PondHunter

The first time I used a tube, I didnt care for it. The tube itself was kind of stiff, and the jighead inside of it made it plow into the weeds. I decided to give them another try the next year. I started off with Texas rigging it on a EWG hook, with no weight, and it was a completely different bait. I even tied it on with a loop knot to give it more action, and caught alot of fish. The thing I like about tubes is that with that rigging, I can fish it fast on top like a topwater, let it sink and swim it or jerk it, and then let it settle to the bottom and hop it. You can fish anywhere in the water column with it and catch fish.

Pitchin and Flippin cover near the bank since I dont have a boat.

Ive got a couple of Cherrywoods. They are great if you like to cast around corners. I recommend a Shimano Compre. It costs a little more to start, but you wont have to replace it down the road just to get something that works acceptably.

Pike. Even the small ones fight better than a bass will.

I tie direct to the lure. A uni-knot will make the lure have a tighter wiggle when retrieved. A loop will give the most action. Just depends on the situation. A loop on a jerkbait, or a Slug-go will really make those baits come alive. I dont like split rings because they can nick the line. On the clear waters I fish, if you are using split rings and snaps your catch rate will go way down. I took all of that stuff off my baits and use flourocarbon leaders and it has helped me alot.

I started smashing the barbs on my hooks for use in my pond because I had one good sized fish so deeply hooked, I thought it was going to bleed to death before I could get the hook out. The next year I started using a flyrod and was amazed at how well that long rod played and landed fish with barbless hooks, that most of my rods now have a lighter power rating so that I can keep a bend in it and land more fish. The only fish I have lost on barbless hooks were my fault.

I am partial to Power Pro braid on my reels. I tried some Fireline in 10lb and had some issues with the knots holding, and the line itself was kind of stiff. Power Pro is much softer, and knots hold better. The color fades after a while, but who cares. Also, depending on your reel, you may be able to change how the line is wound onto the spool so that it casts better and has less chance of backlash. Check your reel's instructions. My Shimano Symetre 2500 and 4000's can be adjusted for braid.I haven't tried it yet though.

I would suggest using a Flippin' Stick with either a Texas rigged worm, or a Jig'n'Pig for the big ones. If the pond isn't fished alot, almost anything will work though. A black buzzbait could work well also.

I like the Abu-Garcia 5500 and 6000 Round reels. For some reason, they just fit my hand better, and I am able to cast them much easier. They are also easy to clean and service, and have bearing, drag, and worm gear upgrades available that make them work great.

You can find a map of this lake in the Southern Indiana Fishing Map Guide that you can pick up at Wal-Mart or Gander Mountain in the area. It is only 15ft deep, and has been stocked with sunfish, catfish, LM bass and musky. Good Luck! ;D

Just from my own experience when I started using a BC reel, I had always used Spinning reels and had grown comfortable casting by snapping my wrist sharply to get more distance. With a BC reel, this will backlash like crazy. Since the lure isnt going very far, you are probably getting the spool to spin way too fast for the amount of line going out, so it backlashes. Try more of a lob cast to get started, then when you get more comfortable, lighten up on the spool tension to get some more distance.

Congrats on your new BC and for joining the forum. I tried alot of reels and found that the round Abu-Garcia's work best for me. The low profile designs just dont work for me for some reason. Anyway, you might want to get some braid for it soon since the mono will take on a coil and make casting difficult. I didnt want to try it right away for fear of backlashing and having to remove expensive line, but it worked so much better it was unbelievable. Start Flippin' and Pitchin' with those unwieghted Senko's and be ready to set the hook! I had heard about 20ft pitches into a coffee cup, and with this setup it really works well. Good Luck! ;D

The first Pike I caught was about 22" long and put up a big fight, diving to the bottom of the weeds and making slashing runs. It hooked me on catching them, and they are eager biters. Pike dont get the press that Bass and Muskie get, but they are tops in my book. ;D I use a 7ft St. Croix rod, Heavy power w/Moderate Action, Abu Garcia 6000 reel spooled up with 30lb Power Pro braid. The moderate action keeps a bend in the rod, and the heavy power helps to handle the bigger fish. I use live-bait on circle hooks. Good Luck!

I like to use a pattern called the Chernyobel Ant, but any large black bug works well. The flies I use are all foam bodied, rubber-legged designs for durability. Larger flies are better at keeping the Bluegill from attacking it, sometimes. A 6wt will work good for smallies and largemouth. As long as the rod has a bend in it, barbless hooks work well and are easy to remove.

