Pond fishing, in its essence, is very simple. It all comes down to finding the fish and throwing the right bait presentation their way. That requires you to understand 5 things: Cover, Forage, Conditions, Season, and Pond-Specific info. Once you have all these simple things figured out, you’re in a prime position to start catching fish.

In this guide, I’ll be teaching you how to walk up to any pond and almost instantly start catching fish. You’ll know where to cast, what type and color of bait to throw, and how good the the fishing might be. I’ll also talk a little bit about fallback options to keep the fun alive if bass aren’t biting. Let’s get started.

Cover

Identifying the cover in your pond is the first thing you should do when walking up to it. Cover is any extrusion in or around the pond in which fish can hide. This can be in the form of aquatic foliage, wood pilings, large boulders, low-hanging trees, or docks. Identifying what type of cover dominates your pond is crucial for choosing the correct bait presentation.

These features can often be identified with a quick scan of the pond, but sometimes it will take a little time fishing the pond to locate sub-surface cover. If you get hung up and retrieve a lure covered in grass, take note of where the hangup happened. Notice you feel a lure slow down through a certain patch, then suddenly release? You may have just dragged it over a wood piling. If you feel your bait suddenly get caught, then pop it and feel it pull through, there may be a boulder or rock in that spot.

Cover should be approached with caution. Bringing a bait directly through cover ALWAYS runs a risk of hanging up, which can be a total vibe killer for an otherwise good day. The last thing to consider with cover is the strike zone. This is the general vicinity where fish are most likely to bite. You should try to keep your bait in this area as long as possible.

Aquatic Foliage

If your pond has lots of aquatic foliage (algae clumps, grasses, reeds, etcetera) weedless baits such as Texas rigged soft plastics, hollow-body frogs, senkos or flukes are the most optimal choices. Throw them parallel to or, in some cases, straight through the cover. Avoid throwing any lure with hanging or exposed hooks, as it will quickly hang up and lose its action. The strike zone of aquatic foliage is along grass edges or under any surface vegetation that casts a shadow. Aquatic foliage is probably the most common type of cover in most ponds. It’s a great place for baitfish to hide in, so bass typically hunt in and around this cover.

Wood Pilings

If your pond has lots of wood pilings (logs, fallen trees, branch pilings) or boulders, using a bait that can be hopped through without issue is going to be your best choice. In the case of shallow pilings, Baits like a pitching jig, Texas rigged soft-plastic, or a topwater like a walking bait or a buzzbait can all produce. Another option is a suspending jerkbait. These should be used with caution.

Fish pilings with caution! If you can visibly see the cover or know with absolute certainty where the cover is, go for it. Otherwise you risk hanging up your bait, and wood pilings are probably the most difficult cover to retrieve a hung-up lure from. Strike zones for this type of cover are just above the pilings.

Low-Hanging Trees

Low-hanging trees are perhaps the most thrilling difficult cover to fish in. It often takes a very precise, skilled cast to put the bait under a low hanging tree, and this cover is probably the most hang-up prone if you don’t have much casting expertise. However, they house very aggressive fish. During the warmer months, the shade acts as a great spot for hunting fish to ambush from. This type of feeding results in impressive, explosive strikes.

Baits to try throwing in these areas are topwater frogs, senkos, or poppers. The strike zone for this cover is typically along the edge of the shade line but can be anywhere within the shade. Pick a slower moving bait – spend as much time in the strike zone as possible. Aim for the shade and get your bait as far under the tree as you can. Take a couple casts: fish can be very specific about where they ambush.

Docks

Docks are likely the first thing that will stick out to you when fishing a pond, and rightfully so. A good dock is a perfect place for fish to hide as they provide shade, protection, and a great ambush spot. However, not all docks are made equal. If the dock is in shallow water or is very frequently occupied (at a very busy lake for example), chances are you’re better off casting somewhere else. Otherwise, you should be able to throw just about anything into a dock.

A common mistake new anglers make is fishing from the dock. This can be done to reach cover that is otherwise out of range, but to fish the actual dock you want to find another angle to cast from. Some docks may require a very precise cast to get underneath of, but for most you can cast along the edge and find success. Fishing a swimbait, senko, Texas rigged soft plastic or chatterbait will all produce. Focus on strike zones like the shade line or around pillars.

Structure

There are two types of features that hold fish. The first is cover, which I just went over. The second is structure: this is how the pond is shaped topographically. If there is a drop off or a dam, for example, bass will use it as a sort of “cover” to ambush from. There are a couple types of structures: Points, Flats, Humps, Drop Offs, Channels and Saddles. I’ll have an article going more in depth with topography and how to read the topography of youfr pond soon.

