Pond Boss Forums FISH & FISHING Sunfish-Including Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass Difficulty catching LMB

My pond is LMB heavy and the pond is reflective of this. There are no fingerlings along the bank anymore, no crawfish being trapped or netted and the few bass that have been caught are not as fat as I would like to see. They are not skinny, they are a nice thickness, but they don't have that belly on them that says there is an overabundance of prey.

My problem: I cannot seem to catch them, only one or two, here and there. I have guest over from time to time that catches them at will. I try all the same things, but with no success. Most LMB that he catches are 15" to 19".

Can you all please give me some LMB tips. They are in there and they are plentiful. I need some techniques on targeting LMB. Thanks in advance

My pond is about 1/3 acre, stocked with LMB, BG, SC

The most effective, go to, way to catch LMB in my pond is 4 to 5 inch shiners under a bobber.

Minnows are good, no doubt, but with that you may need to mix it up a bit as the fish wise-up. I like to use a top-water baby spook or #9 floating Rapala minnow. Cast and let set until rings disappear.. short twitches, just enough to make it move a few inches.
6" plastic worm texas rigged with no or minimal weight. 4-6" lizards (plastic) are deadly about everywhere. A small buzz-bait just at sundown for 30-40 min or so will make a believer out of you also.

Oh, the question nearest to "the meaning of life?"...lol.

My grandpa used rubber lizards almost exclusivity and could out fish most bass fishermen, simple black lizard-like rubber worms hooked with a plain hook (not a weedless or a weedless rigging). I have had much better luck with the purple worms and prefer the weighted weedless hooks, but I can catch the most bass with Mepps spinners (white or red fox squirrel colored).

It seems like when the bass are not hitting the only thing in the tackle box that might bring one in is the Mepps or Roostertail style spinners. When they are hitting good, the competition is tight between a rubber worm and an inline spinner.

I'd say the Mepps size #3 (1/4 oz)should target the 15 to 19" LMB, but the #2 (1/6 oz) may be preferred if they are used to eating smaller prey.

The funny thing is that I hear people talking highly about their go-to lures, some of which I couldn't catch a snag with if I tried all day. I think the multiple combinations of the location, situation, environment, and the users style of reeling/working the pole all play a part in what catches the fish. I have been to a few ponds where the bass won't show themselves for nothing, then I give up and start fishing for the pan-fish, put a cheap floating popper on the line and catch a bucket of bass. I'd never say that the poppers where great bass lures, but when they work, they work great...just not that often...for me.

Your results may vary!

I would pay attention to what your guests are catching the bass with and pay even more attention to the line weight and their retrieval methods (depth, speed, clicker on/off, steady or not, sink then reel or reel at water entry).

And, it's probably a popular notion that bass fishing is best at sun up.

Good Luck and let us know what you find that works for you!

Strike King makes an extremely realistic looking rubber crawfish with great live action, that I put on a weighted weedless jighead and have more luck on then just about anything Ive ever tried, gotta let them take it for a second but with some resistance, they will let you know when to set the hook. rubber worms arent too bad but I have a lot more problems with deeper hooks on rubber worms that cause more injury when you are going for catch and release, these crawfish setups dont seem to be near as bad about that, let us know what you try and if it worked!

2 to 4 inch free swimming bluegill is deadly