Don’t overlook potential pond fishing trips. There's many reasons why pond fishing trips can be one of the most successful fishing experiences!
Fisheries biologists try to qualify the angler fishing experience to gauge the productivity of a body of water. One method is by surveying catch per unit effort (CPUE). How many fish are caught over a unit of time? If well managed, pond fishing trips will consistently provide numbers that are hard to beat.
- Confidence. Pond fishing trips are highly recommended for taking kids fishing. With the basic 3B’s (bait, bobbers, and bluegill), a good time will be available for all. With plenty of positive reinforcing catches, they can practice casting, setting the hook, and releasing fish. I’ve also found ponds useful for practicing new or unfamiliar techniques. For example, during long cold periods I’ll use pond fishing trips to hone my confidence with jerkbaits and relearn the length of the frustratingly long pauses between twitches to then apply to larger bodies of water.
- Different. Even with similar stockings, every stocked fishing pond is different. Depths, vegetation, substrate, and structure all vary not only from pond to pond but over a season. Thus, each pond is a new puzzle or set of challenges to try to figure out. Depending on the time of the year, there may be common lures that work. For example, one of the regular fishing tips for bass fishing ponds is that once the water warms up, a soft plastic worm should gain lots of bass attention. However, color or size of that soft plastic worm may vary from pond to pond, and some bass may even prefer other creature baits like a soft plastic lizard.
- Handy Plan B. If the river is high and muddy from several days of downpour, thanks to the smaller watershed, most fishing ponds near me remain relatively unaffected and continue to have a high concentration of cooperative fish. A pond does not require an entire day to fish, although pond hopping all day can be a lot of fun too. With a smaller window of time such as the last hour of daylight, you don’t have to load up the boat, when a bit of pond shoreline can be enough to provide the fish and yourself with a bit of exercise.
Don’t own a pond? “Fishing ponds near me” may be as close as that overlooked pond at the park. It also may take a bit of scouting and a phone call or two to locate them. Another freshwater fishing tip: To help gain permission for a pond, let the owner know that you practice catch and release and will always shut the gate behind you.