A Flyrod is not only the funnest way, but is usually the most productive. I like using a foam ant in orange or black. It is a durable fly and they cant resist it.

At $2.50 each, I just want to know what mine they come from?

I have switched to braid with a flourocarbon leader for everything. I hate how mono will coil up on the spool and ruin the castability on spinning outfits and backlash constantly on baitcasters. Occasionally I will get backlash, but it is always easier to pick it out with braid. I havent had to respool with braid. but with mono its almost the routine when it backlashes to have to remove almost all of it. Im not concerned with the braid getting nicked on rocks because I fish in the weeds. Everytime I tried a new mono that was supposed to be "it" for a baitcaster it would work ok for a couple weeks, then it would take on a coil and be useless. Braid may be more expensive to start, but is cheaper in the long run. Not all braid is the same either. I use Power Pro. It is as limp as string. Fireline is much stiffer and feels like a coil of wire when not on the spool. Those are the only brands I have used.

I find that they have a better selection of fishing equipment than other stores in the area, Ft Wayne, and have alot of Musky and Pike tackle as well. The prices seem to be in line with local walmarts on the same items. When winter comes they stock alot of ice fishing gear too. There are a few things I want and cant find there, but for the most part its a good store.

Try casting parallel to the dropoff with a crankbait, jigworm, or spinnerbait. Early in the day or in the evening would be best. There may be some deep water holes or brush that the fish are holding near during midday that you cant cast far enough to get to. A tube would work also, maybe even be the best. The trick may be in figuring out which lures the fish have been conditioned to and use something else. A smoke colored grub on a jighead works almost anywhere. I know this sounds like alot of lures, but whichever you choose, cast along the dropoff and any of them will work. GOOD LUCK!

So sorry about making a minor error on the specs of a reel. Next time I will be sure to PM you will all my future posts so that you can make sure I dont do it again. >

Burley Walnuts, Calcuttas have magnetic cast controls, I meant that cheap models cast controls dont work very well, unlike the Calcutta. On the two cheap models I owned, the difference between 1 and 10 on the mags was virtually nonexistant, it was either on or off. With the Calcutta you can adjust it to work with any reasonably weighted lure.

I have a preference for Shimano, but whichever you decide on buy a good one and not some cheapie. I made the mistake of getting 2 cheap ones and was totally put off baitcasters for a long time. The good ones have smooth enough drag settings to eliminate backlash and still cast well. You wont regret buying the best reel you can afford. My favorite is the Shimano Calcutta. Also, you may want to consider whether the reel is available in left hand retrieve. I am right handed, but a left hand reel lets me cast and retrieve without switching hands. I have mine on a Flippin Stick and if a fish hits as soon as the lure enters the water it helps to be able to set the hook and retrieve without changing hands. The better reels also have better magnetic backlash controls. The cheap ones are like light switches, on or off. You will probably end up closer to $250 than $100 when you find the one you want. GOOD LUCK!

Last year I bought an UL rod from Gander Mountain in their Guide Series Model# GSPS-702SUL. It basically is a lighter version of a Medium Action spinning rod. Avery fast tip with some backbone as well. Not your typical buggy whip UL rod. Casts straight also, not to one side or the other that you get with some cheaper rods that dont have the guides aligned on the spine. Caught a 3lb. bass on it and loaded the whole rod but still landed him. At 7ft long it gets some distance with the light baits when casting. Dont think I will be replacing any of my St. Croix rods with them but this rod is very good.

I usually use a flippin stick with a Texas rigged black worm, or a spinning setup with a weightless tube in pumpkinseed or watermelon , but the most productive way to catch pressured fish in ponds is a 5 weight fly rod with a cherynobel ant. It is large enough for bass to take interest and you can cast to the edges of cover from far enough away so the fish arent alerted to your presence. you would be amazed at how easy it is to catch bass on a fly rod in ponds, almost like shootin fish in a barrel! ;D

I really like their powerbait lineup. Since I usually have a soft plastic tied on, any style or color I need is covered. Have way more crankbaits than I will ever use so I cant comment on the Frenzy lures. The Gulp! lures work really well, but are kind of spendy considering the durability of them. For rods that are in the price range of an Ugly Stik that is what I would rather have. As for line, I usually have XL on my rods. I got tired of spending all that money on braids and flourocarbon since mono still works so well. They keep improving it too, instead of letting it fall behind to the point of being obsolete.