Fall bass fishing in ponds

[Grover Willis]

I have found a new passion! Teaching myself how to catch bass in a 1ac pond behind my house. From spring til now I have learned different ways to catch them. I have learned there are about 3 different colors of worms a person needs and the old rooster tail seems to always pull through. Black with gold blade mainly. Do any of y'all have any tricks for this time of year? I am finding it very challenging. Slow moving worm in deep water is where I am having the best luck but no size to the fish. This is a picture from yesterday.
I know there are some bigger ones in here because I have caught several that were 6+lbs.
Oct 16

 

[Jdmb123]

That picture is to funny. We get an idea on size, and the bass gets to lay on the couch.

A drop shot always catches them. The issue with them being small is usual for ponds, I’m no biologist but it’s something to do with too many fish not enough food?. I’ve been told many times “throw some small buck bass in the bushes”.

 

[Grover Willis]

I have been eating any of them under 2lbs. They are great!

 

[Batjack]

Early morning a floating Rapala twitched slowly or slow rolling a spinner bait just under the surface usually work in the 2ac. pond behind my house. Can't go wrong with live minnows under a float for the real finicky ones.

 

[JakkBauer]

shakey head or jig would be worth a shot

 

[Grover Willis]

So today is a white fluke texas rig. Slow on the bottom and watch your line swim off before you set the hook. ?

 

[oldfella1962]

Yes a black Rooster Tail is a classic! I've never targeted bass with them but they were great for smallish northern pike on a lake I used to fish a lot in Wisconsin. Inexpensive but very durable lures too.

 

[oldfella1962]

Early morning a floating Rapala twitched slowly or slow rolling a spinner bait just under the surface usually work in the 2ac. pond behind my house. Can't go wrong with live minnows under a float for the real finicky ones.

Agree floating Rapalas are great in the fall around sunrise & sunset, but I'm a cheapskate: I buy the off-brand floating plugs that are about half the price of a Rapala.

 

[Batjack]

Agree floating Rapalas are great in the fall around sunrise & sunset, but I'm a cheapskate: I buy the off-brand floating plugs that are about half the price of a Rapala.

Never bought one, still using the few my Grandpa left me.

 

[Grover Willis]

Can y'all post pictures of these lures? Remember I am a bass fishing student.

 

[fishfryer]

Never bought one, still using the few my Grandpa left me.

Rapalas were a hot lure in the late 50s early 60s. Weber black eel was also.

 

[Batjack]

Can y'all post pictures of these lures? Remember I am a bass fishing student.

PM sent.

 

[oldfella1962]

Never bought one, still using the few my Grandpa left me.

no doubt - the Rapala has been around a long time. There's a story (is it true?) that the Rapala was "discovered" by accident! Lauri Rapala was whittling on a piece of wood near the water and a fish attacked one of the chunks as it floated. This inspired him to carve wood into a fish shape and a classic lure was born.

That said they work on a wide variety of fish that's for sure. One of most memorable fish caught on a Rapala was a muskie. My dad and I were in our boat about to cast toward a neighbor's boat dock and I casted too far and it landed on the very last cedar 1" x 6" board on the surface of the dock. But I wasn't hung up yet, as long as I could inch the lure to the edge without a hook digging in. I slowly worked it off and it plunked into the water gently. I cranked my reel handle one time then POW! The water erupted! Long story short a barely legal length muskie was in the boat in a couple of minutes.

 

[oldfella1962]

That picture is to funny. We get an idea on size, and the bass gets to lay on the couch.

A drop shot always catches them. The issue with them being small is usual for ponds, I’m no biologist but it’s something to do with too many fish not enough food?. I’ve been told many times “throw some small buck bass in the bushes”.

I need to start keeping more small bass to eat. I used to think throwing them back so they can grow larger made sense, until I started researching more about the food chain. Ponds and small lakes with a limited variety of different fish species are obviously affected by getting overpopulated with small bass.