You can treat all these topographical structures as “cover” so to speak. Bring your bait of choice along or over them, like you would with a wood piling or a dock. Understanding the bottom of your pond is very important when fishing structure. I your pond has a very muddy, soft bottom, you’re going to want to throw lighter weighted, mid column or topwater baits. If your pond has a rocky bottom, bottom baits like a jig or a drop shot can produce well.

Learning what kind of structure a pond has will take some time. Some structures (like points or dams) can be found by observing the bank of a pond. Sometimes you’ll be able to see the structure of the pond through the water. Most of the time, however, you will need to cast around and familiarize yourself.

Take note of where your bait sinks the longest, if there are any spots where your bait falls off suddenly, or if there are any places where a mid-column bait is suddenly touching bottom. Some ponds may have topographical records you can find online. If you are fishing a locally owned or private pond, consider asking the owner about the topography of the pond.

Sometimes, a pond will have little to no structure. Lots of neighborhood ponds are just shallow, concrete bowls. In this case, it’s a good idea to fan cast with a faster moving bait and try to cover as much water as possible. Don’t waste time slow hopping a jig across the entire flat expanse of the pond.

Forage

Forage is the prey in your pond that bass are primarily feeding on. Figuring out what kind of forage is dominant in your pond is important because it will determine what types of presentations you should be focusing on. Determining forage can be done by observing what sort of baitfish you can see in shallow water, what the surroundings of your pond look like, the bottom of your pond, and the general area your pond is in.

For example, let’s say you live in a more temperate region like Alabama or Texas. Your pond has a rocky bottom, you hear frogs croaking at night, and there’s lots of surface vegetation and surrounding vegetation. Chances are there’s a good population of crawfish, bluegill, insects and frogs in your pond. If you live in a more northern region, forage like baby trout, perch or mayflies are common.

You may find it beneficial to do some research on the wildlife in your area. If the pond is stocked (fish were put there artificially) you can likely look up the stocking records on your state’s fish and wildlife .gov website.

Matching the hatch is the name of the game when it comes to picking the right bait presentation. Your goal is to choose a bait that best imitates the type of forage the bass are preying on. This will determine several factors about your bait choice. The size, shape, color and depth of your bait are all factors that you should choose based on the forage in your pond.

For example, if your pond has lots of small silver shiners, choose a flashy or natural color and a downsized bait. If your pond has lots of insects, frogs and other surface forage like lizards or rodents, choose a topwater bait like a hollow-body frog or a whopper plopper. For a pond with lots of big sunfish, choose colors like a green pumpkin or a bluegill color and upsize the bait. Rocky bottoms provide great hiding places for crawfish and other bottom-dwellers, so choose baits like a Texas rigged creature or a jig.

Figuring out the forage of a pond will sometimes take time. If you notice that your fish never seem to pay much attention to topwater but crush jigs, chances are there are lots of crawfish in your pond. Take time to experiment with several presentations and find out what preferences the fish in your area have.

Sometimes bass live in a stocked pond without any baitfish and little to no structure. In this case, the bass are likely eating insects, frogs, and each other. If you notice your pond looks dead aside from the bass, or you aren’t having any luck with baitfish/bluegill colors, choose presentations that match this forage or draw a reaction strike from fish.

Season

Bass feeding patterns are heavily determined by the season you’re fishing in. All four seasons bring their own changes to the conditions, and the bass will hunt accordingly.

Spring

During the Spring, bass are returning from their deep winter hides to shallower water to spawn. Additionally, baitfish typically start spawning a little while after bass have spawned. Bass will start schooling and aggressively hunting in shallower water. During spring months, you can catch some of the biggest bass of the season. During early months (February and early March) Focus on areas that are in between deep holes and spawning areas. If your pond has a deep dam on one side and a flat on the other, fish between the two.

Once bass have started spawning, they will be up on shallow cover and structure. Look for spawning beds, which will appear as light spots on the bottom and are occupied by one or two fish and can often be seen with the naked eye. If your pond has murky water, you might find it worth investing in polarized sunglasses for improved underwater vision.

The best types of presentations to throw during spring months are medium to fast worked baits like swimbaits, very natural colors, and reaction baits like squarebills or flukes. Bed fishing is its own sort of fishing that I’ll cover in a different post, but a couple of baits I would recommend throwing around a bed would be natural colored drop shots or swimbaits.

Summer

The Summer is the most exciting time for fishing. The high water temperatures and harsh shade lines cause fish to be aggressive and ambush hunters. Bass can be found in deep and shallow water and typically roam and hunt more during the low light of the evening. Fishing fast moving baits like topwater and chatterbaits over and around cover will produce explosive strikes from roaming fish. During the middle of the day, focus on shade lines with slow moving baits like senkos, Texas rigged creature baits and frogs. You can power fish very aggressively and get away with throwing harsh colors like neon green and Junebug during the summer.

