Article by Dan
There are many bass anglers out there that don't always have the time to go 100 miles to the nearest reservoir, lake, etc. I am one of those anglers. Small ponds are sometimes my only options, and summer fishing in these ponds can bring great challenges. But, fishing at the right time, in the right places can give you great small pond summer success.
To start off, you have to know what lures will be effective. In ponds that are not very pressured, you can catch bass on just about anything when they are feeding. In heavily pressured ponds, the scenario is much different. The pond I fish sometimes has 10-15 anglers there at a time. And this is a small pond. So, the first step I take to success is fishing when the fish are actively feeding. During this time, I like fishing lures that no-one else uses in ponds. I commonly see people using jigs, worms, and spinnerbaits, which can all be effective, but I find that a different lure is a killer all the time. That lure? A buzzbait. Some people say that it is only effective in the post-spawn, but they are dead wrong. My biggest bass in this particular pond was a five and a half pounder. Keep in mind that this is in Indiana. The best part about fishing the buzzbait??? You can get the active fish when the other guys miss, cause this lure is faster and you can cover more water, than alot of other lures. Also, you can work weeded areas faster and draw reaction strikes when the fish are sick of 8" worms, 1\2 oz. jigs, and millions of spinnerbaits. So, the buzzbait is my feeding time lure. But....what about when the fish aren't active?
When the fish aren't active during the summer, they usually hold deep. This can also be true for small ponds. But, like the pond I fish, some ponds lack deep cover. So, I fish the most heavily weeded areas. Many of my non-active bass catches have come from about 1 foot deep where the weeds provide a roof of sorts. This provides great shade, and you will almost always find a few bass here. My lure for this is a shad like, soft plastic fluke. It is a great lure, and looks very realistic. Shake it right next to the weeds, or make it slither under if possible. Work the lure in each spot for at least 30 seconds. Those big ones don't always strike right away.
Well, I hope this helps, good luck!!
Dan