Let’s say you want to go out and catch some bass fish in a pond, what should you take into consideration? Probably the most important thing, that you might not expect, is when to do it, more specifically, the season.
Largemouth bass fish are known to be sluggish in the heat of summer or the cold of winter. Depending upon the season, you have to use a different kind of lure/bait. So what is the best bait for bass in a pond? Well, shallow-running crankbait is good in all seasons, as well as a rubber-legged jig with a soft-bodied trailer. When it comes to cold-water fishing, a jerk bait is a great choice, while a spinnerbait is good in spring and for deep fishing, and a plastic worm will do well from mid-spring through early fall.
But before you go pond hopping, note that there is no universal “best bait” for bass in a pond, and make sure you have your fishing license with you. With that being said, let us delve deeper and explore five of the best baits for fishing bass in a pond.
Crankbait
A crankbait is a good option in all seasons. If it runs 1 to 3 feet deep, it is great for pond fishing. Just make sure they have good wobbling action, and that they can be retrieved slowly.
Square bills, lipless, and deep divers come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Every one of them has its unique benefits. Lipless and square bills are great in shallow waters, and around cover and lily pads. The deep divers should be used in lakes and rivers, especially during winter months when fish hide deeper.
Some good cranks are Strike King KVD square bills, the lipless Rat-L-Trap, and for deep divers, Lucky Craft would be a good choice. When it comes to color, take into consideration the watercolor.
Jigs
A rubber-legged jig with a soft-bodied trailer might not catch you much fish, but it will help you catch the bigger ones, so why would you need more. It will lead you both to the bigger, passive, or aggressive fish.
These fishing lures are great to use in any season. They are intended to create a jerky, vertical motion, quite the opposite to spinnerbaits which move through the water horizontally, and they are quite subtle, even though they are relatively big.
Jigs come in many colors, weights, heads, and designs, such as the swim jigs, casting jigs, flipping jigs, football head, and finesse jigs, and they range in color from black and blue to chartreuse, white, green pumpkin, and others.
To successfully use the jig, one needs to use a rod which is good for feeling a strike. You need to stay in contact with this type of lure and get it to where the fish are, and most fish caught by jigs are usually on or near the rocky bottoms, or around lily pads, grasses, or even in open water. In open water, the swim jig is the best to use, while the football head is great in a muddy bottom. Sizes for these lures range from ¼ oz to 3/4oz.
Jerk Bait
When the water is clear and cold, a suspending or slow-rising minnow-shaped hard jerk bait is the way to go. However, using this type of bait requires patience, as it is a subtler bait. There are also different ways to fish with the jerk bait, such as with slow twitches, giving it a shimmying action, or with the snap-pause retrieve technique, which gives the bait an erratic, darting action that bass fish are extremely attracted to.
Some fishermen prefer the sideways, rather than a downward, snapping retrieve. Make sure you mix up your retrieve movements as it prevents arm fatigue, and watch for subtle strikes. When you try different retrieves, make a short cast in the beginning, and watch the lure to ensure it has good action.
Spinnerbait
In spring, the water starts to warm, and this results in bass being active in the shallows. A spinnerbait is most likely the best bait for bass in a pond, since it produces a lot of sound/vibration that will draw those fish to the bait.
This type of bait also comes into many varieties, which differ in weight, color, or size. What dictates the different sound in the water, is the type of blade that you use. Among the best blades, there are the Indiana or Colorado blades, which produce a lot of vibration.
The most commonly used colors for this bait are white, chartreuse, black, or a mixture of all three.
Plastic Worms
Plastic worms are great bait for bass that are in a pond. They are quite small and can be rigged in a few different ways, such as wacky rigged, Neko rigged, Texas rigged, drop shot, a ned ring, or on a shaky head. Another great plastic worm is the trick worm, which is longer.
Where the usual plastic worm is around 4”-6”, the trick worm is around 8”-12”. Both types of worms come in a variety of colors and can be rigged in different ways.
The advantage of the trick worm is that it “dances” in shallow water when thrown weightless, which bass fish find it very appealing. Weightless worms are great for slow fishing over submerged grass, and other such areas.
Now if the scientific data that proved the fact that bass fish are attracted to certain colors is true, then choosing a plastic worm that is red-hued, or green, might be an additional benefit. In any case, it is best to use the color baits that you know works best in your region. The best season to use plastic worms is during mid-spring to early fall.
Conclusion
The best bait for bass in a pond might be the spinnerbait, however, you shouldn’t ignore the other variants, have some fun, and see if something else works out better! Just don’t forget to take into consideration the season in which you are fishing.