Fall

Fall is an interesting time for bass fishing. During early Fall, bass can sometimes have a second spawn if the water temperature spikes. Topwater fishing is at its peak during Fall months as bass bulk up for the cold winter. Focus on natural presentations and reaction baits: jerkbaits, walking baits, poppers, swimbaits and jigs will all produce. During these months, fish are roaming and hunting: focus on covering water with fast or medium speed baits.

Winter

The Winter months the hardest months to fish. As water temperatures drop drastically, if you have a shallow pond, chances are fish are going to be lethargic and hesitant to chase or bite. For the most part, you’ll need to downsize your presentation and slow down. Focus on structure and cover, if any: fish it slowly and methodically. If your pond has any deep holes or dams, focus on those spots.

During winter, there are two extreme sides of fishing: either extremely slow and methodical, or extremely fast and reactionary. Both methods can work. For slower presentations, hop a ned rig or a drop shot along the bottom. Dragging a LARGE swimbait at an extremely slow pace along the bottom will also produce. For a more aggressive style, try a squarebill reeling FAST, then pausing.

Conditions

Reading conditions is perhaps the most difficult part of fishing. Conditions are factors like the water clarity, temperature, weather, and air pressure. These conditions can vary throughout the seasons. Although the conditions can affect the general success you will have with fishing, I would say it is probably the least important factor when it comes to catching fish. If you have your bait choice dialed in and you’re casting to the correct areas according to the season, you’ll likely still find success regardless of the conditions.

That said, specific conditions can influence the fish’s behavior and, correspondingly, your bait choice. A good rule of thumb is the harder it will be for a fish to see your bait (choppy, murky water and overcast skies) the more aggressive you can fish.

Water Clarity

Water Clarity is probably the most important condition when it comes to choosing bait color. In clearer water, I recommend toning down the color scheme for more natural presentation. As the water gets murkier you can adjust your presentation to a harsher color like white or junebug, all the way to crawfish red in muddy water.

Water Temperature

The water temperature is mostly reliant on the season, but sometimes weather conditions or a front can suddenly drop or raise temperatures. of course, the bass will adjust accordingly. Typically, the lower the temp, the slower you should be fishing, focusing on baits like senkos or jigs. Inversely, the higher the temp the faster you should fish, focusing on baits like prop baits or chatterbaits.

Weather

Weather conditions will generally have little influence on your bait choice. Rather, they determine the general success you’ll have while fishing. Overcast, windy days typically cause fish to roam more, so covering water with fast moving baits like prop baits or spinnerbaits is what I would recommend on these days. Weather conditions also influence the color of your topwaters. When the skies are clearer, you should throw more natural/see-through presentations. Switch to bone/white when there are overcast skies.

Wind is another factor of the weather: typically speaking, the windier it is the faster you want to be fishing. Fishing slow can prove difficult and annoying on windy days. It’s better to fish a moving bait so you can keep constant tension on the line. Rain can either drastically increase or decrease your luck when fishing, depending on a variety of factors: generally speaking, rain during colder weather will lower water temperature and decrease fishing success, but during warmer weather it will aerate the water and cause fish to be livelier and more aggressive.

Air Pressure

Air pressure will have very little effect on your fishing. In general, the higher the air pressure the deeper the fish go and the worse the fishing is, and the lower the pressure the shallower the fish go and the better the fishing. However, this factor is very intangible and doesn’t really have any significant effect on the fishing conditions

Pond Specifics

Over time, if you fish the same ponds repeatedly, you’ll start to learn the patterns unique to your pond. For example, you might find a specific pile of wood near a drop off that consistently houses fish during the summer, or you might find that your fish react a lot better to smaller topwaters than larger ones, even though it doesn’t really match the hatch. With time, you’ll figure out where your pond is deepest, where the primary spawning beds are, which banks the fish like most, and what their favorite kinds of presentations are. This is the most important thing to learn if you fish the same pond frequently: take time to get to know your pond.

Fallback Options

Some days, especially when fishing pressured ponds, it won’t matter what you do or what you throw, you may have little to no luck. If this is the case, I have some solutions to make sure you can keep the day fun.

The number one solution I’d give you is to microfish. If you have a lighter spinning rod, tie up a small, classic bait like a rooster tail or a curly tail jig and fish away. These types of lures catch all kinds of fish: small bass, perch, bluegill, you name it.

You could also consider tying on a classic bobber and live bait setup. This will take a little more forethought: worms are without a doubt the most versatile and accessible option for live bait, but you’ll have to purchase them prior to the trip. However, live bait is a staple for a reason: it WILL catch fish if you’re patient enough.

Another option could be to switch ponds. If you live in a neighborhood, your local pond might be very pressured, meaning lots of people fish there. This causes the bass in these ponds to be a lot more finicky. Sometimes, trying to find a different pond with google maps can turn a sour day sweet. You may even find your new honey hole!