Another seldom discussed aspect of pond fishing is to pay strict attention to casting.
Instead of making heavy over-handed casts, throw sidearm, flip or pitch to make your casts. Kevin VanDam once told me the biggest mistake anglers make is not learning to make soft landings with their lures. This is magnified with pond fishing because the fish can be so much spookier, particularly in a heavy pressured pond.
One pond we fish has super clear water and is usually only good for using soft plastics. Sometimes however we get a topwater bite but have to be careful to keep the lure close to the water’s surface as we cast and then lightly work the plug. The smaller the water body, the more problems are compounded. Keep things as light and delicate as possible for the best results.
Chester Moore
- Shelton Moore lands a nice bass on a pond where he made a delicate sight cast with a topwater. A little twitch was all he needed to score on this fish.
Also, be sure to make a quiet approach to the pond. Don’t stomp, jump around or make a lot of noise. I had a fishing buddy at one time who would almost whisper to me and tip toed around when we were pond fishing.
I read an article one time about a guy who had a “pet bass” that he feed in a pond at his farm. The bass could hear him coming and was waiting by the shore when he walked up to it!