the bait and therefore easier to set the hook. I haven't tried this myself, but it may be helpful just to switch to circle hooks rather than a regular worm hook. Could be worth a shot, anyways.
guest reply :
I agree that wacky rigging is better for getting hooksets, but RW's thoughts re" branches etc. can't be totally disregarded. I'm also suspecting that the rod is probably not heavy enough. Plenty of backbone is needed to set the hook through some plastic baits. The last thing that comes to mind may be the most important of all. Namely "timing" I have been able to set the hook securely on big bass using light equipment if the timeing of the strike is just right. Conversely I have missed fish, using heavy equipment if timed wrong.
You want your hookset to be fast at the tip. This means you should have a little travel before the hook actually engages the fish. Assuming the hook is large enough to penetrate the plastic and the bass' jaw, then timing the strike properly almost always results in a positive hookup.
bronzeback_NW reply :
Your going to want to use a reg size brush hog unless your fishing for smallies which I'm sure your not.I reason is that with brush hogs there are alot of times their just going to hit the back end of it.Thats the reason for the 4/0-5/0 hook.And alot of times big bass are only going to give you 1-2 times to hook them then that will be it.There is a place I go on a small pond in my float tube that I KNOW I will gei 1-2 good hard bites and that is it.I know the fish live in this area and they are big.Almost every time I go there I will get a hit on the 1st or 2nd flip.If I miss it is over,but when I hook-up I know there will at least a 5lber all the way up 9lber on.Have to make the best of your early chances.
Cephkiller reply :
I see you're from TX and you mentioned you can see the fish. Is it possible these are spawners? If so, the situation you describe is not entirely uncommon. The fish aren't actually trying to eat the bait. They are just moving it away from their nests. Just a thought.
K_Mac reply :
I would agree with RR an Avid concerning the power and action of the rod. When I first started fishing T-rigged plastics (not long after water was created), I had a wimpy rod and missed most of the fish. You don't need a high dollar rod, but you have to have one fast enough to drive the hook home. Cajun suggested an exposed hook, and I have caught some of my biggest fish using plastics on an open jig, or even one with a brush guard. It might increase your hook-up rate.
Hang in there brother! You will get the hang of it.
Pond-Pro reply :
I would recommend using an extra wide gap hook. A 3/0 EWG fits perfectly in a baby brushog. Im not sure how you rig it exactly, but try rigging the hook so that the top of the hook where the point is just barely skins the top of the brush hog.
I use the tiny brush hogs in ponds, with a 1/0 EWG. I have no problem hooking them with that size.
Good Luck!
guest reply :
I have tried every suggestion and still nothing. I do believe that they may be tring to go into pre-spawn due to the temp. down here being so warm (60-75 degree F). It should be in the low 30's to mid 50's. They may be just moving the lure away. What do I do when this happens????
cajun1977. reply :
find somewhere else to fish lol
guest reply :
Cajun 1977: It looks like I might have too. LOL :-[ I kind of like the change your hook idea better myself. LOL ;D If I don't start bring fish home this is what I will be doing
BassNut reply :
bassmaster4879,
I agree with the rest, that 2/0 is alot of the problem.
3/0 is th smallest I use for worms and most of my T-rigs.
But when I use the Baby brush hogs and smaller baits,
I will use a 2/0 texposer hooks, but only that style.
I have used many other, but the texposer are extra sharp
and the angle of it allows more hook ups.
MyKeyBe reply :
bassmaster4879,
If those fish are spawning(and with the winter you all have had is entirely possible), set that hook as soon as you see the bass pick it up and keep at it. It may take 50, 60, or more try's on the same fish to get a hookset. Like others have said if you can use an exposed hook, it might help.
If you cannot use an open hook, BassNut may be on the right track. Try out those Lunker City texposer hooks. I think these are the most cost effective, under appreciated, unused hooks on the market. I would be willing to bet some unused helicopter lures I have(you pay the shipping if I am proven wrong. :), that these hooks will improve darn near anyone's hook up ratio on almost any soft plastic bait! ;D
Pond-Pro reply :
Still not hooking up?? Well now it is time to foget plastics and go with a rapala floating minnow size 11. With three sharp treble hooks in there face, the bass will have more of a problem spitting the bait out. 
roadwarrior reply :
No, no, nooo...
#1 All Time Producer: 5" Senko, the real thing, not a knockoff.
#2 GYCB Fat Ika.
#3 XXXXX, never mind. Start with those two and we'll talk about something else later.
Fish these baits on light line, 8 lb test or smaller. Use a Gamakatsu 4/0 EWG. Fish them slow, weightless and weedless around cover and structure.
As I stated in the previous post, you need to fish at least a medium power rod with a fast, firm tip.
GobbleDog reply :
QuoteNo, no, nooo...#1 All Time Producer: 5" Senko, the real thing, not a knockoff.
My NEW all time producer: 5" Chomper (senko style), a knock off that works like you wouldn't believe.
