small pond, cattails around the whole bank

[KenDammit]

I've been trying to figure this pond out fully, but don't really have experience with cattails. We've made about a 15 foot hole on one bank to fish out of, and the rest of the banks have cattails extending maybe 6 feet out towards the water, with about 4 feet being in the water itself. Water looks to be about 1-2 feet deep around the cattails, and the rest of the pond appears to have no cover, no trees and no rocks. What I'm looking for is some kind of bait other than a spinner(which is my weapon) that will work around the cattails and if bass will be holding in cattails of this fashion. The water is clear-stained, bottom appears to be clean(from carp being in the pond, they are massive). Its only about 1/4 of an acre I'd guesstimate. I'm gonna try a jitterbug tonight and tomorrow night, along with my spinners, but perhaps worms? sticks? what would be a good choice?

[Bass101]

my go to lure is a rooster tail any color but preferably white. but you can never go wrong with a t-rigged worm any natural color.

[texbass]

I like a top water in small ponds, such as a pop-r or a broken-back.

[flachristopherkeene9]

Try casting a T-rigged Tiki Stick into that hole of yours.

[Denny_ohio]

Buzzbait,buzzbait,buzzbait.Fish it as close as you can to the cat tails.If your fishing in the eve,chart.is a great color or white.as it starts to darkin you can fish with blk.When you have a blow up....and you will my friend do not set the hook right off the bate wait about 2 seconds,fish it like your pop-r. make repeat cast,sometimes you have to piss them off...then you have done it then
Denny
chartruse grubs make great trailers on those buzzbaits too...goodluck

[lockjaw]

Just what I had in mind Denny. Also try a texas rigged worm. Avoid using a ribbon tail worm if possible. The tail will wrap around the stalks. Try pegging the weight to the worm with a toothpick to prevent the sinker from sliding away from the worm when it catches on a stalk.

[JB]

I know the problem your facing, if you cast over the reeds and get a bass, how are you going to get her in?

If the pond owner doesn't mind, you can take each cat tail reed and bend it over about a foot off the root, or water level, You may have to take some boots with ya to do this, but it only takes about 5 minutes to clear out a 4 ft wide area from the bank to the water..we do it at our pond all the time if someone is in the boat
If you allowed, I'd make clearings about every 25 ft around the pond.
You work one area over and go to the next..its fun.
It gives you a dif. prespective on the water to fish too I think.
Ya have to clear out a wide enough area to overhand cast. I dont even think most pond owners pay attention, but I'd ask first, it doesnt kill the plant, they have a huge root system.

[the mud man]

try floating a worm I use either Zoom Tricks or Manns Jelly in green,motor oil or black Rig em weedless with either a texas hook or a wide gap between 1/0 to 2/0 lightest wire the conditions will let you get away with either snake it S-Like on the top or let it drop close to the weeds just barely below the surface and kinda reel and jig it and hold on this is one of my favorite rigs for pond fishing

[KenDammit]

Bass101, I had a rooster tail in one night last week, and guess what happened? haha. You guessed it right, its stuck in a cattail that I can't get to just yet.

The pond owner is wanting to put chemicals on the cattails and I'm trying to convince him that its not a very wise idea.

Other than that...last night was a pretty slow night. I caught two bass, one on a live worm, the other on a dead minnow. After that I didn't get a single bite, but I did hook a cattail with my jitterbug and you better believe I spent 30 minutes trying to recover that little baby.

Thanks for some help guys. I am thinking I'm gonna try a weightless and t-rigged worm and see what I get. I thought about doing it last night with a live nightcrawler but the GF was getting sleepy. Buzzbait is a definite, probably get one chartreuse and one black.

Denny, do you have a lot of success with grub trailers? I've never really used them too often, how long of a tail?

[Denny_ohio]

I got the one 's Stren make there about 3 inches long in length.Yes I have had alot of luck with them.I learned the grub thing from our buddy Jb.I also put them on spinnerbaits too.
Goodluck!!!! Denny

[ROBZILLA]

Might want to try a MOSS BOSS frog it's weedless rubber goes right to the sides of the hooks so you won't get hung up. You got to wook th bait on the edge of the cat tails , look for whats around for bait see what they are feeding on around the pond. even a mouse bait will work in these types of settings.

Robby.

[suuuperbass]

i would use a terminator spinner

[PanfishnBass05]

I would use a Booyah spinnerbait. chartrues on sunny days and white when the water is clear. Booyah is the best company because the metal painted fish head above the skirt has 3d eyes.

[suuuperbass]

i would run a manns minus 1 crankbait

[rrw4258]

I fish a pond almost exactly like this and I have best luck with the mann's - 1 or a 4 in. finesse worm on a jig head hook. I usually use motor oil or purple/blue.

[KenDammit]

what would be a good color for this stained water on the manns crankbait? I think the only crankbait I ever owned was a big orange one way back when I first started fishing, heh. It was a real deep diver, lip was an inch or longer, I guess. I just never liked fishing with them, I guess. I've used the little minnow and shad types before, and rat-l-traps but thats about it.

[rrw4258]

I like the Parott or the Brown Color for any water conditions.