The only reason I prefer Chompers to Senkos is the nasty garlic smell on Chompers is so strong, I believe bass can taste/smell it before they bite it and hang onto it a little longer.
guest reply :
If your seeing them swim away with the bait, then you are definitly not detecting the strike. You may be fishing with too much slack in the line. But in any case, You need to watch the line. when you see it "twitch" reel down a few cranks and "cross their eyes"(set the hook with a fast, strong upward jerk) don't get into a feeling game with the bass. WATCH THE LINE
PS - It is common for new bassers to use hooks that are too small, They don't call em largemouths for nothin' don't be afraid to step up. 3/0 EWG gammy or owner (my preference) is minimum.
P.S. Did I say to watch the line? 8-)
guest reply :
QuoteQuoteNo, no, nooo...#1 All Time Producer: 5" Senko, the real thing, not a knockoff.
My NEW all time producer: 5" Chomper (senko style), a knock off that works like you wouldn't believe.
The only reason I prefer Chompers to Senkos is the nasty garlic smell on Chompers is so strong, I believe bass can taste/smell it before they bite it and hang onto it a little longer.
I bought a pack of chompers spider grubs once. They worked but the smell 
I went back to GYCB's pronto.
Peter E. reply :
Wait a second ya'll, lets stop discussing lures and hook sizes and help our member to gain a better understanding about what he is doing. Lures, techiques and what not are all fine great and dandy but first let us understand the fish so that we can use the right technique, and lure.
Let us look at this with a more methodical and reasoned aproach than just to say throw this or throw that. Let us first observe the conditions he is face with.
First off we will start with water clarity and temperature. Remember these two factors are perhaps the most influentail factors in determining bass' strike zone day in day out. (a fish's strike zone is how far a bass will go to hit a bait)
With meduim light penetration and clarity the fishes strike zone is usually at its best. Meduim being three feet of visibitlity and say partly cloudy skies. and varying degrees back and forth. Higher the sun penetration the smaller the strike zone and the clearer the water the bigger the strike zone. You get the picture.
Water temps are simple with between 60 to 75 degrees being the tempreture at which the basses metabolism is at its highest. An increase or decrease in temprature will lower a bass' metabolism. Also the higher the bass' metabolism the larger the strike zone is.
Now let us apply that to the In-fisherman FLP formula.
F- fish: how do these factors influence the fish's will to feed.
L- Location: where are the bass located in the water colum and in the pond.
P- Presentation: How to present your bait so that it works best with the conditions you are faced with an that given day.
You can PM me for an FLP break down of your area with more information I can usually get about as close as you can get without fishing it.
Remember First you must understand the fish before you can catch it.
Peter
guest reply :
Those GYCB bait are a little out of my price range. But I guess you get what you pay for. I have tried some of the suggestions from above and have improved on my hook ups. I am going to pratice a little more today and we will see what happens. It's just hard to go slow when your used to going at a steady pace during spring, summer, and fall. Thanks again everybody.
Chris reply :
I think they are on beds myself. Take a senko or that style bait and start your Texas rig before you turn the hook around to re stick the hook get a treble hook and stick a piece of surgical tubing on the end and stick it on your worm hook. Finish the Texas rig and put one of the treble hooks into the bait. This will give you a stinger hook. Now go whack' em
guest reply :
Here is another problem that I'm facing.....the weather is changing from hot to cold/cold to hot. This is making for tuff fishing conditions. I'm going fishing in the morning so is there any last suggestions?
dink reply :
Remember that the weather changes that you feel will not affect the fish as much. No wind chill factors underwater. If I were faced with your dilemna, I would try a reaction style bait (i.e. crankbait, spinnerbait, Rogue) and fish it slowly and methodically. Last ditch effort would be to burn Spot or Rat-L-Trap past them a dozen times.
roadwarrior reply :
Peter,
I certainly see your point and appreciate your approach to evaluating the importance of the conditions we face, but a lot of guys just want to catch a couple of fish when they are just getting started. I saw bassmaster 4879 is in Texas and I am confident that he can catch a couple of fish on the two baits I recommend. If he is already getting some bites as he stated, I think a couple of simple adjustments will help him catch those fish.
Although I totally agree that "observing the conditions" and adjusting to them is important to achieving consistant success, catching more and bigger fish and generally improving your skills, right now all bassmaster4879 wants to do is catch the fish he thinks he's found. To do that, right now, only requires a little adjustment in bait and equipment. I am absolutely, 100% positive that a Senko and/or a Fat Ika fished on a 4/0 EWG hook will catch a few bass on ponds in Texas.
chunter_ksu reply :
Not trying to sound stupid here but can you see the fish or only the line moving. I know that here in Kansas the baby b-hog is deadly in ponds but can also look pretty tempting to the bluegill and panfish. You can get hits from these that feel pretty huge at times and they sure take the bait and run like you described.
Again from your post I wasn't sure of the water clarity and if you can actually see the bass in the water then disregard my post. Just an idea.
Lightninrod reply :
QuoteHello everybody. I'm a new user so bear with me. I think I'm in the right board. I went fishing today,01-07-06, and did fair or what I would think is fair. I had several large bass hit my plastic lure and no matter how hard I tried to set the hook they would still get away. I thought they were hitting at the back of the lure so I moved my hook back, still nothing. Then I decided to push the hook threw the base of the body barely hiding the hook and that didn't work. Any ideas on what I can do?2nd question----I'm having a hard time on selecting the right color bait for the conditions that I'm fishing in? I mainly fish with plastic baits ( lizards, worms, etc). I do just fine with spinner baits even though I don't use them much. I also fish with jigs (black/blue). Any ideas?
All good advice and suggestions above and I'll chime in too and address this issue:
" I had several large bass hit my plastic lure and no matter how hard I tried to set the hook they would still get away."
First off, the rod as mentioned is so important. I prefer a minimum of 7' in length and a 7/6 is even better for the leverage it offers on a hookset. It must have a 'fast' tip IMO and enough backbone too.
Secondly, is the line. If you are using Iron Silk or any other 'stretchy' mono, then you need to change your line. While bank fishing with my best friend several months ago, he kept complaining about missing several hooksets. We were using the same model Kistler Helium, 7' rod and he was throwing a weightless, 5" Senko. I looked at his rig and he had Iron(what a misnomer!) Silk spooled on. I loaned him one of my rigs with 15# Seaguar's Carbon Pro flurocarbon line on it. First cast and he hooked and landed a nice 5 lber. 100% fluro has very little stretch, is sensitive, tough, and almost invisable underwater........an almost 'perfect' line IMO.
Thirdly, I rig the 4/0 EWG hook(I use GY's Sugoi hooks almost exclusively.) this way(quotes from ***):
"Tex-Exposed For open water or thin cover, put the point into the bottom of the bait and all the way out the top of the bait. The barb on some hooks like the Yamamoto Sugoi angle downward, so the point will hug flat on top of the bait. This is called "Tex-Exposed," meaning it is an exposed point Texas rig. Applications are where the water is mostly open, with few snags and sparse weed patches. Tex-Exposed works a bit better on big fat-bodied grubs or on wide-bodied lizards where there is some girth that tends to bump the Tex-Exposed point away from snaggage.
Tex-Skin on Top For moderate cover, follow the directions for Tex-Exposing the hook. Then, insert the hook point and barb just under the skin on the plastic bait's back. You have to pull the plastic forward in front of where the hook comes out the top of the bait, and stretch it forward a bit. While it is still stretched, insert the point just under the skin, and then push the stretched plastic back to cover the barb area. The only way to describe it is that the hook point should appear just under the bait's skin exactly as if you got a splinter in your thumb or your big toe, just under your skin.
Above all, you need to leave some slack in the body of the lure when you rig it. You cannot have the bait stretched too tightly onto the hook. Tautness in the lure body is what makes for poor hooksetting. You have to leave the slightest amount of slack in the body between the hook eye and the embedded point. The slackness makes for a good hookset. This is a feel that only comes with doing it right. Leaving slack does not mean that the lure should look like it has a bend or curve caused by the way you rigged it - it should look perfectly straight - but when you press down on it with your index finger right where you want the fish to bite it, there should be some looseness, some slack give in the lure body. You want the fish's mouth to depress the bait's body down easily in the section ahead of where the hook point is waiting. Once the hook point starts to grab hold in the fish's mouth, you really want the entire bait to easily pull down off the front portion of the hook, and out of the way where it won't interfere with a good hook set. This is kind of hard to describe in writing, but very recognizable once you get the hang of doing it. "
Note that the hook has already pierced the body(Texas-skin-on-top notTex-sposed) of the bait so when setting that hook, it becomes easy in that no extra force is needed in the hookset. By slipping the 'skin' of the bait over the hook's tip, you have a weedless bait but one that will offer the best chance of a successful hookset.
Dan
guest reply :
Went fishing this morning and caught a load of chain pickerel (aka east Texas pike). Still missed a few of those and some bass. I tried putting on a trailer and that didn't work. I saw the fish with my own eyes. This is hard to believe......guess I will take up tennis or golf. 
guest reply :
I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR GIVING ME ADVICE ON THIS TOPIC. I WILL NO LONGER BE USING THIS FORUM DUE TO BAD TREATMENT FROM ONE OF THE MODERATORS ON A TREAD THAT I MISTAKENLY PUT IN THE WRONG PLACE. YALL HAVE BEEN REALLY GOOD TOO ME AND I AM FOREVER GRATEFULL. I HAVE ASKED TO BE REMOVED FROM THIS SITE. GOD BLESS EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU.
BASSMASTER4879
bronzeback_NW reply :
Sorry about that.Tight lines and God Bless..Jim
guest reply :
Hey Lightnin Rod, I really like the photo you use in your signature line. Your getting pretty good with the photo shop. Very classy dude
srv1990 reply :
This is off topic but I'm curious, how do you put a photo in your signature line? I've tried copy/past, it didn't work... for me.
Thanks, TC
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